The Certified Manager Animal Resources (CMAR) certification program is designed
to raise competency and professionalism in the field of Animal Resources Management.
The CMAR designation involves a series of four examinations: three exams
arranged via an organization called the Institute for Certified Professional
Managers (ICPM), and
the Animal Resources Exam offered by AALAS. Obtaining the CMAR designation is
a sign of professionalism in the field of animal resources management.
In order to maintain their CMAR designation, CMAR recipients will have annual
requirements of a re-certification fee and a specified number of continuing education credits.
Below is a general overview of the management certification process. For complete
program information, download the CMAR
Handbook.
Certified Manager (CM) Exams
The first three exams for Certified Manager (CM) are administered by ICPM.
The CM exams are Management Skills I: Foundations of Management; Management
Skills II: Planning and Organizing; and Management Skills III: Leading and Controlling.
CMAR candidates must apply to ICPM to take the CM exams. An application may
be downloaded from the ICPM web site, or you may contact them by e-mail (icpmcm@jmu.edu),
phone (800-568-4120), or fax (540-801-8650).
ICPM provides three printed study manuals and an online learning center to
facilitate preparation for the CM exams. The study manuals can be ordered from
ICPM by phone or fax. An order form can be downloaded at www.icpm.biz.
More information about the CM exams is available in the CMAR
Handbook.
Eligibility Requirements
Effective May 21, new eligibility requirements were approved. Candidates may apply under one of the following criteria:
Education Level
Total Work Experience
Total Managerial Experience
BA/BS
5 years
3 years
AA/AS
8 years
3 years
HS/GED
10 years
3 years
Candidates meeting these requirements who pass the Animal Resources Exam and the CM exams will
achieve the status of a Certified Manager of Animal Resources and will be
able to use the CMAR acronym after their names.
CMAR Maintenance Form for 15-Month Program Deadline
All CMAR candidates must pass the Animal Resources exam and apply to ICPM within 15 months of submitting the application to AALAS. For those candidates who applied prior to November 1, 2002, this 15-month deadline was implemented starting January 1, 2005. Within the 15-month period, candidates may retake the AR Exam as often as can be arranged and will not lose their eligibility if they fail to pass the AR exam. To retake an exam, candidates must submit a new application with the full exam fee payment.
Candidates who have not successfully passed the AR exam and applied to ICPM within the 15-month period must submit a maintenance form and pay a maintenance fee ($25) to extend their deadline by another 15 months.
Candidates who fail to meet the deadline and who do not submit an eligibility maintenance form and fee are dropped from the CMAR Program and may reapply at a later date*. All candidates dropped from the program who have passed the Animal Resources Exam lose their exam score and must retake the Animal Resources Exam at the full application and exam fees at the time of reapplication to the CMAR program.
*Grandfathered candidates who originally applied to the CMAR program prior to November 2002 and did not hold a bachelor’s degree will not lose their eligibility if they are dropped from the CMAR program and can reapply to the CMAR program under original eligibility requirements.
Overview of the Animal Resources
Exam
The Animal Resources Exam measures the candidate's understanding of governing
rules and regulations, compliance issues, and the fundamentals of working with
laboratory animals. The exam tests your knowledge and competence in the following
topic areas:
Optimizing Facility Resources
Managing Fiscal Resources
Achieving Regulatory Compliance
Managing Animal Welfare
Assuring Public Trust
The exam is composed of 150 questions that are organized in three categories:
Knowledge-based. Knowledge-based questions tap into basic
areas where the manager should be expected to have learned either (a) in
day-to-day business activities or (b) through reference books including
the CMAR reference materials.
Analytical. Analytical questions go beyond basic knowledge
to test if the manager understands causes and relationships, and can translate
information from one mode (e.g., graph) to another (e.g., statement of economic
prediction). Analytical skill is regarded as an important skill in the performance
of management duties.
Decision-making. Decision-making questions refer to “real-world”
situations for finding a solution to a problem. Decision-making usually
requires a combination of knowledge and analytical skills to determine the
best solution.
Study Materials
The CMAR Reference List includes readings that provide in-depth coverage of
the topics covered by the Animal Resources Exam. The CMAR Reference List may
be altered and expanded by the CMAR Committee at any time without notice. The
certification test item data bank is not static; new questions are added on
a continual basis and this list is adjusted as needed.
Familiarity with the publications listed does not guarantee that an individual
will pass the Animal Resources Exam. To obtain any of the publications in this
list contact a bookseller, the publisher or the AALAS office. Government publications
can be located on the Internet. AALAS packages the reference materials from
this list in a CMAR Resource Kit available for purchase through the AALAS
Bookstore.
Management of Laboratory Animal Care and Use Programs, Eds.:
Suckow, Douglas, Weichbrod, CRC Press, 2001.
NIH Vivarium Design Policy and Guidelines, National Institutes
of Health, 1996.
21 CFR, Food and Drugs, Chapter I, Food and Drug Administration,
Department of Health and Human Services, Subchapter A - General, Part 58
- Good Laboratory Practice for Nonclinical Laboratory Studies. http://www.fda.gov/cber/ind/21cfr58GLP.pdf.
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee Guidebook, Applied
Research Ethics National Association (ARENA) and Office of Laboratory Animal
Welfare (OLAW, formerly OPRR), 1992-1993.
Occupational Health and Safety in the Care and Use of Research
Animals, National Research Council, 1997. 13. AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia, JAVMA, Vol. 218: 5, 670-696, 2001. Last updated 3/20/02.
http://www.nap.edu/books/0309052998/html/index.html
How to Apply
The Animal Resources Exam is offered only as paper-and-pencil exams at select
meetings. Complete and submit the application
form
along with all requested documentation and fees. After receiving and processing
the application and appropriate fees, the AALAS office will notify applicants
of eligibility status.
Please note!
CMAR candidates must submit a CMAR application form and
fees to AALAS before the specified deadline for each meeting.
Candidates need not complete their CM
certification before they sit for the Animal Resources Exam at these meetings.
CMAR certification will not be conferred on an individual until all 4 exams are taken and passed.
All education and work experience eligibility requirements
must be met to qualify to take the Animal Resources Exam.
Upcoming Animal Resources Exam Dates
The Animal Resources Exam is currently available as
a pencil-and-paper exam at scheduled venues. Contact
the AALAS office for more information about these exam dates or to arrange an Animal Resources Exam at your facility. Test dates
for 2008:
Meeting
Date
Apply by
LAMA–Portland, OR
April 2
March 10
Texas Branch Meeting–Galveston, TX
April 16
March 24
Quad Symposium–Albany, NY
May 14–15
April 21
AALAS National Meeting–Indianapolis, IN
November 9
October 17
The Laboratory Animal Management Association (LAMA) will be sponsoring a two-day preparatory course on
ICPM Certified Manager Module III: Leading and Controlling on Monday, March 31, 2008 and Tuesday, April 1, 2008
at the Portland, OR Lloyd Center Doubletree Hotel. The 16-hour course will cover leadership skills, employment, motivation, time and stress management, delegating, managing change, conflict management, operations control, quality management, and financial management. The course will prepare participants for ICPM's Certified Manager Module III Exam.
The course instructor is Mr. Randy Sewell, BS, MBA, CM. Mr Sewell has worked for Portland General Electric Company for over 37 years in various supervisory, management or consulting roles and is a teaching faculty member of City University teaching both undergraduate and graduate level management courses.
The maximum number of participants will be 30. Course registration form and fees will be posted on the LAMA website (http://www.lama-online.org) by mid-summer 2008.
Following the preparatory course, the 2008 LAMA/ATA Annual Meeting will be held at the Portland, OR Lloyd Center
Doubletree Hotel, April 2–4, 2008.
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