IAAP CAP
IAAP Certified Accessibility Professional (CAP)
More study resources
Cheat sheet
Keep the key ideas within reach.
ExploreKey terms
Get comfortable with the vocabulary.
ExploreStudy plan
Give each week a clear focus.
ExploreCommon mistakes
Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
ExploreCase studies
Put your knowledge to work in context.
ExploreExam-day guide
Prepare for the day ahead.
ExploreAbout this exam
The IAAP Certified Accessibility Professional (CAP) is a vendor-neutral credential for people who plan, build, review, or govern accessible digital and physical environments. It sits alongside IAAP's more specialised technical certifications, and it is aimed at practitioners whose work spans strategy as well as execution: accessibility leads, programme managers, procurement and policy staff, designers, developers, content owners, and consultants who need to demonstrate breadth rather than deep specialism in a single technology. The exam samples across the whole accessibility lifecycle, from disability models and inclusive design principles, through standards and legal frameworks, web and software conformance, accessible documents and media, assistive technology behaviour, the built environment, governance and procurement, user research with people with disabilities, and organisational change. Expect scenario-based multiple-choice items that ask you to choose the most appropriate action rather than to recite a success criterion verbatim. Preparation works best as a structured pass over each domain combined with hands-on practice: reading the underlying standards directly, auditing real sites and documents, and learning how assistive technology actually behaves. The official IAAP body publishes current details on eligibility, scheduling, scoring, fees, and recertification, so confirm all logistics on its site before you book.
What you'll study
About IAAP CAP preparation
What is the exam format?
Items are multiple choice, delivered at a testing centre or by remote proctoring depending on availability in your region. Questions are predominantly scenario-based rather than pure recall. The official IAAP body publishes the current item count, time allowance, and delivery options, so check its site for the figure that applies to your booking.
How difficult is the CAP compared with technical certifications?
It trades depth for breadth. Rather than testing one technology exhaustively, it checks whether you can reason across standards, law, design, testing, and governance at once. Candidates with several years of practical accessibility work usually find it manageable; those coming from a single specialism often underestimate the policy and programme domains.
What happens if I fail - can I retake it?
Retake rules, waiting periods, and any associated costs are set by IAAP and can change. The official body publishes the current retake policy on its site. Treat a first attempt as diagnostic: note which domains dragged your score down and rebuild your study plan around those before rebooking.
In what order should I study the domains?
Start with foundations and standards so later domains have vocabulary to hang on. Then work through digital accessibility, documents, and assistive technology as a connected block, since they reinforce each other. Finish with programme strategy, procurement, research, and change management, which are easier to reason about once the technical material is solid.
Do I need to memorise WCAG success criteria numbers?
Rarely by number. The exam tests judgement: given a described situation, which approach best meets the requirement or serves the user. Knowing the four principles, conformance levels, and the intent behind key criteria matters far more than reciting a table. Read the Understanding documents alongside the success criteria themselves.
What are the most common reasons candidates fail?
Over-preparing on web code and neglecting governance, procurement, built environment, and research domains. Also common: choosing the technically perfect answer when the question rewards the most inclusive process, and misreading scenario stems that ask for the first or best step rather than the complete remedy.
How long should I allow for preparation?
Practitioners typically need a few months of part-time study, and longer if accessibility is new to them. There is no fixed requirement. Weight your time by the published domain percentages, and spend at least some of it doing real audits, document remediation, and assistive technology testing rather than only reading.
Does the CAP expire, and is there continuing education?
IAAP sets validity periods and recertification requirements, and these have changed over time as the certification programme has matured. The official IAAP site is the only reliable place to confirm your current obligations, including any continuing education units or retesting needed to keep the credential active.
Is this page an official IAAP resource?
No. This is independent study material with no affiliation to or endorsement by IAAP. Certifying bodies control their own blueprints and logistics, and those can change without notice. Always verify eligibility, fees, scheduling, and scoring directly with the official body before making decisions or payments.