Other parts in this series:
- Certifications in the Information Management Industry Part 1 - Introduction
- Certifications in the Information Management Industry Part 2 - The Certified Records Manager and Certified Records Analyst
- 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 other certifications I'm reviewing, my only involvement is as a certified holder of their credential, and, as required, a member of ICRM.
ARMA International announced that it had begun the development of the Certified Information Governance Professional (IGP) in April 2012. The intent of the IGP was to accredit the strategic experience of information governance professionals in alignment to the Generally Accepted Recordkeeping Principles (now, The Principles). The first group of beta exam takers took the test in spring 2013 and the first IGPs were officially announced in August 2013.
ARMA began a process to update the exam in 2021, and the updated IGP exam and program were formally released on July 15, 2022.
Unlike many of the other certifications in the IGIM industry, ARMA has gone through a formal psychometric validation process for both versions of the IGP program. ARMA's exam development process is open in that an open call for volunteers is made for the different tasks required to update the exam.
The IGP Exam
Candidates for the IGP exam are not required to complete any formal or industry educational requirements or document any specific work experience. However, there is a formal application process that includes fields to document education and work experience, and the IGP Handbook notes that a partial refund is available to those who fail to qualify as a candidate. Recommended qualifications are a 4-year degree and a minimum of 3 years work experience in a field relevant to information governance. The application also requires agreement to the IGP Code of Ethics. Candidates are not required to be members of ARMA in order to take the exam or maintain the certification.
The combined application/exam fee is $599; if a candidate fails to qualify or has extenuating circumstances requiring withdrawal from the exam process, $499 is refunded.
The IGP exam consists of a single 140-question exam. Exam questions are multiple choice. Candidates have 3 hours (180 minutes) to complete the exam. Candidates are allowed 3 attempts to pass the exam; the second and third attempts are $250 each. After a third failure, candidates must wait 1 year and then must reapply as a new candidate. The exam uses multiple exam forms and randomizes the questions for each candidate.
The exam is proctored and timed, and available through Pearson VUE testing centers or OnVUE online proctoring. ARMA does not publish the passing score or percentage; candidates are notified of their unofficial pass/fail status on the day of the exam, and these results are confirmed by ARMA within 30 days.
Maintenance
In order to maintain their designation, IGPs must complete 60 educational contact hours (CEUs) over a 3-year period, broken down as follows:
15 hours - Information management
4 hours - Information security
4 hours - Privacy
4 hours - Risk management
4 hours - Legal
4 hours - Technology
4 hours - Business
2 hours - Ethics
19 hours - General - anything IG-related or that relates to any of the topics above.
No more than 18 hours will awarded for any single activity irrespective of its duration. An activity must count for at least 30 minutes or 0.5 CEUs to be awarded credit. IGPs must also pay a $250 renewal fee.
IGP in a Nutshell
- Exam cost: $599, includes nonrefundable $100 application fee
- Experiential requirement: No
- Formal educational requirement: No
- Training requirement: No
- Proctored and timed exam? Yes
- Valid exam? Yes
- Exam developed through open process? Yes
- Code of ethics: Yes
- Renewal requirements: Yes, 60 CEUs over 3 years and $250 renewal fee
- Accredited: No
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