Certified Federal Contract Manager™

CFCM Certification

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Questions about NCMA certifications?

Watch Navigating NCMA Certifications to get a better understanding of the process.

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What is the FAR?

The FAR provides policies and procedures that government acquisition officials and contractors must follow in the procurement process for goods and service.

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.).

CFCM™ Handbook

Obtaining and maintaining the CFCM™ is a significant milestone in your professional development. The purpose of this handbook is to provide you with important information about the policies and procedures on how you can:

• Apply for the CFCM™ certification,
• Obtain the CFCM™ certification, and
• Maintain the CFCM™ certification.

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

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, Credit Eval, 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:

1. Log into your profile at the top of any page on the NCMA website and select Certification from the left hand menu
2. 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
3. From there, follow the tabs and instructions along the top. 

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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.

Impartiality Statement

NCMA top leadership ensures that NCMA is operated in a manner to safeguard objectivity and impartiality in delivering its certification program in a non-discriminatory manner.

Certification FAQ

Visit our FAQ page for answers to commonly asked certification questions.

Online Preparatory Course

Participate in NCMA's convenient and interactive 12-week online classroom environment course.
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.

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) to help pass 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.

CFCM™ Question Frequency by FAR Part

1. FAR Part 52:  Scope and Instructions only
2. FAR Part 53:  Scope and Definitions only