Digital Media Sales Certification (DMSC)

The Certifications can be obtained by passing a carefully designed exam at one of the many Pearson Learning Centres around the world. The exam can be taken during any of the quarterly test windows.

The Certification is valid for 2 years, after which you can either re-take the exam or re-qualify by obtaining continuous education credits through learning activities such as attending events, writing articles, etc.

Those with more than 5 years’ experience can, in most cases, take the exam based on their working experience and self-study using our detailed study guides and materials. IAB US has crafted detailed study guides and materials that you can use to freshen up your digital knowledge.

While there is no training course required to pass the exam, IAB Canada offers a two-day digital media sales course for those with less than 2 years of experience or who feel they need to brush up on their skills.

In order to be eligible to take the exam, you will have to have worked in the digital advertising industry for 2 years although options also exist for graduates and those coming from traditional sales. For full eligibility criteria please see below:

Digital Media Sales Certification – Eligibility Criteria

1) Contact IAB Canada – Before you start your application you must contact IAB Canada to pay for your exam. Paying with IAB Canada will reduce the exam fee from US dollars to Canadian (i.e. instead of paying $500 USD you would pay $500 CDN).

2) Apply on the IAB US Website – To apply for the exam you will first need to set up an account (if you don’t already have one) with the IAB US website. Please note these are not the same as your logins for IAB Canada website.

The online application form will take approximately 15 minutes to complete and you will be required to include details of your past experience so please have these ready. At the end of the application process there will be a payment page, here you will enter discount code which will reduce your fee to $0 since you would have already paid. (contact IAB Canada to obtain a code).

3) Application Approval – Once you have been approved (this can take up to 15 days), you will receive an email confirming your approval with details on how to schedule the exam at one of your local test centres. Please note you cannot schedule the exam until you receive this email and your unique candidate ID. For any questions on the application process from Canada, please don’t hesitate contact us

4) Schedule your Exam – The certification exams are available during quarterly test windows; however, the application can be submitted at any time. The exam can be taken at the many Pearson test centres throughout Canada. You can find your nearest test centre here.

5) Study! – Review for the exam with the IAB Study Guide and Practice Exam (approved applicants only). You may also be interested in attending one of our Digital Media Sales in-person training courses which covers all of the topics that appear in the exam.

6) Taking the exam – The 2-hour computer-based exam is offered in a controlled test centre (Pearson VUE) with various locations in major cities throughout Canada. You will be given a pass/no pass mark immediate at the centre with the certification mailed to you a few weeks after.

Once your application has been approved, you can book a date and time that is convenient for you during one of the testing windows. Most of the Pearson testing centres have good availability options. Applications can be submitted at any time, however please note that it may take up to 15 days to be approved so please start the application process well in advance of the test window you are looking to attend.

The 2-hour computer-based exam is offered in a controlled test centre (Pearson VUE). When you arrive at the testing facility you will need to provide two (2) IDs that match your application name.

The exam contains 100 multiple-choice questions covering four (4) basic areas:

• Comprehend Digital Advertising Ecosystem
• Sell Digital Advertising Solutions
• Manage Digital Advertising Campaigns
• Evaluate Performance

You will be given a pass/no pass mark immediately at the centre with the certification mailed to you a few weeks after.

IAB Canada is offering its members and Canadian-based non-members preferential rates compared to the standard IAB US rates. IAB Members benefit from additional discounts. You can see the pricing below. If you are not yet an IAB Canada member but would like to join, please click here.

*Please note that the Certification fees are in Canadian dollars. Please contact us to retake any of the exams. The registration link above is for new certifications only.

*Group rates are available, contact us for more information

The Certification Department of IAB shall release the name and certification status of those who have successfully completed the Digital Certification examinations and who have met all certification requirements upon request. Please email Certification Department of IAB at certification@iab.com with the candidate’s full name, company and title.

The IAB Digital Media Sales Certificate expires after two years. To maintain your certification, all candidates must first demonstrate continued work in digital media sales, as defined as a minimum of 12 months total employment out of the previous 24 months in addition to one of the below options.

1) Accumulate 24 continuing education credits via conferences, learning sessions, webinars, training, etc. It’s easy to earn credits. Credits must be related to the competency requirements of the Digital Media Sales certification examination. See what qualifies.

OR

2) Retake the exam. You should apply at least three months before their certification is due to expire in order to have sufficient time to schedule and take the exam in a test window.

To apply for re-certification please contact IAB at certification@iab.com