Records Management Certification

The Records Management Certification is a free intermediate-level, 20-minute skill test from Science of Apps. It tests records and information management (RIM) knowledge — principles and governance, classification and metadata, retention and disposition, and electronic records, legal holds and privacy — written to ISO 15489-1:2016, ARMA's Generally Accepted Recordkeeping Principles, national archives guidance (UK National Archives, US NARA) and GDPR for 2026. Useful preparation for ICRM CRM and IGP-style roles. Score 70% or more on its 20 questions to earn a verifiable Records Management Proficiency certificate (SOA-RM). Every question is based on published standards and research — including ISO 15489-1:2016 Records management: concepts and principles (ISO), The Principles (Generally Accepted Recordkeeping Principles) (ARMA International), Records management policy and guidance (US National Archives and Records Administration) — and each answer is explained with its source.

Science of Apps offers a free Records Management Certification, updated for 2026 and 2027. It measures principles and governance, classification, capture and metadata, retention and disposition and electronic records, legal holds and privacy and gives instant results with a shareable certificate.

Read the four skill areas on this page, then take the 20-minute test online — no fee, course or sign-up. You see every answer explained when you finish. Score 70% or more and you get a Records Management Proficiency certificate straight away, on screen, as a PDF and by email, with a credential ID anyone can verify.

Yes. The questions are original scenarios written by Science of Apps, and each one is based on a public source you can read: ISO 15489-1:2016 Records management: concepts and principles (ISO); The Principles (Generally Accepted Recordkeeping Principles) (ARMA International); Records management policy and guidance (US National Archives and Records Administration); Managing information: guidance (The National Archives (UK)); The Sedona Conference publications (e-discovery principles) (The Sedona Conference); What is GDPR? (GDPR.eu). The source is shown under each question and linked in the answer review. Science of Apps doesn't copy questions from other tests.

Four skill areas with five questions each, drawn from a bank of 10 per area so a retake brings new questions: Principles and Governance (ISO 15489, GARP and Policy); Classification, Capture and Metadata (File plans, Metadata and Capture); Retention and Disposition (Schedules, Legal basis and Destruction); Electronic Records, Legal Holds and Privacy (E-records, Holds and GDPR). Every question is an original scenario written to the 2026–2027 standard, with the published source named under it.

Records manager, Information governance officer, Document controller, Archivist and Compliance or privacy analyst. It suits anyone who wants a quick, verifiable way to show Records Management knowledge in 2026 and 2027, from students and career switchers to experienced professionals.

Records management is the systematic control of records from creation to final disposition, so that evidence of business activity is authentic, reliable, retrievable and kept only as long as needed. ISO 15489-1:2016 is the international standard for its concepts and principles.

A retention schedule lists record series, how long each must be kept and what happens at the end, such as destruction or transfer to an archive. Periods come from legal, regulatory, business and historical needs, and are suspended for any record under a legal hold.

Yes. The test is online, in English and free everywhere — people take it from India, the US, the UK, Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. Your certificate is dated with your own local date and can be verified from anywhere at scienceofapps.com/certification/verify/.

20 questions — 5 from each of 4 skill areas — with a 20-minute limit. You need 70% (14 of 20) to pass and 90% for distinction.

We rate it Intermediate: assumes hands-on experience in the role. It has 20 scenario questions — 5 from each of 4 skill areas — and a 20-minute limit. You need 70% (14 of 20) to pass and 90% for distinction.

Nothing. There is no fee to take a test, to receive the certificate, to have it emailed or to verify it, and no sign-up.

On our server, not in your browser. The answers never reach the page until you submit, so a certificate can only be earned by passing. Each certificate gets a unique credential ID stored by Science of Apps.

You see your score for each area and every question with the correct answer and why, with the published source behind it. You can retake after 30 minutes, and the retake draws questions you haven't seen yet.

No. Every certificate is dated, so it always shows when you passed. Retake a test any time for a newer date or a higher score.

Yes. After you pass, Add to LinkedIn opens the Licenses & certifications form with the certificate name, Science of Apps as the issuer, the issue date, your credential ID and the verification link filled in. You can also download it as a PDF or PNG, and it's emailed to you as a PDF.

Every certificate has a credential ID and a QR code. Scanning it, or entering the ID at scienceofapps.com/certification/verify/, shows the holder's name, the certification, the score and the issue date from our records.

No. They are Science of Apps' own assessments of applied skill. They aren't issued by a university or standards body, and they work best alongside a portfolio that shows the skills in real work.