Learn more: 2026 Annual Grants Training

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Eligibility Requirements

All individuals who seek certification must meet the established eligibility requirements

Each eligibility requirement has been established to ensure that certified individuals have an acceptable level of knowledge, as evidenced by the examination and education requirements, and skill, as evidenced by the experience requirement, needed for certification. All individuals who seek certification must meet the established eligibility requirements.

To be eligible to sit for the CGMS exam, candidates must attest to having one of the following:

  • A minimum of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education or equivalent foreign degree that would allow you to qualify for a master’s or doctoral degree program at an accredited U.S. college or university AND a minimum of three (3) years of full-time* grants management experience within the last 10 years.**

OR

  • No college degree, BUT a minimum of five (5) years of full-time* grants management experience within the last 10 years**.

Eligibility Audits

A percentage of candidate applications will be audited to ensure compliance with the eligibility criteria. Applications for audit will be selected randomly. If your application is selected for audit, you will be provided with instructions on how to supply satisfactory documentation that supports your compliance with the eligibility criteria before your certificate is released.

* Full-time is defined as 32 hours per week or more. Candidates may determine if they meet the requirement by calculating the percent of time spent on grants (years of experience x percent of time spent on grants).

** Grants management experience includes any and all activities covered by the Grants Management Body of Knowledge.

Candidate Handbook

Effective as of January 1, 2024

Use the Candidate Handbook to understand the CGMS application, testing, and recertifying processes.

Download Handbook