Certified Threat Manager™

Is CTM® Right for Me?

To be eligible to sit for the CTM® exam, candidates must have the required experience in behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM). In some cases, ATAP membership may reduce the number of years experience required.

• Five (5) years of qualifying professional experience in BTAM; or
• Two (2) years of ATAP membership in good standing and three (3) years of qualifying professional BTAM experience, which may be concurrent.
• Experience must include a significant role in an average of six or more full behavioral threat assessments per year over the required period.

Full eligibility definitions and examples are provided in the CTM® Program Overview  and Qualifying Professional Experience section.

How to Apply

The application and examination process follows the stages below. Candidates should review each step carefully before getting started.

Step 1: Review Eligibility and Requirements

Confirm that you meet the experience and membership criteria described above. Professional experience criteria are explained in greater detail here. You should also review the CTM® Program Overview and CTM® Policies for complete program requirements.

Step 2: Gather Your Documentation

Before starting your application, assemble the following:

• An updated curriculum vitae or résumé.
• Estimates of the number of BTAM cases you have worked on in each professional role.
• Supporting documentation that demonstrates substantial, ongoing BTAM work, including your specific roles in each professional experience you choose to submit, such as “team leader of our threat assessment team.”  Documentation that describes your BTAM methodology, including any SPJ tools you apply to cases, is a necessary element of the application review process 
• Two letters of reference are required and they must be authored wholly by the person providing the reference, who must have first hand knowledge of and attest to your BTAM work experience.  A letter of reference is needed from any role that is accepted as qualifying BTAM experience and is necessary to meet the minimum required experience. 

Step 3: Submit Your Application and Fee

Select the appropriate application below and submit it with the applicable fee.

• Application fee: $400 for ATAP members in good standing and $550 for nonmembers.
• Each application, including a previously approved application, is valid for two (2) years from the date of approval.
• If an application is not approved or is withdrawn, the fee is refundable less a $150 processing amount.

Step 4: Application Review

The Candidate Assessment Subcommittee reviews all applications. It is common for candidates to receive a request for additional information when résumés or statements are vague or do not clearly describe behavioral threat assessment and management work.

The subcommittee may ask candidates to clarify or substantiate their experience, but they cannot provide response templates or coach candidates through their answers.

Step 5: Approval and Examination Scheduling

Once approved in Certemy, you must sit for your first examination within one calendar year of your approval date. Examinations are typically offered at ATAP national conferences and selected chapter events.

To schedule your examination, contact the certification program at certification@atapworldwide.org .

Step 6: Prepare for the Examination

Most successful candidates report completing several months of focused study. Some candidates study in groups while others study independently. Regardless of the approach, each candidate is responsible for personally mastering the material rather than relying on another person’s summary.

The examination is based on the CTM® Body of Knowledge and related core competencies. Sample questions are available in the CTM® Program Overview.

Step 7: Results and Retakes

• Candidates who pass earn the CTM® credential and begin tracking recertification points.
• Candidates who do not pass are subject to a mandatory 180-day waiting period between attempts, except as otherwise provided in the CTM® Policies .
• Candidates may retake the examination while their application remains valid. After the two-year application period expires, a new application and fee are required. 
• Candidates wishing to retake the exam must register using the "Re-examination" link and pay the applicable fee.

Fees and Key Policies at a Glance

• Application fee: $400 for ATAP members and $550 for nonmembers.
• Application validity: Two years from approval, including the initial examination and eligible retakes completed during that period.
• Deadline for the first examination: The first attempt must occur within one year of approval in Certemy.
• Retakes: A mandatory 180-day waiting period applies between attempts. There is no set cap on retakes while the application remains valid.
• Refunds: If an application is not approved or is withdrawn by the applicant, the fee is refundable less a $150 processing amount.

For complete policy language, review the CTM® Policies .

Resources for CTM® Applicants

Ethics and Conduct

All Certified Threat Managers, whether ATAP members or nonmembers, must agree to be governed by the  ATAP Code of Ethical Conduct .

To submit an ethics complaint regarding a current Certified Threat Manager(TM) or CTM® applicant, use the online complaint form.

Have Questions? Contact Us

Before contacting the program, we strongly recommend reviewing this page in full, along with the CTM® Program Overview and CTM® Policies.

If you still have questions after reviewing those materials, email certification@atapworldwide.org .

List of Certified Threat Managers

The Certified Threat Manager(TM) credential is earned by providing acceptable evidence of qualified professional experience in the field and successfully passing the CTM® examination.