Certified Professional Secretary and Certified Administrative Professional Certifications
The Certified Professional Secretary (CPS®) and Certified Administrative Professional (CAP®) ratings are designed to provide a measure of skills and core competencies for office professionals. CPS holders earn an average of $2,228 per year more than office professionals without it, according to a recent IAAP Membership Profile. An IAAP survey of 1,098 secretarial job descriptions found that CPS or CAP rating holders are more likely to perform supervisory tasks, participate in staff meetings, compose reports, perform tasks requiring decision-making, and do programming work. This certification is achieved through a combination of career experience and education and a certification exam that is offered twice a year.
Attaining the CPS or CAP rating is an investment in your career that may allow you to:
- Increase your salary
- Enhance promotability
- Earn college credit toward a degree
- Expand career opportunities
- Assess your skills and abilities
- Find previously unknown areas of interest
- Increase self-confidence and pride
- Show initiative and ambition
- Achieve a broadened business perspective
Note: This is an optional program. You do not have to be a member of IAAP in order to take the examination, and you do not have to take the examination in order to belong to IAAP.
More detailed information is available at the Professional Certification page on the IAAP headquarters website.
