UGCP (CASRAI)

Uniform Guidance Compliance Certification — Professional

LevelProfessionalUGCUGCP (CASRAI)

90 h

Nominal

Self-paced study

Lessons

12 modules

Domains

Exam blueprint

Exam items

Per attempt

70%

Pass mark

Fixed, uncurved

Retake wait

Days

What you earn

The credential itself

Pass the examination and CASRAI issues this certificate and the post-nominal UGCP (CASRAI), signed by the Programme Director and verifiable by anyone, permanently, from the code on its face.

CASRAI Certification

Certificate of Professional Competence

This is to certify that

Dr. Amelia R. Hartley

has completed the prescribed programme of study and passed the examination in

Uniform Guidance Compliance — Professional

and is admitted to the designationUGCP (CASRAI)

Verify atcasrai.org/verify/CASRAI-UGC-2026-OA9ZBD

Specimen. Issued as a signed PDF and as a machine-readable Open Badge; the holder and code shown are illustrative.

How it appears on your CV

Certifications

UGCP (CASRAI) — Uniform Guidance Compliance, Professional

CASRAI·Issued Mar 2026·Credential ID CASRAI-UGC-2026-OA9ZBD

casrai.org/verify/CASRAI-UGC-2026-OA9ZBD

Every certificate is issued under the signature of Dr. Diana Nieves Castro, MD, Programme Director of CASRAI Certification, who sets the syllabus, blueprint and pass mark for this credential.

It certifies that its holder passed the CASRAI examination for this course on the date shown, scored against the blueprint and pass mark published on this page — and anyone can confirm it from the verification code, without an account and without contacting us.

About this credential

What it covers

Body of knowledge

Exam blueprint

The exam is assembled to these weights on every attempt. They are published before purchase because a blueprint you cannot see is not a blueprint.

Domains and weights7 domains · 39 scored items
Domain	Weight	Items
Regulatory architecture, applicability and definitions1	10%≈ 4 items	≈ 4
Internal controls, financial management and payment2	12%≈ 5 items	≈ 5
Procurement standards, competition and exclusions3	16%≈ 6 items	≈ 6
Cost principles: allowability, allocability, reasonableness4	16%≈ 6 items	≈ 6
Selected items of cost and indirect costs5	16%≈ 6 items	≈ 6
Subrecipient determination, subawards and monitoring6	15%≈ 6 items	≈ 6
Single Audit, remedies, period of performance and closeout7	15%≈ 6 items	≈ 6
Total	100%	39

Item counts are approximate. Each attempt draws a fresh form to the weights above, so the exact number of items per domain varies between attempts.

Syllabus

12 modules, 12 lessons

Every lesson and every learning outcome is listed. The lesson bodies open on enrolment; nothing else about the course is withheld.

12 modules · 12 lessons · 90 h

Lesson material opens once you are enrolled. The full syllabus and every learning outcome are shown here so you can judge the coverage before you pay.

Module 1
1
1 lesson · 6 h
1. Locked.Reading the regulation6 h · Locked
  On completion you will be able to
  - On completion the learner can:
  - [R] State the six subparts of 2 CFR Part 200 with their section ranges and describe what each governs.
  - [A] Given a practitioner question, name the subpart and the probable section before searching.
  - [A] Retrieve the currently effective text of a named section from eCFR and state the snapshot date.
  - [An] Distinguish the regulation, agency implementation, and award terms and conditions, and determine which prevails in a conflict.
  - [R] Explain what the appendices to Part 200 contain, in particular Appendix II (contract provisions), Appendix III (IHE F&A) and Appendix XI (Compliance Supplement).
Module 2
2
1 lesson · 5 h
1. Locked.The 2024 revision, and the 2026 proposed rewrite5 h · Locked
  On completion you will be able to
  - [R] State that OMB issued revised guidance on 4 April 2024, effective for awards issued on or after 1 October 2024.
  - [R] List the changes of the 2024 revision that alter a number or a citation: de minimis rate 10% → up to 15% of MTDC; MTDC subaward inclusion $25,000 → $50,000; equipment and supplies capitalisation threshold $5,000 → $10,000; Single Audit threshold $750,000 → $1,000,000.
  - [R] Identify the 2024 renumbering and retitling traps: personnel expense documentation moved from §200.430(i) to §200.430(g); §200.414's heading changed from "Indirect (F&A) costs" to "Indirect costs"; §200.317 became "Procurements by States and Indian Tribes"; §200.321's heading added veteran-owned businesses; §200.419's heading dropped "and disclosure statement" and the DS-2 requirement was deleted from Part 200 entirely.
  - [A] Determine which version of the guidance applies to a given award by reference to its award date.
  - [An] Read the 2026 proposed rule and explain why it does not yet change any recipient's obligations.
Module 3
3
1 lesson · 5 h
1. Locked.Definitions that carry money5 h · Locked
  On completion you will be able to
  - [R] Reproduce the §200.1 definitions of MTDC, equipment, supplies, subaward, contract, period of performance, budget period and participant support costs.
  - [A] Compute an MTDC base from a full budget, applying the $50,000 per subaward inclusion and every exclusion.
  - [A] Classify a purchase as equipment or a supply using the lesser of the institution's capitalisation level or $10,000.
  - [An] Identify where a colloquial institutional term (e.g. "vendor", "sub", "carryforward") diverges from the regulatory definition and explain the consequence.
  - [R] Explain that the micro-purchase and simplified acquisition thresholds are defined by reference to the FAR and are inflation-indexed, and state where to look them up.
Module 4
4
1 lesson · 8 h
1. Locked.Internal control over federal awards8 h · Locked
  On completion you will be able to
  - [R] State each requirement of §200.303 in order.
  - [An] Explain the significance of §200.303's "should align" formulation and what an auditor can and cannot write a finding on as a result.
  - [A] Map a control activity to the relevant Green Book or COSO component.
  - [An] Given a described process failure, identify which paragraph of §200.303 is implicated and design a remediating control.
  - [A] Assess whether an institution's cybersecurity and PII safeguards meet §200.303(e) as written.
Module 5
5
1 lesson · 8 h
1. Locked.Financial management, payment, cost sharing and program income8 h · Locked
  On completion you will be able to
  - [R] List the required elements of a financial management system under §200.302.
  - [A] Select the correct payment method under §200.305 and state the conditions attaching to it.
  - [A] Apply the interest-on-advances rule and compute the remittance.
  - [An] Distinguish mandatory cost sharing, voluntary committed cost sharing and voluntary uncommitted cost sharing, and explain why the last must not be tracked in the accounting system.
  - [A] Classify program income and apply the deduction, addition or cost sharing method, including the default where the award is silent.
  - [An] Determine whether a proposed change requires prior approval under §200.308 or falls within expanded authorities.
  - [A] Apply §200.309 to a no-cost extension.
Module 6
6
1 lesson · 9 h
1. Locked.Procurement I: standards, competition and methods9 h · Locked
  On completion you will be able to
  - [R] State the §200.318 general standards, including documented procedures, standards of conduct, conflict-of-interest provisions, and the documentation requirement.
  - [An] Evaluate whether a described procurement history is "sufficient to detail the history of the procurement".
  - [R] List the §200.319 circumstances considered restrictive of competition.
  - [A] Select the correct §200.320 method for a given transaction — micro- purchase, simplified acquisition, sealed bid, proposal, or noncompetitive.
  - [A] Apply the self-certification rule permitting a micro-purchase threshold up to $50,000, and identify when cognizant agency approval is needed.
  - [An] Test a sole-source justification against the §200.320 noncompetitive conditions and reject an insufficient one.
  - [A] Determine when cost or price analysis is required under §200.324 and identify a prohibited cost-plus-a-percentage-of-cost arrangement.
Module 7
7
1 lesson · 7 h
1. Locked.Procurement II: affirmative steps, contract provisions, suspension and debarment7 h · Locked
  On completion you will be able to
  - [R] State the current title of §200.321 and list the affirmative steps it requires.
  - [A] Evidence affirmative steps in a procurement file.
  - [R] Explain §200.322 domestic preferences and §200.323 recovered materials.
  - [A] Determine which Appendix II contract provisions must be included in a given contract and draft the flow-down list.
  - [R] Explain the relationship between §200.214, 2 CFR part 180, and each agency's implementing part.
  - [A] Perform and document a SAM.gov exclusion check for a covered transaction.
  - [An] Determine whether a given transaction is a covered transaction requiring an exclusion check.
Module 8
8
1 lesson · 9 h
1. Locked.Allowability, allocability and reasonableness9 h · Locked
  On completion you will be able to
  - [A] Apply the seven §200.403 factors in sequence to a transaction and identify the failing factor.
  - [A] Apply the §200.404 prudent-person test with its enumerated considerations.
  - [An] Determine allocability under §200.405, including proportional benefit and the "any reasonable documented basis" fallback where interrelated work makes proportions indeterminable.
  - [An] Identify and refuse a cost transfer that shifts an allocable cost to another federal award to cover a deficiency or evade a restriction, citing §200.405.
  - [A] Net applicable credits under §200.406.
  - [A] Determine whether a cost requires prior written approval and cite the §200.407 cross-reference.
  - [A] Apply §200.413 to determine whether administrative or clerical salary may be charged directly, and state all four conditions.
Module 9
9
1 lesson · 8 h
1. Locked.Selected items of cost8 h · Locked
  On completion you will be able to
  - [A] Locate the governing section for a named cost item within §§200.421–200.476.
  - [An] Classify a cost as unallowable outright, allowable with prior approval, allowable with conditions, or unallowable as direct but recoverable as indirect.
  - [A] Apply §200.475 travel costs, including consistency with the entity's written travel policy and the treatment of premium-class travel.
  - [A] Apply §200.432 conferences and §200.434 contributions and donations.
  - [R] State the treatment of alcoholic beverages, bad debts, lobbying, fines and penalties, and fund raising.
  - [A] Apply §200.439 equipment and other capital expenditures, including the prior approval requirement and its interaction with the §200.1 equipment definition.
Module 10
10
1 lesson · 8 h
1. Locked.Indirect costs, the de minimis rate and cost accounting standards8 h · Locked
  On completion you will be able to
  - [R] State §200.414(c)(1): negotiated rates must be accepted by all federal agencies, with the two exceptions.
  - [A] Rebut, in writing and with a citation, a pass-through entity that seeks to cap a subrecipient's indirect rate below its negotiated rate.
  - [R] State the §200.414(f) de minimis rule: up to 15 percent of MTDC, for recipients and subrecipients without a current negotiated rate (including a provisional rate), no documentation required, may be used indefinitely, a lower rate may be elected.
  - [A] Compute recovery under a de minimis election and under a negotiated rate, and explain the difference to a PI.
  - [R] Describe the rate types — provisional, final, predetermined, fixed with carry-forward — and when each is used.
  - [R] State the §200.419 CAS trigger ($50 million aggregate federal awards in the most recently completed fiscal year) and the four applicable standards at 48 CFR 9905.501, 9905.502, 9905.505, 9905.506.
  - [An] Explain why the deletion of the DS-2 requirement from Part 200 in 2024 did not eliminate the Disclosure Statement obligation, and locate the surviving authority at 48 CFR 9903.202.
  - [R] Describe what Appendix III to Part 200 governs and name the four major functions of an IHE.
Module 11
11
1 lesson · 9 h
1. Locked.Subrecipients: determination, subawards and monitoring9 h · Locked
  On completion you will be able to
  - [An] Apply the §200.331 five-and-five characteristic test to an ambiguous relationship and defend the determination on substance over form.
  - [A] Assemble a subaward containing every §200.332(b) data element.
  - [A] Conduct and document a §200.332(c) risk evaluation using all four enumerated considerations.
  - [A] Design a monitoring plan proportionate to assessed risk using the §200.332(f) tools.
  - [A] Verify Subpart F audit status under §200.332(g) and issue a management decision on a subrecipient finding.
  - [An] Determine whether a fixed amount subaward is permissible under §200.333 and what approval it needs.
  - [A] Apply §200.414 correctly to a subrecipient's indirect rate.
Module 12
12
1 lesson · 8 h
1. Locked.Single Audit, remedies, period of performance and closeout8 h · Locked
  On completion you will be able to
  - [A] Determine single audit applicability by computing federal awards expended against the $1,000,000 threshold in §200.501(a).
  - [A] Prepare a SEFA and reconcile it to the general ledger.
  - [R] Describe the §200.518 major program determination process, Type A/Type B thresholds, and the percentage-of-coverage rule.
  - [A] Locate the applicable Compliance Supplement part for a given program and identify the requirements subject to audit.
  - [An] Analyse an audit finding into condition, criteria, cause, effect and questioned costs, and write a corrective action plan that addresses cause.
  - [A] Assess §200.520 low-risk auditee eligibility.
  - [A] Manage a closeout against §200.344 and the §200.328 reporting deadlines.
  - [An] Distinguish suspension from termination under §§200.340–200.343 and state the recipient's procedural options.

Assessment

How the exam works

The exam is closed-book and multiple choice. Each attempt draws a fresh form to the domain weights above, so no two attempts are the same paper and no answer key circulates. The pass mark is 70% and is fixed — there is no curve, no quota and no adjustment by cohort.

Scoring is immediate. You are shown your overall result and, for every item, the option you chose, the correct option and the reasoning behind it — whether you passed or not. A failed attempt may be retaken after 90 days. The wait exists so a retake is a second attempt at the material rather than a second attempt at remembering the paper.

Forms are assembled to the blueprint above or not at all: where a domain cannot yet be sampled to that standard, the exam declines to start rather than issue an unbalanced paper. Your material and progress are never affected, and there is no time limit on when you sit.

Passing candidates are issued a certificate with a verification code. Anyone can check that code on our public verification page without an account and without contacting us.

Certifying authority

Signed by Dr. Diana Nieves Castro, MD

CASRAI’s certification programme is academically and medically directed by Dr. Diana Nieves Castro, MD, Programme Director, who sets the syllabus and blueprint for this credential and signs every certificate issued under it.

CASRAI has maintained the terminology and reporting standards of research administration for over a decade. It assumed leadership of the CRediT contributor-roles taxonomy in 2014 and carried it through to adoption as ANSI/NISO Z39.104-2022, now in use by publishers, funders and institutions worldwide. This examination is drawn from that body of work.

What the credential certifies: that its holder passed the CASRAI examination for this course on the date shown, scored against the blueprint and pass mark published above — verifiable by anyone, permanently, from the code on its face.