One Rating

IAAP has moved from a two rating system to a one rating system, with areas of specialty. The one rating is our Certified Administrative Professional, or CAP. We are also offering specialties, starting with Organizational Management, which will be followed by others in the future.

Effective this week, all active CPS ratings will be changed to CAP, and all active CAP ratings will be changed to CAP with the Organizational Management specialty, CAP-OM. You don't need to do anything to your IAAP record; we will be making the changes automatically.

Active ratings include individuals who have recertified as required every five years. In the case of CPS holders who certified prior to January 1988, your rating is considered active and will be changed. Your certification status has nothing to do with your status as an active member of IAAP.

For candidates who tested in November 2011, any appropriate changes to your records will be made automatically after exam results are available in December.

Recertification

All CAP holders are required to recertify. This is based on the date of your initial rating, or when you last recertified. Passing the Organizational Management exam does not change your recertification date, as this is a specialty exam and not a certification.

These changes do not impact your recertification deadline. Those who previously held a CPS rating will need to recertify five years after they either attained their rating or last recertified. Those who had both the CPS and CAP rating will be expected to recertify five years after they attained or recertified their CAP.

If you have additional questions about recertification, please refer to the Recertification Application.

Proper Usage

Examples of the only proper usage of the CAP rating and Organizational Management specialty are:

• Pat Masters, CAP
• Susan Jones, CAP-OM

Replacement certificates are available, if you choose to purchase one. The cost is $15 per certificate. CAP plaques are also available. The cost is $40 if mailed to a US address, or $45 if mailed to a Canadian address. For those living outside the U.S. and Canada, add an additional $25 for air mail, or an additional $80 for courier service.

To order a replacement certificate or plaque if you are within the U.S. or Canada, please complete and submit this form with payment. For those outside the U.S. or Canada, please complete and submit this form with payment. Please allow 4-6 weeks for processing for replacement certificates, and 6-8 weeks for plaques. If you already have a CAP certificate or plaque, you do not need to order a new one.

If you have questions about the change to your personal certification record, you can contact us at certification@iaap-hq.org.

Thank you,
IAAP Certification Department