Certified Executive Compensation Professional | CECP®

New, Improved CECP Exam

Entering or re-entering the high-risk world of executive compensation can be daunting: Grappling with taxes, regulations, program design, risk assessments and communication with senior executives, board members and compensation consultants can be overwhelming and difficult to master. 

Gain the skills to design and administer executive compensation programs, the confidence to speak with authority and the designation that shows current and future employers you are committed to operating with high professional standards — all by earning WorldatWork’s Certified Executive Compensation Professional (CECP®) certification. 

Attain the CECP® and you earn the ability to place the designation badge (see the graphic at the top of this page) on your professional networking profile, email signature or company profile page, for all to see. 

Why Earn a CECP®?

  • Proven recognition. Global 500 companies rely on WorldatWork certifications to power their employee rewards, engagement and retention efforts. The CECP® is backed by our 65+ years of experience in workplace rewards education and research.  
  • Practical, expert content. Our new, improved CECP exam content taps the insights and experiences of expert practitioners and experienced consultants.  

Recertification Credits

The exams listed below can earn credits toward recertifying a prior WorldatWork certification.

Who Should Get a CECP®?

We recommend that CECP® candidates have at least three years of experience. The CECP® examination covers all topic areas addressed in the Body of Knowledge.

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See the Body of Knowledge
Frequently Asked Questions

This specialty certification combines knowledge and skills based on experience in the field and the industry standard Body of Knowledge that is required for individual and business success. The CECP® designation is achieved by passing one comprehensive competency-based exam while other designations — like the Certified Compensation Professional, Global Remuneration Professional and Certified Benefits Professional certifications — require passing multiple specific curriculum-based exams.

WorldatWork recommends candidates have three or more years of experience in executive compensation. As a competency-based exam, there is no single prep course that covers all the content in the exam. You should review the comprehensive CECP Body of Knowledge, which represents the complete set of knowledge and skills required for professionals working in the field.

WorldatWork offers practice exams to help you get familiar with the types of questions asked in all knowledge areas within the exam. Practice exams offer an easy way to test your readiness by assessing your strengths and weaknesses, as well as help identify knowledge gaps where you may need additional study or experience.

While there is not a specific CECP exam preparation course, you may find the following WorldatWork resources helpful in your preparations for the CECP Exam:


There are 100 questions on the CECP exam.

You have three hours to complete the CECP exam.

Your CECP exam is scored using a scaled score range between 120 – 200.  A passing score is 200.  All exam takers who pass the exam receive the maximum score of 200.  

A score between 120 – 199 means that you did not achieve a passing score. 

Scaled scores are used to transform raw scores to a common scale. The transformation of the raw scores into the scaled scores permits candidate performance to be described in terms of a common scaled score distribution, ranging from 120 to 200. Scaled scoring is a certification best practice for high-level exams and provides a consistent metric from one examination to the next leading to consistent interpretation across time.

Practice and Certification Exams

Exam

Certified Executive Compensation Professional Competency Exam Product Includes: - Learner access to the WorldatWork Learning Management System for electronic access to the exam. - Online proctoring provided by Examity. - One exam attempt. - 120 days of access starts when the learner is assigned to the LMS.
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Starting at: Members: $1,045.00 USD Non-Members: $1,493.00 USD

Exam

Certified Executive Compensation Professional Competency Practice Exam A Certified Executive Compensation Professional (CECP) Competency Practice Exam A
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Starting at: Members: $55.00 USD Non-Members: $55.00 USD

Exam

Certified Executive Compensation Professional Competency Practice Exam B Certified Executive Compensation Professional (CECP) Competency Practice Exam B
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Starting at: Members: $55.00 USD Non-Members: $55.00 USD

Earn a Certification, Boost Your Career

Hear how earning her certification helped Michaela Leo, Head of Compensation & Benefits (North America) at Ipsen Biosciences, advance her career.

Watch Michaela's Video
Michaela Leo describes how earning a WorldatWork certification helped advance her career.
Track Your Certification Status

WorldatWork members can readily see their progress on certification, see the deadline for recertifying, rest easy knowing that recertification credits earned through WorldatWork are automatically added to their profiles, and manually manage any credits they earn from other organizations. 

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