Certification FAQs

IAPP certification is the only globally-acclaimed credentialing program in information privacy, AI governance and digital responsibility.

Our certifications give professionals an edge in advancing their careers, elevating their leadership profiles and increasing earning potential.

For tens of thousands of professionals, the IAPP's certification programs represent the gold standard of privacy, digital responsibility and AI governance education. Globally, more than 41,000 professionals hold an IAPP certification.

The IAPP offers four certifications programs and three specialized designations:

Certification programs

• Artificial Intelligence Governance Professional — Our newest certification. Understand ensuring safety and trust in the development and deployment of ethical AI and ongoing management of AI systems.
• Certified Information Privacy Professional — Understand data protection laws, regulations and standards in your jurisdiction or discipline. Recommended if you're responsible for: legal, compliance, information management, data governance and/or human resources. Regional certifications offered for Asia, Canada, China, Europe, and the U.S.
• Certified Information Privacy Manager — Understand how to implement data privacy regulations into day-to-day operations. Recommended if you're responsible for: risk management, privacy operations, accountability, audits and/or privacy analytics.
• Certified Information Privacy Technologist — Understand the use of technology in building data protection practices into products and services. Recommended if you're responsible for: information technology, information security, software engineering and/or Privacy by Design.

Specialized designations

• Certified Data Protection Officer - Brazil — This certification is designed for professionals in Brazil seeking a role as a data protection officer.
• Privacy Law Specialist — This certification is for attorneys in the U.S. who hold a CIPP certification and at least one other credential (either a CIPM or CIPT) from the IAPP. Stand out in the specialty area of privacy law.
• Fellow of Information Privacy — This credential is for professionals who hold a CIPP and either a CIPM, CIPT or AIGP credential. Elevate your profile and unlock new career opportunities with this designation.

The IAPP strives to ensure a fair, enriching and efficient certification process for all participants.

You must purchase a certification exam before you can schedule your exam. Computer-based exams can be purchased at any time through the IAPP Store.

Exams are offered year-round through Pearson VUE testing centers around the world. Exams are also available online through OnVUE, Pearson VUE's remote online proctoring platform.

You must schedule and complete your exam within one year of purchase to avoid forfeiting the exam fee.

Check out our guide to the certification process to learn how to get started.

To learn more about earning your PLS credential, please read our PLS FAQ page.

If you would like to request a policy exception or file an appeal, please fill out and submit one of the forms below.

Complaints

Policy exception request

Complaints against candidates or certified persons policy

Appeals

Certification appeals

To verify a certification, please contact our customer support team. Make sure you have the certificate number ready. This can be found on the certificate itself. Look for a nine-digit number and a capital “I” — as in igloo — as the 10th digit.

All exam questions are multiple choice and some are scenario-based. Multi-select questions ask test takers to select a specific number of correct responses from the options provided (for example, “Select 3 of the 5 options below”). These questions are clearly labeled on the exam. Test takers must select the exact number of correct responses indicated in order to receive credit. No partial credit is awarded.

Below is a chart showing the total number of questions and the allotted time for each of our exams.

Planning and studying for your exam is essential, even for degreed professionals who have passed other certification tests. Plan for a minimum of 30 hours of study time.

Start with these free resources:

• Read the certification candidate handbook. This handbook is available only in English.
• The body of knowledge on the page linked above serves as the main guide as to what topics will be covered on the exam. The exam is created based on this exact document, so nothing will appear on the test that isn't on the body of knowledge.
• That same page also includes the exam blueprint. The exam blueprint helps you understand the format of the exam. It explains how the exam will be broken into sections as well as the minimum and maximum number of questions on each topic that you may see on the exam.
• The glossary of privacy terms is a list of commonly used words in the world of privacy and their meanings. For AI governance terms, review our resource Key Terms for AI Governance.

No one paid resource is required to pass the exam, nor do any serve as a catch-all study guide to passing the exam. The paid study materials we offer should serve as tools to help you learn the information in the free resources.

If you feel like the textbook or training will help enhance your studies based on your preferred learning style, you can find them in our online store.

Training is one step you can take to learn material covered on the exams (especially because training and exams are based on the same topic outline – what we call a Body of Knowledge), but please be aware that courses are not purely test prep, nor does taking training guarantee you’ll pass your exam.

Why not? IAPP’s certifications are recognized by the ANAB National Accreditation Board under the International Organization for Standardization standard – an international mark of quality and rigor. To maintain accreditation, ISO requires a separation between the IAPP’s certification and training departments. This means that while our training developers and instructors know which topics will be covered on an exam, they cannot see the tests or answer questions about whether a specific item will be on a given exam.

• For general information, download The IAPP Certification Candidate Handbook.
• For information on our certifications, visit our certification programs page.
• Refer to our body of knowledge and exam blueprints for each certification program. These resources are available on each certification program's page.
• Need textbooks or training? Peruse our training courses or visit our store.
• For IAPP Continuing Privacy Education information, please read through the CPE policy.
  • This resource is also available in French and German.

Our remote proctored testing option uses Pearson VUE’s OnVUE software. Due to the inherently less-secure nature of a home-testing environment, OnVUE exams have restrictions on testing environment and candidate behavior. The virtual exam proctor will interrupt the test taker to reinforce these rules if broken and may revoke the exam if the rules are not followed. Some rules and restrictions are listed below. Please see the IAPP OnVUE page for more information.

• All additional programs must be closed when running OnVUE software.
• No external monitors are allowed.
• No talking or whispering to yourself is allowed.
• If you leave the view of your webcam while not on your scheduled 15-minute break, your exam will be revoked.

For general IAPP certification questions, feel free to email us at contact our customer support team.

As our exam scheduling and delivery is managed by our testing partner, Pearson VUE, changes to your exam appointment must be made through the same platform where you originally scheduled. To make a change, please follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the certifications section of your MyIAPP portal.
2. Click on the green link on your exam to access Pearson VUE’s scheduling platform.
3. Here you can follow the prompts to cancel or reschedule your exam appointment.

Once you have successfully cancelled or rescheduled your exam appointment you will receive official email confirmation from Pearson VUE.

Please note although you may cancel or reschedule your exam as many times as needed, you will need to complete your exam within one year of purchase. Additionally, Pearson VUE requires at least 48 hours notice in order to cancel or reschedule your in-person exam appointment. Remotely proctored exams may be rescheduled up to 15 minutes after the appointment time is scheduled to start.

As Pearson VUE's policies require at least 48 hours notice in order to cancel or reschedule your in-person exam appointment, you won't be able to use their online scheduling assistant to change your appointment at this time. However, Pearson VUE is able to make exceptions to their policy in extenuating circumstances such as illness or family emergency. If you have an extenuating circumstance that may permit an exception to their policies, please contact their customer support team who can work with you to manually alter your exam appointment.

To get started, please fill out the Special Testing Accommodation Request Form. The second page of the form must be completed by a licensed health care provider. 

Our typical accommodations that we can provide are as follows but not limited to:

• Extra Time
• Frequent Breaks
• Glucose testing meter
• Hard candy
• Separate room
• Separate room with reader and/or recorder
• Water

*Please be aware that not all accommodations can be implemented for remotely proctored exams with OnVUE.

Keeping our customers’ personal data secure is a top priority. To limit the amount of your personal information that we share with third parties we send our own address and phone number to Pearson VUE in place of yours. This is done for all IAPP exams and will not impact your ability to schedule or take your test.

The CIPP/E and CIPM exams have been translated into French and German. Additionally, the CIPM is offered in Chinese. While taking these exams, an IAPP-developed word-to-word translation dictionary will be available on the screen throughout the exam as a resource.

No outside word-to-word translation dictionaries are allowed within the testing centers for exam security. The allotted time of the exams has taken into consideration non-native English speaker needs.

To purchase a foreign language exam, please visit the IAPP store’s certification section.

With computer-based testing, you are given your results immediately after completing the exam. You will also be sent an email with your results. If your exam is taken at a physical testing center, your exam results will be provided to you with a confirmation printout. All results can be found in Pearson VUE’s system, which can be accessed through your MyIAPP portal.

Exam scores are solely based on the total number of correctly answered scored questions. There is no scaling, nor are questions weighted differently, nor are there performance requirements for individual sections of the exam. All that is required to earn a passing score of 300+ is answering a set number of questions correctly, out of all the scored questions on the exam. For more information on scoring, please review the Certification Candidate Handbook.

The cut score of the exam is determined after a beta testing period and rigorous psychometric analysis, which is then reviewed by our Exam Development Board of experts. The Exam Development Board looks at the exam as a whole and also each individual question to determine the minimum number of scored questions a test taker should answer correctly to earn the certification. This cut score is set as 300 on our scale and the remainder of the scale is built around it.

Because there can be slight differences in the difficulty of exam forms, all raw scores (i.e., the number of questions answered correctly) are converted to a common scale ranging from 100 to 500. The passing score for all IAPP exams is 300 (which does not represent 60%). For further information, please refer to the "Exam Information" section in our Certification Candidate Handbook, beginning on page 10.

Congratulations! Although you have passed your exam, you haven’t yet completed all of the requirements to become certified. Part of earning a certification is purchasing either an IAPP membership or a Certification Maintenance Fee. You'll need to purchase one or the other in order for your certification to be considered valid. Until that time, you won't see the certification on our website or be sent a certificate.

An IAPP membership includes free and discounted web conferences, free access to KnowledgeNet chapter meetings, discounts on training, events and books, access to our complete Resource Center and more. The CMF is valid for one certification term, but does not include member benefits. We also encourage you to read through our Certification Candidate Handbook, which details our policies surrounding becoming certified and maintaining your certification in the upcoming years. It can be useful information for a newly certified individual.

The IAPP does not provide test takers with the number of questions they answered correctly. However, you are provided with a section breakdown after the completion of your exam, which indicates the percentage of your correct answers per each blueprint domain. Candidates who fail can use this information to determine which domains they need to focus on when studying for a retake exam. Please note, however, that an overall score cannot be determined by averaging these percentages, as blueprint domains do not all contain the same number of questions and therefore do not make up equal portions of the exam.

No. While the desire to review incorrect answers is understandable, IAPP exam questions are considered secure material, and cannot be distributed outside of the testing environment. This policy is meant to ensure the integrity of our exams by preventing content from being circulated.

To maintain the credential(s) in good standing, the holder must meet the minimum CPE requirements and either pay their certification maintenance fee (CMF) of USD250 for a certification term or become an IAPP member for USD295 annually, which carries additional benefits.

If the credential holder fails in either of these obligations, the credential will be considered suspended, and the holder must undergo the process of reinstatement in order to restore their credentials to active status. This can be found in our Continuing Privacy Education Policy.

For a full list of CPE-eligible activities, review our CPE policy.

CPE credits for IAPP events and webinars will be automatically added to the certified individual's account. For all other activities, certified individuals are required to self-report using the CPE Submission Form, accessible through your MyIAPP account. From the Certifications tab on your MyIAPP account, you are able to manage your CPE submissions, read the certification terms, and keep track of your credits. 

Yes. If you currently hold an IAPP certification, any additional first-time certification exams will receive a discounted price. Previously failed exams also receive a discounted retake price on subsequent attempts of the same certification. See our store for full exam pricing details.

The IAPP shares the candidate’s first and last name, email address, and a personal authorization code that allows access to the exam. In an effort to minimize the data Pearson VUE collects, the address and phone number on your Pearson VUE account will be the IAPP headquarters’ address and phone number.

Pearson VUE communicates exam scheduling, rescheduling and cancellations with the IAPP’s database. Once an exam is taken, the results of the exam are also sent to the IAPP. The IAPP uses the pass/fail score to update the certification information in the candidate’s IAPP account. The actual results of the exams are used to monitor the health of the exam. They are kept by the IAPP for only six months and then are destroyed.

When checking in, OnVUE will require a phone number so the proctor can reach the candidate if any issues occur during the exam, as well as images of the candidate’s room surroundings to verify compliance with testing protocols (e.g., no one is allowed in the room with the candidate, no materials are allowed to assist the candidate, limited food/beverage, etc.). OnVUE will also require a photograph of the candidate’s face and the candidate’s photo identification. Pearson’s ID validation software evaluates the legitimacy of the candidate’s identification (to confirm it is a valid government-issued ID). Pearson’s OnVUE system also uses cloud-based services that in real time provides facial comparison services to verify that the face on the identification matches the candidate’s face, deleting the image immediately upon validation. If the match fails, a human proctor is summoned to perform the match identification in person. For current information on these service providers, please contact dpo@iapp.org.

The personal data retained by Pearson VUE following the exam are a photograph of the candidate, a copy of the candidate’s ID, images of their room surroundings, and the recording of their testing experience. The photograph is retained by Pearson for one year as a security measure to detect “proxy” testers but can be deleted earlier upon a candidate’s request. The ID is retained for 30 days following the test and then deleted. The remaining information (room surroundings, testing event recording) is retained in case the candidate has a reason to appeal the exam based on a claim of cheating in the testing environment, but if not is deleted within 60 days of the test.

If a candidate refuses to participate in the ID validation and facial comparison process, the candidate may contact Pearson VUE’s call center and arrange to have the candidate’s identity verified by a person. Please note, this may create delays in the testing process.

All inquiries about these data processing services, including the processors and sub-processors involved, may be directed to dpo@iapp.org.

Upon checking in at a testing center, a greeter will collect the candidate’s signature and take a photograph of the candidate’s face. The greeter will also check the candidate’s photo identification to verify the candidate’s identity. No record of the identification is saved. The candidate’s photograph will be stored for one year in Pearson VUE’s system for testing by proxy prevention. Test takers can request the deletion of the photo prior to the one-year mark by contacting the IAPP at dpo@iapp.org. None of the information collected at check-in is shared with the IAPP or any other entity.

Yes, exam sessions and communications between the proctor and test takers are recorded and kept within Pearson VUE’s system for 30 days after the exam. The recording is retained in case an appeal or issue is filed and needs further investigation. The recordings are not shared with the IAPP or any other entity. If the IAPP needs to review the recordings in light of a filed issue, IAPP will be given secure access to the file within Pearson VUE’s system.

Accredible is the IAPP’s digital certificate provider. Creation and delivery of the certificate requires the certification holder’s first and last name, the certification earned, the certification’s term dates, the certification ID, and the test taker’s email address.