Candidates must apply to take the Certification Examination after successfully completing the Registered Education Provider’s education program. The online Certification Examination is administered four times a year at  more than 170 Applied Measurement Professionals, Inc., testing centers throughout the United States (examinations to be delivered in other countries are handled on a case-by-case basis).

2012 Certification Exam Testing Windows:

• February
• May
• August
• November

(Note: Changes to this schedule may occur at any time.)

Scheduling an Examination
The Certification Examination is available by appointment only, and candidates are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. Candidates must submit the Certification Examination Application and fee to IMCA in order to sit for the exam. The Certification Examination Application is e-mailed directly to eligible candidates upon completion of the education requirement, and current fees are listed in the Fee Schedule. For specific instructions for scheduling the Certification Examination, download the Candidate Handbook.

Preparing for the Examination
To best prepare for the Certification Examination, candidates should focus on the detailed content outline on pages 8–10 of the Candidate Handbook. This handbook is designed to provide you with more information and answers to your questions regarding the CIMA certification process. Please download the Candidate Handbook and read it in its entirety.

Certification Resources:
• Certification Candidate Study Guide (PDF)
• Formula Sheet –The formula sheet used in the examination is not labeled; therefore candidates should know how to identify and apply the formulas.
• IMCA Code of Professional Responsibility— In addition to the resources mentioned above, candidates need to be familiar with IMCA’s Code of Professional Responsibility and Standards of Practice.
• Calculator Resources--Candidates should also familiarize themselves with the of an acceptable financial calculator. Guidance for using non-programmable calculators can be found on the independent Web sites: eLearnAbout or Calculator Tutorial Index.

Education and Review Resources
Independent Review and Overview Offerings
The following independent providers offer CIMA examination review, tutoring, and/or overview services to candidates and interested individuals. (Note: As a candidate, your contact information may be shared with these providers, and you may be contacted with information about their services. IMCA makes no assertion regarding the quality or knowledge of these providers.  The providers offering these resources have no knowledge of the examination items included on the qualification or certification exams.)

Pierre Lemaire, ABD, CAIA®
Beta Educational Services, LLC
856.866.1555
Visit the Web site.

John Nersesian, CIMA®, CIS, CPWA®, CFP®
Visit the Web site.

Independent Self-Study Texts
The books included on this list may be helpful tools for familiarizing yourself with the detailed content outline topics found on pages 7–8 of the Candidate Handbook. Although you will find these books to be useful resources in your studies, they are not intended to provide exhaustive or comprehensive coverage of all topics found on the Qualification and Certification Examinations. These simply serve as suggested titles to consider for enhancing your knowledge in the key areas taught in the CIMA certification program. Ultimately it is up to you to determine how comfortable you are in your knowledge of the topics included in the detailed content outline of the Candidate Handbook. You do not need to purchase every book on this list; however, if you are looking for more information on a particular subject covered in the content outline, this list is a good place to start.