Essentials in UX & HCD Management
(CPUX-M)
The knowledge and skills you need, the industry recognition you deserve
Understand, support and advocate for UX and your HCD team
Learn how to convey the importance and impact of UX to your stakeholders in this introduction to the management of user experience and human-centred design.
Throughout, you will discover lots of practical tips and approaches for how to advocate for UX in your organisation. In addition to identifying data and facts that can prove the value of UX work, CPUX-M will help you understand how to communicate appropriately to senior management and your wider project team, and it will equip you with many important aspects of UX leadership.
Is CPUX-M right for me?
Whether you are a UX consultant, a UX manager or a product owner, If you want to improve the human-centred design maturity of your organisation, then Essentials in UX and HCD Management is the certification for you.
Based on international standards and authored by experts in the field of UX and usability, the Essentials in UX and HCD Management certificate is ideal for anyone who wants to understand, support and advocate for UX and their HCD team.
No previous UX knowledge or experience is needed to study CPUX-M, but we do recommend at least taking a look through the CPUX-F curriculum, as the terms and definitions will give you an excellent understanding of the processes and activities your teams will be working with, and some of them are referenced in CPUX-M.
Hanna SchäferAttending the CPUX-M training course gave me a good overview of UX management. I am now aware of the concrete steps that need to be taken to drive UX forward in our organisation, and to position it convincingly.
CPUX-M
The CPUX-M training course has enabled us to develop an HCD strategy to achieve strategic business objectives and to effectively use HCD tactics to achieve operational business objectives.
Jan Kreiser
CPUX-M
What does the CPUX-M curriculum cover?
CPUX-M will introduce you to the essential management terms and concepts of user experience and human-centred design, and will help you apply basic management concepts in the following areas:
The CPUX-M curriculum covers:
- The challenges of HCD management
- Business terms that every UX professional should know
- UX and HCD management and leadership
- Crafting and driving UX vision
- Creating a shared HCD culture
- HCD maturity
- Boosting HCD maturity
- Measuring the business value of HCD activities
- Risk management
- Ethical design and sustainable design
How do I get certified?
Certification is by passing an exam based on the content of the CPUX-M curriculum. The exam consists of 40 multiple-choice questions, written by us. Exams are carried out by one of our independent certification providers, who between them operate across the globe, meaning you can take an exam pretty much anywhere.
- Learn your stuffBook a training course with one of our recognised training providers, or, if you prefer to pace yourself you can self-study. Whilst we recommend attending a training course, due to the additional, valuable insight you will get from your training, all our curricula are completely free and available and contain everything you need to pass your exam.
- Choose a certification exam provider
If you attend a training course, your course administrator might already have helped you organise your exam; if you are studying by yourself, you just need to register with one of our independent certification providers. - Take the certification examYou can take the exam in person (if that is what your training provider has organised), remotely via a special exam app, or at a Pearson test centre. CPUX-M certification involves a single theory exam.
- Tell the world you are a UX professional
After you have passed the exam, get on LinkedIn and tell everyone you are a Certified Professional in UX and usability. - Choose your next CPUX certification…
Now you’ve got your CPUX-M certificate, why not go for your CPUX-F certificate? Our Foundation in Human-Centred Design will give you a lot of insight into the processes and methodologies your team use every day.
If you already have your CPUX-F certificate, you obviously have the CPUX bug! Take a look at our advanced-level courses and continue your UX education…
What is the CPUX-M theory exam like?
The CPUX-M exam consists of 40 multiple-choice questions. Each question has one, two or three correct answers. To pass the exam you need to score at least 70%.
Here are some examples of the questions, taken from our freely available CPUX-M practice exam questions.
Which two of the following are most helpful for a UX manager when engaging with executives to ensure HCD succeeds in an organisation?
- Create business visions
- Create personas and posters for each persona
- Create UX visions for reaching business goals
- Learn and speak the language executives use
- List UX tactics for reaching UX goals
- Create prototypes and test them with users
Which one of the following is NOT a main responsibility of a UX manager?
- Defining HCD tactics
- Creating an HCD culture
- Prioritising HCD activities
- Setting HCD strategy
- Setting a good example for co-workers by being a superb UX professional with deep method skills
- Ensuring that proper steps are taken to create great user experiences
CPUX-M curriculum, practice questions and exam regulations
All you need to study and get certified in Usability Testing and Evaluation
Essentials in UX and HCD Management (CPUX-M) Curriculum
Version 1.01, released August 2022
Exam regulations for Essentials in UX and HCD Management (CPUX-M)
(The exam regulations for Foundation in Human-centred Design (CPUX-F) also apply to CPUX-M)
Version 1.01, March 2019
40 practice exam questions for Essentials in UX and HCD Management (CPUX-M)
Version 1.01, released September 2022
Sample Certificate (CPUX-M)
released April 2025
CPUX-M documentation and certification is also available in German language
How much does CPUX-M cost?
Costs for studying
You can self-study by reading the CPUX-M curriculum at your own pace, however, for a good deal more insight, lots of practical exercises, and the chance to learn from expert trainers and other delegates, we encourage you to take a training course with one of our recognised training providers.
Self-study will only cost you your time, training providers will naturally charge for attending their training courses.
Prices, locations and timings vary – choose from the list of upcoming CPUX-M training courses below and see the training provider’s website for their prices.
If, after studying by yourself or having attended a training course, you want to become certified, you will need to take the CPUX-M certification exam.
Costs for certification
CPUX-M certification is a rigorous process designed to produce trustworthy results, so your certification has real value – CPUX certificates are far more than proof of your attendance during a training course – they demonstrate you know your stuff!
If you have attended a training course, your training provider may have organised this for you, if you need to organise your exam, take a look at the exam process and choose an exam provider that suits you.
Prices vary depending on exam provider, whether you are a student or member of a specific UX organisation, or if you are booking a retest.
CPUX-M certification typically costs £300 to £350. A 20% discount is available for members of our member organisations.
All our curricula are free!
If you just want to study the CPUX-M curriculum without becoming CPUX-certified, you can do that for free! All our curricula are freely available – you can download them and start reading them now. You can also download a set of 40 practice exam questions, to help consolidate what you’ve learned.
Find a CPUX-M training course
| Level | Country | Location | Date | Length of time | Course Language | Training provider |
|---|
Germany
Switzerland
Canada
Austria
DenmarkFrequently asked questions about the CPUX-M
The exercise “What would YOU do?” at the end of the training where participants get a chance to use the theory they have learned during the course on a number of scenarios illustrating realistic UX dilemmas.
There is no difference. UX management is the commonly used phrase. HCD management is the formal, more correct phrase.
You can, but we ask you to exercise caution. Practicing UX management well requires some experience. It also requires general management skills, which the CPUX-M curriculum does not address. The CPUX-M curriculum is limited to management skills that are specific to UX management.
Got a question about CPUX-M?
If you have any questions, please contact Rolf, the CPUX-M editor.
Rolf Molich
editor-cpux-ut@uxqb.org
Further reading recommendations from the editor
Rolf says, “The CPUX-M exam will only test you on what is in the CPUX-M curriculum; no further reading is required. However, you may be interested in the following recommendations which may help your understanding of the material covered in CPUX-M.”
The User Experience Team of One: A Research and Design Survival Guide
by Leah Buley
Quick Guide UX Management: So verankern Sie Usability und User Experience im Unternehmen (German)
by Steffen Weichert, Gesine Quint & Torsten Bartel
What’s next, after CPUX-M?
If CPUX-M is your first CPUX curriculum then why not take things up a notch and study the Foundation in Human-centred Design (CPUX-F) curriculum – this will give you an excellent understanding of the processes and activities your teams will be working with.
If you have already studied CPUX-F and passed the exam, it’s on to the advanced level! We have three advanced-level curricula that cover User Requirements Engineering, Designing Solutions and Usability Testing and Evaluation. Once you are a CPUX-F certified UX professional, you are eligible to take any of these exams – good luck!
Foundation in Human-Centred Design
(CPUX-F)
Advanced Level
User Requirements Engineering
(CPUX-UR)
Advanced Level
Designing Solutions
(CPUX-DS)
Advanced Level
Usability Testing and Evaluation
(CPUX-UT)
CPUX CERTIFICATION IS OFFICIALY RECOGNISED BY
