All question items generated for the examinations are referenced by the test agency in resource material. A listing of reference material used is included in the Policy and Procedures document.

Upon successful completion of the certification examinations, candidates will be awarded certificates under the auspices of the IDMSC™ entitling the use of the official designation marks, i.e. either CRTWC or CDMP. The names of the successful candidates will be published and will appear on a registry of certified individuals which will be located in a designated area of the NIDMAR website.

Individuals who have been awarded certificates are entitled to use the official designation marks as long as they maintain their certification status. Any other use of the designations will be considered a violation and those individuals may be denied the right to apply for certification and may be subject to legal action.

Revocation of an individual's certification may be due to but not limited to the following: falsification of information submitted during application for certification or otherwise, failure to maintain certification status, misrepresentation, etc.

Standards of practice establish fundamental concepts and rules considered essential to promote the highest ethical standards among certified professionals. These standards of practice are detailed in the Occupational Standards document.

Ongoing maintenance of certification status will require annual submissions which include all of the following and will entitle the individual ongoing publication and inclusion in the registry of professionals:

• Proof of ongoing work experience in the field of disability management with submission of letter(s) of attestation completed by supervisor on employer letterhead
• Completed and signed Statement of Agreement for Ethical Standards and Professional Conduct
• Annual membership fee: $250

As of May 2006, proof of continuing education credits may be submitted every second year, i.e. 40 hours every second year, and must include credits related directly to disability management including certificates or other signed documentation.

Failure to maintain certification status will require the candidate to repeat the entire certification process by applying to re-certify and which includes re-writing the examination and paying the certification examination fees.

The certification examinations consist of 250 multiple choice questions based on the nine domain areas of knowledge identified by the Occupational Standards in Disability Management. The format is based on a combination of contextually-based questions following a brief vignette and a series of independent questions. The examinations consist of two question booklets (one to be used in the morning and one to be used during the afternoon) and the responses are recorded on a separate computer-scored answer sheet.

The process of the development of the examination scores is lead by Assessment Strategies Inc. and conducted according to sound psychometric principles and procedures. The examination standards are set using a modified Angoff method and incorporating statistics gained from administration of the examinations. Participants will receive notification of their scores approximately six weeks after writing the examination. This information is considered confidential and will be released to the participant only. To date, the passing scores have ranged from 75 - 82 percent depending upon the degree of difficulty of each administration of the examination and to ensure fairness to participants. Each offering of the examinations contains new questions, the results of which are reviewed and analyzed to ensure validity of questions before being added to the databank of questions.

Any questions regarding the examination process may be addressed to the Certification Council. For those who may not be satisfied with the findings of the Certification Council, they may address their concerns to the Appeals Committee. The fee for appeals is $100. For further information see Appeals Process.

The certification examinations will take place over the course of one day with 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the afternoon, i.e. commencing at 9:00 am until 12:00 pm and re-commencing at 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Please note that lunch is not included in the examination. The Certification Council may grant additional time for candidates who indicated on their application forms that this is required due to functional limitations. No textbooks or other reference materials are to be brought into the examination room.

In addition, no food or gum will be allowed in the examination room. Beverages such as water, coffee or tea will be allowed as long as they are contained in closed, spill-proof containers. No cell phones will be allowed. Unacceptable behaviour will not be tolerated.

Candidates are to bring with them to the examination room three pencils for the purposes of completing the examination. Pens will not be accepted as the answer sheets are computer scored.

Check in is required by 8:30 am on the day of examination.

The Certification Council is committed to providing accommodation consistent with standard practice while at the same time maintaining the integrity of the examination process. An accommodation request must be made at the time of application and must include a description of the disability including medical evidence and a description of the accommodation required. All such requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Irregularities encountered during the examination such as unauthorized use of reference materials, taking examination materials out of the examination room, consulting with others during the examination, etc., will constitute instant dismissal without refund of examination fees.

The fee for application and writing of certification examinations is $475 broken down as follows: $150 non-refundable application fee and $325 due upon receipt of acceptance of application. This fee covers the cost of applying and writing the certification examinations, awarding of certification certificate, use of credentials for one year from date of notification of successful completion of certification examinations, and publication and inclusion in registry of professionals.

Once an application has been filed and the candidate has been notified of acceptance to write the certification examination, should the candidate require a deferral as to the date of wiritng the examination, a request addressed to the Certification Council must be submitted prior to the scheduled examination date along with a medical certificate and/or other documentation. In this case, the non-refundable application fee will be retained on file, however, the candidate must write the certification examination within a 12 month period or the application fee will not be refunded.

The steps in the appeals process are that a candidate must first address their concerns to the Certification Council. If the candidate remains unsatisfied with the findings/decision of the Certification Council, the next step is to address their concerns to the Appeals Committee, including the appeals fee of $100. This appeals process has been established to provide a second independent review of a situation/issue which may occur. This same process applies whether the appeal concerns eligibility requirements or the examination process. All appeals must be submitted within 30 days of the occurrence to be valid. All rulings made by the Appeals Committee shall be final.