The CRM credential from the Institute of Certified Records Managers is taken by records and information management professionals. This page gives you free practice sets on topics such as retention, classification, technology and risk, a summary of the exam format and fees, worked questions, a study plan and answers to common questions. Our questions are written by us with AI tools and are not real exam questions. Practice with the free Certified Records Management practice test on PracticeTestGeeks (9 questions with answer explanations).
Interactive Certified Records Management resources on PracticeTestGeeks, free to start:
Facts verified Nov 5, 2026 against Institute of Certified Records Managers. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.
Facts verified Nov 5, 2026 against Institute of Certified Records Managers. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.
| Item | Detail | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Number of questions (Capstone Assessment — revised structure) | 2 independently scored case studies | Institute of Certified Records Managers |
| Number of questions (Part 6) | 2 essay business cases (50 points each) | Institute of Certified Records Managers |
| Number of questions (Parts 1-5) | 100 multiple-choice questions per part | Institute of Certified Records Managers |
| Time limit (Capstone Assessment — revised structure) | 4 hours | Institute of Certified Records Managers |
| Time limit (Foundations Exam — revised structure) | 4 hours | Institute of Certified Records Managers |
| Time limit (Part 6) | 240 minutes (plus optional 10-minute break) | Institute of Certified Records Managers |
| Time limit (Parts 1-5) | 85 minutes per part | Institute of Certified Records Managers |
| Passing score (Parts 1-6) | 70% on each part | Institute of Certified Records Managers |
| Exam fee (Annual active membership) | $200 annually | Institute of Certified Records Managers |
| Exam fee (Application) | $100 (non-refundable) | Institute of Certified Records Managers |
| Exam fee (Candidate reactivation) | $100 | Institute of Certified Records Managers |
| Exam fee (Capstone Assessment — revised structure) | $350 before transition credits | Institute of Certified Records Managers |
| Exam fee (Foundations Exam — revised structure) | $325 before transition credits | Institute of Certified Records Managers |
| Exam fee (Part 6) | $150 | Institute of Certified Records Managers |
| Exam fee (Parts 1-5) | $100 per part | Institute of Certified Records Managers |
| Retake fee (Capstone Assessment — revised structure) | $175 per full-assessment retake | Institute of Certified Records Managers |
| Retake fee (Foundations Exam — revised structure) | $175 per full-assessment retake | Institute of Certified Records Managers |
| Retake policy (Parts 1-5) | Retake as soon as the score is received | Institute of Certified Records Managers |
| Validity | 5-year maintenance cycle | Institute of Certified Records Managers |
| Renewal | 100 CMP points every 5 years | Institute of Certified Records Managers |
| Delivery | Online proctored (Prolydian / MonitorEDU) | Institute of Certified Records Managers |
| Eligibility | Bachelor's + 1 yr professional RIM experience, up to HS diploma/GED + 5 yrs | Institute of Certified Records Managers |
| Score release (Part 6) | Within 14 days | Institute of Certified Records Managers |
| Score release (Parts 1-5) | Within 72 hours | Institute of Certified Records Managers |
| Registration deadline (Part 6 — Fall 2026) | November 27, 2026 | Institute of Certified Records Managers |
| Testing window (Part 6 — Fall 2026) | October 1 – December 1, 2026 | Institute of Certified Records Managers |
| Testing window (Parts 1-5) | Year-round, any sequence | Institute of Certified Records Managers |
Facts verified Nov 5, 2026 against Institute of Certified Records Managers. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.
According to Institute of Certified Records Managers, “During the exam, you will be required to write two 50 point business cases.”[1]
The CRM is a records and information management certification awarded by the Institute of Certified Records Managers (ICRM). The exam is split into Parts 1 through 5 and Part 6.
Parts 1 to 5 each have 100 multiple-choice questions and an 85-minute limit. You can sit them year-round and in any order. The passing score is 70% on each part, and results arrive within 72 hours. If you fail a part, you may register for a retake after you receive your score.
Part 6 is different. It has 2 essay business cases worth 50 points each and a 240-minute (4 hour) limit, and it is offered in scheduled windows. The Fall 2026 window runs Oct 1 to Dec 1, 2026, and registration closes Nov 27, 2026. Part 6 results come within 14 days. Exams are proctored online through Prolydian and MonitorEDU.
The preferred route to apply is a bachelor's degree plus 1 year of professional RIM experience. A high school diploma or GED with 5 years of RIM experience is also listed. Fees are a $100 non-refundable application fee, $100 for each of Parts 1 to 5 and $150 for Part 6. A passed certification enters a 5-year maintenance cycle.
The ICRM has announced a Foundations Exam (4 hours, $325) and a Capstone Assessment ($350) from 2027, with $175 full-assessment retakes. Transition credits are applied first, so read the ICRM transition guidance and confirm all dates and fees at icrm.org before you register.
The content areas below are copied from the official CRM content outline published by Institute of Certified Records Managers. The right-hand column shows which of our practice sets covers it.
| Official content area | Practice on this site |
|---|---|
| Part 1 - Management Principles and the Records and Information Management (RIM) Program[8] | CRM Leadership & Team Management Practise how a RIM program is led, planned and justified to the organization, including roles, policy and accountability. |
| Part 2 - Records and Information Creation and Use[8] | CRM Records Lifecycle Management Practise how records are created, captured and used, and how that connects to the rest of the records lifecycle. |
| Part 3 - Record Storage, Retrieval, Conversion, and Facilities[8] | CRM Records Classification & Storage Practise classification schemes, storage choices, retrieval methods and conversion decisions for paper and electronic records. |
| Part 4 - Records Identification, Retention, Protection, and Disposition[8] | CRM Retention Scheduling & Disposition Practise building retention schedules, protecting vital records and choosing the right disposition for each record type. |
| Part 5 - Technology[8] | CRM Technology & Information Systems Practise system selection, migration, preservation of integrity and access, and how technology supports records controls. |
Prepare for the CRM - Certified Records Management exam with our free practice test modules. Each quiz covers key topics to help you pass on your first try.
These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.
Question: What is scope creep in CRM project management?
Answer: A. Uncontrolled scope expansion without adjusting time, cost, or resources
Explanation:
Option A is correct. Scope creep is the growth of requirements without formal evaluation, while time, cost and resources stay as they were. That is why schedules slip and budgets overrun.
Natural planned growth is wrong because planned growth goes through approval and the plan is updated to match. Incremental feature addition describes a delivery technique, and it only turns into scope creep when additions skip change control. Reducing deliverables is the opposite problem, since the scope is shrinking rather than expanding.
Rule to remember: the problem is not change itself, it is change that arrives without a formal request, an impact assessment and an approval.
Question: In records management technology, what does 'migration' refer to?
Answer: B. Transferring records from one system or format to another while preserving their integrity
Explanation:
Option B is correct. In records technology, migration means moving records from one system or format to another while keeping their authenticity, integrity and accessibility intact.
Moving employees between departments is a staffing change and has nothing to do with the records themselves. Deleting obsolete records from active systems is disposition, which follows the retention schedule and is a separate activity. Installing software updates on records servers is maintenance of the platform, not a transfer of the records.
Rule to remember: migration is judged by whether the records are still trustworthy and usable afterwards, not simply by whether they arrived in the new place.
Question: What is 'RTO' (Recovery Time Objective) in the context of records disaster recovery?
Answer: B. The maximum acceptable time to restore records system functionality after a disruption
Explanation:
Option B is correct. The Recovery Time Objective is the maximum acceptable time to restore records system functionality after a disruption. It is a target set by the business to limit operational impact.
The minimum number of backup copies required by regulation is a different question about retention or redundancy, and it is not what RTO measures. The retention period for disaster recovery documentation is a schedule decision. The interval between scheduled data backups relates to the recovery point objective, which describes how much data loss is tolerable, not how long recovery may take.
Rule to remember: RTO is about time to recover, and the recovery point objective is about how far back the data goes.
Start with the official content areas listed above and the ICRM exam outline. Mark each area as strong, shaky or unfamiliar, and be honest about the shaky ones.
Work through the practice set that matches your weakest area first, answering without looking at the explanation. For every miss, write down the rule behind the right answer in your own words, then read why each wrong option fails. This is more useful than rereading notes, because the exam rewards choosing the best answer among plausible ones.
For Part 6, practise writing short business case answers by hand or on screen against the clock: state the problem, the options, your recommendation and the reasoning. Our sets cover multiple-choice style only, so use the official material for the essay format.
Before test day, confirm your registration, delivery setup and the current fees on the ICRM site.
You need 70% on each part of the examination. The score applies per part rather than as a single combined average, so a strong result on one part does not make up for a failing result on another. Check icrm.org for how the score is reported.
Parts 1 through 5 each have 100 multiple-choice questions, with 85 minutes allowed per part. Part 6 is made up of 2 essay business cases worth 50 points each, with 240 minutes (4 hours). Questions on this site are our own practice items, not real exam questions.
Yes. Parts 1 through 5 are offered year-round, so you may register for a retake of any failed exam after you have received your score. Part 6 is offered in scheduled windows, so check the ICRM exam events page for the next one.
Parts 1 through 5 results arrive within 72 hours of finishing the test. Part 6 results are sent automatically within 14 days of completing the exam. Timing can change, so confirm it with the ICRM when you register.
There is a $100 non-refundable application fee. Each of Parts 1 through 5 costs $100, and Part 6 costs $150. The ICRM has announced a Foundations Exam at $325 and a Capstone Assessment at $350 from 2027, before transition credits. Always check the official fees page.
The preferred qualifications are a bachelor's degree and 1 year of professional records and information management experience. A high school diploma or GED with 5 years of RIM experience is also listed. Confirm the current requirements and how your background is evaluated on the ICRM application page.