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If you don't find an answer to your question here, please contact NBC-CAM at (703) 836-6902, toll-free at (866) 779-CMCA, or via e-mail at info@nbccam.org.
General
What is the difference between CAI and NBC-CAM?
What is certification?
What is the Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA)?
What are the steps involved in filing a complaint with regards to Standards of Professional Conduct?
What are the State Licensure Requirements for Community Association Managers?
CMCA Certification
What are the steps to earning the CMCA certification?
Is work experience or membership required to earn the CMCA?
I just passed the M-100 course—does that automatically award me the CMCA certification?
CMCA Examination
What exam options do I have?
How do I get an application?
I have special needs. Will NBC-CAM be able to accommodate me for the examination?
What if I don't pass the exam?
What happens when I pass the exam?
Recertification
When must I recertify?
What are the requirements for recertification?
Does NBC-CAM sponsor continuing education programs?
What is the rationale for the recertification intervals?
What is professional development?
General
What is the difference between CAI and NBC-CAM?
Community Associations Institute (CAI) is a non-profit organization serving all stakeholders in community associations. Established in 1973, CAI provides education and resources to more than 26,000 residential condominium, cooperative, and homeowner associations, and to the professionals and suppliers who serve them.
The National Board of Certification for Community Association Managers (NBC CAM) was established by CAI in 1995 to administer a national, voluntary certification program for community association managers. NBC-CAM grants the Certified Manager of Community Associations® (CMCA®) credential to individuals who fulfill certain requirements that demonstrate fundamental knowledge and expertise in managing homeowner, condominium, and cooperative associations.
What is certification?
Certification is the process by which a non-governmental association or agency grants recognition to an individual who has met certain predetermined qualifications specified by that association or agency.
What is the Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA)?
The Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA) is the only national certification program that recognizes community association managers who have successfully demonstrated fundamental knowledge and expertise in community management by completing certain requirements and have agreed to comply with the Standards of Professional Conduct.
What are the steps involved in filing a complaint with regards to Standards of Professional Conduct?
In order to maintain and enhance the credibility of the NBC-CAM certification program, the Board has adopted procedures to allow consumers and others to bring complaints concerning a CMCA to the Board. To file a complaint, please complete and send in the Complaint Form (MS Word, 122 KB). To understand the procedures, you may download a copy of the procedures (MS Word, 94 KB) of investigation.
CMCA Certification
What are the steps to earning the CMCA certification?
To earn the CMCA certification, a manager must complete and pass a prerequisite course on community association management or fulfill the experience requirement.
Experience Requirement: If a professional has at least five years experience as a community association manager, they may receive a one-time waiver of the prerequisite course. The experience must be as a community association manager—not as an assistant manager. Please list the experience below. If the candidate does not successfully pass the examination the first time, they will be required to take the prerequisite course prior to retaking the examination.
Then, complete and submit the CMCA application and pass the CMCA Examination—a 3-hour, 120 multiple-choice question examination.
See How to Get Certified for more information.
Is work experience or membership required to earn the CMCA?
No work experience is required, nor are managers required to be members of CAI or any other professional organization.
I just passed the M-100 course—does that automatically award me the CMCA certification?
No. The Essentials of Community Association Management (M-100) course is a prerequisite for taking the CMCA Examination. After successfully completing the course you must take and pass the CMCA Examination in order to be awarded the CMCA certification.
CMCA Examination
What exam options do I have?
Option #1: Paper/pencil. Paper/pencil exams are offered three times per year: in March, in September, and on the Wednesday of CAI's National Conference. This format is administered in selected cities in the U.S. Exam results take four to six weeks and only pass/fail information is provided.
Option #2: LaserGrade computer-based test (CBT). The CBT can be taken at any of the 800 LaserGrade testing centers across the country on any day during the following testing cycles: January/February, April/May, July/August, and October/November. You will receive instant exam results onsite. Only pass/fail information is provided.
How do I get an application?
To request an application contact NBC-CAM at (703) 836-6902, toll-free at (866) 779-CMCA, via fax at (703) 684-1581, or simply download (PDF, 287 KB) the PDF application from this Web site.
I have special needs. Will NBC-CAM be able to accommodate me for the examination?
NBC-CAM abides by all applicable federal and state statutes relating to the accommodation of disabled individuals. All requests for special accommodations must be submitted in writing to NBC-CAM three weeks prior to the examination.
What if I don't pass the exam?
If a candidate does not pass the exam they are given the opportunity to re-take the exam on the next exam date. Candidates must complete and submit the Retake Application and submit a fee. The fee is $200 for a paper/pencil retest and $250 for a LaserGrade CBT retest. You may download a retake application (PDF, 219 KB) here, call our office at (703) 836-6902, toll-free at (866) 779-CMCA, or e-mail us at info@nbccam.org and we will send you one.
What happens when I pass the exam?
Candidates who pass the examination will receive the CMCA certificate, CMCA lapel pin, and further information on the certification program. The manager's name will also be printed in the next edition of Upward Directions, NBC-CAM's quarterly e-newsletter.
Recertification
When must I recertify?
The CMCA certification is valid for two years from the date awarded. Managers are placed in either the April 1 recertification cycle or the October 1 recertification cycle when they become certified.
If you are currently certified, you can check your recertification date online.
What are the requirements for recertification?
To recertify, each CMCA must demonstrate that they continue to practice community association management, provide evidence of satisfactory completion of 16 hours of continuing education during the two-year certification cycle, and pay the annual service fee.
Does NBC-CAM sponsor continuing education programs?
No. However, NBC-CAM can provide a list of approved providers and courses. Some approved course providers include CAI, CAI Chapters, National Association of Housing Cooperatives (NAHC), Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM), Urban Land Institute (ULI), National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), local chapters of these organizations, accredited community colleges, colleges or universities, and several other organizations.
What is the rationale for the recertification intervals?
The NBC-CAM Board determined the interval for recertification to be two-years. The rationale for the recertification interval is listed below:
- Community association management is a dynamic profession with best practices and laws affecting the profession changing regularly. The laws that affect community association management and operations may change each year during state legislative sessions. In our research, we have found that it is reasonable to expect certified professionals to obtain information through continuing education opportunities about the changes in the laws and best practices every two years.
- The interval has to be long enough to allow the certified professionals to earn the appropriate credits but short enough to keep the certified professionals motivated to engage in education and training.
- The determination was also based on recommendations to move towards best practice which would require routine annual continued education participation annually in attempts to help certified professionals avoid long periods of education inactivity.
What is professional development?
Professional Development refers to skills and knowledge attained for personal development and career advancement. For CMCA recertification purposes, professional development encompasses a variety of facilitated learning opportunities, ranging from college degrees and coursework, conferences, professional coaching, communities workshops, seminars, symposiums, and webinars. Examples of professional development courses are community association management operations, administration, and legal requirements. In addition, courses may include accounting, human resources, and public administration. Continuing education courses must be listed on the documentation worksheet required for recertification and each recertification application and accompanying documentation form will be evaluated to ensure that the course is relevant to the continuing education of a community association manager and that it will enhance the knowledge and/or skills of a community association manager.
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