Certified Federal Contract Manager Study Guide NCMA CERTIFICATION PROGRAM NCMA Professional Certification

							         NCMA
CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
                    NCMA Professional Certification Program

3 NCMA Certifications are:

•   Certified Federal Contracts Manager (CFCM)
     – A certified federal contracts management (CFCM) shows that you are knowledgeable about the
         practice of contracts management in the federal environment.

•   Certified Commercial Contracts Manager (CCCM)
     – A certified commercial contracts manager (CCCM) shows that you are knowledgeable about the
         practice of contracts management in the commercial environment.

•   Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM)
     – A certified professional contracts manager (CPCM) shows that you are knowledgeable about all
         facets of contracts management, both within the government and the commercial areas.

NCMA Certification Program - Provided at: http://www.ncmahq.org/ (click on “certification” button).

Our Local CVC website provides some of our chapter’s initial perspective about certifications at:
http://intranet.ncmahq.org/centralvirginia/default.aspx.
    Value of the NCMA professional certification program

•   Certification is a mark of distinction. It sets the credentialed individual and his/her workplace apart
    from others in the same profession. A certified individual communicates that he or she has attained
    a certain level of expertise and is committed to maintaining the highest level of professionalism.

•   Certification increases and enhances competition in the labor market. Employers also enjoy a level
    of assurance with respect to a certified individual's knowledge, application of that knowledge, and
    continued professional development.

•   NCMA's certification program, in particular, sharpens candidates' focus. Recertification continues to
    hone that focus and maintain or increase the candidates' professional role in the organization.
                                     Eligibility Requirements
General Requirements for CFCM and CCCM are:

     –   A degree from a regionally accredited institution at the bachelor's level, with 24 hours of course work in business
         management topics,
     –   Two years of experience, and
     –   120 hours of continuing professional education-at least 40 of which are specific to federal contracts management
         topics.
     –   Waivers of the degree requirement are available for those candidates who have ten years of experience and a
         letter from a supervisor supporting their candidacy.
     –   Candidates lacking only the experiential and continuing education requirements may apply for the designation and
         take the examinations. Upon successful completion of the examinations, the candidate will be awarded the
         designation ONLY when both experiential and continuing education requirements are met.


CFCM - A candidate must take and pass two examinations; the Business Knowledge and Federal
Knowledge modules.

CCCM - A candidate must take and pass two examinations; the Business Knowledge and Commercial
Knowledge modules.

CPCM - A candidate must pass the CFCM and CCCM and apply for CPCM.

Recertification - Upon certification, members are required to recertify every 5 years by re-applying. No
additional exam is required.
                 How to Register for NCMA Certification

•   Complete application form (CFCM, CCCM, and/or CPCM) which is available online at:
    http://www.ncmahq.org/. If member is requesting that CVC Chapter make a determination of
    whether funding is available then send an electronic copy of the application to the CVC, Education
    Chair. If funding is available and member is in compliance with requirements, the funded
    application will be submitted to NCMA for approval along with any necessary supporting
    documents.

•   NCMA will then review application and if applicable send record of eligibility to exam provider and
    send instructions to member candidate. The candidate will then register for the exam.

•   All exams will be given at Thomson Prometric centers. A listing of exam sites in our state is
    available at www.2test.com (Looks like there are some in Richmond (Glen Allen) area. Member is
    to apply directly for exam.

•   Upon successful completion of the certificate, please provide a copy of the certificate to the CVC,
    Education Chair. The date of certification is also important in order that we can keep track on
    when recertification is due.
                                           Various Study Aids

•   For most folks, taking the exam requires a good deal of studying. There are a myriad of study materials and practice tools
    available. Some of these include:

     –   The NCMA website has a link under “Certifications” and “Study Materials” which recommends various study materials
         that will help in preparing for the certification exams. Among these are practice questions and mini exams available
         for download at no charge.

     –   Study Guide - The CVC is contemplating purchasing a hard copy of the Study Guide for two modules’ “Business
         Knowledge Module” and “Federal Knowledge Module”. This material will be made available in the future for loan to its
         members. Please contact any of the current NCMA Board Members if you are interested in borrowing any of the
         material. If you would like to purchase your own copy of this material, it is available for direct purchase from their
         NCMA website under “Study Materials”.

            •   NCMA General Business Knowledge Module: Preparatory Study Guide (5 Volumes). This is applicable for
                both CFCM and CCCM. This includes:
                   – Volume 1 – Management
                   – Volume 2 – Marketing
                   – Volume 3 – Economics
                   – Volume 4 – Finance & Accounting
                   – Volume 5 – Operations Management and Quantitative Methods

            •   NCMA Federal Knowledge Module Study Guide

            •   NCMA Guide to the Contract Management Body of Knowledge
                               Various Study Aids (Cont’d)
•   On-Line Certification Preparatory Courses - NCMA has on-line course modules available that will help in preparing for the
    certification exams. Completion of these on-line courses can also earn you Continuous Learning Points as appropriate. If
    after review of the study guides you feel there is a particular area that you are weak in; consider taking one of the on-line
    courses available. Chapter funding may be available depending on criteria provided by the Chapter . Some of the on-line
    courses available include:

            •   NCMA General Business Knowledge Module:
                  – Management - (not available – currently under development)
                  – Marketing Bundle             (14.5 CLPs)
                  – Operations Management - (not available – currently under development)
                  – Finance Bundle               (11.5 CLPs)
                  – Accounting Bundle            (11.5 CLPs)
                  – Economics - (not available – currently under development)
                  – Quantative Methods Bundle (10.0 CLPs)

            •   Federal Knowledge Module Preparatory Course
            •   Commercial Knowledge Module Preparatory Course – (not available - May be a long time before implemented)

•   Study Groups - Depending on the extent of interest from the Chapter members, we will see if organizing a study group is
    feasible. Study groups are not essential to passing the exam. However, many people find that it is more enjoyable and
    motivating to join a group, regardless of how small, since it takes many hours of study on a continuing basis for several
    months and it helps to have others to motivate and share in the journey.

•   Individual Study – Individuals may elect to study for NCMA certification on their own schedule and pace and method. If you
    decide to do this let us know so we can see if CVC funding is available.