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CFM Quick FAQ
Who can apply?
You do not have to be a member of IFMA
to take advantage of the program, nor do you automatically
become an IFMA member upon receiving your credential.
All facility management practitioners who meet the requirements
are encouraged to apply. Individuals who work in related
fields (architecture, interior design, etc.) who meet
the requirements also may qualify to take the exam.
Is it worth it?
Earning the CFM credential should be
a goal for all facility professionals who wish to be
recognized as leaders within their organizations and
chosen fields. Certification can be an opportunity,
enabling numerous CFMs to find or be promoted into new
and better positions. In fact, rather than using traditional
approaches, some employers now are contacting IFMA to
obtain a list of CFMs in their city when they have high-level
openings. There is also an ongoing trend in many organizations
to reward new CFMs with salary increases. Research shows
that CFMs earn an average of 18 percent more annually
than their non-certified counterparts.
What’s the process?
Step 1: Review candidate eligibility
requirements and fees.
Certification Requirements
The CFM is a competency-based certificate. Candidates
must first meet the education and experience requirements
outlined in the box below. Once the application is accepted,
the candidate must pass an exam.
- Candidates must fall into one of the following education
or work experience categories:
|
Education |
Years
of FM experience |
Facility management master’s or bachelor’s
degree from an IFMA recognized program* |
3 years |
| Related bachelor’s
degree* |
4 years |
| Non-related bachelor’s
degree or associate’s degree* |
5 years |
| Some post-secondary education* |
8 years |
| * All categories
require some form of continuing education within
the past five years. |
- Successful candidates will also have experience
in the following competency areas. These nine areas
have been identified as the core areas of skills and
knowledge necessary for a successful facility manager.
| Planning
& project management |
Operations
& maintenance |
| Real
estate |
Quality
assessment & innovation |
| Leadership
and management |
Human
& environmental factors |
| Finance
|
Communication |
| Technology
|
Ideally, candidates should have experience in all
nine areas; however, it is possible for a candidate
to have experience in most competency areas, minimal
exposure to others and still pass the exam.
| Certification
Fees |
IFMA
Members |
Nonmembers |
Application fees are not refundable unless the application is denied. |
$525 |
$775 |
Step 2: Submit application.
Step 3: Schedule and pass exam.
Within several days of submission, candidates are e-mailed
information on how to contact Prometric, the IFMA testing
provider, to register for their exam. Candidates must
take the exam within three months of acceptance.
Step 4: You’re a CFM!
Once you receive your official notification you may
begin using the CFM after your name. You will also receive
a certificate, lapel pin and press release in your welcome
packet.
What is the exam format?
The computerized exam consists of 180 multiple-choice
questions related to the nine competencies listed above.
Candidates are given 4 hours in which to complete the entire exam.
Accepted candidates may schedule the exam at their
convenience* at one of Prometric’s 300 testing
centers in the U.S. and Canada. The
complete listing of testing sites is available here.
* Testing must occur within 90 days of candidate
acceptance.
Is there candidate assistance
available?
Online Certification Preparedness
The Certification Preparedness allows candidates to
look at their experience in detail as it relates to
each competency.
CFM Self-Assessment Test
Candidates who wish to practice for the CFM Exam may
choose to take this 54-question self-assessment test.
There are six questions from each of the nine competencies.
Similar to the CFM exam, the questions appear in random
order and give the candidate an experience similar to
the actual examination. Upon completion of the self
assessment, candidates receive results by competency
and can print a copy of their results.
Publications
CFM Study Guide: This publication consists
of more than 200 pages of case studies, sample questions,
core competency summaries, glossary, a detailed outline
of the structure of the exam and an explanation of the
exam process.
*It is important to note that the CFM Study Guide was not designed to serve as a comprehensive study resource, but as a supplementary handbook to assist candidates in preparing for the CFM Exam.
Courses
IFMA offers a CFM Exam Review course at different locations
throughout the year. IFMA also offers courses for each
of the nine competencies in both instructor-led and online formats.
Study Groups
IFMA chapters and councils organize study groups, offer
CFM Exam Reviews and mentor prospective CFMs. Contact
your chapter or council for more information.
How do I maintain my
CFM?
Certification is valid for three years.
CFMs must demonstrate a continued commitment to growth
and excellence by earning a required number of maintenance
points in at least two of the following categories:
- Practice
- Continuing education
- Professional involvement
- Development of the profession
Have CFM exams been approved
for V.A. benefits?
Active military, veterans, eligible spouses
and dependents may now use their G.I. Bill education
benefits to pay for the cost of approved licensing and
certification exams. Eligible persons may apply to the
Veterans Affairs Office for reimbursement of CFM exam
fees. If you are entitled to military benefits, now
is the perfect time to take the CFM exam! To learn more
about your V.A. benefits, visit www.gibill.va.gov/Education/LCweb.htm.
What about exams outside
of North America?
The exam has been localized for use in Europe and is
available in German and in Dutch. Currently the U.K.,
The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Sweden
offer the exam. Please contact the local chapter or certification@ifma.org for more information. If the exam has not yet been localized
for the region where an applicant lives and works, the
applicant may apply for equivalency-based certification.
Requirements for this type of certification are:
- The applicant must live and work in a country where
the exam has not yet been localized. (Once the localization
process begins in a country, equivalency is no longer
available.)
- Applicants must fall into one of the following
education and work experience categories:
- Related bachelor's degree* and 6 years facility
management experience
- Non-related bachelor's degree or associate's
degree and 9 years facility management experience
- Some post-secondary education and 12 years facility
management experience
In addition, all categories require some type of continuing
education within the past five years.
*Related degrees include, but are not limited to:
facility management, business, architecture, interior
design, building construction, construction management,
engineering and property management.
Applicants must, complete and return a very
detailed application that describes the highest level
they have worked in all of the categories addressed
on the exam. These are:
- Communication
- Leadership & Management
- Finance
- Human & Environmental Factors
- Planning & Project Management
- Operations & Maintenance
- Quality Assessment & Innovation
- Real Estate
- Technology
It takes approximately 40 hours to complete the application.
A panel of CFMs reviews completed applications. This
group decides whether the applicant has the appropriate
breadth and depth of facility management experience.
If so, certification is awarded. If not, the applicant
may be asked to provide additional information or will
be declined.
The fee for equivalency is $300 (U.S.) for members
and $450 (U.S.) for nonmembers. If you meet the education
and work experience requirements and would like to apply
for equivalency, please fill out the Equivalency-based
CFM Application and send it to certification@ifma.org.
What if I don’t pass the first time?
Don’t give up! We will send you
a letter listing the two or three competency areas in
which you scored lowest. This information should be
used as a learning opportunity to prepare for taking
the exam again. Information on re-testing is also included
in the letter.
What is the CFMJ?
Each CFM has the opportunity to apply
for, and automatically be granted, the Certified Facility
Manager Japan (CFMJ) designation, owned by the Japanese
Facility Management Promotion Association (JFMA). IFMA
and JFMA have spent several years reviewing each other’s
exams and processes. When the programs were found to
be equivalent, the decision was made to grant reciprocal
certification to designees from either program.
Applying for the CFMJ designation is not a requirement
to earning or keeping the CFM. It is, however, another
verification of the international relevance of the CFM
designation. Once the information is submitted to IFMA
along with a payment of $100, a CFM is registered at
IFMA headquarters and in Japan as a CFMJ. He or she
also receives a Japanese certificate awarding them the
CFMJ designation. Please contact certification@ifma.org
to request CFMJ status. |
