Earn recognition for your expertise.
Certified Facility Manager® (CFM)
IFMA's premier credential for experienced facility professionals.
Certified Facility Manager® (CFM)
The Certified Facility Manager® (CFM) credential sets the industry standard for ensuring the knowledge and competence of practicing facility managers as the most respected and recognized global credential in facility management.
IFMA's certification process is designed to assess competency in the field through work experience, education, and the ability to pass a comprehensive exam that covers 11 competencies:
- Communication
- Emergency Preparedness and Business Continuity
- Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability
- Finance and Business
- Human Factors
- Leadership and Strategy
- Operations and Maintenance
- Project Management
- Quality
- Real Estate and Property Management
- Technology
The CFM Exam is competency-based testing of what a person can do compared to standards that define the practice of facility management. One cannot take a course or simple knowledge-based exam to earn the credential. IFMA's competency-based program is at a higher level than a knowledge-based program, reflecting the growing importance of facility management in the international business world. Since the program began in 1992, more than 3,100 facility managers from 32 countries have achieved this prestigious recognition.
This workshop is just a review of the content you should already know.
Friday, August 22, 2025 (10AM-2PM)
Workshop
This half-day live (or virtual if we are going for the broader audience) instructor-led CFM test preparation workshop is intended to help candidates to evaluate their readiness for testing and areas where more focus is needed, to learn about the structure of the test, to practice with sample questions in a time-pressured situation, and to understand tips and techniques around the way that the questions are written and means to arrive at the desired responses. No knowledge-based instruction is covered in this course.
For participants requiring a knowledge-based deeper dive, participants may purchase the FMP course materials plus any of the seven additional competency courses. Each of these competency courses is available as materials-only or instructor-led virtual. Denver Chapter’s Education Team can connect individuals with these additional training offerings if desired or, with minimum enrollment of students for any individual competency, will schedule a competency course on demand.
The CFM is a competency-based exam at a Prometric Testing Center. Candidates for CFM are expected to have substantial experience in most of the 11 core competencies and either 3 years of FM work experience plus a Bachelor's or Master's level FM degree or 5 years of experience.
The “Member” price for all courses relates to IFMA membership, regardless of Chapter member status. To receive member pricing if you are not a Denver Chapter member but a member in another chapter, please contact info@IFMAdenver.org
How do I become credentialed?
- Meet specific eligibility requirements.
- Assess your readiness and prepare for the exam. Although no specific coursework is required, IFMA provides a variety of resources to help prepare CFM candidates.
- Submit your application through the IFMA website.
- Schedule and pass the exam. After receiving IFMA approval, schedule an appointment to take the exam at one of Prometric’s centers. The 4-hour exam consists of 180 multiple-choice questions, administered through computer-based testing (CBT) format.
Are there prerequisites or eligibility requirements to take the CFM Exam?
Announcement – CFM Eligibility Requirements have changed!
To be eligible to sit for the CFM Exam, applicants must meet certain eligibility requirements. As expectations in the world of FM become increasingly complex, IFMA strives to make it simpler for FMs to make the most of professional development opportunities. The eligibility requirements for the CFM Exam have changed. While the requirements for this respected certification are still rigorous, the policy has been simplified.
After submitting my CFM Exam application, how long will it take to get my CFM credential?
- Once your CFM Exam application and payment are submitted, IFMA will review your application and you will be notified of the outcome by email. The approval process may take up to 21 business days.
- Once approved, you will receive an email with instructions for registering for the exam. You will need to schedule and pass the exam.
- The CFM application should be completed only when you are sure that you are ready to sit for the exam. If you need assistance in determining whether your education and experience fit the exam requirements, please contact credentials@ifma.org
How many questions need to be answered correctly to pass the exam?
The test is pass/fail, we do not release the passing cut score.
What if I don't pass the first time? When can I retake it?
Individuals who have taken the CFM Exam but have not passed it within 12 months are eligible to retake the CFM exam at a reduced retake fee. All other applicants should complete the standard application.
How long do I have to take the exam once I apply? Does it expire?
Candidates must take the exam within three months of application acceptance and payment.
What if I can’t take the exam once I schedule it?
Prometric’s policy for Cancellation, Rescheduling, No Show, or Late Arrival for Scheduled Test):
For each candidate who reschedules, cancels, arrives late, or does not appear for a scheduled test during the Cancellation/Reschedule Period set forth below, Prometric shall be entitled to the following Cancellation/Rescheduling Fees for such candidate:
Cancellation Schedule
31 days or more
No charge
5 to 30 calendar days before the test date
$40 fee collected by Prometric
a) less than 5 days before the test date,
b) fails to appear for a scheduled test,
c) presents himself/herself more than fifteen (15) minutes after the scheduled start time for taking the test and is refused admission
The full Test Delivery Fee for the canceled/rescheduled test
Within the United States and Canada, candidates must make and confirm all cancellations/changes through direct contact with Prometric Testing Center personnel or if available for the program, through the Prometric Website or IVR system. Leaving a message on a recorder or a voice mail is not sufficient to confirm cancellation/change. Outside of the United States and Canada, candidates must make and confirm all cancellations/changes via the Prometric Website or by direct contact with the Prometric Testing Center.
Do I have to recertify?
The CFM certification is valid for three years. Visit https://www.ifma.org/credentials/certified-facility-manager-cfm/ for more details.
All CFMs must complete a total of 5+ hours of relevant training or education to re-certify.
▶ Physical, virtual or blended training/education
▶ 5 hours of training or education equals 1 activity.
Examples include: ~ Employer-sponsored in-service training ~ Continuing education courses ~ College/University courses ~ Chapter/Council/Component workshop Keep track of receipts, CEU transcripts, certificate of completion or transcripts as applicable as well as the name of organization, dates and name of sessions/conference. These will be submitted as your documentation of activity completion. Training/education is an activity in which a specific learning event occurs. Membership luncheons from the chapter count too!
What is the difference between a certification and a certificate program?
It is the role of TRAINING and its relationship to credentialing that sets these two types of credentials apart. The primary focus of a knowledge-based and/or assessment-based certificate program is to deliver education and training. This credential is directly linked to a training course, that the student must complete, and the credential is proof that its holder has completed the course and achieved its prescribed outcomes. Hence, the purpose of a certificate program is to educate participants, and the assessment is used as a mirror to prove that the associated learning outcomes have been completed. A professional certification, on the other hand, is independent of a training course. The primary focus of a professional or personnel certification is an assessment. Moreover, the assessment conducted by a certification program is independent of a specific class, course, or other education/training program and also independent of any provider of classes, courses, or programs. With professional certification, the examination is used not as a mirror but as a screen – to separate those who meet the assessment standards from those who do not.
How do I become an IFMA member?
Go to www.ifma.org to learn more!