The OMCP is built on two things: a set of exams across digital-marketing disciplines, and an eligibility gate of documented experience plus approved training. The exams are a base exam covering the core disciplines, then two specialty exams in disciplines you elect. OMCP publishes competency standards for each discipline rather than a fixed percentage weight per exam, so plan to study the base broadly and your two specialties in depth. Confirm the current outline on the OMCP site.
The base exam: core disciplines
These fundamentals are tested in the base exam (64-68 questions, around 75 minutes):
- SEO - technical, on-page and off-page optimisation, keyword research and search intent, and measuring organic performance.
- Paid search / digital advertising (PPC) - search and display campaign structure, bidding, budgets and Quality Score, and conversion tracking and ROAS.
- Content marketing - content strategy across the funnel, editorial planning and formats, distribution and measurement.
- Social media marketing - organic and paid social strategy, channel and community selection, and engagement metrics.
- Email marketing and marketing automation - list building and segmentation, lifecycle and automation flows, deliverability and engagement.
- Conversion rate optimisation (CRO) - A/B and multivariate testing, landing-page and funnel optimisation, and statistical significance.
- Digital analytics - metrics, KPIs and attribution, tagging and data collection, and reporting and insight.
- Mobile marketing and strategy - mobile and app channels, and aligning cross-channel tactics to business goals.
The two specialty exams
You elect two disciplines from the list above and sit a specialty exam in each (17-28 questions, around 30 minutes each). These certify depth, so choose the two areas where you have the most experience and can document it.
The eligibility gate
The exams are only one half of OMCP. Alongside passing scores you must meet a combination of documented experience and OMCP-approved training - for example around 1,000 hours of marketing experience plus 64 didactic hours of approved courses, with more experience able to offset some education and vice versa. Experience must be documentable.
How to read the structure
Because the base exam spans every core discipline, you cannot pass on your specialties alone - no channel can be a blind spot. Since OMCP publishes standards rather than per-exam percentages, treat the core disciplines as broadly equal and aim for solid breadth, with real depth in your two specialties.
How to study it
Learn the core disciplines broadly, then go deep in your two elected specialties, focusing on vendor-neutral principles and trade-offs rather than one platform’s menu. In parallel, assemble your experience evidence and confirm your approved-training hours. Remember OMCP is the professional level; if you are a generalist or beginner, the OMCA associate credential is the right starting point. Confirm the current outline and requirements on the OMCP site.