CMDSM Certification

To recognize professional managers, the MSMA has established the Certified Mail and Distribution Systems Manager (CMDSM) program. This accreditation process provides for an individual to be evaluated, tested, and certified on the body of technical knowledge and management skills necessary for performance in the profession.
Today there are over 350 CMDSM accredited professionals in the mail system management profession. The program covers the job categories of:

To qualify, an individual must:

A candidate does not have to be a member of the MSMA to participate in the program, although the non-member certification fee does provide for a one-year, individual MSMA membership. However, membership does not automatically mean you are certified or lower the requirements.

The CMDSM examination consists of 135 multiple-choice questions and five essay questions. It is a timed, four-hour exam. Two hours are allocated for the multiple-choice questions section and two hours for the essay questions section. You will be given a fifteen-minute break between the multiple-choice section and the essay questions section.

The exam is part of a computer based testing program. A computer will be provided for each applicant. All multiple-choice questions must be completed electronically.
Each multiple-choice question is worth one point and each essay question is worth a maximum of 10 points. The total points possible are 185. The multiple-choice questions only have one correct response. You must achieve a score of 75% or more to pass.

The examination does not contain any specific references to rates. Therefore, in your preparation or study sessions do not spend time trying to memorize rates or specific fees for various services. A basic understanding of major differences between rates and fees will be adequate. For example:

The essay questions do not have a specific answer and provide you an opportunity to demonstrate the following in written format:

Your success in learning to sell ideas upward in your organization is dependent upon being able to communicate effectively through writing. We recommend selecting a mentor to assist in developing essay questions, review your responses and identify any areas that you might need additional study and practice. An example of an essay question is on page 3. This question was purposely designed to assist individuals in practicing essay writing and understanding the opportunity for a detailed response. Not all five essay questions will require this depth of a response.

CMDSS Certification:
The cornerstone of MSMA has been the CMDSM Certification since it was established in 1989.  The emphasis of the CMDSM Certification has always been on the Mail & Distribution Systems Management side of the industry.  However, approximately 41% of the Mail Systems Management Association members are from the “Supplier” side of the industry.

MSMA has developed a new certification and exam for suppliers – CMDSS (Certified Mail & Distribution Systems Supplier).  The CMDSS Certification incorporates Supplier themes as they relate to doing business with Mail & Distribution Management within companies.  While the CMDSS exam maintains the same integrity elements of the CMDSM exam, it is tailored to include quality assurance, customer relationship management, business ethics, negotiation, selling and presentation skills and other topics salient to Supplier excellence. The CMDSS Exam is identical to the CMDSM Exam in several respects:

The application and eligibility guidelines for the CMDSS are available on the MSMA National website at www.msmanational.org . Study Guide materials will be available in early 2007. The first public CMDSS exam will be offered at the Spring MAILCOM Conference in Atlantic City on May 7, 2007.
For additional information on CMDSS Certification, please contact V P Education, Karen Cornelius at 1-800-714-MSMA or kcornelius@msmanational.org

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