Eligibility Requirements for the CRCM

Requirements

You must meet the following eligibility requirements by the time that you take the exam. ABA will accept your application with education/training that is scheduled to be completed by your exam date.

ABA certifications are based on U.S. laws and regulations and are therefore not offered outside the U.S.

Compliance experience must be directly related to the laws and regulations on the CRCM Examination Outline.

Experience Tiers

The educational requirements to qualify for certification vary on the number of years of experience you have in the field.

Option One: 3+ Years of Experience

Three (3) years minimum of U.S. experience as a compliance professional AND completion of TWO of the following compliance-related training options, all within the last five (5) years:

ABA Compliance School - Foundational
ABA Compliance School - Intermediate
Compliance Professionals Certificates (4 Total)^New!
CRCM Exam Online Prep
ABA In-Bank Compliance Schools
30 credits (1 credit = 50 minutes) of compliance training directly related to US laws and regulations on the CRCM Examination Outline. See Training Credit Options below for training examples.
ABA Certificate in Deposit Compliance and ABA Certificate in Lending Compliance (NOT available for purchase after July 2022) If you have already registered for and/or completed these two legacy certificates, they will count towards the eligibility requirement until July 2023.

Option Two: 6+ Years of Experience

Six (6) or more years of U.S. experience as a compliance professional within the last ten (10) years. Three (3) of the six years must be within the last five (5) years.

Professional Experience

A compliance manager's responsibilities generally include direct compliance risk program management and/or validation of compliance risk control effectiveness. The execution of operational business processes incorporating compliance risk controls is not a function or duty generally performed by a compliance manager as a normal and customary job responsibility and thus does not qualify towards meeting the experience requirement.

To satisfy the Professional Experience requirement, primary responsibility for the full range of compliance risk functions is required. Compliance risk functions include, but are not limited to:

Performing compliance risk assessments, audits or examinations, or

Developing, implementing, and/or managing all aspects of a compliance risk management program to ensure compliance with U.S. federal laws and regulations.

These jobs are typically found within corporate compliance, legal, audit departments (internal or external), Regulatory Agencies, or dedicated compliance practices within consulting firms. Job responsibilities must be primarily focused on compliance risk management:

Program design, implementation and oversight,

Consultation as a subject-matter expert,

Administration, enforcement or audit of compliance-related policies, procedures and processes to manage compliance risk, and/or

Examination of a bank's compliance program.

Training Credit Options

Credits may be obtained by attending conferences, seminars, and compliance schools or participating in online training and webinars that are directly related to the laws and regulations on the CRCM Examination Outline. Training can be sponsored by the ABA, your employer or an outside training provider.

The following are examples of training that counts toward the 30 credits of compliance-related training option. Credits may vary depending on the year you completed one of the ABA events.

Ethics Statement

Each candidate must sign ABA Professional Certifications' Code of Ethics statement. Please note: you must furnish all pertinent information about any convictions or pleas of nolo contendere on the grounds of fraud, embezzlement, unfair or deceptive practices, securities law violations, misappropriation of property, fraudulent conversions or any civil or administrative action from which you have been previously found liable.