Qualifying for the Exam
Overview
Prospective candidates must complete and submit an online application with supporting documentation indicating they have met the education and professional work experience requirements along with a non-refundable application fee. At this point, the prospective candidate is now an "Applicant". The application and supporting documentation are reviewed and evaluated by designated representatives of the ACA to determine if the qualification requirements have been met.
Successful applicants will then receive information on how to register to take the examination to become a Certified Archivist.
Note that the official language of the application form and all supporting documentation is English. If you need assistance in order to access the application, please contact the Regent for Exam Administration or the ACA Association Manager.
Application Requirements Overview
Option 1
- Master's degree plus 9 semester hours (12 quarter hours) in graduate-level archival science courses. Official transcript(s) must be sent prior to application review.
- One year (1750 hours) of qualifying professional experience. A job description document and a letter verifying employment, position, and number of hours worked must be submitted at the time of application for each experience being claimed.
Option 2
- Master's degree. Official transcript(s) must be sent prior to application review.
- Two years (3500 hours) of qualifying professional experience. A job description document and a letter verifying employment, position, and number of hours worked must be submitted at the time of application for each experience being claimed.
Option 3
- Master's degree plus 9 semester hours (12 quarter hours) in graduate-level archival science courses. Degree must be completed by May 31. Official transcript(s) must be sent prior to application review. If your degree is pending, an unofficial transcript must be submitted with the application.
- After passing the exam, provisional members have three years to complete the one year (1750 hours) of qualifying professional experience. A job description document and a letter verifying employment, position, and number of hours worked must be submitted at the time or request for full membership for each experience being claimed.
Option 4
- Retaking exam: If you do not pass the exam the first time, you may retake the exam the next year under Option 4. See detailed explanation for Option 4 below.
Explanations of Option 1, 2, and 3
When applying under Option 1 or Option 3, applicants must have a master's degree and a minimum of 9 semester hours or 12 quarter hours of graduate courses in archival science. While most applicants have master's degrees in library or information science, public history, or museum studies, the key distinction is graduate-level courses in archival science. If you have a master's in another discipline and returned to school for a graduate-level certificate or course work in archival science, you must submit official transcripts for both your master's degree and your archival science courses.
For Option 1, you will need to have one year of qualifying professional experience at the time of application. After passing the exam and paying your certification fee (which includes your first year of dues), you will become a full member of the Academy of Certified Archivists.
If you do not have the one year of qualifying professional experience, but have met the degree requirements of Option 1, you may sit for the exam under Option 3. If you pass the exam and pay the provisional dues, you will be considered a Provisional Certified Archivist until you complete the year of qualifying professional experience. You will have three years to do this. If you do not complete the experience portion, you will need to sit for the exam again.
If you are in the last semester of your graduate degree and have taken, or are taking, the required graduate level archives course work, you are eligible to apply under Option 3. All degree work must be completed by May 31 in order to sit for the exam. Official transcripts should be sent as soon as available. An unofficial transcript showing the expected date of degree completion and the courses you are registered for during your last semester must be attached with your application.
If you do not have graduate course work in archival science, but have a master's degree, you are eligible to apply under Option 2 as long as you have a minimum of two years or qualifying professional experience.
Options 1, 2, and 3 require you to pay the application fee at the time you submit the application If your application is accepted, the examination fee will be paid when registering for the exam.
If you are approved to take the exam you have two exam cycles in which to take the exam before you need to reapply. For example, if a person applies during 2024, they will need to take the exam during either 2024 or 2025 before they would need to reapply to sit for the exam.
If you register to take the exam and do not cancel in time for a refund, you will need to register and pay the examination fee in order to take the exam again.
Explanation of Options 4
If you do not pass the exam the first time, you may retake the exam the next year under Option 4. With the new exam administration system, you will not need to apply to take the exam again. You will however need to register for the exam and pay the examination fee.
To register for the exam under Option 4, you must contact the ACA Association Manager at office@certifiedarchivists.org by April 30. Do not use the application form for new applicants.
Additional Information
Qualifying Education
All applicants must have a master's degree. If an applicant is in their final semester of a master's program in library or information science, public history, or museum studies (the degree must be completed before the exam), they may apply under Option 3. The degree must be completed by May 31. An official transcript must be received by ACA before becoming a full member.
Master's degrees accredited by the American Library Association (ALA), the Australian Library and Information Association, and the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) will automatically be accepted. Museum and public history graduate programs do not have an accrediting agency so additional questions may need to be answered.
See our list of preapproved graduate courses. Courses from other colleges and universities can and will qualify for the archival course work. You may be requested to provide course descriptions and syllabi.
Foreign degrees may need to be verified. You may want to start that process before you apply. ALA provides information for job seekers when applying for positions in the United States that you may find useful if you need to have your transcript evaluated. The ACA does not provide foreign degree evaluation services.
Official Transcripts
As a credentialing body, the ACA requires official transcripts for all qualifying education be sent to the ACA Association Manager. Electronic submission directly from the college or university or from a transcript clearinghouse is preferred. Electronic submissions should be sent to Breanne Clark, ACA Association Manager, at office@certifiedarchivists.org.
If you need to have the transcript mailed, please send it to:
Breanne Clark, ACA Association Manager
Academy of Certified Archivists
230 Washington Avenue, Suite 101
Albany, NY 12203
The only time we will accept an unofficial transcript is when applying under Option 3 and you are currently in the last semester of your program. The official transcript must be sent as soon as it is available, preferably before the exam.
Qualifying Professional Experience
Qualifying professional experience allows the archivist
- to demonstrate mastery of the archives field,
- to manifest a service orientation and dedication
- to work with relative autonomy and independence, and
- to show a thorough understanding and ability to apply sound archival principles and practices
Professional archivists have a strong sense of ethical obligation and a notable responsibility to contribute to the work and progress of their profession.
One year of professional experience equates to approximately 1750 hours. Professional work is distinguished from non-professional or paraprofessional work.
- Student positions, internships and graduate assistantships will not count towards the professional experience requirements.
- If you are doing the work of a professional archivist but in a volunteer capacity (for example, you volunteer your time as the archivist for a local historical society or community archives), this work may be able to count towards your year of professional experience. If you plan to include volunteer positions, please consult with the Regent for Exam Administration prior to applying to take the exam.
- Part-time employment will be credited on a prorated basis.
Additional notes:
- All experience and hours claimed must be verified by a supervisor or equivalent person in the organization. A letter must be submitted at the time of application.
- Managing the work of archivists or administering an archival program is considered to be qualifying professional archival experience if successful performance of the duties of the position requires substantial knowledge of archival principles and practices.
- Employment must be archival in nature as opposed to museum, library, or other non-archival work. The archival program may be located in a library, museum, or other setting, but the applicant needs to demonstrate that the work consists of applying archival principles and practices, working directly with archival materials, or providing services to the creators or users of archival records.
- If the professional archival work takes place in a non-traditional setting, you may be asked to provide additional information to help reviewers determine if your experience qualifies.
- The Academy counts positions that include a mixture of archival and other professional experience as qualifying on a prorated basis. For instance, an individual whose duties consisted of 50% professional archival work would be credited with a half year of experience.
If the applicant has been dismissed from a position for unsatisfactory performance or malfeasance, the experience in that position is not applicable.
This information replaces that previously found in the "Handbook for Archival Certification."