The CAP Exam & Resources | Tennessee Extension Association of Administrative Professionals

The TEAAP professional development committee hosted a session on the CAP on July 8, 2022, and a question and answer session on July 22, 2022. The information session focused on basic information and resource sharing to encourage Extension support staff to make a plan to sit for the Certified Administrative Professional’s exam given by IAAP, International Association for Administrative Professionals.

There are so many benefits to having the certification but the most sought-after is the 9% raise given to state non-exempt support staff in Tennessee. The session reviewed the process and resources that are available for earning the CAP designation by passing the CAP exam.

The CAP Q & A session focused on specific questions that arose from the survey after the information session. The recordings are available below for both sessions or you can participate in the asynchronous – self paced modules used in the sessions for a more personalized experience.

CAP Self-Paced Module

CAP Q & A Self-Paced Module

CAP Exam FAQ Download

CAP Information Session – Zoom

CAP Q & A Session – Zoom

The University of Tennessee strongly supports non-exempt support staff in the effort to obtain the Certified Administrative Professional designation by taking the CAP exam.

On the faculty & staff team site, there are two documents that detail the UT Extension CAP Career Development program for non-exempt Extension support staff that are responsible to UT Extension. The first document contains the program guidelines and the second has the reimbursement request form and information. Note: you will have to sign in with your NetId to access these files.

There are study materials available from the Extension Deans office on a library system to check out.

UT Extension does assist financially with study materials and the cost of the first sitting of the exam for those eligible to participate. This is up to an $800 reimbursement! Pre-approval is necessary to ensure the funding is available as it is on a first come/first serve basis.

The program was updated in February 2022 to include financial resources (up to $400) for professional development and the cost of recertification ($150).

Non-Exempt staff are eligible to participate in career development activities and be reimbursed up to $150 each fiscal year from the Career Development Fund (CDF). This fund is maintained by gifts and donations by UT employees, the fund will halt approving applications once the funds have been committed.

UT System – Employee and Organizational Development department has information about the CAP posted on the website. There are also study books available to check out from UT System HR.

The International Association of Administrative Professionals, IAAP has provided handbooks, policies and procedures, eLearning, practice exams, conferences, external training and more through the IAAP website.

Download the handbook from the IAAP website.

The requirements for eligibility to sit for the CAP exam are located on the IAAP website.

The CAP exam is based on six domain areas. The Body of Knowledge has the performance outcomes and sub-points for each domain area. This can give some guidance in studying for the CAP. The BOK can be downloaded from the IAAP website.

The six domain areas and weights on the exam are:

Organizational Communication 25%
Business Writing and Document Production 20%
Technology and Information Distribution 15%
Office and Records Management 15%
Event and Project Management 12%
Operational Functions 11%

The study books, classes, and other resources to use to study for the CAP exam are plentiful, however, not all are helpful. Begin at the IAAP website with suggested materials.

Download the Body of Knowledge
Check libraries for the CAP Core Resources mentioned on the certification page-step two
Consider purchasing and taking the practice exam
Review the CAP Study Guide eReader subscription to see if it would be beneficial to your studies. This book can also be purchased.
Classes are available through UT Martin and several are listed on the IAAP website. Evaluate these and look for reviews online to judge the effectiveness of the program and cost. Some are very expensive and some review groups are not.
Books are listed on Amazon and others, however since the CAP exam seeks to stay current, books from more than 7-10 years prior may not be that helpful. (unless of course they are listed on the IAAP site)
Study groups are also beneficial to keep each other accountable and on schedule.

The policy and procedure manual is posted on the IAAP website. You can download a copy.

After passing the exam, you will need to submit professional development hours/points to keep your CAP designation. IAAP has a manual posted online with all the information to recertify.

See item above “UT Extension CAP Career Development Program” for financial resources available to Extension CAP holders who wish to participate in professional development or assistance with the cost to recertify.

IAAP has six specialty certificates that are offered to CAP designees. You may participate in the Organizational Management online program or in one of the rotating in-person specialties at the CAPstone event.

The six specialties are:

Human Resources (HR)
Meeting and Event Planning (MEP)
Organizational Management (OM)
Project Management (PM)
Records Management (RM)
Technology Applications (TA)

Note from the IAAP website:
Earning a specialty certificate is quite different from earning a certification. A certificate is awarded for completion of an educational program to gain knowledge in a specific area; a certification is awarded following an examination which follows rigorous development protocols, is psychometrically validated, and is delivered through a third-party testing service. Credentials require recertification to remain active, whereas specialty certificates do not.