The Certified Meeting professional designation is a necessity for event planners, strategists and designers who wish to show their professionalism to clients, peers and employers. Yet the test is incredibly difficult, and those who seek to pass it, have to prepare in many different ways, which include self-learning, abilities gap analysis and training and preparation courses. There are even organizations who help you prepare by giving certifications in this area. However if you are a busy professional who doesn’t have the time to take up the extra preparation then you could still go ahead and get the certification by becoming a CTM.

How can being a certified meeting professional help your career? By earning the CTM designation you will be able to impress clients, peers, managers, and employers. It demonstrates to them that you are an expert in your field, and that you possess the best practices applicable to your work. This will also mean more work for you as the better prepared you are the better you will perform. The exam involves two components and these are; written exam and hands on skills testing. To excel in both these areas, you need to know how to write a good essay, as well as understand the format requirements of the exam.

Before taking the exam, you will be given a set of multiple choice questions and you will need to select the one which best sums up your knowledge and abilities as a meeting professional. The examination consists of two sections; an essay section and a skills section. When writing the essay you should base your essay on research and facts based on your expertise in the particular field. Your main objective when writing the essay should be to convince your readers that you are an expert in your chosen field and that you possess all the best practices applicable to this occupation. Once you have finished writing your essay you can then proceed to the skills section.

To pass the skills section you will need to demonstrate three or four specific skills. To do this, you should prepare yourself by undertaking a detailed review of the subject matter. Reviewing the industry standards will aid your progress towards achieving your certification. When reviewing the industry standards it is important to note that; most companies have specific guidelines on what constitutes a Good result, Good methodology and Good practice. If you don’t adhere to these guidelines, you will find your career prospects restricted.

Most experienced event planners and meeting professionals take the CTM test. The reason they do so is because it is one of the hardest exams to successfully complete. The reason why the exam is so difficult is because it requires a great amount of research and preparation on the part of the examinee. To pass the exam you must not only have the ability to review and analyze current industry standards but also how these standards were perceived as they were perceived twenty years ago. By reviewing past industry standards you are ensuring that you are up to date as far as the current perceptions of industry standards are concerned.

Many event planners and meeting professionals consider the CTM the most important certification to achieve. In my opinion this is an opinion that is shared widely within the industry. By achieving this certification you are ensuring that you are qualified to work in the industry in which you wish to work. This certification will allow potential employers to see that you are qualified to work in the specific fields covered by the events industry. The status and credibility of the meeting profession are greatly assisted by the certification.

To pass the examination, you will need to enroll in a training and preparation course that are approved by the TESOL Board. This course will provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to study for the exam. The study group that will help you prepare for the exam consists of industry specialists who have years of experience in event planning and management. The benefit to participating in the study group is that it gives you the opportunity to ask questions by asking them questions. This means that you can gain more knowledge and experience which you can then apply when studying for the exam.

To succeed at passing the exam, you must ensure that you acquire the knowledge and information contained within the CTM. Do not just try to read the material and memorize everything as this will have very little effect on your ability to successfully pass the exam. There is no quick and easy way to become an experienced event planner and managing person. It will take at least 5 years of hard work, dedication to achieve the status and credibility that will allow you to be someone who is looked up to by your peers.