What order do the exams have to be taken in?

I received a question today from someone potentially interested in the CRM preparation workshop.  Her question was this:

"Do we have to complete the CRM exams in order from 1 to 6?"

That's an excellent question, and it warrants a more public response for those others that might also be wondering.  The short answer is:  no.  The longer answer comes below.

• There is only one restriction:  parts 1 to 5 must be completed and passed before you can write part 6.
• Parts 1 to 5 can be taken and/or passed in any order.  Some candidates write the "easiest" ones first (i.e. what's easiest for them) and then take a little extra time studying for the harder ones.  For example, if you're a techie, you might take Part 5 (Technology) first and fly through it.  If that's not your strong suit, maybe you save it for last and take extra time to study.
• Candidates that want only the Certified Records Analyst (CRA) designation are only required to take parts 2 to 4.  They do not write parts 1, 5, or 6.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to comment to the post or email me at icrmrep@armacalgary.org.

Wayne Hoff, CRM, IGP
ICRM Liaison
ARMA Calgary