WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO GET CERTIFIED
Congratulations on committing to take the next step in your career! To attain certification, candidates must:
- Review the GCCC Candidate Handbook
- Submit their application
- Take the appropriate exam
- Commit to continuing professional development
When applying for either the Communication Management Professional (CMP) certification or the Strategic Communication Management Professional (SCMP) certification, candidates must show they meet the exam eligibility requirements prior to testing:
EXAM ELIGIBILITY
| |
CMP |
SCMP |
| Professional Experience (Recommendation Only) |
6 Years |
11 Years |
| Minimum Education (Recommendation Only) |
Academic Degree |
|
| Training Experience from the Last Two Years |
40 Hours |
20 Hours |
| Letter of Recommendation |
No |
Yes |
For Communication Management Professional (CMP) certification, candidates must demonstrate:
- Minimum 40 hours of training of communication training experience from the previous two years prior to the submission of your application. (For example, if you are submitting your application in October 2025, any training attended between October 2023 and October 2025 qualifies.).
- Recommend applicants to have an academic degree. Degree is defined as an academic rank conferred by a college or university after examination or completion of a course of study.
For Strategic Communication Management Professional (SCMP) certification, candidates must also demonstrate:
- Minimum 20 hours of training of communication training experience from the previous two years prior to the submission of your application. (For example, if you are submitting your application in October 2025, any training attended between October 2023 and October 2025 qualifies.).
- Provide a letter of recommendation an individual for which the applicant has advised at a senior level in communications.
GCCC is committed to maintaining a fair and impartial certification process. Certification is awarded based on meeting the eligibility requirements and successfully passing the examination. GCCC does not endorse, require, or imply that certification will be simpler, easier, or less expensive if any specific education or training services are used. Candidates are encouraged to prepare using a variety of resources that best suit their needs.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR CMP CERTIFICATION
- Complete and pay for the CMP Application
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR SCMP CERTIFICATION
- Complete and pay for the SCMP Application
AFTER YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION
GCCC staff will review your documentation and contact you prior to your testing date to confirm that you have met the eligibility requirements for the exam. There is a 30-day review period. Upon approval, you will have one year from the date of your application approval to sit for the exam.
REFUND/RESCHEDULING POLICY
As stated in the GCCC Handbook, candidates have a year following approval of an application to complete the exam. You may reschedule your exam appointment 24 hours in advance at no cost.
Candidates who withdraw their approval to sit for the exam will receive a full refund minus the application fee.
RETAKE POLICY
Candidates who fail an exam once may retake the exam immediately. If a candidate fails an exam a second time, the candidate must wait 6 months prior to attempting the exam a third time.
For those candidates who fail an exam three times, candidates must wait two years from the last examination attempt before reapplying for certification. The candidates must complete the entire certification process again, including application, exam, and applicable fees.
Candidates are required to pay the full price (minus the application fee) for the exam again.
To retake the CMP or SCMP exam, you may access the application by clicking here.
PAUSING CERTIFICATION APPLICATIONS FROM RUSSIA
The Global Communication Certification Council (GCCC) strongly condemns the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its continued misinformation campaign to justify its attack on a free, independent, and democratic nation.
In response to this we have paused all GCCC certification applications from Russia and will not accept any new Russian-based certification applications until further notice.
We encourage the global communication profession to continue to show its solidarity with the people of Ukraine, including through supporting the continuation of professional development activities for Ukrainian communication professionals where possible.