Certified Management Consultants (CMC®) provide management objective advice and assistance relating to the strategy, structure, management and operations of an organization in pursuit of its long-term purposes and objectives. Such assistance may include the identification of options with recommendations; the provision of an additional resources or the implementation of solutions. Does this describe you?
The International Council of Management Consulting Institutes (ICMCI) is the global association of national management consulting institutes. IMC USA certifies Certified Management Consultants (CMC®) through a rigorous process accredited by the International Council of Management Consulting Institutes. The "CMC®” behind your name is one way differentiate yourself from other consultants worldwide. CMC is the registered certification mark of IMC USA.
Link to IMC USA Certification Standards and Procedures.
Our Three Application Streams
An IMC USA Professional Member in good standing may apply for the CMC®. There are three certification streams for qualified candidates:
| Basic for consultants with 3 through 9 years of management consulting experience as independent or internal consultants with five satisfactory clients evaluations, and a Bachelor's degree or at least 5 years of work experience including 3 years of full time consulting plus significant professional education in management consulting. Pass a written and oral examination. |
| Experienced for consultants with 10 or more years as independent or internal consultants and otherwise meeting the Basic requirements. The scope of the written and oral examination may be reduced. |
| Management for high level managers with 20 or more years experience with at least 3 years of consulting with clients and accountability for successful completion of projects involving management consultants and otherwise meeting requirements of the Basic track. The scope of the written and oral examination may be reduced. |
The Steps
|
1st |
Submit a CMC® Multi-stream Application with supporting documentation to IMC USA, answering 15 questions and including three written engagment summaries and provide contact information for five or six clients who will be invited to complete an on-line client evaluations. (Download CMC® Application at bottom of page.) FAQs on the Application and the Multiple Streams, on Client Evaluations, on Engagment Summaries. |
|
2nd |
After receipt of five satisfactory client evaluations and a review of your application, take the Ethics and Consulting Competency sections of the on-line examination, about one hour each. (Download the study materials below.) FAQs on the On-line Examination. |
|
3rd |
Pass a Peer Review Oral Examination with three senior consultants who are CMCs. There are four parts: presentation of one of your engagements, answering questions on engagement management, answering questions on ethics and answering questions on consulting core competencies. FAQs on the Oral Examination. |
How Long Does It Take?
The process can take as little as two months, depending on how quickly your references are submitted, when you pass the online examinations, and when you schedule your panel interview. FAQs
on the Application Process.
Getting Started
Please download the Application to review the Certification Point System and determine if you are qualified. Ask your Chapter Certification Chair for help. FAQs on the Point System.
Identify five or six references, most of them should be officers or executives of client organizations served. They will be invited to complete an on-line client evaluation. Five satisfactory evaluations must be received before continuing with the certification process. FAQs on Client Evaluations.
Identify at least three client assignments to use to prepare concise written summaries, disguised to protect client identity. Ensure you will not violate your non-disclosure agreement with your clients. FAQs
on Engagement Summaries.
When submitting your application, you pledge in writing to abide by the Institute's Code of Ethics.
What Does It Cost?
The CMC® Certification Application/Assessment Fee of $350.00 is submitted with application and is non-refundable. Submit the application as a MSWORD file and supporting documents as PDFs. FAQs on the Application.
There is an additional administrative Fee of $150.00 (non-refundable) if a hard copy application must be converted by IMCUSA staff to a PDF format.
What Do I Study for the Written Examination?
Three core documents are supplied to the candidate for use as an open book reference during the on-line exams. These are: The IMC USA Code of Ethics, the IMC USA Body of Knowledge, and the IMC USA Core Competencies document. The examination has two sections: ethics and core competencies. FAQs
on the On-Line Examination.
How Do I Prepare for the Oral Examination?
The Oral Examination is conducted face to face with 3 experienced CMCs normally in your local Chapter region. (Rarely, the panel is conducted on a conference call.) There are four parts: presenting one of your engagements, answering questions on engagement management, answering questions on ethics and answering questions on consulting core competencies. You should conduct yourself during the examination like you would for a client meeting, study materials found at the bottom of this page, review your application and FAQs on the Oral Examination.
Surprisingly, many consultants years past their degree programs take the Oral Exam too casually and do not pass. Short, concise answers about engagement management, ethical traps and working/communicating with senior managers through the life of a major project that demonstrate a breath of knowledge are expected.
Award of CMC® Designation
After completing the Oral Examination, the candidate's file is reviewed by the IMC USA CMC Certification Committee. This review is conducted to ensure that all of the documents submitted are complete and validated and that all examinations have been completed with a passing grade. The Certification Committee meets once each month to approve certifications and notifies the candidate if the CMC
® is awarded. All CMCs follow the
guidelines for use of the CMC mark.
Failure of Examinations
Candidates who fail any portion of an examination are invited to retake that portion after agreeing for a reasonable amount of time to either re-study the materials or take remedial action enabling them to pass. If a candidate is dissatisfied with the outcome of the examinations, there is an appeal process to the IMC USA Board of Directors. FAQs
on the Appeal Process.
CMC® Renewal
CMC
® certification renewal is required every three years in order to maintain the CMC
® mark. To retain status as a CMC
®, an individual must also remain a member in good standing of the IMC USA, and remain in compliance with the Institute's Code of Ethics. FAQs
on CMC® Renewal.
Reciprocity or Transferring my CMC®
If you belong to another Institute that awards the CMC® and will move to the United States, you may transfer your CMC®. If you will work in the United States temporarily, you should request reciprocity for your CMC®.
FAQs
More Questions?
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