CIMP Rulebook

How do I become CIMP certified?

To earn CIMP designation you must 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 exam up to six times. However, each exam license that you purchase entitles you to three attempts. If you fail on all 3 attempts, you can purchase an additional exam license, and thus make up to three more attempts, by contacting support@elearningcurve.com. We believe that attempting an exam more than 6 times is not productive.

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 day in a role within the chosen track counts as two days 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 3% "penalty" will apply to the score for each attempt beyond the second. Thus, if your actual score is 56% on the first attempt, 65% on the second attempt, and 76% on the second attempt, 73% (76%-3%) will be used for the purpose of calculating the average. Note, that there is no "penalty" for failing on the first attempt.

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. Alternatively, you can enroll in courses one at a time. Click here if you want to enroll in CIMP exams without taking the courses.

I completed CIMP certification. How do I now get enrolled in the CIMP Ex program?

The most convenient and cost-efficient method to enroll in the CIMP Ex program for those with CIMP designation is with CIMP to CIMP Ex Upgrade Package. Alternatively, you can enroll in the courses one at a time.

Is there a time constraint to complete certification?

You must complete the required exams within 24-months from the time you pass the first one. Please note, in the event the required exams take longer than 24-months to complete, but your qualifications satisfy re-certification rules, you are still eligible for certification (based on eLC's verification of certain requirements.)

For example, you can bypass the requirement to complete the required exams within 24 months if you can demonstrate at least 18 months of verifiable work experience related to the area of certification within the past 3 years. You can find complete re-certification rules at the end of this page.

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.

Can I earn CDS credit by completing a CIMP Certification?

Yes! If you complete a CIMP in Data Quality, Data Governance, MDM, or Metadata Management tracks, you will automatically earn a credit for the corresponding CDS course. For example, CIMP in Data Quality will earn you a credit for Data Quality for Data Stewards.

What do I get upon completion?

• A digital certificate that formally declares your achievement and the credential that you have earned. Digital certificates allow you to easily display and share your achievement online.
• 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:

• 18 months of verifiable work experience related to the area of certification. You may count a job as long as at least 50% of your duties are eligible.
• 30 months of verifiable work experience in any area of information management. You may count a job as long as at least 50% of your duties are eligible.
• 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.

I am a CIMP and PMP certificate holder. Do CIMP certifications qualify as development PDU's for PMP certification or recertification?

PMI lists several educational methods of earning PDU’s including:

• Educational events held by a PMI chapter
• Face-to-face, instructor-led courses from PMI SeminarsWorld®
• e-Learning On Demand courses
• Academic education through programs accredited by the PMI Global Accreditation Center (GAC)
• Training courses offered by a PMI Registered Education Provider (R.E.P.)
• Courses from other third party providers

eLearningCurve courses currently fall in the last category. If you have completed your CIMP you can submit it to PMI for consideration for PDU credit.

Please note that while it is entirely up to PMI whether to award credit or not, we have heard from CIMP’s who have successfully obtained credit towards their PMP certificate by submitting information about their CIMP program coursework.

While we cannot guarantee approval by PMI we do encourage you to submit CIMP coursework for their consideration.