The Certified Health Care Facility Manager (CHFM) exam is administered by the American Hospital Association Certification Center (AHA-CC). It measures the knowledge and experience needed to manage compliance, projects, facility operations, finances, and administration within health care facilities.
QUESTIONS
110
SCORED QUESTIONS
100
TIME LIMIT
2 Hours
FORMAT
Multiple Choice
What Is the CHFM Certification?
The CHFM credential is designed for professionals responsible for the health care physical environment. Certified facility managers may oversee building systems, maintenance, regulatory compliance, construction and renovation projects, budgets, staff, emergency preparedness, and other facility-management responsibilities.
The certification is awarded to candidates who meet AHA-CC eligibility requirements and pass the CHFM examination.
Who Is Eligible for the CHFM Exam?
You must meet one of the following education and experience pathways:
Bachelor’s Degree
A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university plus 3 years of associated engineering experience, all 3 years in a health care setting, including 3 years of management, supervisory, or administrative experience in a health care setting.
Associate Degree
An associate degree from an accredited college or university plus 5 years of associated engineering experience, at least 3 years in a health care setting, including 5 years of management, supervisory, or administrative experience in a health care setting.
High School Diploma or Equivalent
A high school diploma or equivalent plus 7 years of associated engineering experience, at least 3 years in a health care setting, including 5 years of management, supervisory, or administrative experience in a health care setting.
AHA-CC defines associated engineering experience to include work in facility management, operations and maintenance, clinical engineering, safety and security, planning/design/construction, or environmental management.
What’s on the CHFM Exam?
The CHFM exam contains 110 multiple-choice questions. Only 100 questions count toward your score. The other 10 are unscored pretest questions used to evaluate items for possible use on future exams.
You will not know which questions are unscored, so answer every question as though it counts.
1. Compliance — 33 Questions
This is the largest content area. Topics include:
- Building and life-safety codes
- ADA, EPA, OSHA, CDC, CMS, NFPA, FGI, and ASHRAE requirements
- Authorities having jurisdiction
- Inspections, permits, licenses, and required testing
- Fire and life safety
- Emergency management
- Hazardous materials and environmental risks
- Utility-management requirements
- Water-management programs
- Safety and security
2. Healthcare Project Management — 18 Questions
This domain covers planning, design, renovation, and construction within the health care environment. Topics include:
- Pre-construction risk assessments
- Infection Control Risk Assessments (ICRA)
- Interim Life Safety Measures (ILSM)
- Project budgets and schedules
- Construction delivery methods
- Design and construction documents
- Bids, contracts, submittals, and change documents
- Facility master planning
- Infrastructure needs
- Equipment planning
- Differences between new and existing construction requirements
3. Maintenance and Operations — 27 Questions
This section focuses on managing the systems that keep a health care facility operating safely and reliably.
- Utility-management programs
- Maintenance-management programs
- Energy use and benchmarking
- HVAC and refrigeration
- Steam and hot-water systems
- Medical gas and vacuum systems
- Electrical distribution and emergency power
- Fire alarm and suppression systems
- Water, plumbing, and sanitary systems
- Building infrastructure and grounds
- Preventive and corrective maintenance
- Elevators and other facility systems
- Utility shutdowns
- Blueprints and schematic drawings
- Deferred maintenance
4. Finance Management — 10 Questions
Finance questions measure your ability to manage the financial side of facility operations and projects.
- Operating and maintenance budgets
- Construction budgets
- Capital budgets
- Utility budgets
- Evaluation of bids
- Energy-conservation savings and payback
5. Administration — 12 Questions
Administration questions cover leadership and management responsibilities, including:
- Policies and procedures
- Capital planning
- Staff training
- Human-resource responsibilities
- Departmental strategic planning
- Communication with staff and other departments
- Project prioritization
- Safety-program oversight
- Emergency preparedness
- Insurance inspections and claims
About one-third of the scored exam is devoted to Compliance. It should receive substantial attention during your review, but do not neglect the smaller Finance and Administration domains.
What Types of Questions Are on the CHFM Exam?
AHA-CC classifies exam questions at three cognitive levels:
Recall
Recognizing or remembering specific information, requirements, or concepts.
Application
Applying your knowledge to situations that may occur while managing a health care facility.
Analysis
Evaluating information, determining appropriate solutions, and judging the usefulness of possible actions.
The exam is therefore not simply a test of memorized codes and terminology. Your professional experience and ability to apply facility-management knowledge to realistic situations are important.
How Is the CHFM Exam Scored?
Your score is based on the 100 scored questions. The 10 pretest questions do not affect the result.
AHA-CC reports the result as Pass or Fail. It does not publish one fixed percentage or numerical passing score for candidates to target.
The passing standard is established using the Angoff method. Because different exam forms may vary slightly in difficulty, AHA-CC uses equating to maintain a consistent standard across forms.
If you test by computer at a PSI test center or through the available computer-based format, your score report is provided on-screen and by email. Candidates who pass can expect their official certification from AHA-CC approximately two to four weeks after testing.
How Do You Register for the CHFM Exam?
Eligible candidates apply through the American Hospital Association Certification Center. After purchasing the exam, you schedule your appointment with PSI through the AHA Certification Portal.
ASHE Member
$275
Nonmember
$425
Eligible veterans may also be able to receive reimbursement for the certification exam through applicable VA benefits.
Where Can You Take the CHFM Exam?
AHA-CC contracts with PSI to administer the exam. Candidates can currently choose between:
- An approved PSI testing center
- A PSI live-remote proctored exam
If you test at a PSI center, AHA-CC instructs candidates to arrive about 30 minutes before the scheduled appointment. Live-remote candidates can begin the check-in process up to 15 minutes before the scheduled time.
Identification
You must present two forms of identification. The primary ID must be current, government-issued, and include your name, photograph, and signature. The secondary ID must include your name and signature.
Calculator
Some questions may require calculations. A silent, nonprogrammable calculator without paper-printing capability or an alphabetic keypad is permitted.
How to Prepare for the CHFM Exam
AHA-CC recommends beginning with the official examination content outline. Compare the listed responsibilities with the work you perform regularly and identify areas where you have less experience.
CHFM Study Checklist
- Review the current AHA-CC content outline.
- Spend additional time on duties you do not perform regularly.
- Review current codes, standards, and regulatory requirements relevant to health care facilities.
- Practice applying regulations and facility-management principles to realistic situations.
- Review health care project-management processes and terminology.
- Know the major building and utility systems covered by the blueprint.
- Review budgeting, bid evaluation, and energy-management calculations.
- Practice questions from all five domains.
- Practice maintaining an average pace of roughly one minute per question.
CHFM Practice Test
Practice questions can help you identify which domains need more review and give you experience applying health care facility-management concepts under time pressure.
The free CHFM practice test below includes questions covering Compliance, Healthcare Project Management, Maintenance and Operations, Finance Management, and Administration.
How Long Is CHFM Certification Valid?
The CHFM credential operates on a three-year certification cycle.
You can renew by either:
- Documenting 45 qualifying continuing-education contact hours earned during the three-year certification period, or
- Taking and successfully passing the CHFM exam again.
The current renewal fee is $135 for ASHE members and $225 for nonmembers. AHA-CC also allows a 30-day late-renewal period with an additional $50 fee.
CHFM Exam Resources
AHA-CC CHFM Certification — Check current eligibility, testing, fees, renewal information, and official program resources.
CHFM Candidate Handbook — Review the official eligibility requirements, examination rules, and detailed content outline.
American Society for Health Care Engineering — Find CHFM education and exam-preparation resources.
Free CHFM Practice Test — Practice CHFM-style questions and review detailed answer explanations.