How to Get Certified
This page walks through the full certification path: what each credential requires, how it's assessed, and what it costs. If you're not yet sure which credential is right for you, start with Where Do I Start instead. Where Do I Start instead.
The practitioner ladder
MAI's practitioner credentials build on each other in sequence. Each one assumes the capability the previous credential already certified.
MAFC
Marketing Architecture Foundations Certificate · Entry-level
- Prerequisites
- No prerequisites
- Assessment
- 100-item written exam, 3 hours, passing score 78 of 100, covering five program modules.
- Renewal
- This is a certificate, not a certification, and doesn't require renewal.
CMAA
Certified Marketing Architecture Associate · Associate
- Prerequisites
- Requires the MAFC, or an Eligibility Review approval, plus one year of professional marketing experience.
- Assessment
- 150-item written exam (3.5 hours, passing score 78) plus a two-part applied assessment: an Organizational Architectural Observation and an Architectural Recommendation Memo.
- Renewal
- Certification lasts three years and is renewable with 20 continuing education credits.
CMA
Certified Marketing Architect · Practitioner
- Prerequisites
- Requires an active, current CMAA. A CMAA holder becomes eligible to pursue CMA three years after earning CMAA. Candidates who can document equivalent experience may petition for the accelerated pathway.
- Assessment
- 150-item written exam (3.5 hours, passing score 75), a seven-artifact Implementation Portfolio, and an oral defense.
- Renewal
- Three-year renewal cycle with 30 continuing education credits.
CMAO
Certified Marketing Architecture Officer · Executive
- Prerequisites
- Requires a current CMA, a five-year post-CMA experience period (reducible through an Advanced Standing review), and endorsement from two current CMAO holders.
- Assessment
- 120-item written exam (3 hours, passing score 78), an Executive Portfolio, and panel review.
- Renewal
- Three-year renewal cycle.
CMGB, a separate track
Certified Marketing Governance Board · Lateral track
CMGB is not part of the practitioner ladder above. It has no prior MAI credential prerequisite. It does require active MAI membership, joined at the time of application, and senior governance, board, audit, or oversight experience, verified after passing the exam. It's built for board members and oversight roles to evaluate architectural reporting and conformance, rather than to produce it.
- Assessment
- 40-item written exam, a scenario-based take-home assessment, and a panel assessment, on a three-year maintenance cycle.
Fees
| Credential | Certification fee |
|---|---|
| MAFC | $289 |
| CMAA | $499 |
| CMA | $750 |
| CMAO | $899 |
| CMGB | $995 |
What happens after you certify
Everyone certifying at CMAA or above receives automatic Professional membership, which carries standard MAI membership dues with the first year complimentary. Membership itself is never required to hold or renew a credential. Membership →
Not sure which credential fits you?