"John, ICRM examination administration, testing, and pass/fail rates do not support your assertion that 'Most individuals can complete a CRM Exam in 1-2 years.'  Care to back up your statement with statistics?"

"I think it's a bit of a stretch to compare a CRM designation with a BS or MS degree. Most individuals can complete a CRM Exam in 1-2 years while working a full time job without too much trouble."

The discussion on the topic of the CRM being compared to a Master's degree has been very interesting.  Having both, here are my two cents worth.

Factoring out the time I spent documenting my work and educational experience and then waiting to receive approval to sit for the exams, the time from when I took Part 1 to when I took (and passed) Part 6 was 15 months.  I also began studying for Parts 1 and 2 about 5 months prior to the actual tests.  In all, that is 20 months.  I also began taking the tests when the time between testing cycles was still 6 months and it has subsequently dropped to 3 months.  The first time I took Part 6 the Pearson Vue software crashed 30 minutes into the test so I lost an additional 3 months waiting for the next cycle.  That is a lot of time in between tests to address areas of deficiency if you failed a test and then get ready for the next cycle.

I completed my MLIS in 3 years going part-time.  That was taking 2 classes per semester and then 1 class each of the Summer terms.  I took one semester off because my family needed me home more than I needed to be in class.  Anyway, the classes were evening classes at 2-3 hours a pop.  In between classes I would spend another 6-10 hours per class working on assignments, reading, etc.  Everyone who has a Master's degree is well aware of the time it takes to do the work.

I kept track of the time I spent studying for the CRM exams, because I am nerdy like that.  In all, I spent 400 hours studying for exams.  If I was to compare that to the time I spent in and out of class while in graduate school, I think the time and effort needed to complete my Master's degree wins hands down.

Having said all of that, earning a graduate-level degree and/or the CRM are both tremendous accomplishments.  The CRM is the credential to have in the Records Management field.  I hold the CRM in the same high regard as I do my Master's degree, but for me one took a lot more work to achieve.

Thanks, Steve

Stephen A. Smith, MLIS, CRM, CDIA+
Records Manager
QVC, Inc. Legal Department
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