Sara Duginske, M.S., Director, Credentialing Services, Community Association Mangers International Certification Board (CAMICB).

The field of community association management is growing and evolving. The knowledge and skills needed by successful managers today reflect changes in technology, regulatory and governance issues, and principles of effective management.

CAMICB conducted a job analysis study in 2016/2017 to examine the current state of community association management and update the Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA) exam. The job analysis was conducted with the help of CAMICB’s Exam Development Committee and more than 1,600 practitioners across the globe. This type of study is carried out at regular intervals, roughly every three to five years, to ensure the CMCA exam continues to evaluate the knowledge necessary for competent performance as a community association manager.
 
Job analysis is the cornerstone of a strong exam development process. The core component of this study is a survey distributed to practitioners in the field working in a wide range of professional situations. Survey respondents provide their professional expertise to identify job tasks and knowledge that are critical for successfully executing the responsibilities of a professional community association manager.  Survey data are used to inform changes to the exam content blueprint which specifies the portion of the exam that is allocated for each primary topic area. In this manner, the job analysis study ensures the exam measures topics and concepts that are relevant to the profession as it exists today.
 
A new CMCA examination blueprint has been developed based on the results of the 2016/2017 job analysis study, and new forms of the CMCA exam, built against the new blueprint, will be launched on January 1, 2018.
 
We want to emphasize that the changes made to the examination blueprint are limited and the core knowledge areas remain the same. A candidate preparing for the current CMCA is not likely to feel unprepared sitting for the new exam. However, the CMCA Candidate Handbook and the CMCA Study Guide have been updated to reflect the revised CMCA examination blueprint. The current Handbook and Study Guide – valid through December 31, 2017 – will remain on the website through the end of December. The updated Study Guide and Candidate Handbook are also now available with a January 1 effective date. After December 31, only the updated Study Guide and Candidate Handbook will be available.
 
If you are planning on testing before December 31, 2017, please refer only to the current 2017 Candidate Handbook and 2017 Study Guide. If you plan to test after December 31, 2017, please utilize only the updated publications: 2018 Candidate Handbook and 2018 Study Guide. Questions regarding the launch of updated forms of the CMCA examination may be forwarded to info@camicb.org.