Congratulations Tom! Good luck on Part VI. My main piece of advice is
that you spend some time writing practice answers to typical Part VI
questions. If you're lucky, you may be able to find a CRM mentor who
has  graded Part VI and can critique your responses. The one thing I
found (in taking Part VI three times!) is that you have to answer the
question exactly as required. You may write a perfectly acceptable
answer, but if the answer isn't written to spec, you'll likely fail.
Also, make sure that you don't "blue sky" your answer. If you're ahead
of the curve, you may also fail. Think mainly in terms of textbook
answers to problems, rather than getting really creative.

In general, Part VI usually has at least one question in the form of:
"Company XYZ has the following litany of RM issues... yadda yadda
yadda... Explain why each of those problems is, in fact, a problem and
describe how you would solve each problem. You have two hours. Good
luck." The one advantage that current CRM candidates have over those of
us who became CRMs in the Dark Ages is that you have a PC to use to
write, edit, and refine your answer. That likely means you're also
being held to a slightly higher standard, but I think it is a
significant advantage because you can write an outline (very
important), pound out the key points (critical), tie them together with
good prose, and check your spelling and grammar. Be aware that the two
Part VI questions have different point values and spend your time
accordingly. I recommend spending the first hour on whichever question
is easiest for you so that you have that answer pretty well fleshed
out. Spend the next hour on the tougher question, working out the
outline of the answer and some key points. Go back to the first
question and spend about 30 minutes refining it and getting it to a
finished state. Then go back to the harder question and spend an hour
on it and get it to a finished state. The last 30 minutes can be used
to refine your language and ensure that you've answered the questions
as asked. That's the process that worked for me, your mileage may vary.

For Jacky, I think it's important to look at the CRM in the context of
your long term career view. You may not always work in the
manufacturing industry and the CRM will be helpful in showing that you
have a broad understanding of the records management profession. In
terms of whether or not your company will pay for the exam, I think you
have to look at how your company treats other professionals in your
organization. If engineers receive training and professional education
and are able to maintain their own professional competency, you can
make a case for being reimbursed for the CRM and other professional
education. At the end of the day, the CRM exam process is about your
own education. You're going to find gaps in your experience and
education that you will need to close in order to pass the exam
sequence and hopefully your company can help you in the process of
closing those gaps.

In this day of Sarbanes-Oxley, I think it will help your company to
have a competent professional who understands the business use and
needs of its records and further understands the broad application of
good records management principles. Since there are few other measures
of professional aptitude in records management, I encourage you to look
at the CRM as an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge and broaden
your understanding of the profession.

Over the long haul, you may find other opportunities that you're
interested in. The CRM will never be a hindrance to you. Good luck!

Patrick Cunningham, CRM

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