Professional Certification Programs from the

National Contract Management Association

Certification Program

•Certified Federal Contracts Manager (CFCM)

• Certified Commercial Contracts Manager (CCCM)

• Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM)

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• CFCM indicates you are knowledgeable about the practice of contracts management in the federal environment

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CFCM Prerequisites

• Academic– Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college

or university

• Continuing Professional Education– Minimum of 80 hours of contract management or related

subjects

• Experience– Minimum of 1 year of experience in CM or a related field

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CFCM Exam

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• One objective 3-hour exam, with 110 questions

• Based on the Federal Acquisition Regulation

• Passing score = 70%

• CCCM indicates you are knowledgeable about the practice of contracts management in the commercial environment

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• One Objective 3-hour exam, with 110 questions• Based on the Uniform Commercial Code - Articles 1, 2, and 2a• Passing score = 70%

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CCCM Exam

CCCM Prerequisites

• Academic– Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited

college or university

• Continuing Professional Education– Minimum of 80 hours of contract management or

related subjects

• Experience– Minimum of 1 year of experience in CM or a related

field

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• CPCM shows you are knowledgeable about all facets of contracts management

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CPCM Prerequisites

• Academic– Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited

college or university

• Continuing Professional Education– Minimum of 120 hours of contract management or

related subjects

• Experience– Minimum of 5 years of experience in CM or a related

field

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CPCM Exam

• One objective 4-hour exam, with 180 questions based on the CMBOK

• - 70% based on contract management (Contract Principles, Contract Planning/Strategy, Specialized Knowledge, and Contract Administration)

• - 30% based on general business (accounting, economics, finance, management, marketing, operations management, quantitative methods)

• Passing score = 70%

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Benefits for Employers

• Provides independent validation of employee or potential employee skills and competency– Especially important today for outside hires when resume

‘inflation’ is rampant and when past employer’s are increasingly reluctant to give meaningful feedback on former employees

• Improves credibility in the eyes of business partners throughout the supply chain– Greater confidence in the competency of your contract

professionals when interacting with primes, subs, vendors, customers in contracts matters

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Benefits of NCMA Certification for Employers - continued

•Helps attract and retain the “best and brightest”

•Professional development opportunities are a greater motivator than pay and bonuses

• In a tight labor market support of employee certification efforts is a strong differentiator between employers

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Benefits of NCMA Certification for Employees

• Personal satisfaction– Be a “professional”, not merely one who works in a professional

field

• Peer recognition– Gain respect in the workplace

• More career opportunities (Hiring and Promotions)– Increasing number of employers stating CFCM or CPCM “desired”,

“highly desired”, or even “required” on job postings– Increasing number of number of employers using NCMA

certification as a differentiator in promotion to leadership and management positions within the Contract Management field

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What Certification Is Not

•Certification is not a substitute for performance•Certification is not a substitute for experience•Certification is not a substitute for teamwork •Certification is not a guarantee of success•Certification is not a determination of who can

merely study well and pass an exam

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What Certification Is

•NCMA Certification– Validates your knowledge of CM– Forces you to keep current on CM– Brings you one step closer to professional perfection

• Education is an indicator of academic strength, while certification is an indicator of professional strength

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Certification costs

• Application Fees:• CFCM = $150 member/ $260 nonmember• CCCM = $150 member/ $260 nonmember• CPCM = $175 member/ $285 nonmember

• Examination Fees:• $95 per module, payable to exam provider

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Where & When Do I take the Exams?

• NCMA uses Kryterion Test Centers for its exams– Exams are given via computer in the Kryterion Test

Center under the supervision of trained proctors.– Test Centers are open normal business hours and

some centers offer Saturday testing as well• There are several hundred Kryterion Test Centers

around the United States• Candidates select location, date & time most

convenient

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Alternatives to Kryterion?

•NCMA offers on-site exams at selected national events.

•NCMA chapters may obtain a one-time authorization from the NCMA’s Certification Department to offer on-site exams. The chapter must provide a suitable testing environment and a proctor.

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How Long Do I have to Complete the Certification Process

•Candidates have 1 year to complete the required exam from the date his/her application is approved

•Extensions to the 1-year period can be granted for extenuating circumstances (overseas job assignment, serious long term illness, etc)

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NCMA Certifications Set the Gold Standard

The $ Value of Certification: Results of 3 annual NCMA Salary Surveys• CFCM = $10k more per year• CPCM = $25k more per year• There is no difference in salary between having only a DAU Level II certification and having no certification at all

– Level II meets minimum standards

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Recertification & Lifetime Certification

• Recertification– Must earn at least 60 hours of continuing

education over the 5-year renewal period• Lifetime certification

– Retirees at least 55 and no longer working in CM– Workers over 60 who have current certifications

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What about study materials?

• NCMA Book Store– Annotated Guide to the CMBOK – Desktop Guide to Basic Contracting Terms– CFCM Study Guide– CCCM Study Guide– General Business Study Guides Vols 1-5– Current Reading List

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Exam Preparatory Aids

• Online practice exams• Exam preparatory classes available at

selected national events

Chapter Study Group Guide

• www.ncmahq.org/certification/docs/ChptrStudyGroupGuide.pdf

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“Opportunities are never lost. They’re taken by someone else.”Anonymous

Contact certification@ncmahq.org for more information

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