OMCP

Three parts: one broad-spectrum digital marketing exam of base-knowledge questions across multiple disciplines, plus two specialty discipline sections. All three must be passed within a 90-day window, after which you upload your credentials for final approval. Passing the exams alone is not the whole requirement; you must also meet the experience and education threshold and complete a certification review.

It is proctored online, so no travel is needed. You schedule at any time and take it from anywhere with a reliable internet connection. You need a web camera and microphone so you and the proctor can communicate. No resources of any kind are allowed: no books, notes, online lookups, texts, chats, phone calls, or another person in the room.

The exam fee is US $395 for all three parts, payable at registration, covering online proctoring and exam delivery. Retakes cost extra: $225 for the base-knowledge exam and $150 per skills exam. Application for certification currently carries no individual cost, though the organization notes this may change. Budget for retakes rather than assuming a single sitting.

Start with the base-knowledge material spanning all disciplines, because that section is broad and the two specialty sections assume fluency in your chosen areas. Then concentrate didactic hours on two specific disciplines, which is what the recommended preparation describes. Remember Email Marketing and Mobile Marketing appear only in the base exams, so do not expect specialty sections there.

The stated minimum recommendation is 1,000 hours of online marketing experience including conceptual understanding of at least six disciplines, plus 64 didactic hours in approved courses covering two specific disciplines. The organization explicitly says no single course or published book will fully prepare you. Candidates with 3-5 years of discipline-specific implementation experience may need less education; heavily educated candidates may need less hands-on experience.

There is no prerequisite to take the exams. However, certification requires passing scores plus one of: 5,000 hours of documentable marketing experience; 2,000 hours plus a post-secondary degree; or 1,000 hours plus an approved digital marketing course completed within six months of application. Valid experience can be paid or unpaid marketing work requiring knowledge, application, or communication of marketing principles.

Two years when renewed with PDUs. To gain the full two years you either extend for the second year by earning Professional Development Units through recognized organizations, events, training programs, and communities, or renew for the additional year by passing any one OMCP exam. Currently 100 PDUs accrued during the year are required for extension, and PDU events must fall within 12 months before the renewal date.

Two things stand out. First, treating the exam as something a course can carry you through: the design assumes real implementation experience plus current education, so candidates weak in either area struggle. Second, the 90-day window across all three parts; failing one part late leaves little room to retake and still finish, and retakes carry separate fees.

The organization frames OMCA as the certification for generalists and OMCP for specialists. OMCP requires two specialty exams in addition to the broad-spectrum exam, so it signals depth in chosen disciplines rather than breadth alone. If you are deciding between them, look at whether your documented experience is concentrated in specific disciplines or spread across many.

The certifying organization states that OMCP-certified professionals earn between 16-26% more than non-certified digital marketers and that thousands of leading companies prefer to hire credentialed professionals. Treat those as the body's own claims rather than independently verified figures. The practical value candidates report is a shared vocabulary and externally verified evidence of skills, education, and experience.