May 2001 - IAAP will administer two certification programs starting this month. The Certified Professional Secretary (CPS) rating, and a new advanced certification. The new program is the Certified Administrative Professional, or CAP rating.

 

To attain the CPS rating, a secretary/admin must meet certain educational and work experience requirements and pass a three-part one-day examination. The CPS Examination is administered the first Saturday of May and November. More than 58,000 administrative professionals have achieved the CPS rating since 1951.

 

To attain the new advanced CAP rating, an administrative professional must meet certain educational and work experience requirements and pass a four-part, one and one-half day examination. The exam will be administered twice annually – the first Friday and Saturday of May and November.

 

Complete experience and education requirements for both the exams can be found in the Certification Application Packet, available through the IAAP Distribution Department or on this web site. Although advantageous, membership in IAAP is not required to take either exam.

 

The CPS Examination covers Finance and Business Law (Economics, Accounting, Business Law); Office Systems and Administration (Office Technology, Office Administration, Business Communications); and Management (Behavioral Science in Business, Human Resources Management, Organizations and Management).

 

The new CAP exam covers Finance and Business Law (Economics, Accounting, Business Law); Office Systems and Administration (Office Technology, Office Administration, Business Communications); Management (Behavioral Science in Business, Human Resources Management, Organizations and Management); and Organizational Planning (Team Skills, Strategic Planning, Advanced Administration). CPS holders are required to only take the Organizational Planning part of the new exam.

 

The examinations include a mix of three levels of questions designed to test (1) basic knowledge such as facts, terminology, dates; (2) understanding of concepts, procedures, and principles; and (3) application of concepts. Examination questions in the first three parts appear in the multiple-choice format (one best response). The fourth part is a scenario based multiple-choice exam with one best answer and one less preferable answer, and two incorrect answers.

 

The first three parts of the new advanced CAP exam are identical to the CPS exam in that they primarily focus on testing the candidates’ knowledge of a single concept in a single question. In contrast, part four of the CAP exam is designed to measure the candidate’s ability to properly analyze a situation, determine the critical factors of the situation and properly apply a wide range of knowledge in a variety of situations. While candidates will not be successful on part four unless they have a solid theoretical foundation, this part is designed to test critical thinking skills and the ability to properly apply sound managerial concepts.

 

The deadline to apply for approval to take the exam are: March 1 for the May exam; September 1 for the November exam.