CFM - Certified Facility Manager IFMA CFM 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which combination of education and work experience satisfies the minimum eligibility requirement to sit for the IFMA CFM examination?
- A doctoral degree in any field with no FM experience required
- A bachelor's degree plus at least 3 years of facility management experience (Correct answer)
- Any college degree plus 1 year of facility management experience
- 10 years of general business experience regardless of education
Correct answer: A bachelor's degree plus at least 3 years of facility management experience
IFMA requires a bachelor's degree paired with a minimum of 3 years of FM experience (or an associate's degree with 5 years, or a high school diploma with 8 years) to establish eligibility for the CFM exam.
Question 2: How many total questions appear on the computer-based CFM examination, and how many of those are scored?
- 150 total, all 150 scored
- 200 total, 180 scored
- 180 total, 150 scored (Correct answer)
- 120 total, 100 scored
Correct answer: 180 total, 150 scored
The CFM exam contains 180 questions delivered over four hours; 150 are operational (scored) items while the remaining 30 are unscored pretest questions used by IFMA for future exam development.
Question 3: Which of the following is one of the 11 core competency areas defined in the IFMA facility management competency framework?
- Marketing and Brand Management
- Emergency Preparedness and Business Continuity (Correct answer)
- Supply Chain and Logistics Optimization
- International Trade Compliance
Correct answer: Emergency Preparedness and Business Continuity
Emergency Preparedness and Business Continuity is one of the 11 official IFMA FM competencies, reflecting the critical role facility managers play in keeping organizations operational during disruptions.
Question 4: Under the IFMA competency framework, which competency specifically addresses a facility manager's responsibility for reducing an organization's environmental footprint?
- Human Factors
- Quality
- Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability (Correct answer)
- Real Estate and Property Management
Correct answer: Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability
Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability is the dedicated IFMA competency covering energy efficiency, waste reduction, green building practices, and minimizing the ecological impact of facilities operations.
Question 5: A CFM candidate with only a high school diploma or GED meets the education threshold for CFM eligibility if they also have how many years of verified facility management experience?
- 3 years
- 5 years
- 8 years (Correct answer)
- 12 years
Correct answer: 8 years
IFMA's eligibility tiers allow candidates without post-secondary degrees to qualify with 8 years of FM experience, recognizing that deep practical knowledge can substitute for formal academic credentials.
Question 6: Which IFMA competency area is most directly responsible for managing leases, space acquisition, and property portfolio decisions?
- Project Management
- Finance and Business
- Real Estate and Property Management (Correct answer)
- Operations and Maintenance
Correct answer: Real Estate and Property Management
Real Estate and Property Management is the IFMA competency that covers lease administration, space acquisition and disposal, asset valuation, and strategic portfolio planning — distinct from day-to-day financial management or physical plant operations.
CFM - Certified Facility Manager IFMA CFM 1
Which combination of education and work experience satisfies the minimum eligibility requirement to sit for the IFMA CFM examination?