The Certified Identity Protection Advisor™ (CIPA) examination was specifically developed to test the identity theft management skills of individuals interested in helping consumers protect their identities. Certified professionals who study for and pass the CIPA exam demonstrate an adequate level of knowledge about the ten Critical Risk Domains (CRD) developed by the Identity Management Institute.
Who should take the examination?
Anyone interested in educating and coaching consumers regarding best identity protection practices as well as helping identity fraud victims resolve their fraud cases should consider becoming a CIPA.
Professionals who work directly with the consumers to educate them about identity theft risks, teach them the best identity protection and theft detection practices, and help them solve their identity theft and fraud challenges must consider becoming a CIPA. Such professionals include independent identity protection advisors as well as employees of various government agencies and companies in the identity protection, consumer information services, financial institutions, insurance and health care services industries.
Professionals who interact with consumers regarding other personal services can also benefit by becoming a CIPA as they will offer additional value to their customers, ensure their client information is protected, and gain competitive edge within their respective professional fields. Such professionals include tax preparers, office organizers, accountants, and others who collect the personal information of their clients.
Download the CIPA program overview.
Cost
The exam costs $100 which also includes the study guide.
Certification requirements
Be a member, willingness to study and learn about identity theft management, and pass the test.
Certification Maintenance
To maintain certification, CIPAs must be members in good standing, obtain and submit 90 hours of continuing education every 3 years, and adhere to IMI ethics standards.
The exam
The exam includes 100 multiple-choice questions which must be taken online and in one sitting. You must correctly answer 70 questions to pass. Take the short practice exam.
Exam process
If you are not a member, apply for membership to be able to sit for the exam and return the completed CIPA Examination application. Once the payment and exam application are received, you will receive the CIPA Study Guide by e-mail. You will have one year to study and take the exam. Within a year of your purchase and when you’re ready to take the test, let IMI know and the test link along with the pass code will be sent to you. As the test questions and pass codes change regularly, IMI sends the test information when requested, but you must complete the test within a year of your paid exam application.