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The question headlining this post is an eminently logical one for anyone with business on the brain, and, not surprisingly, I get it a lot because I am both the face on the free Certified Informational Professional training videos and the force behind the first accredited CIP classroom course. My answer may surprise you, however, for precisely those same reasons:

Don’t! Unless you think you need to.

Now that the CIP has been in the field for a little while, it appears that there are three categories of candidates emerging: one containing people who know a lot about a lot of things (or at least think they do), one containing people who know a lot about some things but wish to brush up on others, and one containing people who don't know much about anything (or at least think they don't). Let's take them in order.

1. People who know a lot about a lot of things may well choose to go directly to the exam, without passing ‘Go’ and without spending much time at all, if any, reviewing the material. I know a number of such folk, and though most of them have been able to earn a passing grade, many have mentioned that the test was somewhat more challenging than they anticipated.
    
2. People who know a lot about some things but perhaps less about others may well choose to view the videos relating to the areas they perceive as needing reinforcement. The ability to pick and choose which ones to spend time with is precisely why the series contains so many individual units, and a great many of the candidates I speak with do take this approach before taking the exam.
    
3. People who don't know much about anything frequently appear overwhelmed by the sheer number of videos available and sometimes are unsure about how best to move forward. I increasingly hear about “lunch bunches” and other study groups that convene regularly to watch and discuss a few videos at a time in order to break the task down, and I am also increasingly hearing from managers who want to implement a more formal program of study for groups of their people at a time. This is where the classroom option works especially well.

I have been teaching AIIM certificate classes for more than a year and a half, and if I have learned anything in that time it is how important structure and collaboration is to the learning process. For sure, the videos provide structure, but unless they are viewed in a group setting, the experience they provide is a solitary one in which meaning and interpretation is left up to the individual. This is mitigated somewhat in a broader setting in which people can watch and talk amongst themselves, but the absence of an expert formal facilitator can diminish the depth of the overall education received.

And this, of course, is the whole point of the exercise: not merely to pass a new and important certification exam, but to learn the latest best practices for information management so you can provide a value to your organization and further your professional career.

If you already know a lot about a lot, or are strong in a number of covered areas, then by all means use the videos to your greatest advantage – that's what they're there for! But if you are further to the left on the learning curve, or wish to establish a baseline of knowledge for your employees, channel partners, or what have you, then it likely will be worth investing in an accredited class. The choice is yours, and that, too, is a major part of the point!