Certified Grants Management Specialist (CGMS)

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About CGMS  |  Earning the CGMS Credential  |  Certification Pricing  |  CGMS Resources

About CGMS

NGMA developed the CGMS Certified Grants Management Specialist certification program to provide an industry credential that elevates professional standards, enhances individual performance, and designates professionals who demonstrate the knowledge essential to the practice of grants management. Having the CGMS credential confers formal recognition of professional competency in the full lifecycle of grants management. Individuals who earn the CGMS have demonstrated knowledge of the professional domains that encompass the tasks and knowledge required of a grants management professional in various practice settings.

The CGMS certification program is intended for grants management professionals in a wide variety of professional settings including government settings, nonprofits, higher education, tribal governments, and private industries, primarily in the United States, but also in international settings.

NGMA membership is not a requirement to take the CGMS exam. Although the exam is administered by NGMA, the CGMS designation stands on its own.

Earning the CGMS Credential

Are you ready to make your mark and stand out in the grants management community by becoming a CGMS? Get started below!



Set up your account in the Candidate Management System to apply for the CGMS exam
and receive a one-time access to the CGMS Practice Test, included with your purchase.

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Certification Pricing

 


Practice Test

Practice Test
(40 questions)

FREE one-time use with
purchase of CGMS Exam

 
Initial Certification Application /
Exam Fee 
(Non-refundable)

$500 CGMS Exam Fee for NGMA members
$674 CGMS Exam Fee for non-members
(includes optional one-year NGMA membership; 
price does not change if you opt out of membership)


CGMS Exam Retake Fee
(For those who do not pass the exam on the first try and wish to retest after a 90-day waiting period)

$175 CGMS Exam Retake Fee for NGMA members
$250 CGMS Exam Retake Fee for nonmembers
 
CGMS Recertification Fee (Non-Refundable)
$299 CGMS Recertification Fee
(Three-year renewal) for NGMA members

$473 CGMS Recertification Fee
(Three-year renewal) for non-members
(Includes optional one-year NMGA membership;

price does not change if you opt out of membership)

 

 

  CGMS Resources  
Candidate Handbook 2020  |  Candidate Handbook 2023
  Code of Ethics
Frequently Asked Questions  

 


There are so many great benefits to being an NGMA member, including the monthly trainings, AGT and all of the connections made through participating. However, the most valuable benefit for me has been the CGMS. As an increasingly reputable certification, the CGMS has helped to propel my professional career, and open many new doors for me.” 

- Brent Ramsey, CGMS