Those Darn CM Points !

  Certificate of Merit
The Certificate of Merit (CM) title is an introductory title to AKC conformation events.
Entrants in each breed shall compete for Best of Breed and Best of Opposite Sex to Best of Breed. 
Winners of the Best of Breed in each of the individual breeds will be
awarded points toward the CM title based on the number of dogs competing in their breed. 
Best of Opposite Sex to Best of Breed in each of the individual breeds will be
awarded points towards the Certificate of Merit (CM) title based on the total number of dogs competing in their sex. 
Group winners will be eligible for the points based on the total entry in the Group. 
Best in Show will be eligible for the points based on the total number of dogs that competed in the show.
The Certificate of Merit requires 15 points awarded in accordance with the following points structure.

 Dogs Competing               Points
         2                                 1

         4                                 2

         8                                 3

        12                                4

        16                                5
Certificate of Merit points may also be earned in the FSS class, Miscellaneous Class or the 4-to-6 Month class held in conjunction with Championship dog shows.