Clinical Research Contract Professional (CRCP) Certification

MAGI offers Clinical Research Contract Professional (CRCP) certification. People obtain certification to demonstrate their professional accomplishments to employers, negotiation partners, and themselves. It provides reassurance to supervisors and employers who are not experts in clinical trial agreements and budgets.

The certification exam takes one hour. (If you need extra time because of a disability or English is not your first language, contact us prior to the exam.) There are 20 short-answer questions. Questions often relate to common topics of negotiation between sponsors and sites. You should be familiar with negotiations and contracts in general, legal concepts and terms in industry-sponsored CTAs, the business implications of CTA provisions, sponsor and site perspectives on common negotiation issues, and how to create and negotiate study budgets. Deep knowledge of all of these topics is not required. On the other hand, shallow knowledge may not be sufficient to pass the exam. The exam is closed-book.

People often ask how to prepare for the exam. Two years of experience with a variety of negotiation partners may be sufficient to pass the exam. A careful reading of MAGI’s Model CTA is helpful. Attending MAGI’s Clinical Research Conference is good preparation. Sample questions, study guides, or other study materials are not available. However, imagine an exam for professional chefs. One question might be, "Describe the process of making an omelette." Another might be, "List five spices used in Chinese cuisine." Another might be, "What are the pros and cons of gas vs. electric stoves?"

The exam is based on laws, regulations and customs in the United States as they apply to clinical trial agreements. The exam does not cover international, state or federal contracts. Many people who take the exam are not attorneys, although some knowledge of the legal terms in a CTA is required. For example, you should know the principal elements of indemnification, but not the difference between contract law and tort law, or how the courts decide issues of jurisdiction. Our objective is to certify competent professionals, not award Olympic gold medals.

The cost of taking the exam is $369. We report exam results within a month after the exam. If you do not pass the exam, you can take it once more at no charge. Scores and copies of the exam are not available. MAGI expects CRCP candidates and holders to conduct themselves in a manner that reflects well on the profession. Certification is valid for five years. To renew your certification, pass the exam again. Or, attend a MAGI conference to extend your certification for three years past the date of the conference. To avoid confusion later, request the extension at the time of the conference.

We currently administer the exam two times per year, at MAGI’s Clinical Research Conferences. You can register for the exam on the conference website, or bring a check made out to First Clinical Research LLC to the meeting. (MAGI is not a legal entity.) We can also give the exam over the telephone for an additional $100 charge.