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How do I become CIMP certified?

To earn CIMP designation you must submit CIMP Application and successfully complete five courses in accordance with the requirements of one of CIMP tracks.

How do I successfully complete a course?

To successfully complete a course you must achieve a 70% or better score on the corresponding online CIMP exam. You even do not have to listen to the course itself if you are confident in your knowledge. However, most students will find it advisable to take the courses to prepare for the exams. Click here to learn more about CIMP exams.

Can I take an exam multiple times?

You can take each CIMP exam as many times as you want. However, you are not allowed to attempt an exam more than three times in any 30-day period. Also, each exam license that your purchase entitles you to three attempts. You will need to buy an additional exam license to get extra attempts.

How do I achieve the CIMP Ex level of CIMP certification?

CIMP Ex goes beyond CIMP to indicate that you are a true standard bearer in the industry. To earn CIMP Ex designation you must demonstrate:

  • Expertise. Successfully complete eight courses in accordance with the requirements of one of CIMP tracks, including all core courses for that track.
  • Experience. Have at least five years of work experience in information management. For all CIMP tracks except Information Management Foundations, each year in a role within the chosen track counts as two years of experience (subject to approval by CIMP Board). You may count a job towards CIMP Ex experience requirements as long as your duties were at least 50% in information management. If you are not sure that your experience qualifies, please, contact support@elearningcurve.com.
  • Excellence. Achieve the average score on the eight CIMP exams of 75% or better. If you have taken an exam more than once, only your best score will count. However, an incremental 2% "penalty" will apply to the score for each attempt beyond the first. Thus, if your actual score is 66% on the first attempt and 76% on the second attempt, 74% will be used for the purpose of calculating the average.

How do I get enrolled in the program?

The most convenient and cost-efficient method to enroll in the CIMP program is with one of our CIMP Packages. Each package includes all courses and exams necessary to earn CIMP or CIMP Ex in one of the tracks along with CIMP Application. Alternatively, you can purchase CIMP Application and then enroll in courses one at a time.

Is there a time constraint to complete certification?

You must complete the required exams within twenty four months from the time you pass the first one.

Can I earn CIMP in multiple tracks?

You can earn CIMP designation in multiple tracks. Courses that are included in the curricula for multiple tracks earn credit toward certification in all those tracks. You can find the mapping of courses to CIMP tracks on CIMP Tracks page.

What do I get upon completion?

  • A certificate that formally declares your achievement and the credential that you have earned.
  • Letter of credential in PDF format that describes CIMP and your accomplishment in earning the credential. Credential letters are often more effective attachments to resumes and job applications than are copies of certificates.
  • Use of CIMP designation on business cards and correspondence. You choose when and whether to place the letters CIMP behind your name (Jane Doe, CIMP) or to express more information by including the certification specialty (Jane Doe, CIMP -- Data Governance).
  • Use of CIMP logo on business cards, correspondence, web sites, and social networking profiles.
  • Entry in the CIMP online registry that can be accessed by employers and others to verify your credentials.

Is re-certification required?

Re-certification is essential to maintain a credible and meaningful certification. This is especially true in a continuously changing field such as information management. Each CIMP certificate expires three years from the date on which it is issued. Re-certification requires only that you demonstrate a meaningful level of continued activity - work, study, and learning - in the field. You can satisfy this requirement in a variety of ways including:

  • 24 months of verifiable work experience related to the area of certification.
  • 90 hours of continuing professional education in the form of classroom training, conferences, and events related to the area of certification.
  • 60 hours of continuing education in the form of additional eLearningCurve courses, where hours are determined by the duration of the recorded portion of the course. Our data shows that you'll spend 1.5 to 2 times this amount of time to actually complete a course.
  • 90 hours of speaking, teaching, or professional presentation about topics in the specialty area including conference presentations and local chapter presentations to DAMA, CIPS, and other professional organizations.
  • 6 non-commercial articles, columns, or papers in recognized information management publications.
  • Publication of one text or guidebook related to the specialty area by a recognized commercial (non-vanity) publisher.
  • Any combination of the above that collectively meets 100% of the requirement; for example 12 months of work experience (50%) combined with 45 hours of continuing professional education (50%).