NVRA CM Certified Master study guide
NVRA CM Certified Master · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The NVRA CM Certified Master is an advanced, multiple-choice credential aimed at records and information management professionals who already run or oversee a records program and want to demonstrate mastery across the full lifecycle. It suits records managers, information governance leads, compliance and privacy officers, and senior archivists or IT partners who own retention schedules, system migrations, or legal-hold workflows. The NVRA CM Certified Master study guide has 7 sections and about 2,051 words.
01Records Management Program Governance and Compliance
This domain tests how a records and information management (RIM) program is authorized, structured, and monitored. Governance is the system of decision rights and accountability; compliance is evidence that obligations are met through repeatable controls.
307 words, about 2 min02Records Retention, Disposition, and Legal Hold
This domain tests retention schedule design, disposition execution, and legal hold. The central idea is defensible disposal: destroy only when the retention period has expired, no hold applies, and the action is documented.
322 words, about 2 min03Electronic Records, Information Systems, and Data Governance
This domain tests how electronic records are captured, described, retained, and governed in business systems. It focuses on recordkeeping requirements, metadata, validation, migration, and data governance rather than file formats alone.
300 words, about 2 min04Privacy, Security, and Confidentiality of Records
This domain tests protection of personal, confidential, and sensitive records while preserving authorized access. Privacy governs what may be collected, used, shared, and kept; security governs how it is protected.
298 words, about 1 min05Records Storage, Conversion, and Media Management
This domain tests physical and electronic storage, conversion, and media lifecycle. It covers storage environments, digitization and migration quality, chain of custody, and secure media disposal.
293 words, about 1 min06Vital Records and Business Continuity Planning
This domain tests identification and protection of vital records and the records role in business continuity. Vital records are those needed to continue operations, protect legal and financial rights, or recover after disruption.
270 words, about 1 min07Records Management Project Management and Change Leadership
This domain tests project management and change leadership for records management initiatives. Implementation fails more often from poor adoption and unclear ownership than from bad schedules.
261 words, about 1 min