The Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA) is the entry-level national certification for professionals who manage HOAs, condominiums, and housing cooperatives. Administered by CAMICB, it requires passing a 120-question exam after completing a prerequisite course, two years of documented experience, or an accepted state license. Recertification is required every two years.
Note on Currency of Information
Certification requirements, fees, and state regulations change over time. Confirm current details directly with CAMICB at camicb.org or your state's licensing authority before applying or renewing.
Nearly 80 million Americans live in community associations, and the manager overseeing day to day operations often carries no state-mandated credential at all. In most states, “community association manager” is not a protected title. CMCA certification is the industry's answer: a standardized way for boards to verify that a candidate has been tested on governance, budgeting, risk, and ethics before being handed a community's finances. This guide covers what the credential tests, how to qualify, what it costs, and how it fits alongside state licenses and higher-tier CAI designations.
What Is CMCA Certification?
CMCA stands for Certified Manager of Community Associations. It is administered by the Community Association Managers International Certification Board (CAMICB), an independent nonprofit established in 1995 by the Community Associations Institute (CAI). CAMICB describes the CMCA as an entry-level credential: it confirms a manager has demonstrated fundamental knowledge of community association operations, not advanced mastery.
The program has grown steadily since its first paper-based exam in 1996. CAMICB's own credential materials trace the number of CMCA holders from 5,000 in 2005 to 20,000 by 2021, and this guide to community association management cites CAMICB's more recent figure of over 25,000 CMCAs worldwide. The exam is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) and complies with ISO/IEC 17024 standards for personnel certification.
CMCA is not the same as a state license. A handful of states, including Florida, regulate community association management directly and require their own license. CMCA is a separate, voluntary national credential that boards in any state can use to screen candidates, and in some states it can even establish eligibility for a state license, covered in more detail below.
CMCA Exam Format and Content
The CMCA exam is a 2.5-hour, 120-question multiple-choice test, made up of 100 scored questions and 20 unscored pilot items used to develop future exam forms. It is delivered as a computer-based test at Pearson VUE testing centers, and candidates get their results immediately after finishing.
As of a December 2024 update, the exam tests six domains:
If a candidate fails on the first attempt, CAMICB rotates between three exam forms for retakes. Roughly 60 to 80 percent of questions are shared across forms, so a retake will not be an identical test. There is no mandated waiting period between attempts, though application processing typically takes about 10 business days.
Where Meetings and Governance Fit Into the Job
Two of the six exam domains, governance and compliance and meetings and events, map directly onto the daily administrative load of running a community association: preparing agendas, tracking board decisions, and keeping meeting records organized and accessible. ManageCasa's board oversight and governance features handle that recordkeeping in one place, the kind of workflow a CMCA-certified manager is trained to run consistently.
CMCA Eligibility: Three Ways to Qualify
CAMICB allows candidates to qualify for the exam through one of three pathways.
Membership in CAI or any other association is not required to sit for the exam. If a candidate uses the experience pathway and fails on the first attempt, CAMICB requires them to complete a prerequisite course before retaking it.
One detail worth flagging for Illinois managers specifically: the relationship also runs in reverse there. Illinois requires community association managers to hold a state license, and applicants can establish eligibility for that license by passing the CMCA exam, provided they complete 20 hours of pre-license education within the 24 months before testing. Details are available directly from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.
How Much Does CMCA Certification Cost?
All fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable. Candidates have one year from application approval to sit for the exam within that window.
CMCA Renewal and Continuing Education
CMCA certification is not permanent. CAMICB requires recertification every two years, which involves four things: remaining active in the field, completing 16 hours of continuing education, paying the $135 annual service fee, and reaffirming the CMCA Standards of Professional Conduct.
CMCA vs. a State Community Association Manager License
Eight states, Alaska, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, and Virginia, have passed laws regulating the practice of community association management, according to CAMICB. The specifics vary significantly by state, and CAMICB directs candidates to confirm current rules with their state regulator or CAI rather than relying on general guidance.
Two examples show how differently these laws can work. Florida requires a state-issued license, called an LCAM, for anyone compensated to manage an association with more than 10 units or a budget over $100,000. Getting licensed means completing 16 hours of DBPR-approved education, passing a background check, and passing a separate 100-question state exam, a different test from the CMCA exam. this guide to the Florida CAM license covers that process step by step.
Illinois takes a different approach: it requires a license, but candidates can qualify for it by passing the CMCA exam itself rather than a separate state test, as long as they complete the required pre-license education first.
Most other states have no CAM-specific license at all. In those states, CMCA functions as the main signal a board has that a manager has been tested on baseline competency, since state law provides no equivalent floor.
CMCA, AMS, and PCAM: How the Credential Ladder Works
CMCA is the entry point in CAI's credentialing system. Two credentials sit above it, both administered directly by CAI rather than CAMICB.
CAI's own credentialing page states that more than 90 percent of community association board members prefer to hire a credentialed professional, whether that is a manager, insurance specialist, reserve specialist, or attorney. That preference is the main practical reason a manager pursues CMCA, and later AMS or PCAM, even in states where no license is legally required.
Is CMCA Certification Worth Getting?
For a board, the value is straightforward: a credentialed manager has been tested on governance, budgeting, risk, and ethics before being handed a community's finances. For a manager, CMCA is usually the first credential pursued, since it is a prerequisite for both AMS and PCAM later in a career.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks a broader occupational category called property, real estate, and community association managers, which reported a median annual wage of $69,990 in May 2025, with 4 percent projected employment growth from 2025 to 2035 and about 36,900 average annual openings. That figure blends several distinct roles together and is not a CMCA-specific salary number, but it gives a general sense of the occupational category's pay range and outlook.
How to Prepare for the CMCA Exam
CAMICB does not require any minimum work experience to sit for the exam, which makes it accessible to managers new to the field, though the board recommends six to twelve months of practical experience beforehand since it provides context that helps with the material. CAMICB offers free CMCA flashcards through Quizlet and an on-demand study tool that does not require a paid CAMICB account to access. If a candidate completed a prerequisite course to establish eligibility, reviewing those course materials is usually the most direct way to prepare, since the curriculum is built to align with the exam's six domains.
Related HOA and Community Management Guides
• How to Get Your Florida Community Association Manager or CAM License
• What Is Community Association Management? A Complete Guide
• HOA Board Member Responsibilities and Rules
Managing the Work a CMCA Is Trained to Handle
Managing a community association means running the same governance, meetings, and financial workflows the CMCA exam tests candidates on. ManageCasa's HOA platform brings those responsibilities into one system for community association managers and self-managed boards alike. Explore ManageCasa's HOA management features and pricing, or visit ManageCasa.com to learn more.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CMCA certification?
CMCA certification, short for Certified Manager of Community Associations, is an entry-level national credential for professionals who manage HOAs, condos, and cooperatives. It is administered by CAMICB and requires passing a 120-question exam covering governance, finance, risk, meetings, maintenance, and contracting. Recertification is required every two years.
How do you get CMCA certification?
You qualify through one of three CAMICB pathways: completing an approved prerequisite course, showing two years of experience as a community association manager, or holding an accepted state license or credential. After that, you submit the CMCA application, pay the $360 fee, and pass the 120-question exam at a Pearson VUE testing center.
Is CMCA certification the same as a state community association manager license?
No. CMCA is a voluntary national certification from CAMICB, while a state license, where one exists, is a legal requirement set by that state's government. Florida and Illinois both require a license, though Illinois lets candidates qualify for it by passing the CMCA exam instead of a separate state test.
How much do community association managers make?
Community association managers fall under the Bureau of Labor Statistics category for property, real estate, and community association managers, which reported a median annual wage of $69,990 in May 2025. That figure covers several related roles together, so individual pay varies by state, portfolio size, and credentials held.
What is the difference between CMCA, AMS, and PCAM?
CMCA, AMS, and PCAM form a credential ladder from CAI and CAMICB. CMCA is the entry-level exam-based certification, AMS requires the CMCA plus two years of experience and additional coursework, and PCAM requires five years of experience, all six CAI M-200 courses, and a case study. PCAM is CAI's most advanced designation.
Content Writer
Patrick Bohan is a content strategist focused on property management technology, HOA operations, and real estate. A Cornell graduate, he began his career at UBS covering housing markets, homeownership policy, and financial regulation experience that now informs his research driven approach to proptech content. Today he bridges the gap between software teams and the practitioners who use them, producing practical resources on community associations, rental operations, and accounting workflows for property managers.