CA Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield CA facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. What is the primary purpose of a 'records retention schedule'? → To specify how long different types of records must be kept and their final disposition
2. What is the purpose of a retention schedule in records management? → Determine how long records should be retained
3. In archival appraisal, 'functional analysis' primarily examines which aspect of records? → Activities and purposes that generated the records
4. What is the highest level in the standard hierarchy of archival description? → Collection or Fonds
5. Which concept in archives law allows a government to transfer physical custody of records to an archives while retaining legal ownership? → Deposit
6. Which open-source digital asset management and preservation system, developed by Stanford and partners, is widely used by cultural heritage institutions? → Archivematica
7. Which of the following best describes 'bit rot' in the context of digital preservation? → Gradual degradation of data due to physical media decay or software obsolescence
8. Under HIPAA, which of the following would allow an archivist at a healthcare institution to provide access to patient medical records for research purposes? → Access requires patient authorization or a waiver from an Institutional Review Board (IRB)
9. What is the purpose of feedback in Certified Archivist Certification professional development? → To provide constructive guidance for improvement
10. What role does empathy play in Certified Archivist Certification client interactions? → It helps build trust and understand client needs
11. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act Section 802 imposes criminal penalties for destroying records related to what type of proceeding? → Federal investigations or bankruptcy proceedings
12. When wet paper archival materials must be air-dried after water damage, what is the recommended maximum stack thickness to prevent additional damage? → No more than 1 inch
13. When an archivist discovers that the original order of a collection has been disrupted before acquisition, what is the recommended approach? → Reconstruct the original order as far as possible and document any decisions made
14. The ISO 9001 standard requires organizations to demonstrate which core principle as part of its quality management system? → Evidence-based decision making
15. In linked data for archival description, which vocabulary is primarily used to express archival concepts such as provenance and agents? → Records in Contexts (RiC)
16. Under SEC Rule 17a-4, broker-dealers must retain certain electronic records in what format? → Non-rewritable, non-erasable format (WORM)
17. Which of the following storage arrangements best reflects the 3-2-1 backup rule for digital preservation? → Three total copies, on two different media types, with one copy stored offsite
18. Which metadata standard is most commonly used to describe archival collections at the collection, series, and item levels in a hierarchical structure? → Encoded Archival Description (EAD)
19. An archivist must balance openness with privacy. Under the Privacy Act of 1974, what category of federal records receives the strongest protection? → Personnel and medical records about living individuals
20. What does EAD stand for in the context of archival description? → Encoded Archival Description
21. A 'record group' in federal archives is typically defined as: → The archives of a major government agency or bureau treated as an administrative unit
22. What leadership style is most effective for building team autonomy in Certified Archivist Certification? → Delegative (laissez-faire) leadership for experienced teams
23. Which of the following is NOT a recognized level in the standard archival description hierarchy? → Chapter
24. What is benchmarking in the context of Certified Archivist Certification quality management? → Comparing performance against best practices or competitors
25. What is the role of a code of conduct in Certified Archivist Certification practice? → It establishes expected behavioral and professional standards
26. When processing a large unprocessed collection with limited resources, which processing strategy involves providing minimal but usable description quickly? → More Product Less Process (MPLP)
27. What is 'blocking' in the context of water-damaged archival materials? → When wet pages or items adhere to each other making separation difficult
28. Which factor is most critical in preventing digital record loss? → Regular data backups
29. What is the primary purpose of a collection inventory in archival description? → To provide a detailed description of a collection's contents, context, and arrangement
30. In digital preservation, 'format migration' is performed primarily to: → Convert files from obsolete formats to current supported formats