CBCP

DRI's CBCP page does not publish an item count or a time limit for the Qualifying Examination; only the 75% minimum passing score and the "no prerequisite course" rule are stated. Confirm current length and timing with DRI before you book, and build your study plan around the Professional Practices rather than a fixed question count.

No. DRI lists the Qualifying Examination as the prerequisite and states "None" for prerequisite course, so training is optional. Many candidates still use the BCOE on-demand modules, which step through the Professional Practices one at a time, or an instructor-led review course, because the exam is mapped to those practices.

DRI's CBCP page does not state a retake policy, number of attempts, or waiting period, so treat this as something to confirm directly with DRI before registering. What the page does make clear is the threshold: you must pass the Qualifying Examination with a minimum score of 75% before you can submit the certification application.

DRI publishes no pass rates, so difficulty claims are guesswork. In practice the exam is rarely the only hurdle - certification is a two-part process, and a large share of delays come from the experience side: essays that do not map to the Professional Practices, or references who are unprepared when DRI contacts them.

You write five essays across five subject areas you choose, but at least two of those five must come from Business Impact Analysis, Business Continuity Strategies, Plan Development and Implementation, or Exercise/Test, Assessment and Maintenance. Choose your five areas before you start writing so the required two are covered deliberately rather than by accident.

Two per subject matter area - the names and contact information of individuals who can document your experience in that area. The total number of people can be as few as two if both can attest to all your required areas, or many more. Warn them in advance; DRI notes that unprepared references cause application delays.

Experience must have occurred within a ten-year period from your application date, so older work does not count. That window matters if you are returning to continuity work after time in another role: check that at least two years of qualifying experience in five subject areas still falls inside the ten-year lookback.

The application fee is $400, and the annual renewal fee is $225. Maintenance also requires 80 Continuing Education Activity Points (CEAPs) for the CBCP level, so budget time for documented continuing education and industry activity each year, not just the fee. DRI lists no waivers for this level.

A practical sequence is program initiation and management first for context, then risk evaluation and business impact analysis, then strategies - you cannot select a strategy without impact data. Follow with plan development, emergency response, awareness and training, then exercise, assessment and maintenance, and finish with crisis communications and external coordination.

The experience package, not the exam. DRI warns that incomplete applications cause delays, that references should be briefed and asked to respond promptly, and that additional information may be requested during review. Essays that fail to map your responsibilities and accomplishments to the Professional Practices are a frequent weak point.