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The ICMA-Certified Operations Professional is an industry-recognised qualification designed to develop the expertise of professionals working in capital markets operations. Combining two of ICMA’s leading training courses — the Operations Certificate Programme (OCP) and Collateral Management — this certification equips participants with the skills and knowledge needed to navigate the increasingly complex post-trade environment. The programme provides a comprehensive understanding of trade processing, operational risk, regulation, and collateral usage, enabling professionals to contribute to efficient, well-controlled back and middle-office functions across fixed income and broader financial markets.
This programme is designed for professionals working in, or transitioning into, post-trade operations, settlements, and trade support roles across the capital markets. It is particularly relevant for:
- Operations and middle-office professionals working in securities or derivatives
- Collateral management teams supporting front-office activity or regulatory compliance
- Trade support and client service specialists
- Risk and control professionals overseeing post-trade functions
- Technology and project management staff working on operational systems or infrastructure
Designed for people with several years’ experience in back office roles with the capital markets who are looking to formalise their experience and expand their technical knowledge, this programme provides the structured training and recognition to succeed in an increasingly regulated and automation-driven market.
How does it work?
The programme is structured around two ICMA training courses:
Operations Certificate Programme (OCP) – ICMA’s flagship course on financial markets operations relating to equity and debt securities, OTC derivatives and tokenized securities. Topics include securities’ trade lifecycle, repo, securities lending & borrowing, corporate actions, collateral management, centrally and non-centrally cleared trades under EMIR and more
Collateral Management - an overview of the safe and secure processing of collateral delivered in an element-by-element walk through of various stages of trade and collateral management processing.
Participants can take both courses back-to-back or separately within a 12-month period. Upon successful completion of both exams , candidates will receive the ICMA-Certified Operations Professional designation.
How much does it cost?
Courses can be taken in-person, via livestream or a combination of both:
- In-person courses only – participants attend both courses in-person. ICMA members EUR 5,500; Non-members EUR 6,500 (SAVE 25-30% on individual course prices)
- In-person and/or livestreamed courses – participants attend courses either in-person OR via livestreamed format. ICMA members EUR 4,500; Non-members EUR 5,500 (SAVE 25-30% on individual course prices)
Assessment
The ICMA-Certified Operations Professional programme consists of two separate exams comprising multiple choice questions. The pass rate for these exams is 75%, with a score of 90% or more earning a distinction. You will have six months from the finish date of each course in which to book and complete an online, fully invigilated exam.
Following the successful completion of your final exam you will receive an ICMA-Certified Operations Professional certificate, a secure digital credential that you can share on social media which can be verified online ensuring transparency of your qualification.
More information regarding your specific exam will be available in the Exam Orientation page on Moodle, the ICMA training platform.
For more information about ICMA digital certifications, please visit https://www.icmagroup.org/executive-education/icmacertified
Programme Recognition
ICMA is an FCA-approved qualifications provider, approved by the Securities & Futures Commission of Hong Kong as provider of Continuous Professional Training (CPT) and a member of the CPD® Certification Service.
This programme is certified by ICMA and the ICMA Centre, Henley Business School, University of Reading and accredited by CPD® Certification Service.
ICMA recommends that 70-80 learning hours can be associated with this programme, based on attended/undertaken hours of study required to successfully complete the learning outcomes.
An ICMA-Certified Operations Professional certificate will be awarded to those who successfully pass both exams for this programme – see Assessment section for more details.
Please note that your programme certificate of attendance or completion should be sufficient to satisfy any professional development requirements – if you require further evidence, please contact us at education@icmagroup.org.
i Please note that given the nature of this industry-certification, the pass rate of each exam is 75%
