Professional Certification
for CSC PTMS
PTMS certified professional certification
Why get certified?
Raise your standing in the corporate tax community. Achieve the level of CSC PTMS® certified professional by certifying the skills you use every day. Join an exclusive community of professionals who’ve proven their value on the job and in the marketplace. Share your credentials and gain approval to use the PTMS Certified logo on business cards and in email signatures.
- Be recognized for your accomplishments as a master PTMS user.
- Use the full potential of PTMS with your best-in-class skills.
- Grow your career by setting yourself apart from the crowd.
Become certified in three easy steps
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PTMS Certified in Returns
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PTMS Certified in Payments
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PTMS Certified Professional
Become a continuous education subscriber (CES) to acquire the knowledge you need for certification
Register for the certification category of your choice and take the exam. Tests include a knowledge assessment and case study analysis to validate your skills. Learn more about this career-building program.
Please note: We recommend two years of on-the-job PTMS experience which may suffice to take the exam without added training.
Frequently asked questions
A professional credential for PTMS users that validates your knowledge and skills. We offer four types of certification—PTMS Certified in Returns, PTMS Certified in Payments, PTMS Certified in Accruals, and PTMS Certified Professional. To qualify, you must pass the respective certification exam (including knowledge exam and case study).
The benefits of certification include:
- Personal growth and professional advancement
- Membership in the exclusive community of PTMS certified professionals, including an announcement of your successful completion on CSC Connections
- Access to special events
- A CSC PTMS certified professional logo to use on business cards and in email signatures
- A certificate
No. However, we do encourage candidates to participate in classes. To ensure that all certified professionals use PTMS effectively and efficiently, we offer certification preparatory training for each of the respective certification areas prior to certification exam dates.
You can prepare for the initial certification exams by completing the certification preparatory training, studying the materials, and spending time practicing in the product.
Certification exam fees per person:
- $595 per certification topic.
- Unlimited retakes on the knowledge exam. One free retake on the case study. Subsequent case study attempts will be charged a $50 retake fee per exam.
Renewal requirements:
- Complete 10 CPE credits from CCP-eligible training annually.
- Pass an annual knowledge exam.
- After three years, remit applicable certification fees and pass the knowledge and case study exams, starting in 2025.
PTMS certification exams feature multiple choice questions that cover a broad range of topics. The exams test for understanding of important PTMS features rather than memorized information. For this reason, the exams include very few questions about limits, numbers, or items that can be easily looked up when needed.
You are allowed unlimited retakes of the knowledge exam and one free retake of the case study. Subsequent test attempts for the case study incur a $50 retake fee, per exam. You must pass both exams within six months of each other.
The certification exam component that met the passing score remains valid for up to six months from the exam date. The passing score will expire after six months, at which point, you’d be required to retake that exam component to continue the program.
You’re only required to retake the failed exam component and are allowed unlimited retakes of the knowledge exam, as well as one free retake of the case study within six months of the failed exam date.
Because the PTMS certification programs focus on product use and not tax law, we recommend compliance and PTMS product experience for each topic.
When you successfully pass both the knowledge and case study exams, you’re considered certified. That certification remains valid for three years as long as the annual requirements are met. Certified professionals must annually complete 10 CPE credits from CCP-eligible training, an annual renewal exam, and update their directory information. Following the three-year period, the participant must re-select the program of interest, remit applicable certification fees, and successfully complete the certification knowledge exam and case study to begin a new three-year term.