Colony count training and competency

Master colony enumeration.

The only ACPE-accredited online program that teaches colony counting and validates your competency against expert analysts.

Learn how to identify, count and interpret microbial colonies using real-world agar plate examples, then demonstrate competency through the ConFirm coUnt™ assessment.

Buy course $295 CAD
Save $25 per user when enrolling 5+ users.
1.0 contact hour
Fully online and self-paced
First retake included
Accredited continuing education

In collaboration with

Sample agar plate
Competency decision Determine the confirmed colony count

Competency one

Count colonies with consistent accuracy

Practice identifying and counting colony-forming units using realistic agar plate examples that mirror real laboratory conditions.

Differentiate individual colonies from artifacts

Apply consistent counting technique across plate types

Record accurate colony-forming unit totals

Training and assessment help support consistent colony-count competency decisions.

Why accurate counting matters

One incorrect colony count can change the interpretation of a sample

Colony enumeration affects environmental monitoring decisions, investigations and quality records. A structured method helps reduce subjectivity and improve consistency.

Counting risk

When the reported CFU count is too low

Result underestimation

Small colonies, low-contrast growth or overlapping CFUs may be missed, producing a result that does not accurately represent the plate.

01 Inspect Review the complete agar plate
02 Identify Recognize distinct colonies
03 Count Apply a consistent counting method
04 Document Record the final CFU result
What can go wrong

Potential consequences

Contamination may be underestimated

An alert or action level may not be recognized

Investigation or corrective action may not occur

Trend data may not reflect actual conditions

How training helps

A repeatable counting method

Review the entire plate systematically

Recognize colonies with different morphologies

Evaluate clustered and overlapping growth

Document the final count consistently

Key takeaway

A structured plate-review method helps reduce missed colonies and underreported CFU results.

Reduce counting variability

Build a more consistent colony-counting process

Train and assess personnel using realistic agar plates and expert-defined acceptance ranges.

Fully online Explore the course

Course learning objectives

Build the skills behind a defensible colony count

Move from understanding how colonies form to accurately counting and interpreting viable sampling results.

Learning objective one

Describe how colony-forming units develop

Foundational knowledge

Understand what a colony-forming unit represents and how viable microorganisms develop into visible colonies on culture media.

Practical application

Connect microbial growth to the plate

Use CFU principles to understand what visible growth represents before beginning the counting process.

What learners practice

Applied skills

Understand what a CFU represents

Connect viable microorganisms to visible growth

Recognize how colonies develop on media

Understand that one colony may originate from more than one cell

Course progression Objective 1 of 4
Key takeaway

Understanding CFU formation provides the foundation for accurate colony recognition and enumeration.

Training plus competency testing

Build the skill—and demonstrate the competency

Complete realistic colony-counting exercises and compare your results with expert-defined acceptance ranges.

Fully online Start learning now

Course details and enrollment

Everything you need to train and demonstrate competency

Review the course format, accreditation information, completion requirements and enrollment options.

Program overview

Course specifications

Online home study

This application-based program combines colony-counting instruction, realistic viable sampling plates and theoretical and practical competency assessment.

Activity type Application-based

Designed to build and assess practical colony-counting skills.

Delivery mode Online home study

Fully online, self-paced and available without shipping.

Target audience Pharmacy professionals

For pharmacy technicians, pharmacists and quality managers.

Contact time 1.0 contact hour

Includes training and competency assessment activities.

Accreditation ACPE-accredited

Activity numbers are available for pharmacists and technicians.

Course dates March 30, 2026–2029

See the accreditation panel for complete release and expiration dates.

Included components What the course includes
  • Theoretical and practical pretest
  • Interactive training module
  • Theoretical competency assessment
  • Practical competency assessment
  • Real-world viable sampling agar plates
  • Immediate online results
  • Statement of completion after successful completion
Successful completion Passing and completion requirements
  • Complete the theoretical and practical pretest
  • Complete all training modules and questionnaires
  • Achieve at least 80% on the theoretical assessment
  • Achieve 100% within the expert-defined criteria on the practical assessment
  • Submit the feedback survey
Continuing education Accreditation and activity information

Pharmacist UAN: 0692-0000-26-002-H07-P

Pharmacy technician UAN: 0692-0000-26-002-H07-T

Release date: March 30, 2026
Expiration date: March 30, 2029

Before beginning System and equipment requirements
  • High-speed internet connection of at least 10 Mbps
  • Speakers or headphones
  • Current version of Chrome, Firefox, Edge or Safari
  • No laboratory equipment required
  • No shipping or physical materials required

The program supports personnel training and documented competency assessment. Course completion does not independently guarantee compliance with every applicable standard or organizational procedure.

Compare your options

Find the course that fits your role and needs

Compare course focus, contact hours, learning objectives, pricing and assessment requirements.

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Course comparison
Best option if you are
This course focuses on
Contact hours
Initial training fee
Learning objectives
Retake policy
Multi-user discount
Subsequent annual assessment fee
01

Interpreting Culture Media & Performing Colony Counts

Staff assessment and viable sampling

Best option if you are Handling environmental monitoring and aseptic technique assessment samples and media fill.
This course focuses on Staff assessment and viable sampling
Contact hours 3.5
Initial training fee $395 CAD
Learning objectives
  1. Define nutrient media
  2. Select the appropriate media
  3. Apply incubation requirements
  4. Interpret and analyze results
  5. Differentiate contaminated and non-contaminated samples
  6. Explain colony-forming units
  7. Differentiate CFUs by morphology
  8. Accurately count CFUs on agar plates
Retake policy First retake free. Second retake: $50 CAD
Multi-user discount $25 per user for 5+ users
Subsequent annual assessment fee $395 CAD
Learn more
02

Interpreting Media Fill & GFT Samples

Aseptic technique assessment

Best option if you are Handling aseptic technique assessment, GFT samples and media fill.
This course focuses on Staff assessment
Contact hours 2.5
Initial training fee $345 CAD
Learning objectives
  1. Define nutrient media
  2. Select the appropriate media
  3. Apply incubation requirements for media fill and GFT samples
  4. Interpret and analyze results
  5. Differentiate contaminated and non-contaminated samples
  6. Explain colony-forming units
  7. Differentiate CFUs by morphology
  8. Accurately count CFUs on agar plates
Retake policy First retake free. Second retake: $50 CAD
Multi-user discount $25 per user for 5+ users
Subsequent annual assessment fee $345 CAD
Learn more
Current course
03 Selected program

Colony Count Training & ConFirm coUnt™

Validated colony count competency

Best option if you are Performing colony counting for environmental monitoring.
This course focuses on Viable sampling
Contact hours 1.0
Initial training fee $295 CAD
Learning objectives
  1. Describe how colony-forming units are formed
  2. Identify CFUs based on morphology
  3. Demonstrate how to count CFUs on agar plates
  4. Analyze and interpret results
Retake policy First retake free. Second retake: $50 CAD
Multi-user discount $25 per user for 5+ users
Subsequent annual assessment fee $295 CAD
Buy now

Need help choosing the right program for your role or team? Contact us for guidance.

Contact our team

Course evaluation results

What participants reported

260+ participants
Based on post-training survey responses (n = 260+ participants since 2024) most participants agreed or strongly agreed that:

Learner perspective

What learners appreciated

“The examples and practicing the counting before the assessment were very helpful.”
Course participant Pharmacy professional Verified learner
Immediate online access Start colony count training

Built by specialists

Training expertise meets microbiology expertise

The program combines pharmacy training, quality compliance and microbiology expertise to create a practical and defensible competency assessment.

Microbiology laboratory partner

U.S. Micro Solutions inc.

Expert validation

U.S. Micro Solutions inc. contributes microbiology expertise, practical agar plate evaluation and expert-defined colony count acceptance ranges.

Microbiology subject-matter expertise

Expert colony count validation

Practical assessment development

Contributing specialists

Meet the experts

Select a profile to learn more
K.F. Kelly Faulisi, CQIA President
B.M. Becky Moran Operations & Technical Manager
Learn More

Course content and competency criteria are developed through collaboration between training and microbiology specialists.

Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know before enrolling

Review common questions about course access, assessments, completion requirements and team training.

For a single user, you can purchase online using a credit card for immediate access. For teams of 5 users or more, volume discounts apply ($25 off per user). You may also contact us for invoicing options and to have a discount code created for your organization.

Yes, for 5 or more users, get $25 off per user.

You'll begin with a theoretical and practical pretest. The practical portion includes:

  • Real-world viable sampling agar plates to count CFUs
  • You'll then complete the training and a theoretical assessment (minimum 80% to pass; retakes allowed).

Finally, you'll complete a practical assessment requiring 100% of responses to meet expert-defined criteria, including correct contamination assessment (yes/no) and CFU counts within an expert-validated acceptance range.

No. Each user receives a unique combination of agar plates (ranging from easy to complex) that reflect real-world conditions.

Our system includes over 3,675 possible combinations, ensuring fairness, variability, and assessment integrity across users.

Yes. This program is designed to support compliance with USP <797> by providing documented, objective evidence of personnel competency in interpreting environmental monitoring results.

Yes. Upon successful completion, participants receive a statement of completion demonstrating their competency. Managers can also track certification status and expiry through the LMS. Contact us to learn more.

The course can typically be completed in 1 hour, depending on the user's experience and pace. It is designed to be flexible and self-paced.

Participants must achieve:

  • 80% on the theoretical assessment
  • 100% within the expert-validated range on the practical assessment

If a retake is needed, we do include the 1st retake attempt for free (no additional cost). A second retake may be completed for a $50 fee. If you need assistance, our team of experts is here to support you. Contact us to learn more.

Results are available immediately upon completion of each assessment component. This eliminates delays associated with manual review or physical submissions.

No. This is a fully online, web-based program. There is:

  • No shipping
  • No physical materials
  • No delays

You can start immediately after purchase.

Yes. The platform is designed for team deployment and includes:

  • Manager dashboards
  • Training progress tracking
  • Certificate expiry notifications
  • Centralized oversight

This removes the need for manual tracking (e.g., spreadsheets). Contact us to learn more.

Best practice is to complete competency testing:

  • Annually, or
  • During onboarding of new staff

Some organizations perform testing more frequently based on inspection history or internal quality standards.

Still have questions? Speak with our training team Get help with course selection, organizational enrollment or competency requirements. Contact our team