By Madeline Hay, CAMICB Manager of Exam Administration

Over the past 25 years, the Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA) credential has been a catalyst in establishing community association management as a discrete profession. The common interest community housing model exists around the world and there has been consistent interest in the CMCA credential, the educational pathways to achieve the credential and the continuing education requirement to maintain the credential. Passing the CMCA examination and maintaining the standards of the CMCA certification is proof that a manager is knowledgeable, ethical and professional. CMCA-certified managers have the skills to safeguard the assets of homeowners’ associations, giving homeowners peace of mind and protecting home values across the globe.

We, at the Community Association Managers International Certification Board (CAMICB), are incredibly proud that the CMCA credential is the only international certification for managers that is accredited by the US-based National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) and the globally recognized ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB). This dual accreditation underscores the strength and integrity of the CMCA credential. As we continue to celebrate our 25th anniversary year, we are reminded of our number one priority: maintaining, updating and validating the CMCA examination. 

The process we use is rigorous, systematic and in strict compliance with best practices in the credentialing industry. A crucial step in this process is completing a job analysis to examine the current state of community association management – the responsibilities of a professional manager and the knowledge and skills required to fulfill those responsibilities. We carry out this process approximately every five years to provide a benchmark for updating the CMCA exam. Our next job analysis cycle begins this year, concluding in 2022. 

The job analysis approach we use involves collecting and aggregating information and insights from job incumbents and occupational experts to determine the content specifications for the CMCA exam. This process is illustrated in the graphic below. A significant component of the process is an electronic survey sent to thousands of association management professionals worldwide to gather information about their job duties and requirements. The survey results will be reviewed with the pool of subject matter experts comprising the CAMICB Exam Development Committee to obtain their input and judgments regarding current trends in the profession and the importance of the knowledge for competent performance in the field. 

As the CMCA credential has grown internationally, this upcoming study will build on that growth. Joseph Caramagno, MA, who leads the survey process and analysis and is a Senior Research Scientist for Human Resources Research Organization (HumRRO), CAMICB’s test development partner said, “While the job analysis survey has taken a global approach in the past, we’re making changes to the process to reach even more managers working around the world.”  Caramagno explained, “The focus for this survey cycle is to fully understand, at a global level, the essential tasks and duties that comprise a manager’s day-to-day work and what they must know to carry out those duties effectively. Additionally, this input will help shape our understanding of the profession.”

The survey will be available to managers all over the world in the second quarter of 2022, and managers at all levels of experience must participate to ensure we have broad representation and an accurate view of the profession.

Said Chair of the CAMICB Board of Commissioners, Drew Mulhare, CMCA, LSM, PCAM, “This process is a critical component to maintaining and validating the exam as the results guide the development of a new CMCA exam blueprint, which assures we are testing what we need to be testing. In addition, this comprehensive survey will help us emerge with a clear vision of what the field of association management around the world is today, how it has changed over the last five years, and what the minimum requirements for certification are when we take that global perspective.”