International Facility Management Association Certified Facility Manager® (CFM®) Examination Specifications
1. Occupancy and Human Factors
- Workplace environment
- Occupant services
- Occupant health, safety, and security
2. Operations and Maintenance
- Buildings, building systems, infrastructure, and grounds
- Furniture, fixtures, and equipment
- Physical safety and security
- Operations and maintenance processes
- Work management support systems
- Renewals and renovations
3. Sustainability
- Energy management
- Water management
- Materials and consumables management
- Waste management
- Workplace and site management
4. Facility Information Management and Technology Management
- Data collection and information management
- Information protection and cyber-security
- Technology needs assessment and implementation
- Maintenance and upgrade of technology systems
5. Risk Management
- Risk management planning
- Emergency preparedness, response, and recovery
- Facility resilience and business continuity
6. Communication
- Planning
- Delivery
- Evaluation
7. Performance and Quality
- Quality management
- Performance management
8. Leadership and Strategy
- Strategic planning and alignment with the demand organization
- Policies, procedures, and compliance
- Individual and team management
- Leadership
- Relationship and conflict management
- Change management
- Corporate social responsibility
- Political, social, economic, and industry factors affecting facility management
9. Finance and Business
- Operational and capital budgeting
- Evidence-based decision-making process (e.g. business case)
- Procurement (e.g. purchasing, sourcing of goods and services)
- Contracting
- Financial analysis and reporting
10. Real Estate
- Real estate strategies
- Real estate assessment, acquisition, and disposal
- Real estate asset management
- Space management
- Major projects and new construction
11. Project Management
- Planning and design
- Execution and delivery
- Evaluation
* The CFM Exam consists of 180 multiple-choice questions delivered in random order. There are 20 pre-test items that do not apply to exam results and 160 exam items. All questions have a single answer. There are no pre-set sections. The test strictly passes/fails based on the total number of correct answers. Candidates may mark questions they wish to skip and return to later. In addition, at the end of the exam candidates will be alerted to any questions which have not been answered. If time allows, candidates may return to complete those questions. Exams are offered through Prometric Computer Based Test (CBT) (or) Online Proctoring Test (OPT)
*The passing score for the CFM exam is initially determined based on a criterion-referenced procedure, the Angoff method. To ensure fairness in the examination process, a statistical method called equating is used for all new versions of the test.
Eligibility Criteria Education And Work Experience
Candidates must meet the following education and work experience requirements. Internships do not count toward FM experience.
| Option 1 | Option 2 |
|---|
| Education | Bachelor’s or Masters level Facility Management degree | No FM degree |
| FM Work Experience | 3 years | 5 years |
Application & Exam Payment Submission
To complete the application process, the CFM Application Payment Form must be completed, submitted, and confirmed. Tiered pricing for the CFM application and recertification fees is regionally based. To determine which fee(s) apply to you, view the Tiered Pricing chart in the appendix, find the country associated with your home address, and determine the applicable fee. Discounted rates apply to tiers 2 and 3
Tier Application Fee in USD
Tier 1 listed countries $550 member / $815 non-member
Tier 2 listed countries $449 member / $652 non-member
Tier 3 listed countries $341 member / $505 non-member
Exam Results
Upon completion of the exam, the candidate is notified immediately regarding pass/fail status. IFMA Credentials staff will confirm the results within 20 days for those candidates who have completed the ethics assessment prior to taking the exam. Candidates who have not completed the ethics requirement prior to taking the exam must do so and submit the required documentation in the CAMP record within 30 days of the date on which the candidate took the certification exam. Candidates who have met all requirements for certification should receive certificate packets within 30 days of the successful testing date or completion of the ethics assessment, whichever occurs last
Ethics Requirement
An Ethics Assessment is required for all CFM credential applicants. Candidates have up to 30 days from the date on which they pass the exam to complete the Ethics Requirement and submit the required documentation. Any individual who does not complete the Ethics requirement and submit the required documentation to the CAMP record will have the status of the CFM credential moved to inactive and will not be in good standing. Candidates are notified and reminded of the requirement in the email received upon passing the CFM exam and again the week prior to the 30 day period.
