academy of certified archivists

What academy of certified archivists does

The Academy of Certified Archivists (ACA) is a U.S.-based nonprofit professional certification body founded in 1989 that administers the only examination-based archival credential in the United States, the Certified Archivist (CA) designation. The organization serves working archivists across public, private, nonprofit, academic, and corporate settings, as well as graduate students in archival studies and the employers who use the CA credential to evaluate professional competence. Its core product is a once-yearly 100-question multiple-choice examination covering eight practice domains defined by the Role Delineation Statement for Professional Archivists, supplemented by an annual Reading List, a study guide, and a publicly searchable CA Directory.

The CA credential is maintained through two parallel, mandatory obligations: annual membership dues ($75/year) and a five-year recertification cycle requiring either 60 Continuing Education Credits plus a $30 petition fee or re-examination. ACA operates the Recertification Portal on Prolydian's SaaS platform, where Certified Archivists track cycle dates, credit totals, and submit petitions on a rolling-review basis. The organization holds registered trademarks on its name and the "CA" certification mark (2014), publishes a quarterly ACA News newsletter, runs student outreach at SAA chapters, and exhibits at archives conferences. Governance is by a volunteer Board of Regents.

Revenue is generated entirely from individual fees — annual dues, examination fees ($125 first-time, $75 retake), petition fees, emeritus dues ($10/year), and reinstatement fees ($45-$75) — with no external funding, parent company, or venture backing. In 2025 ACA eliminated all education and work prerequisites for the exam (effective 2026) and in 2026 entered an Affiliate Partnership with NAGARA offering reciprocal membership discounts and counting partner programming toward recertification credits.

Name

academy of certified archivists

Legal name

Academy of Certified Archivists

Website

https://certifiedarchivists.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Academy of Certified Archivists is a U.S. nonprofit founded in 1989 that administers the only examination-based Certified Archivist (CA) credential in the United States, serving professional archivists across public, private, academic, and corporate settings through an annual exam and five-year recertification cycle.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Certification Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921)

akta.pro primary industry

Awarding Organizations & Credentialing Bodies (Certificates/Diplomas) (EDADAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAF), Specialized/Single-Purpose Accreditors (e.g., seminaries, arts conservatories) (EDADACAD)

Keywords

• Professional certification services
• Archival credentialing
• Continuing education credits
• Membership dues
• Professional standards

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership Dues: Annual ACA membership dues required to maintain the CA credential in good standing. Dues run July 1 to June 30 annually. Failure to pay by September 30 results in Lapsed status; January 1 results in Suspended status.
2. CA Examination Fees: Fees charged for taking the Certified Archivist Examination. First-time candidates pay $125 (includes registration and practice exam); retakes and recertification by examination cost $75.
3. Recertification Petition Fee: A $30 petition fee charged when submitting the Petition for Recertification at the end of each five-year cycle. Separate from and in addition to annual dues.
4. Reinstatement Fees: Fees charged to reinstate a lapsed or suspended credential: $45 reinstatement fee (January 1–June 30) or $75 long-term reinstatement fee plus all outstanding back dues for longer lapses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Academy of Certified Archivists administers the Certified Archivist (CA) credential, awarded to archivists who pass an annual 100-question multiple-choice examination mapped to the Role Delineation Statement for Professional Archivists across eight domains of practice. The credential is maintained through a five-year recertification cycle requiring 60 Continuing Education Credits or re-examination, supported by the Prolydian-hosted Recertification Portal, annual membership dues, and a publicly searchable member directory.

Product overview

The Academy of Certified Archivists (ACA) offers a unified professional certification ecosystem for archivists, centered on the Certified Archivist (CA) credential. The core offering consists of the CA Examination and credential maintenance through either recertification by petition (earning 60 CECs over five years) or re-examination. Supporting products include the Recertification Portal (hosted by Prolydian), the ACA News quarterly newsletter, the Examination Reading List, the ACA Exam Study Guide, and the Role Delineation Statement framework. ACA also administers awards including the Distinguished Service Award, Regents' Award, and Legacy Travel Award. All services are directed toward maintaining professional standards in the archival field.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CA (Certified Archivist): The professional credential awarded to archivists who pass the certification examination and maintain active membership. Signifies mastery of archival knowledge and skills with commitment to ongoing professional development.

Products and services

• Certified Archivist (CA) Credential The professional certification credential awarded to archivists who pass the CA Examination and maintain active membership, signifying mastery of archival knowledge and skills.
• Certified Archivist Examination A 100 multiple-choice question examination based on the Role Delineation Statement for Professional Archivists, assessing knowledge and application across eight domains of archival practice. Offered annually over three consecutive days starting on the 2nd Thursday of June.
• Recertification by Petition Pathway to maintain the CA credential by earning a minimum of 60 Continuing Education Credits (CECs) during the five-year cycle and submitting a recertification petition.
• Public CA Directory Public directory listing all active Certified Archivists and Emeritus CAs with name and member type information, used by employers and colleagues to verify credential status.
• Pre-Approved Continuing Education Credits (CECs) Lists of pre-qualified continuing education activities that Certified Archivists can use toward recertification credit, organized by year since 2005.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,200 Certified Archivists holding the CA credential as of 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• NAGARA (National Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerACA formed an Affiliate Partnership with NAGARA to expand professional development opportunities for Certified Archivists. Active ACA members receive a 50% discount on first-year individual NAGARA membership. NAGARA's educational programming (webinars, online forums, annual conference sessions, workshops) may contribute toward the 60 continuing education credits required for ACA recertification. The partnership also includes opportunities to present, teach, and participate in ways that may be submitted for instruction and professional participation credit under ACA guidelines.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• ARMA International: ARMA International is the leading professional association for records and information management professionals, offering credentials (CRM, IGP) and continuing education analogous to ACA's Certified Archivist program. Comparable as a credentialing body serving a closely adjacent records-management profession.
• Society of American Archivists (SAA): SAA is the principal professional society for archivists in the United States and provides certification-adjacent programming, education, and standards. Closely comparable as the broader membership body serving the same archival profession that ACA certifies.
• National Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators (NAGARA): NAGARA is a national association serving government archivists and records administrators with education, conferences, and credentialing-related programming. Directly comparable as a peer professional body in the archives/records space — and now an active affiliate partner of ACA.
• American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA): AHIMA administers professional credentials (RHIA, RHIT, CCS) for health information management professionals with similar exam-based certification, mandatory CE, and recertification mechanics. Strong structural peer as a single-profession U.S. credentialing body with comparable revenue model.
• Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM): SHRM administers the SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP credentials through examination with ongoing recertification. Comparable as a U.S. professional society offering exam-based certification to a defined profession, with similar dues-and-CE revenue mechanics.
• International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA): IIBA offers the CBAP and other business analysis certifications through examination-based credentialing with continuing education and recertification. Comparable as a specialized, single-profession certification body with analogous exam, dues, and recertification mechanics.

Broad incumbents

• American Library Association (ALA): ALA is the largest U.S. professional association for librarians and offers specialized credentials (e.g., ALA-Accredited programs, library support staff certifications). Comparable as a larger, established credentialing-adjacent body in the closely related library and information science field.
• International Council on Archives (ICA): ICA is the global professional body for archivists, setting international standards and providing training and credentialing-adjacent programs. Comparable as a larger, internationally focused counterpart to ACA's U.S.-only certification mandate.
• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA): AICPA is a large, well-established U.S. professional credentialing organization offering the CPA designation through examination with mandated continuing education. Comparable as a structurally analogous exam-based credentialing body, though at vastly larger scale and broader profession scope.

Emerging players

• Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC): DPC is an international advocacy and capacity-building organization for digital preservation, overlapping with the archival profession ACA serves. Comparable as an adjacent organization building training, standards, and credentialing-adjacent programs for the digital archiving subset of ACA's scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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