How to Become a Chartered Manager

What Is Chartered Management?

Chartered Manager is a status awarded by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), a leading professional body dedicated to developing qualified managers. CMI wants every organisation to have effective leaders who can motivate people, drive projects, and achieve operational success. That's why it sets the benchmark for managerial excellence, creating standard processes, rules, and best practices for practitioners.

What Does a Chartered Manager Do?

When you ask, "what is Chartered Management", you might remember some of the managers you've encountered before. Be it a project manager from your previous job or a campus manager from university, they possessed certain skills that helped their organisation keep operations in check. Indeed, a good leader can build high-performing teams, motivate every team member, inspire collaboration, and help every subordinate do their best.

A Chartered Manager also creates strategies, listens and communicates, and helps companies achieve success. But they don't stop at their current achievement; they constantly learn and practise to maintain their status through continuous professional development. A Chartered Manager designation is the definitive accolade for the professional manager.

Why Achieve Chartered Manager Status?

As you learn how to become a chartered manager, you will realise that it's not the easiest route. However, people don't go out of their way to get professional recognition for nothing. There are several reasons why most study and apply for Chartered Manager status.

• It makes you stand out. Compared with other managers and professionals, you will hold Chartered status and belong to a recognised professional network, enhancing your professional credibility and giving you a competitive edge when pursuing leadership positions.
• It can boost your earning potential. Managers who became chartered through the CMI have reported an average pay rise of around £13,000.
• It proves your real skills. Only managers who can demonstrate workplace performance, deliver measurable results, and have strategic impact become chartered — and achieving the status can build real confidence in your abilities.

Requirements and Routes to Become a Chartered Manager

Receiving the status is a little different from studying at university and getting a degree. Under the Full Assessment route, there is no traditional written exam. Instead, you need to prove your real-world impact as a manager: your experience in different organisations, personal achievements, and leadership capabilities. During the assessment, an independent CMI assessor will evaluate you. Here's what you need to know to get started.

Qualifications and Practical Experience Needed

As a professional status awarded by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), Chartered Manager has specific practical requirements. When you look up "what is a chartered manager", you will see that managers in the private, public or third sector can apply if they meet the eligibility criteria, no matter the size of the organisation. Qualifying roles can include:

• manager;
• senior manager;
• head of department;
• operations manager;
• any other position with management responsibilities.

In addition to that, you'll need certain skills and aspirations to get the award. Chartered Managers should understand how to develop effective strategies, respond to complex challenges, and keep their knowledge up to date through professional development.

To achieve a status through CMI, you should be able to continuously educate yourself. Having a relevant higher education degree can also help. Holding a master's degree in management provides a robust theoretical foundation and, with at least three years of management experience, can make you eligible for the Full Assessment route.

The Experience Threshold

For the Full Assessment route, CMI requires either a degree-level qualification in management, business or leadership plus three years' experience in a relevant role. Alternatively, you need at least five years' managerial experience if you don't have a suitable qualification.

There's a clear reason for this requirement — Chartered Managers have to prove that they know the answer to the question "what does a chartered manager do?" and how to succeed in practice. Moreover, every CMI member upholds a commitment to Continuous Professional Development, an initiative that requires ongoing learning and self-development.

Instead of treating this status as a one-time achievement, you need to maintain it. You can do this by trying new practices, learning about innovations, and staying relevant in the field.

The Application and Assessment Process by the CMI

There are three routes to the Chartered Manager status, depending on your background and experience. The Full Assessment route requires solid management experience, but you don't have to be previously qualified by CMI. In this route, you have to complete a written application detailing your experience and achievements and take part in an online discussion with a CMI assessor.

The CMI Fast Track route is for managers who have completed an eligible CMI qualification: a Diploma or Extended Diploma at Level 5 or Level 6, or a Certificate, Diploma or Extended Diploma at Level 7 or Level 8, within the last five years. You should also have at least 3 years of relevant experience. All you need to do is apply for the award.

The apprenticeship route requires you to complete the End-Point Assessment for one of the management apprenticeship standards and have management experience. To apply, you'll need to opt in to CMI membership and complete the required submission form after successfully passing the assessment.

Accelerate Your Route with a Master’s Degree

Chartered Manager status can validate your experience, showcase your skills in the market, and support your earning potential, but not everyone can get new qualifications while working. IHCL's modern online programmes, however, are designed with a working professional's schedule in mind. Studying for an MA in Management at IHCL develops strategic and leadership capabilities relevant to the CMI assessment process, although the degree alone does not grant Chartered Manager status.