AIGP Certification Guide 2025: Master AI Governance and Responsible AI

What Is the AIGP Certification?

The AIGP is the International Association of Privacy Professionals’ credential for professionals who design, implement, and oversee responsible AI governance. It validates your ability to create and run AI governance programs across the full lifecycle—policy, risk, controls, documentation, oversight, and continuous monitoring. The program launched in 2024 to meet the growing demand for skilled AI governance talent across legal, privacy, risk, security, product, and data/ML teams. [1][10]

AIGP is built to be practical: it maps directly to the frameworks and laws organizations are actually using—like the EU AI Act, NIST’s AI Risk Management Framework (AI RMF), and ISO/IEC 42001 for AI management systems—so your study time turns into on‑the‑job impact. [2]

A quick note on accreditation: AIGP follows IAPP’s certification policies and is governed by the same candidate handbook as other IAPP credentials, but it is not ANAB‑accredited (unlike CIPP, CIPM, and CIPT). That difference doesn’t affect exam rigor or employer recognition; it’s simply part of the program’s maturity timeline. [4]

Actionable takeaway:

• If your role touches AI policy, compliance, risk, model lifecycle, or product, AIGP gives you a recognized, job‑ready framework to lead AI governance across your organization.

Who Should Pursue AIGP (And Why)

The AIGP certification is designed for:

• Legal, compliance, and privacy professionals who need to translate AI rules into operational controls

• Risk, security, audit, and governance leaders who must define oversight and assurance

• Data, ML, and product teams building or integrating AI who need to align technical workflows with governance

• Program managers and consultants tasked with implementing AI governance at scale

There are no formal prerequisites, and candidates come from many different backgrounds. Prior experience in privacy, compliance, risk, data/ML, or adjacent fields is helpful but not required. [13]

What you’ll gain:

• A shared language for cross‑functional conversations about AI risk and compliance

• A structured way to operationalize frameworks (NIST AI RMF, ISO 42001) and evolving laws (EU AI Act)

• Credibility when advising leadership and collaborating with product/engineering

Actionable takeaway:

• Skim the AIGP Body of Knowledge (BoK) and note every topic you already handle at work—this reveals how much of your day‑to‑day experience will “count” as studying. [2]

AIGP Exam Overview (Updated for 2025)

Let’s demystify the logistics first. As of 2025, the AIGP exam has been updated for clarity and practicality.

Key facts:

• Format and length: 100 multiple‑choice questions in 3 hours total, including an optional 15‑minute break (change effective Feb 3, 2025). [3]

• Scoring: IAPP uses a scaled score from 100 to 500; 300 is the passing threshold. [4]

• Question mix: 85 scored + 15 unscored (pilot) questions. [1]

• Delivery: Pearson VUE test centers worldwide or OnVUE remote proctoring. [5]

• Results: Delivered promptly after you complete the exam; retakes are permitted after a 7‑day waiting period under IAPP policy. [4]

What changed in 2025:

• Domains consolidated into a clearer set of four

• Timing standardized to 3 hours (including an optional break)

• Focus refined to practical governance tasks and widely used frameworks [3]

Actionable takeaway:

• Schedule your exam 6–8 weeks out. Having a date on the calendar keeps you accountable and defines your study pace.

What’s on the AIGP Exam: The Four Domains

The 2025 Body of Knowledge v2.0.1 (effective Feb 3, 2025) lays out four domains. Treat them as your study map—and the blueprint for your real‑world AI governance playbook. [2]

Domain I: Foundations of AI Governance (16–20 questions)

You’ll cover the principles and building blocks of AI governance:

• Foundational concepts: trustworthy AI, risk‑based approaches, lifecycle perspective

• Governance structures: roles, responsibilities, committees, and charters

• Policy frameworks: translating principles into concrete policy and controls

• Risk management basics: identifying, assessing, and mitigating AI risks

Actionable takeaway:

• Write a one‑page “AI Governance Charter” for your organization. List the core principles (e.g., fairness, transparency), accountable roles, and top 5 risks to manage. It’s a great way to internalize Domain I.

Domain II: Laws, Standards, and Frameworks for AI (19–23 questions)

This domain is where AIGP shines. You’ll connect legal, ethical, and technical expectations to operational controls:

• Laws and regulations: EU AI Act roles and obligations (provider, deployer, distributor), documentation and post‑market monitoring

• Standards and frameworks: NIST AI RMF and Playbook/ARIA; ISO/IEC 23894 (AI risk management); ISO/IEC 42001 (AI management system); OECD AI Principles

• Organizational translation: mapping external requirements into your policies, procedures, and control testing

The exam explicitly references these frameworks and standards, so learn their structure, vocabulary, and intent. [2] For extra context, explore NIST’s AI RMF (functions, categories, and outcomes) and its companion resources to see how organizations actually apply them. [12]

Actionable takeaway:

• Create a simple table with three columns: “Requirement” (EU AI Act/NIST/ISO), “What it means,” and “How we meet it.” You’ll use this kind of mapping in both the exam and your job.

Domain III: Governing AI Development (21–25 questions)

Here you move into the “build” phase:

• Responsible data practices: dataset sourcing, licensing, consent and privacy, bias and toxicity checks

• Model development governance: design controls, explainability choices, documentation expectations, testing and validation strategies

• Risk control integration: using checklists, gates, and sign‑offs that connect model development to policy requirements

• Documentation: keeping model cards, data sheets, or equivalent—audit‑ready and traceable

Actionable takeaway:

• Draft a model risk checklist that you could use with any project: inputs, labeling, training safeguards, evaluation metrics, fairness checks, documentation artifacts required before release.

Domain IV: Governing AI Deployment and Use (remaining questions in the blueprint)

This is about keeping deployed AI safe, fair, and compliant over time:

• Human oversight and escalation: when to intervene, how to override, how to record decisions

• Post‑deployment monitoring: drift detection, performance KPIs, fairness metrics, incident logging

• Third‑party and procurement: onboarding and oversight for AI vendors, API integrations, and SaaS tools

• Communication and reporting: internal dashboards, executive updates, and external reporting as required by law

Actionable takeaway:

• Create a one‑page runbook for AI incidents: what triggers an incident, who gets paged, what’s captured in the log, and how the team pauses or rolls back a model.

Registration, Scheduling, and Policies

You purchase and schedule the AIGP exam through IAPP and Pearson VUE. Choose a test center or OnVUE remote proctoring based on what’s most comfortable for you. Check the Candidate Handbook before exam day for identification requirements, test rules, accommodations, retakes, and misconduct policies. [5][4]

What to expect on test day:

• Valid government ID that matches your registration

• A brief tutorial on the exam interface

• An optional 15‑minute break within your 3‑hour window (if you take it)

• A preliminary pass/fail outcome at the end

Actionable takeaway:

• Do a “dry run” with OnVUE (if remote) to test your webcam, mic, network, and room setup. If in a center, check the route and parking the day before.

AIGP Costs and Budgeting (USD)

Here’s a realistic budget, as of 2025. Always verify pricing at purchase time.

• Exam fee: $649 (IAPP member) / $799 (non‑member). [5]

• Official online training: $995 (member) / $1,195 (non‑member). [6]

• Practice exam: $50 (member) / $60 (non‑member). [7]

• IAPP membership: $295/year (often pays for itself via discounts and maintenance fee coverage). [5]

• Maintenance: Earn 20 CPE credits every two years. Certification Maintenance Fee (CMF) is $250 per term for non‑members and included for members. [8][9]

Member path (lean): $649 exam + $50 practice exam + $295 membership = $994 now; add $995 if you want the official course. Non‑member path (lean): $799 exam + $60 practice exam = $859; plan for $250 CMF in two years or join as a member. [5][7][8]

Actionable takeaway:

• If you plan to stay in the IAPP ecosystem (CIPP/CIPM/CIPT/AIGP), membership typically saves money and simplifies maintenance.

How to Study Smart (Not Just Hard)

Studying for AIGP is about connecting dots: law → policy → controls → lifecycle tasks. Use the blueprint to drive your plan and keep it hands‑on.

Follow this four‑part approach:

1. Blueprint‑first planning
   Download the AIGP Body of Knowledge and note the min–max question ranges by domain. This tells you where to spend time. [2]

2. Learn by building artifacts
   Turn BoK topics into practical outputs:

• Governance charter (Domain I)

• Requirement‑to‑control mapping (Domain II)

• Model risk checklist (Domain III)

• Monitoring/incident runbook (Domain IV)

3. Calibrate with the practice exam
   Use the official practice exam to test your readiness under time pressure and to learn how questions are phrased. Study the rationales. [7]

4. Connect frameworks and roles
   Get comfortable with “translation”: from EU AI Act roles (provider, deployer) to your org’s teams, and from NIST AI RMF/ISO 42001 control language to the checklists your teams actually use. [2][12]

Actionable takeaway:

• Build a one‑page “AI Governance Controls Map” listing your org’s must‑have controls across the lifecycle—then annotate which law/framework each control supports.

A 6–8 Week Study Plan You Can Stick To

Set your exam date 6–8 weeks out and block 6–8 hours per week. Here’s a structure that works for busy professionals:

• Week 0 (setup): Register for the exam and download the BoK/Blueprint + Candidate Handbook. Scan the four domains and highlight unfamiliar items. [2][4]

• Weeks 1–2 (Domain I):
  Read the domain objectives. Draft your AI governance charter. Write flashcards for vocabulary (trustworthy AI traits, governance roles, risk types). End of Week 2: 20 mixed practice questions from your sources.

• Weeks 3–4 (Domain II):
  Read summaries of EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF/Playbook/ARIA, ISO 42001 and 23894. Create the requirement‑to‑control map. End of Week 4: 30–40 mixed practice questions. [2][12]

• Week 5 (Domain III):
  Create the model risk checklist. Run a mock “go/no‑go” review for a fictional model. Capture documentation artifacts (data sheets, model cards) you’d expect to see.

• Week 6 (Domain IV):
  Draft a monitoring and incident runbook (KPIs, fairness checks, drift, alerts, escalation). Align it with the EU AI Act’s post‑market monitoring mindset.

• Week 7 (Practice exam + gaps):
  Sit the official practice exam; review rationales. Identify weak objectives and re‑read those sections. [7]

• Week 8 (Light review + test):
  Skim NIST AI RMF categories/outcomes and your artifacts (charter, map, checklist, runbook). Sleep well the night before. [12]

Actionable takeaway:

• Convert each artifact into a one‑page “cheat sheet” you can mentally walk through during the exam. It’s a great way to jog memory under time pressure.

How AIGP Maps to Real‑World Work

Think of AIGP as a toolkit for making trustworthy AI operational.

• Building an AI governance program
  Define policies, assign responsibilities, set approval gates, and embed documentation requirements so teams know what “good” looks like. [2]

• Operationalizing frameworks (NIST AI RMF)
  Translate the RMF’s functions and outcomes into your org’s control library—so model development and deployment are guided by consistent guardrails. [12]

• Aligning to ISO/IEC 42001
  If your organization is considering AIMS certification, AIGP’s focus on governance structures, risk management, and continuous improvement helps you stand up the backbone you need. [2]

• Getting ready for regulation (EU AI Act)
  Identify whether your org acts as a provider, deployer, or distributor. Build your technical documentation, monitoring, incident response, and transparency processes accordingly. [2]

Actionable takeaway:

• Start a “controls backlog” today: list gaps you’d need to close to satisfy EU AI Act documentation, monitoring, and oversight for high‑risk AI. It doubles as your AIGP study notes.

Career ROI: Why AIGP Is a Strategic Move

AI governance is no longer a side project—it’s a core business capability. AIGP helps you demonstrate cross‑functional fluency and gives you a portable toolkit employers recognize.

• Market signal you can prove
  AIGP ties your skills to live frameworks (NIST AI RMF) and standards (ISO 42001) that organizations are actively adopting. [12][2]

• Salary and jobs visibility
  The IAPP Salary & Jobs Report now includes AI governance roles, reflecting clear demand and giving you data to benchmark your compensation and job level. [14]

• Clear path for upskilling
  If you already hold CIPP/CIPM/CIPT, AIGP is a natural complement; if you’re new to IAPP, it can be your entry point to a global governance community.

Actionable takeaway:

• Update your resume and LinkedIn headline with “AI Governance” keywords and frameworks (EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, ISO 42001) as you study. You’ll start attracting the right opportunities even before you test.

Common Pitfalls (And How to Avoid Them)

• Studying ethics without the “operations”
  Ethical principles matter, but AIGP asks how you operationalize them—controls, processes, documentation. Balance both.

• Memorizing laws without roles and duties
  The EU AI Act is role‑specific; be ready to explain what providers vs. deployers must do.

• Underestimating documentation
  Expect scenario questions that hinge on the right documentation at the right lifecycle stage.

• Neglecting post‑deployment
  Monitoring, human oversight, incident response, and reporting are frequent exam and real‑world focus areas.

Actionable takeaway:

• For every topic you study, ask: “What control would we put in place? Who owns it? What evidence proves it works?”

2025 Changes You Should Know

Two updates you should reflect in your study plan and internal communications:

• Time limit and structure: New AIGP forms are 3 hours including an optional 15‑minute break; earlier pages may still show 2.75 hours—use 3 hours in your planning. [3]

• Blueprint consolidation: Content is streamlined into four domains with strong coverage of EU AI Act, NIST ARIA/RMF, and practical governance tasks. [3][2]

Actionable takeaway:

• Print the 2025 Body of Knowledge v2.0.1 and keep it next to your monitor; study what the exam actually measures, not what older blogs say. [2]

Quick Logistics: Buying, Scheduling, and Maintaining

• Where to buy and schedule: IAPP + Pearson VUE, with global test centers or OnVUE remote proctoring. [5]

• Training options: Self‑paced, live online, or in‑person through IAPP and official training partners. [6]

• Practice test: 100‑question digital practice exam with rationales. [7]

• Maintenance: 20 CPEs every two years; membership covers the CMF, while non‑members pay $250 per term. [9][8]

Actionable takeaway:

• Block time quarterly to collect CPEs: webinars, IAPP KnowledgeNet events, training refreshers, or hands‑on projects that map to governance outcomes.

FAQs

Q1: How hard is the AIGP exam?

It’s challenging but fair—especially if you connect laws and frameworks to practical controls. Expect scenario questions that test how you’d govern model development and deployment. Use the Body of Knowledge and practice exam to calibrate. [2][7]

Q2: How long is the test and how many questions are scored?

As of Feb 3, 2025, it’s a 3‑hour exam with 100 questions total; 85 are scored and 15 are unscored pilots. There’s an optional 15‑minute break within the 3‑hour window. [3][1]

Q3: What score do I need to pass?

IAPP reports a scaled score from 100 to 500; 300 is passing. If you don’t pass, you can retake after 7 days under IAPP policy. [4]

Q4: Are there prerequisites?

No formal prerequisites. Candidates come from legal, compliance, privacy, risk, data/ML, product, security, and audit backgrounds. [13]

Q5: What should I read besides the BoK?

Skim NIST AI RMF (and Playbook/ARIA) and summaries of ISO/IEC 42001, ISO/IEC 23894, and the EU AI Act to understand vocabulary and control families. [12][2]

Conclusion:
AI governance is becoming a core business function, and AIGP is your way to show you can lead it. Approach the certification like you would a governance program: start with the blueprint, define controls, document evidence, and monitor your progress. Build the four study artifacts (charter, requirement‑to‑control map, model checklist, monitoring runbook), use the practice exam to tune your timing, and walk into test day with a real‑world toolkit you can use the next morning at work. If you’re ready, pick a date 6–8 weeks out and begin. Your future self—and your organization—will thank you.