CIIP® Exam Prep Competency Framework

What does an Imaging Informatics Professional really need to know? SIIM’s newly updated framework provides a roadmap for both CIIP® exam preparation and professional growth. 

Imaging informatics spans far more than PACS, DICOM, and troubleshooting. Today’s Imaging Informatics Professionals operate at the intersection of clinical care, technology, operations, project management, data, security, education, and strategy. 

For professionals preparing for the Certified Imaging Informatics Professional (CIIP®) exam, understanding that breadth can be one of the biggest challenges. 

SIIM’s new 2026 CIIP® Exam Prep Competency Framework is designed to make that challenge more manageable. 

Created and revised by the SIIM Education Committee, the framework provides a comprehensive certification readiness matrix based on the American Board of Imaging Informatics (ABII) CIIP® Exam Test Content Outline. Rather than functioning as another textbook or standalone study resource, it serves as a study blueprint—helping learners understand the knowledge and skills they should be prepared to apply across the imaging informatics profession. 

Know what you know—and where to focus next

The framework encourages candidates to map each competency against their own knowledge and professional experience. That makes it easier to identify areas of strength, uncover gaps, and prioritize additional study. 

It organizes competencies across 10 major knowledge areas: 

• Procurement 
• Project Management 
• Operations 
• Communications 
• Training and Education 
• Image Management 
• Information Technology 
• Systems Management 
• Clinical Engineering 
• Medical Imaging Informatics 

Within each area, the framework moves beyond broad topic names to identify practical competencies. Learners can assess their readiness in areas ranging from financial analysis and vendor selection to workflow engineering, disaster recovery, data migration, enterprise imaging, system integration, cybersecurity, DICOM, HL7, and IHE. 

More than an exam checklist 

While the framework was created to support CIIP® exam preparation, its value extends beyond certification. 

Taken together, the competencies provide a picture of the knowledge and skill set expected of a well-rounded Imaging Informatics Professional. 

An IIP may need to help build a business case for a new system, manage a migration, troubleshoot system performance, communicate a downtime, train clinical users, evaluate workflow, protect patient data, integrate modalities, or help shape an enterprise imaging strategy—sometimes within the same role.  

The framework connects those responsibilities into one professional roadmap. 

Turn the framework into your study plan 

Candidates can use the framework to ask three simple questions: 

What can I confidently explain or do today?
Identify the competencies already supported by your education and professional experience. 

Where are my knowledge gaps?
Look for unfamiliar concepts, technologies, workflows, or responsibilities that require additional study. 

What resource will help me close each gap?
Use the competency objectives to guide your selection of textbooks, courses, webinars, hands-on training, and real-world practice.  

The framework also points learners toward additional SIIM resources, including  

• Practical Imaging Informatics (PII) textbook 
• PII Textbook Digital Companion Course 
• Journey to CIIP Certification   
• CIIP Knowledge Check 
• Imaging Informatics Professional Bootcamp 

Build exam readiness—and professional readiness

Certification preparation is most valuable when it builds knowledge that lasts beyond exam day. 

The CIIP® Exam Prep Competency Framework gives imaging informatics professionals a clearer way to see the field as a whole, evaluate their readiness, and create a more intentional path for continued learning. 

Whether you are preparing to sit for the CIIP® exam, building your imaging informatics foundation, or identifying the next skills to develop in your career, the framework offers a place to start.  

Explore the new 2026 CIIP® Exam Prep Competency Framework and start building your personal roadmap for CIIP® readiness.