CMMI Certification: Associate vs. Practitioner
There are two main certifications that individuals can pursue: CMMI Associate and CMMI Practitioner.
To become a CMMI Associate (for either the Development or Services domain):
- Attend the Foundations of Capability course (2 days)
- Attend either the Building Development Excellence or Building Service Excellence course (1 day)
- Pass the Associate Exam
As a CMMI Associate, you will have an Authorization to Attend Benchmark Appraisals (ATM) for either the Development (DEV) or Services (SVC) domain, depending on which Excellence course you attended. If you took the Building Development Excellence course, you can participate in benchmark appraisals that assess an organization’s capability in developing products and services. If you took the Building Service Excellence course, you can participate in benchmark appraisals that assess an organization’s capability in delivering and managing services.
To attend benchmark appraisals for both DEV and SVC domains as a CMMI Associate, you would need to attend both the Building Development Excellence and Building Service Excellence courses, each lasting 1 day. However, it would be more efficient to become a CMMI Practitioner, which requires attending the 4-day Building Organizational Capabilities course and passing the Practitioner Exam.
To become a CMMI Practitioner (for all domains):
- Attend the Building Organizational Capabilities course (4 days)
- Pass the Practitioner Exam
As a CMMI Practitioner, you will have an Authorization to Attend Benchmark Appraisals (ATM) for all CMMI domains (including development, services, supplier management, security, safety, people management, data), providing a broader scope of knowledge and appraisal participation.
In summary, the main difference between a CMMI Associate and a CMMI Practitioner is the scope of their knowledge and the types of benchmark appraisals they can attend. Associates focus on either the Development or Services domain, depending on the specific Excellence course they attend, while Practitioners have a comprehensive understanding of all CMMI domains.
The links below provide detailed information on these courses as well as an easy enrollment.
Foundations of Capability & Building Development Excellence >
Foundations of Capability & Building Service Excellence >
Building Organizational Capability >