CMA Certification - An Overview
CMA’s Professional Certification Program. Three little letters. ONE HUGE IMPACT!
This professional certification is not lightly given or earned. To become a CMA Certified Professional, a CMA member must be experienced as a shop owner (or equivalent) and exhibit advanced and in depth knowledge of materials, design, safety, manufacturing equipment, tools and processes, and must simultaneously exhibit the personal integrity and business acumen necessary to run an ethical, sustainable and profitable business. The knowledge required to earn either a CCM or MCM (Certified Cabinet Maker or Master Cabinet Maker) or the companion CCW or MCW (Certified Custom Woodworker or Master Custom Woodworker) will be initially developed by experts in the industry, and constantly updated as the industry brings in new products, processes and procedures.
The CMA will offer both live and web based classroom instruction and testing on each of the required topics. Each topic will require a written test, and the applicant must pass each test before advancing. For those with advanced and expert knowledge in areas of our industry required to attain certification, there will be an option to test out of the classroom instruction.
Along the path to the first of second levels of certification, continuing education will be required to keep skills and knowledge current. Both live and web based continuous education sessions will be available for all. The CMA will offer many live sessions at each major industry show, including both CEU and general classroom training for applicants anywhere along the certification path. Once certifications have been awarded, there will be required numbers of CEUs to be earned in each year to keep abreast of current industry knowledge and to maintain earned certification levels.
All certification programming applicants start with ethical standards classroom sessions and testing. Here are some of the topics covered in that session.
Ethical Standards
All applicants will begin with basic CMA Certification, and advance to master certification once basic certification has been successfully earned. Basic Certification graduates will have passed testing in the following areas and will be entitled to add the CCM or CCW designation to their name, as well as use the CMA Certified logo in their marketing materials. The Basic Level requires a minimum of 2 years of industry experience.
Basic CMA Certification Level
Business Practices
Machinery
Wood Physics
Design
Finishing
Safety Education
Basics of Measuring
All CMA Basic Certification graduates (CCM or CCW) will have the option to extend their advanced knowledge to an expert level in a minimum of any 7 curriculum areas below. Once the CMA Certified Professional has passed testing in their chosen areas of expertise, they will be entitled to add the MCM or MCW (CMA Master Cabinet Maker or Master Custom Woodworker) designation to their name, as well as use the CMA Master logo in their marketing materials. The Master level requires a minimum of 5 years industry experience.
Specific knowledge for Master CMA Certification
Fees for classroom sessions and testing will vary, depending on the particulars for that session (live vs. webinar vs. pre-recorded) as well as the length of time of the classroom or testing sessions. Detailed descriptions of coursework and pricing are available to CMA members as they are rolled out, with certain classroom sessions, testing and CEU sessions starting at under $50. There will be no time limit for earning any particular level of certification, subject to the applying or certified CMA member remaining as a member in good standing during that time and earning the required CEUs on an as required basis.
To begin the certification process you must be a current member of the CMA. CLICK HERE to join the CMA online. Once you have submitted your membership application, you may apply for certification. Follow link in the next paragraph.
CMA Members can CLICK HERE to apply for the Professional Certification Program. Then select your choice of registering on line or downloading the documents and registering by mail.
