2021 CIP Program Updates
2021 will bring some exciting changes to the Certified IRB Professional (CIP®) exam! The CIP Council has updated program specifications—including refreshed exam eligibility guidelines; a reorganized, streamlined content outline; and a new exam format.
These updates are based on a comprehensive job analysis of the program conducted in 2019. This was a joint undertaking among the CIP Council, PRIM&R, and PSI, the exam administrator. During this systematic process, the CIP Council developed and validated the scope of practice of HRPP/IRB professionals as well as the tasks and knowledge areas that reflect the core functions of an IRB as part of an HRPP. One major component of this process was a large-scale job analysis survey, in which 535 HRPP/IRB professionals rated the frequency and importance of 20 task statements and 31 knowledge areas, as well as their role in executing those functions.
The refreshed exam eligibility guidelines are drawn from these updated task statements, and delineate distinct job functions for which exam candidates must be responsible. The streamlined Body of Knowledge/Content Outline is drawn from the accompanying knowledge areas identified in the recent analysis.
While the scope of the exam content is largely unchanged, the revised content outline more closely aligns with the essential responsibilities of a current HRPP/IRB professional. This means that the CIP exam will now consist of 130 objective multiple-choice questions, and candidates will have a three-hour window in which to complete their exam.