IFMA CFM Cheat Sheet

Leadership & Strategy

10% of exam
Exam Blueprint Map Credential Rules Exam Day Rules Change management

Facility Operations

10% of exam
Maintenance Strategies Operations Metrics Building Systems FCI benchmarks

Risk Management

10% of exam
Risk & Continuity Risk Responses RTO and RPO Incident command

Finance & Business

10% of exam
Capital Appraisal Budget & Procurement NPV and IRR Life-cycle costing

Sustainability

10% of exam
Sustainability Metrics Energy Audit Levels GHG scopes Energy use intensity

Communication

10% of exam
Communication Plan Stakeholder grid Plan, deliver, evaluate Feedback loops

Quality

10% of exam
Quality & Performance QA versus QC KPIs and SLAs PDCA cycle

Real Estate

10% of exam
Real Estate & Space Lease structures Load factor Master planning

Facility Technology and Data Management

10% of exam
FM Technology Systems CMMS versus IWMS Cybersecurity Data management

Project Management

10% of exam
Project Lifecycle Substantial completion Delivery methods Project closeout

Quick Facts

Exam questions 120 total, 100 scored
Pretest items 20 unscored, mixed randomly
Item format Three-option multiple choice
Testing time 3 hours, 4-hour appointment
Scoring Pass/fail on total correct
Cut score Criterion-referenced, not published
Blueprint 10 domains, 10 items each
Pass rate 65%, published by IFMA
Delivery Prometric centers, no remote
Language English only
Eligibility 5 years, or 3 with degree
Tier 1 fee $615 member/$910 non-member
Retake fee $265 member/$365 non-member
Validity 3 years, ends December 31
Ethics deadline 30 days after passing
Results Immediate email; 21-day review

Ten Domain Order LE

Leaders Fix Risk, Finance, Sustain, Communicate, Quality, Realty, Tech, Projects
Leadership, Facility ops, Risk Finance, Sustainability, Communication Quality, Real estate, Technology Project Management tenth

11 Competencies vs 10 Domains LE

11 core competencies

Study and training framework
Includes Occupancy & Human Factors
Used across IFMA credentials

10 exam domains

Scored blueprint, domains A-J
10 items each, 100 total
No human factors domain
The exam scores domains

Eligibility Path Picker LE

FM bachelor's or master's → Option 1 ( 3 years experience )
Any other education level → Option 2 ( 5 years experience )
Only internship experience → Not yet eligible ( Internships never count )
Experience is narrow → Broaden first ( Most domains required )
Passed, ethics outstanding → Finish within 30 days ( Otherwise credential inactive )

Exam Blueprint Map LE

A Leadership & Strategy Strategy, change, relationships 10 items
B Facility Operations Systems, maintenance, FF&E, security 10 items
C Risk Management Resilience, planning, emergencies 10 items
D Finance & Business Budgeting, procurement, analysis 10 items
E Sustainability Energy, water, waste, wellness 10 items
F Communication Communication skills, plan management 10 items
G Quality Quality management, improvement 10 items
H Real Estate Master planning, programming 10 items
I Facility Technology Data, technology, cyber-security 10 items
J Project Management Design, delivery, closeout 10 items

Exam Numbers LE

120 items, 100 scored, 3 hours
20 unscored pretest Three-option items 4-hour appointment

Scored vs Pretest Items LE

100 scored

Decide your pass/fail result
Spread evenly across domains

20 pretest

Unscored, being trialled
Mixed in and unmarked
Answer all 120 items

Credential Rules LE

Eligibility Option 1 FM degree, 3 years
Eligibility Option 2 Any education, 5 years
Internships Never count as experience
Ethics assessment Required within 30 days
Ethics renewal Every six years
Eligibility window 90 days after approval
Window extension 90 more days, $50
Application audit Random; verifies experience, degree
Fee tiers Country-based; Tier 1 highest

Recertification Math LE

Three each in two categories, six total
At least three activities per category Minimum two of four categories Six activities per three-year cycle Ethics training every six years

Grace Period vs Late Period LE

Grace period

January 1 to March 31
No penalty applies

Late period

April 1 to June 30
$100 late fee
After June 30, retake

Exam Day Rules LE

Arrival 30 minutes before appointment
Late arrival Over 15 minutes, no-show
Identification Two IDs, one photo
Calculators Not permitted
Notes and books Not permitted
Scratch paper Allowed, must be returned
Breaks Unscheduled; timer keeps running
Exhibits Single item or symbol
Official confirmation Within 21 business days

FCI Bands FA

Good 5, fair 10, poor 30
Under 5% good 5-10% fair 10-30% poor Above 30% critical

Preventive vs Predictive FA

Preventive

Fixed calendar or runtime
Runs regardless of condition

Predictive

Condition data triggers work
Vibration, thermography, oil analysis
Interval versus condition

Maintenance Strategy Picker FA

Failure risk is critical → RCM ( Analyze failure modes )
Condition data available → Predictive ( Sensors trigger work )
Known wear interval → Preventive ( Fixed time or runtime )
Asset cheap and non-critical → Run-to-failure ( Lowest program cost )
Fault already reported → Corrective ( Repair this period )
Funding was cut → Deferred ( Raises FCI over time )

Maintenance Strategies FA

Preventive (PM) Fixed time or runtime
Predictive (PdM) Condition data triggers work
Corrective Repairs a found fault
Deferred Postponed past due date
Reliability-centered (RCM) Failure mode drives strategy
Run-to-failure Cheap, non-critical assets
MTBF Mean time between failures
MTTR Mean time to repair

Operations Metrics FA

FCI Deferred maintenance over replacement value
FCI good Under 5%
FCI fair 5-10%
FCI poor 10-30%
FCI critical Above 30%
PM completion rate Completed over scheduled PMs
Work management system Estimate, plan, schedule, track

Building Systems FA

Infrastructure Structure, systems, envelope
Building systems HVAC, electrical, plumbing, transport
FF&E Movable, non-permanent connections
Grounds Exterior non-structure elements
Renewal Restores previous good condition
Renovation Enhances or changes use

Continuity Four Rs RI

Respond, recover, resume, restore
BCP defines each stage RTO sets the clock RPO limits data loss

RTO vs RPO RI

RTO

How fast to restore
Measured as downtime

RPO

How much data lost
Sets backup frequency
Time versus data loss

Emergency Response Picker RI

Odor plus occupant symptoms → Evacuate the area ( People before investigation )
Need restoration deadline → RTO ( Comes from impact analysis )
Need data loss limit → RPO ( Backup frequency follows )
Multi-site global incident → Multiple command posts ( ICS scales up )
Unsafe condition during response → Safety Officer stops work ( Direct authority )

Risk & Continuity RI

BIA Ranks processes by impact
RTO Target restoration time
RPO Maximum tolerable data loss
Resilience Adaptive capacity under change
Business continuity Delivery at predefined levels
BCP Respond, recover, resume, restore
ICS Scalable incident command structure
Incident Commander Holds overall tactical authority
Safety Officer Can stop unsafe operations

Risk Responses RI

Avoid Removes the hazard entirely
Mitigate Reduces likelihood or impact
Transfer Insurance or contract clause
Accept Retain; mitigation costs more
Risk assessment Identify, analyze, evaluate
Self-insured retention Loss retained before insurance

CapEx vs OpEx FI

CapEx

Long-lived asset, depreciated
Approved as capital project

OpEx

Recurring annual operating cost
Funded from operating budget
Asset life drives classification

Capital Metric Picker FI

Need total lifetime cost → LCCA ( Design through salvage )
Compare timed cash flows → NPV ( Positive means accept )
Need a return rate → IRR ( Beat the hurdle rate )
Need recovery speed → Simple payback ( Ignores time value )
Rank savings projects → Savings-to-investment ratio ( Above 1 is viable )
Compare ownership options → TCO ( Includes disposal cost )

Capital Appraisal FI

LCCA Sums design through salvage
NPV Discounted flows minus investment
IRR Discount rate where NPV zero
Simple payback Investment over annual savings
Discounted payback Payback including discount rate
ROI Net gain over investment
Savings-to-investment ratio Above 1 is viable
TCO Acquire, operate, maintain, dispose
Hurdle rate Minimum acceptable return

Budget & Procurement FI

OpEx Recurring operating budget spend
CapEx Long-lived asset investment
Chargeback Allocates cost to occupants
Zero-based budget Justify every line yearly
RFI Gathers market information
RFQ Price-driven, defined specification
RFP Scope plus evaluated approach
Best value Weighs quality and price

GHG Scopes SU

One burns, two buys, three beyond
Scope 1 direct combustion Scope 2 purchased energy Scope 3 value chain

Sustainability Metrics SU

EUI kBtu per square foot
Energy baseline Reference for performance comparison
Scope 1 Direct onsite combustion emissions
Scope 2 Purchased electricity, steam, cooling
Scope 3 Indirect value chain emissions
Waste diversion rate Diverted over total waste
Water footprint Quantified water-related impacts
ISO 50001 Energy management system standard
ISO 14046 Water footprint standard

Energy Audit Levels SU

ASHRAE Level I Walk-through, benchmark, low-cost
ASHRAE Level II Survey, savings and costs
ASHRAE Level III Investment-grade, capital projects
Peer benchmarking Compare against similar buildings
Submetering Isolates end-use consumption
Demand response Curtails load on request

Communication Plan CO

Planning Strategy to influence stakeholders
Delivery Right method, right timeframe
Evaluation Tests plan effectiveness
Power/interest grid Right-sizes stakeholder effort
Manage closely High power, high interest
Keep satisfied High power, low interest

QA vs QC QU

Quality assurance

Process focused and proactive
Prevents defects occurring

Quality control

Product focused and reactive
Detects defects after work
Prevent versus detect

Quality & Performance QU

Quality assurance Process focused, prevents defects
Quality control Product focused, detects defects
KPI Measured indicator of performance
SLA Committed service levels, remedies
Service level assessment Evaluate service you offer
PDCA Plan, do, check, act
ISO 9001 Quality management system standard
ISO 41001 Facility management system standard

Usable vs Rentable Area RE

Usable (USF)

Space the tenant occupies
Excludes shared common areas

Rentable (RSF)

Usable plus common share
Basis for rent charged
Load factor links them

Real Estate & Space RE

Gross lease Landlord pays operating expenses
Triple net (NNN) Tenant pays proportional expenses
Modified gross Expenses split by agreement
Base year stop Tenant pays increases above
Usable area Space the tenant occupies
Rentable area Usable plus common share
Load factor Rentable over usable area
Master planning Long-range portfolio direction
Functional programming Translates needs into space

CMMS vs IWMS FA

CMMS

Work orders and maintenance
Asset register focused

IWMS

Space, leases, projects, assets
Enterprise-wide integration
Scope of coverage differs

FM Technology Systems FA

CMMS Work orders, assets, maintenance
IWMS Integrates space, leases, assets
CAFM Space and occupancy planning
BAS Controls HVAC and lighting
BIM Model-based building information
Information security Confidentiality, integrity, availability
Security event Possible breach or failure
Security incident Events threatening business operations

Project Lifecycle PR

Planning and design Scope, budget, schedule defined
Execution and delivery Controls and produces deliverables
Project closeout Close contracts, record performance
Substantial completion Owner may occupy facility
Punch list Remaining minor corrective items
Design-bid-build Sequential; bids after design
Design-build Single contract, overlapping phases

Common Traps

Competencies vs exam domains

11 competencies are training ≠ 10 domains are scored

Old form vs current

Legacy form had 180 ≠ Current exam has 120

Cut score vs percentage

Criterion-referenced cut score ≠ IFMA publishes no percentage

Appointment vs testing time

Appointment blocks 4 hours ≠ Timer counts 3 hours

Remote vs test center

Prometric test centers only ≠ Live remote no longer allowed

Corrective vs deferred

Corrective repairs this period ≠ Deferred postponed past due

Usable vs rentable area

Usable excludes common areas ≠ Rentable adds common share

Retake window vs unlimited

Reduced fee within 12 months ≠ Later attempts need reapplication

Expiry vs exam anniversary

Always December 31 ≠ Three years from exam

One price vs country tier

Tier 1 is highest ≠ Tiers 2 and 3 lower

Last Minute

1. 120 items; 100 scored, 3 hours
2. Ten domains, ten items each
3. Three-option items; answer everything
4. Pass/fail; cut score unpublished
5. Prometric centers only; no remote
6. Two IDs; no calculator allowed
7. Breaks unscheduled; timer keeps running
8. FCI = deferred over replacement value
9. RTO = downtime; RPO = data
10. QA prevents; QC detects
11. Rentable = usable + common share
12. CapEx buys assets; OpEx runs them
13. Evacuate first when occupants symptomatic
14. Ethics assessment within 30 days
15. Credential ends December 31, three years

IFMA CFM Certified Facility Manager

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