Become a Chartered Member

Chartered Member (CMInstD) is the next step after Member on the Chartered Membership pathway.

You can become a Chartered Member when you have:

1. completed the IoD Company Directors’ Course or an equivalent
2. passed the Chartered Member assessment or an equivalent
3. confirm you uphold the principles of the IoD Charter, and are of good character and a fit and proper person to be admitted as a Chartered Member.

To become a Chartered Member, you also have to be on the board of a qualifying organisation* with distinct, separate executive and governance functions.

Ready to apply? Upgrade your membership

1. The Company Directors' Course

The Company Directors' Course (CDC) is the benchmark for directors and senior leaders reporting to boards. It is a pre-requisite to becoming a Chartered Member.

Go to the Company Directors' Course

If you took the course before 2007, we recommend you take the current Company Directors’ Course before your assessment. The course has been modified several times since you participated.

Company Directors' Course equivalent

We have previously recognised as equivalent learning:

• Australian Institute of Company Directors’ Company Directors' Course
• Waikato University’s G3 Postgraduate certificate in governance.

Recognition of prior learning 

If you are a highly experienced director, you may be eligible for recognition of prior learning instead of attending the CDC. 

• You must have at least five years' experience on two or more qualifying boards. At least one of these organisations must:
  • have more than $5m assets
  • more than $10m turnover more than 15 staff
• The position on the qualifying board must be for 12 months or more
• You must have completed one full day of training with the IoD. This must be at post-Company Directors' Course level eg Audit and Risk Committees, Chairing the Board, Advanced Health and Safety Governance, Integrated Thinking and Reporting and Governance in the Public Sector.
• You must submit a reflective review outlining a governance challenge you have faced and your approach to dealing with it.

Contact the Registrar to discuss eligibility registrar@iod.org.nz 

2. Chartered Member assessment

The Chartered Member assessment shows that you have met standards that help you carry out your duties.

The assessment tests your knowledge of The Four Pillars of Governance Best Practice and the content of the Company Directors' Course.

The assessment has two parts:

1.  Part A: multi-choice exam
2.  Part B: 3,000-word assignment.

For detailed assessment information and to apply, go to Chartered Member assessment

Chartered Member assessment equivalent

If you have passed the Australian Institute of Company Directors’ Company Director’s Course assessment, or been awarded Waikato University’s G3 Postgraduate certificate in governance, you only have to take part A of the assessment – the exam – not part B, the assignment.

3. Annual confirmation

As a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors, you make an annual confirmation for our council that you:

• participate in continuing professional development as required
• uphold the principles of the charter
• are of good character.

This includes confirming that you have not:

1. been convicted of a crime
2. acted inconsistently with your duties as a director
3. committed serious wrongdoing, or helped or encouraged serious wrongdoing
4. brought the institute into disrepute or behaved inconsistently with our charter
5. been denied membership of a professional body
6. been found to have failed to keep standards and are not subject to disciplinary action
7. been prohibited from being either a director or involved in the management of an organisation.

Lastly, you confirm that you are a fit and proper person to be a Chartered Member of the institute.

We ask members unable to confirm any of these points to make a disclosure to the registrar when registering interest in the Chartered Member assessment