Certified Federal Contract Manager™

The CFCM™ certification is ANAB-Accredited and designed to exhibit knowledge as a contract manager from the perspective of the federal environment, which is focused on the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR).

Please note: at this time, NCMA is awaiting the release of the fully codified FAR before implementing any updates to the CFCM exam. Once the codification is finalized, the exam will be revised to incorporate the updated FAR structure and content, as well as align with the key competencies identified through the RFO process. This approach ensures the exam remains accurate, relevant, and reflective of current acquisition practices.

To ensure you are prepared for the current exam while understanding what is changing, your enrollment in this program includes NCMA’s FAR Overhaul Crosswalk Workbook, a practitioner reference designed to map the legacy FAR (FAC 2025-06) to the restructured FAR Overhaul (FBO 2025).

The workbook presents section-by-section comparisons identifying renumbered, relocated, revised, and deleted provisions, along with notes describing structural, textual, and policy-level changes. This tool supports training, policy alignment, and daily use by enabling practitioners to visualize how regulatory content has evolved under the FAR’s new modular, data-structured format. Together with the FAR Companion and Practitioner Albums, the Crosswalk equips acquisition professionals to transition confidently into the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) framework.

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CFCM™ Resources

Obtaining and maintaining the CFCM™ is a significant milestone in your professional development.

The following resources are available for additional information:

Access Handbook FAQs

NCMA requires that all CFCM™ certification applicants read this entire handbook.

Who Should Pursue the CFCM™?

Federal contract managers (buyers and sellers) who participate in federal government contract actions,
State and local contract managers (buyers and sellers) who participate in contract actions involving federal funds,
Those who have a general interest in federal contract management (e.g., academicians, consultants, researchers, regulatory authorities, representatives of accrediting organizations, representatives of other organizations, etc.).

Benefits of Earning the CFCM™

It sets you apart from others in your profession.
It sharpens your focus.
It shows that you are committed to maintaining the highest level of professionalism.

Eligibility Requirements

A Bachelor’s Degree. Non-degreed candidates with at least 5 years of verifiable contract management experience plus 24 college credits that align with the CMBOK™ competencies may request a waiver.
- Degrees from outside the United States must be evaluated by an independent third party, such as World Education Services, Scholaro, GEO Credential Services (GCS), Info Check USA, or SpanTran.
Two years of work experience in contract management or related field.
A minimum of 80 hours of CPE/CLP (see our Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Guide for details).

Application Process & Fees

If you’re interested in the CFCM™ certification program, complete and submit your online application along with:

Your college/university transcripts or written waiver request.
Your work experience (CV, resume, or employer records).
Proof of at least 80 CPE/CLP hours.
Your application fee ($165 for NCMA members and $365 for nonmembers).

Once you have completed and submitted your application, the certification department will have everything formally reviewed within 15 business days. If approved, you will have one year and three attempts to pass your exam.

Please note: NCMA Membership is NOT required in order to apply, obtain, and maintain NCMA certification.

How to Access Your Application:

Log into your profile at the top of any page on the NCMA website and select Certification from the left hand menu
From there, do one of two things:
- Click on new application by selecting the blue button of the certification you are applying for
  -OR-
- If it is an existing certification, click on the certification within the menu
From there, follow the tabs and instructions along the top.

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CFCM Exam Prep

Participate in NCMA's convenient and interactive 12-week online classroom environment. You can prepare for the exam in a way that fits your schedule: join a live, instructor-led virtual classroom course for real-time interaction and guidance or choose a self-paced option to study on your own timeline at your convenience.

This course is optional and not required to take the CFCM™ exam. Taking this course will help prepare you but does not equal or guarantee your certification nor does it guarantee your eligibility to sit for the exam.

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Practice Exams

Purchase today to gauge your strengths and weaknesses.

Study Guide

Utilize NCMA’s Certified Federal Contracts Manager Study Guide 4th Edition (November 2021) in preparation for your CFCM™ exam. The study guide is also available as an eBook on Google Play and Google Books. It has been updated to include all 53 FAR Parts, through FAC 2021-06 and includes new summary sections for each FAR Subchapter.

The study guide is optional and not required to take the CFCM™ exam. Using the study guide will help you prepare but does not equal or guarantee your certification nor does it guarantee your eligibility to sit for the exam.

The CFCM exam is current through the Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) number located in the “CFCM Exam Blueprint” table in the CFCM Handbook.

Exam Process & Fees

Your test will be scheduled through NCMA’s testing provider, Kryterion. You will be able to select the date, time, and testing location based off of your zip code. The exam fee is $135 in the U.S. & Canada and $160 internationally.

Reschedule requests made within 72 hours of an exam will result in a $100 (domestic) and $130 (international) fee.