Karin, the ICRM Board does not rule on applicant qualifications to sit
for the CRM exams.  The Certification Standards Committee does that;
that group is managed by the Regent - Certification Standards.  The
educational and experiential requirements to qualify to sit for the CRM
examinations are published on the ICRM website; ICRM.ORG.  Here is the
text:

<snip>
Qualifying for the Examination
Attaining the CRM designation is based on educational background,
professional work experience and successful completion of a six part
examination.

Persons wishing to become a CRM must complete and submit an application
form (ICRM Form #01) with supporting documentation indicating relevant
work experience and education. These credentials are then evaluated by
the Certification Standards Committee to determine that the eligibility
requirements have been met.

Application Fees
Prospective candidates pay a non-refundable $60.00 (US) fee for
processing their original application and evaluating credentials.
Applicants who fail to meet mandatory qualifications are required to
resubmit a new application form (including a new $60 processing fee) if
they request reconsideration more than one year after the date of the
original application.

A fee of $40.00 (US) per examination is charged for each of Parts 1
through 5. Application to take any part of the exam is done on ICRM form
#05. The fee for Part 6 is $60.00 (US). These fees are only refundable
if an applicant cancels his/her registration more than one month prior
to the examination date.

Application and fees must be submitted to the ICRM by the deadline
established for each examination. All payments must be in United States
currency.

Educational Qualifications
The optimum combination of experience and educational requirements for
a CRM candidate are a baccalaureate degree from a four-year accredited
college or university and three years full time or equivalent
professional experience.  For international applicants, the institution
of higher learning must hold an accreditation equivalent to that granted
by a US accreditation organization.  The ICRM may, at its discretion,
require international applicants to provide proof of a college or
university degree/diploma award to show that it is equivalent to a US
award.

The Certification Standards Committee of the Board may, at its
discretion, accept two years of additional experience as a substitute
for one year of education. Experience is calculated to the application
due date.

To assist candidates in determining educational/work experience
requirements, the number of years of education needed with respect to
work experience are shown below:

Education Professional Experience
4 years (BA degree) 3 years
3 years 5 years
2 years 7 years
1 year 9 years
High School Graduate 11 years

An official transcript or a photocopy of the degree certificate should
be submitted with the original application.

Professional Work Experience
The ICRM has determined an examination candidate must have acceptable
professional work experience in four or more of the following
categories:

Management of a Records Management Program

Records Creation and Use

Active Records Systems

Inactive Records Systems

Records Appraisal, Retention and Disposition

Records Protection

Records and Information Management Technology

Records Management Training, Education, and Awareness
Appropriate work experience may have been acquired if a person has:

Conducted studies and surveys or developed, designed, and implemented
records management systems;

Had direct managerial or operational responsibility for programs;

Taught in an accredited college/university on a full-time basis courses
in records management. Teaching in accredited junior colleges, community
colleges, or four-year institutions is acceptable.
In four of the categories shown above the work experience claimed
should be supported by copies of detailed job descriptions identifying
the employer, employee and the appropriate dates. If adequate job
descriptions are not available, letters from employers outlining in
detail work positions, duties, and experience relative to the above four
categories may be considered.

Consultants and sales (vendor) personnel must supply two or more of
their clients' letters specifying the nature and scope of their work.
These letters must be in sufficient detail to thoroughly describe the
work performed and provide evidence that services have been rendered in
the four or more categories in which the applicant claims experience.

Teachers are required to submit the syllabi of courses taught and a
letter from the appropriate school official substantiating the
applicant's position and activities within the educational institution.

Some additional guidelines on experience are:
The operation of specialized equipment without being involved in the
creation and development of related records management applications will
not be considered as qualifying experience.

The traditional work of librarians dealing with published materials is
not considered qualifying records management experience.

Applicants who are medical specialists or technicians must explain
thoroughly the relationship of their activities to the organization's
overall records management program.

Applicants may not sit for the examination until their credentials (the
application form with supporting documentation) have been approved by
the Certification Standards Committee. Applicants who, in the judgement
of that Committee, do not furnish adequate written documentation of
acceptable education and experience will be notified and offered the
opportunity to provide additional material. If acceptable documentation
is still not received by the appropriate date, their files will be
closed. They may apply again (as a "Resubmission") at such time as they
can provide the proper documentation.

An applicant whose application has not been accepted may appeal in
writing to the Certification Standards Appeals Committee. Decisions of
this Committee are final.
<snip>

Best regards, Steve
Steven D. Whitaker, CRM
Records Systems Manager; City of Reno

>>> [log in to unmask] 10/14/05 08:45AM >>>
Hi all:

I was wondering if I could get some objective advice from the CRM-ers
out
there about the 'work history' qualifications that the CRM folks want
a
test applicant to have, in order to decide if I should try applying to
take
the exam or if I should wait until I have a few more years of records
management experience under my belt.

My years of records management work history (as the main definition of
my
job responsibilities) has been only 3 years, starting with my first
job
here at Los Alamos National Laboratory in 2002 ("Can you do records
management?" they asked me; "Ah..sure!!", I replied).  I started my
working
life in 1984, with an Associates Degree in Liberal Arts and after
graduating from the Executive Secretarial program at Katherine Gibbs
School
in Boston.  Started as an executive secretary in the commercial
lending
industry and had been working as a fiscal specialist at the University
of
Washington before coming to Los Alamos.

Since I've been at LANL, I've received a Technical Certificate in
Records
and Information Management (15 credits, 4.0 GPA) from Chippewa Valley
College in Wisconsin, and will complete (in January 2006) the NARA
Federal
Records management training program (LANL is a federal contractor to
Dep.
of Energy).  My current position is as the records manager for the
LANL
Enterprise Project with responsibility for maintaining the project
records,
including close-out and disposition at the project's end.  I
researched,
developed, and wrote the record series definitions and retention
schedule
for the Enterprise Project records.  Additionally, I'm responsible for
developing, updating and implementing the Enterprise Project document
control and records management plan and the document control and
records
management procedure.  I'm sure I could get very favorable letters of
recommendation from my supervisors here at LANL.

Does this sound like enough records management experience to sway the
CRM
board into letting me sit for the exam?  Any advice would be greatly
appreciated.

Thanks!!

Karin M. Hendrickson
Project Records Management Specialist
IM-EP
Los Alamos National Laboratory
P.O. Box 1663, MS M875
TA-00-0767 Rm 201-A Cubicle 65
Phone   505-606-0271
Fax     505-605-2502
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