- The Academy of Certified Archivists (ACA) administers CA certification via a virtual, 100-question, three-hour exam.
- There's no penalty for guessing and no education or work prerequisite to sit for the exam under current guidance.
- Exam content spans eight domains, including the newly named Cultural Competency domain.
- Registration costs $125, plus $75 in first-year ACA dues due within 30 days of passing.
What Is CA Certification?
Certified Archivist (CA) is a professional credential for people who manage, preserve, and provide access to historical and organizational records. Unlike credentials that require years of documented experience before you can even apply, the current CA application guidance imposes no education or work prerequisites to sit for the exam. That accessibility makes CA an attractive early-career or career-change credential for anyone working in archives, records management, special collections, or related information fields.
If you're still sorting out the basics of the acronym itself, our companion pieces on What Is CA?, CA Meaning, and What Does CA Stand For? walk through the terminology in plain language before you dive into exam mechanics.
Who Administers the Credential
The Academy of Certified Archivists (ACA) is the certifying body behind CA. The ACA administers the examination virtually, sets the Role Delineation Statement that defines exam content, and manages the annual dues and recertification cycle that keep the credential active. This is distinct from any other professional designation that happens to share the "CA" initials - on this site, CA always refers specifically to the Academy of Certified Archivists' Certified Archivist credential.
The ACA publishes its official guidance directly, and serious candidates should bookmark the primary sources: the 2025 Role Delineation Statement, the examination information page, and the Guide to the Exam. For a broader look at how the credential fits into the wider archival profession, NAGARA's overview page is also useful.
Exam Format and Question Style
The CA exam is a fixed, predictable format: 100 multiple-choice questions, each with exactly one correct answer, administered virtually within a three-hour limit. There is no penalty for guessing, which means every question should be answered - leaving one blank costs you the same as answering incorrectly.
- Question count: 100 multiple-choice items
- Time limit: Three hours
- Delivery: Administered virtually
- Guessing penalty: None - always select an answer
Because every question carries equal weight and there's no penalty structure to game, pacing matters more than trick avoidance. At three hours for 100 questions, you have roughly 1.8 minutes per item on average, though scenario-based questions in domains like Preservation and Protection or Managing Archival Programs often take longer to reason through than straightforward definitional questions. For a deeper breakdown of what "passing" actually requires, see CA Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass, and for an honest assessment of overall difficulty, read How Hard Is the CA Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.
Key Takeaway
With no guessing penalty and a fixed three-hour window, your exam-day strategy should prioritize completing all 100 questions over perfecting any single answer.
The Eight Exam Domains
CA exam content is organized around the Role Delineation Statement, which the ACA revised for 2025, paired with the 2026 Reading List that guides preparation materials. The current structure includes eight domains, and two of them carry updated titles worth noting if you've seen older CA study material: Selection and Appraisal (previously titled differently) and Outreach, Advocacy, and Marketing (also renamed from an earlier version).
Domain 1: Selection and Appraisal
Covers the principles archivists use to decide what records have enduring value and should be acquired or retained.
- Appraisal criteria and methodology
- Acquisition policy development
Domain 2: Arrangement and Description
Focuses on organizing collections and creating finding aids, metadata, and descriptive standards that make materials discoverable.
- Arrangement principles (original order, provenance)
- Descriptive standards and metadata practices
Domain 3: Reference Services and Access
Tests knowledge of how archivists balance researcher access with restrictions, privacy, and security concerns.
- Reference interview techniques
- Access restrictions and reading room policy
Domain 4: Preservation and Protection
Covers physical and digital preservation, environmental controls, disaster planning, and security of holdings.
- Environmental monitoring and storage standards
- Disaster preparedness and emergency response
Domain 5: Outreach, Advocacy, and Marketing
The revised title for this domain reflects a broader emphasis on promoting archival programs and building institutional support.
- Public programming and exhibits
- Advocacy for institutional resources
Domain 6: Managing Archival Programs
Addresses administrative responsibilities: staffing, budgeting, policy development, and strategic planning for archival units.
- Program planning and resource management
- Policy and procedure development
Domain 7: Professional, Ethical, and Legal Responsibilities
Covers the ethical codes, legal frameworks (copyright, privacy law), and professional conduct standards archivists must apply.
- Codes of ethics application
- Copyright and intellectual property basics
Domain 8: Cultural Competency
A domain reflecting the profession's emphasis on serving diverse communities and handling culturally sensitive materials appropriately.
- Working with underrepresented communities' records
- Culturally sensitive description and access practices
For an item-by-item walkthrough of what each domain actually tests, our dedicated guide, CA Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 8 Content Areas, expands well beyond this summary.
Registration, Fees, and Timeline
CA certification costs are straightforward but time-sensitive. Registration for the examination itself costs $125. If you pass, you then owe $75 in first-year ACA membership dues, and this payment must be made within 30 days of receiving your results to activate the credential - miss that window and activation is delayed.
| Item | Cost | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Exam registration | $125 | During application window |
| First-year ACA dues | $75 | Within 30 days of passing |
| Annual ACA dues (ongoing) | $75 | July 1 - June 30 cycle |
| Recertification petition fee | $30 | At 5-year recertification |
The next published annual exam window is June 10-12, 2027, with the application period running March 1 through April 30, 2027. Applying early is wise since these windows are fixed and don't reopen mid-cycle. For a complete cost breakdown and the full application calendar, see CA Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown and CA Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.
Who Hires Certified Archivists
Because the CA credential has no formal prerequisites, it's often paired with a graduate degree in library and information science, history, or a related field rather than replacing one. Employers who value the credential tend to be institutions where standardized archival competency matters for hiring or advancement decisions:
- Government archives and records agencies at the state, county, and federal level
- University and college special collections and institutional archives
- Museums, historical societies, and cultural heritage organizations
- Corporate and religious institutional archives
- Nonprofit organizations managing historical or organizational records
Some job postings list CA as preferred rather than required, reflecting the fact that many working archivists build careers without it. Still, holding the credential can differentiate candidates in competitive searches. For a realistic look at how the credential affects job prospects and compensation, see CA Jobs and CA Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis. If you're weighing whether the investment of time and fees pays off for your specific career stage, Is the CA Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 lays out the tradeoffs without hype.
A Domain-Based Study Approach
Rather than studying generically, map your preparation directly onto the eight domains and their relative complexity. Domains involving legal and ethical frameworks or preservation science tend to require more memorization of specific standards, while domains like Outreach, Advocacy, and Marketing or Managing Archival Programs reward practical reasoning about scenarios.
Foundational Domains
- Selection and Appraisal principles and criteria
- Arrangement and Description standards and terminology
Operational Domains
- Reference Services and Access policies
- Preservation and Protection procedures and environmental standards
Administrative and Contextual Domains
- Outreach, Advocacy, and Marketing strategies
- Managing Archival Programs and budgeting concepts
Ethics, Law, and Cultural Competency
- Professional, Ethical, and Legal Responsibilities frameworks
- Cultural Competency case scenarios and full-length timed practice
Working through timed, full-length practice sets on our practice test platform in the final two weeks helps you get accustomed to the three-hour pacing and the multiple-choice question style before exam day. For a structured week-by-week plan with more detail than the outline above, our full CA Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt is the better companion resource.
Key Takeaway
Sequence your study so heavier, standard-based domains (Preservation, Ethics/Legal) get more weeks than judgment-based domains, then reserve the final stretch for full timed practice via practice exams.
Maintaining the Credential
Passing the exam is only the start. To keep the CA designation active, you must maintain annual ACA dues of $75, with the membership year running July 1 through June 30. Renewal opens July 1 and closes September 30, so mark that window on your calendar every year to avoid a lapse.
Every five years, CAs must recertify through one of two paths: earning 60 Continuing Education Credits and submitting a petition (which carries a $30 petition fee), or simply passing the examination again. Notably, CAs recertifying in 2026 or 2027 have transition options that let them choose between the older and newer recertification requirements, which is worth reviewing closely if your five-year cycle falls in that window.
If you're still confirming basic eligibility questions before you even register, CA Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify covers the application side in more depth, and our CA Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts is a handy quick-reference once you're deep into review mode.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Current ACA application guidance imposes no education or work prerequisites to sit for the exam, though many candidates hold related degrees in information science or history.
The exam consists of 100 multiple-choice questions with a three-hour time limit, administered virtually with no penalty for guessing.
Registration is $125, followed by $75 in first-year ACA dues due within 30 days of passing. Ongoing annual dues are $75, and recertification includes a $30 petition fee if you choose the CE-credit path.
Selection and Appraisal; Arrangement and Description; Reference Services and Access; Preservation and Protection; Outreach, Advocacy, and Marketing; Managing Archival Programs; Professional, Ethical, and Legal Responsibilities; and Cultural Competency.
The next published annual exam window is June 10-12, 2027, with applications accepted March 1 through April 30, 2027.
Every five years, through either 60 Continuing Education Credits plus a petition ($30 fee) or by passing the examination again. CAs recertifying in 2026 or 2027 have transition options between old and new requirements.