On November 27, 2023, the Association for Intelligent Information Management (AIIM) debuted a new version of the Certified Information Professional (CIP) credential.
On November 27, I also found out that I had earned my CIP!
The CIP is an internationally recognized information management certification. AIIM created the CIP in 2010 to recognize information professionals with the skills to protect and manage information and develop organization-wide strategies based on established methodologies and industry best practices. The CIP helps credential holders, and their organizations stand out in today’s information-driven world. Since its establishment, over 4,000 professionals have earned the CIP.
To obtain a CIP credential, an information management professional must pass a proctored, 100-question multiple-choice exam. Certified professionals display “CIP” as a post nominal.
While I have experience in information management and IT, I wanted to earn this respected designation to demonstrate my expertise and commitment to AIIM to our members. As the main spokesperson for AIIM, I also wanted to be sure I understand AIIM’s body of knowledge so I can represent our community of practice well.
I also wanted to test my knowledge. Before I studied for the CIP, much of what I learned about information management was from hard-won experience. Admittedly, I wondered and worried if there were gaps in my experience. If so, I wanted to use the CIP body of knowledge to bolster my experience.
Studying for the CIP provided structure and principles based on the collective expertise of top industry experts. More than just an exam, the CIP is a body of knowledge that lends creditability to intuition and experience.
In addition to affirming the expertise of experienced professionals, the CIP serves as a guide to those who are new to information management. The CIP body of knowledge is the resource I wish I knew about 15 years ago when I was trying to create governance and labeling conventions around shared files for the first time.
Since I love reading and taking notes, I really enjoyed using the CIP Study Guide to prepare for the exam. The study guide contains a chapter on each domain, broken into manageable sections. Written in plain English by industry experts, the guide is a pretty easy read. Each section concludes with a series of practice questions and answers.
I printed a copy of the study guide for my use so I could highlight a hard copy and take notes in the margins. I took about 3 weeks to review the study guide. I dedicated 20-30 minutes five days each week to study. I spent approximately 8 hours studying for the exam.
The study guide is available to members of AIIM+ Pro as a downloadable PDF file. We are also creating interactive, online learning courses based on each domain.
Every learner is different, though. That’s why AIIM provides additional resources:
Additionally, anyone (regardless of membership status) can take the free 100-question CIP Practice Exam to assess your strengths and weaknesses.
In retrospect, I wish I had given myself 2-3 additional weeks to study. The exam is designed for someone with at least 5 years of experience in information management so I was not overly worried about passing, but I believe additional time studying would have led to a higher score. I also would have benefited from taking the practice exam and then completing online courses in areas where I could improve my score.
Prior to taking the exam, I was very focused on studying and nervous about not passing the exam. As President & CEO, failure would have been slightly mortifying. Now that I have earned the right to put CIP after my name, I realized there I are two unexpected, happy outcomes of my experience with the CIP:
Ultimately, we don’t want the CIP to be an endpoint. It is a foundation for advancement. The CIP is an on-ramp for information management professionals who want to become information leaders. The CIP is a way for organization to advance goals by providing employees with the skills and credibility to lead information management projects and programs.
So I’ll take a moment to celebrate my newly earned CIP, but then I am moving forward and putting that CIP to good use. I plan to use the CIP to inspire my own learning and share my knowledge with our community of practice. To learn more about the CIP or register for the exam, visit aiim.org/cip.
Do you have a CIP story to share? We would love to hear it. Record a video of your story here or send us a message at marketing@aiim.org.