Credentialing Assistance for Military Personnel*

At NCMA, we care and value service members and their families and want to help in their professional development. We offer resources and certifications for active military employees and veterans who are interested in transitioning into a contract management career.

NCMA is an approved credentialing partner searchable in the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, and DoD Civilian Credentialing Opportunities On-line (COOL) portals**. The DoD civilian COOL portal accesses all six COOL portals. This means that military personnel may be able to use program funding to apply for NCMA certifications and register for optional NCMA Preparatory Courses. The NCMA application and registration processes are different for COOL programs.*

DoD civilian COOL portal
 

NCMA Products Included in the COOL Programs

NCMA Certifications

• Certified Professional Contract Manager® (CPCM™)
• Certified Federal Contract Manager™ (CFCM™)
• Certified Commercial Contract Manager™ (CCCM™)
• Certified Contract Management Associate (CCMA)

Certification Online Preparatory Courses

These 10-week interactive online classroom environments are designed to prepare students for the Certified Professional Contracts Manager™ (CPCM™) or Certified Federal Contracts Manager™ (CFCM™) certification exam. Although helpful to the preparation process, OPCs are not required to take an NCMA certification exam. NCMA courses covered in all six COOL programs include:

• CPCM™ Online Preparatory Course
• CFCM™ Online Preparatory Course

Four-Step Initiation Process

There are several steps to receive funds for the approved NCMA certification programs and learning resources. Specifics about each of the six COOL programs are accessible through the DoD website.

1. Learn about the preferred Credentialing Assistance (CA) program including how and when available funds can be used.
2. Learn about each NCMA credential and its eligibility requirements. Decide which exam or prep course is right for you.
3. Complete the CA request and wait for approval.
4. Receive approval. Once you receive approval, you will be directed to contact NCMA to enroll in your training or schedule your exam.

*Important Note for registrations and applications related to the COOL program
Begin the process from the COOL program portal and do not start with the NCMA enrollment process. NCMA will receive payment directly from the selected Credentialing Assistance Program.

** Practice tests/exams are currently incorrectly linked in the "Exam Prep" tab of the CPCM, CFCM, CCCM, and CCMA pages located on the Army COOL website. We are in the process of having this corrected. Please refer to the NCMA website for learning resources.