Certifications in the Information Management Industry Part 2 - The Certified Records Manager and Certified Records Analyst

Other parts in this series: 

• Certifications in the Information Management Industry Part 1 - Introduction
• Certifications in the Information Management Industry Part 3 - The Information Governance Professional
• Certifications in the Information Management Industry Part 4 - The Certified Information Professional

In the interests of full disclosure, I was the technical architect for the AIIM CIP in 2011 and the program and exam architect in 2016 and 2019. I also served on the scoring committee for the 2022 update to the ARMA IGP. For the others listed, my only involvement is as a certified holder of their credential, and, as required, a member of ICRM. 

The Institute of Certified Records Managers (ICRM), and its flagship certification, the Certified Records Manager (CRM), were the first certifying body and certification in the field of records management. The ICRM was established in January 1975, and while the first certification exam was delivered in 1974, the first CRMs were not granted certification until March 1975. These first CRMs were awarded by review, rather than through a formal certification exam. 

Other key dates: 

• 1990 - the ICRM established the CRM/Nuclear Specialist (CRM/NS).
• 2016 - the CRA was established.
• 2017 - the CRM/Federal Specialist (CRM/FED) was established. 
• 2020 - the CRM/CIGO was established. 

You can read more about the history of the ICRM in Steven Whitaker's article at 

https://www.icrm.org/node/3147.

The CRM and CRA Exams

Candidates for the CRM are required to document at least one year of professional work experience in records management and have completed a bachelor degree in any subject. Each year less of education requires documentation of an additional year of professional work experience. Eligibility for the CRA is the same. 

Candidates must pay a $100 nonrefundable application fee. 

The CRM consists of six exams. Parts 1-5 are multiple-choice exams, consisting of 100 questions each:

• Part 1: Management Principles and the Records and Information Management Program
• Part 2: Records and Information Creation and Use 
• Part 3: Records Storage, Retrieval, Conversion, and Facilities
• Part 4: Records Identification, Protection, Retention, and Disposition
• Part 5: Technology

A candidate must pass all five parts in order to take Part 6, Business Cases. Part 6 consists of two essay questions in the form of case studies. Passing Part 6 awards the CRM designation. The exam is proctored and timed, and available only through online virtual proctoring via the Examity platform. 

Candidates have five years to complete a certification. Candidates who complete Parts 2, 3, and 4 are awarded the CRA designation and the five-year requirement to complete the CRM is waived. 

The cost for Parts 1-5 is $100 per exam. The cost for Part 6 is $150. 

Special Designations

CRMs can also take up to three additional special designations: 

• CRM/NS - Nuclear Information Specialist. From the ICRM website: 
• CRMs or CRAs with four years of nuclear industry experience and who are members of NIRMA are eligible to take the Nuclear Information Specialist exam. The exam consists of 100 questions. 
• CRM/FED - Federal Specialist. From the ICRM website: 
• The CRM/Federal Specialist was developed for CRMs whose field of professional practice involves RIM programs of the U.S. Government, whether as a Federal government employee, uniformed military, vendor, consultant, or contractor. The Federal Specialist exam includes 100 questions over a variety of federal government related areas. Candidates must document four years of Federal records management experience. 
• CRM/CIGO - This is a joint certification with the Certified Information Governance Officers Association (CIGOA). CRMs who pass the CIGO exam receive the CRM/CIGO designation, and all continuing education requirements are managed by the ICRM. Update 12/5/2023: As of sometime in September 2023, the partnership between the ICRM and CIGOA has been dissolved. Not sure what this means for the former CRM/CIGOs in terms of CIGO renewal in particular - more information to come. 

The CRM and CRA exams are developed through an open process, meaning that an open call for volunteers is made and volunteers can sign up to write exam questions. The exams have not gone through a psychometric validation process for some time. The exams use an item bank and randomization within each exam. 

Maintenance

In order to maintain their designation, CRMs and CRAs must complete 100 hours of certification maintenance points (CMPs) over a five year period. The certification period starts January 1 or July 1 immediately following the awarding of the CRM or CRA designation. 

CRM/CIGOs are required to complete an additional 20 hours of CMPs over the same period, or a total of 120, to fulfill the CIGO maintenance requirements. Update 12/5/2023: This is no longer valid. 

Uniquely, CRMs and CRAs are also required to maintain membership in the ICRM; as of this writing, membership is $200 a year. CRM/NS are also required to maintain membership in NIRMA, which is $325 a year.

CRM and CRA in a Nutshell

• Exam cost: $100 application fee, $100 each for Parts 1-5, $150 for Part 6. Total cost: $750
• CRA: $100 application fee + $100 each for Parts 2-4. Total cost: $400
• Experiential requirement: Yes
• Formal educational requirement: No, but can offset experiential requirements
• Training requirement: No 
• Proctored and timed exam? Yes
• Valid exam? No
• Exam developed through open process? Yes 
• Code of ethics: Yes
• Renewal requirements: Yes, 100 CMPs over 5 years and $200/year annual membership
• Accredited: No