Purpose of Certification

Certification is designed to:

• Establish a recognized standard of knowledge and competency for the financial professional.
• Formally recognize those who meet these standards.
• Provide employers and clients with a tool to identify skilled, knowledgeable professionals.
• Support the benefits of professional continuing education and development.

By earning the designation, you document your knowledge, experience, performance and definition of professional ethics in a scientifically verifiable process. It is this documentation, which becomes the credential that employers, clients and peers can use to measure your value in meeting their needs.

Being certified is not the same as being licensed. Licensing is a government-controlled process that serves as a requirement for functioning in specific professions. Certification, on the other hand, is a voluntary credentialing process, which is managed by members of the profession. Industry based certification is often accepted and encouraged by government agencies because it provides a set of high standards consistently maintained which ultimately benefit the public when developed and managed appropriately.

In a day and age of increasing demand for credentials to document competency, certification provides tangible proof of your dedication to performance and service excellence.

General certification requirements

To be authorized to use the certification credential, you must meet the experience, education, ethics, and examination/grandfather requirements determined to be competency measures established by the appropriate advisory board.

In order to pursue a professional certification through ICB, the process is simple:

Step 1:

Determine if you meet the eligibility requirements.

Step 2:

Complete the application and submit it along with the required letter of reference and all applicable fees to:

Institute of Certified Bankers
Attn: Accounting
P.0. Box 79569
Baltimore, Maryland 21279-0569
While all certification requirements are subject to review and revision over time, you are expected to meet those requirements, which are applicable at the time that you submit your application.

Step 3:

Register for the applicable exam. Please review the exam guidelines for exam registration details.

Step 4:

Take and pass the applicable exam.

Please click here for more detailed information on each of the certification programs that we offer.