Becoming a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager^® (CHMM^®)

IHMM's accredited CHMM credential recognizes your expertise and opens new possibilities for you to make a significant impact on your community and your country. Corporations, universities and government agencies depend on the CHMM certification to identify hazardous materials professionals like you.

PREREQUISITES

All candidates must meet two prerequisites to sit for the CHMM examination:

• Baccalaureate degree (or higher) from an accredited college or university in hazardous materials management, environmental science, one of the physical sciences, or a related field.
• Minimum of three years of relevant experience in the field of hazardous materials management or a related field.

College Transcript Requirements
An official transcript must be on file at the IHMM Executive Office before you can register for an examination. Official transcripts must have the registrar's original stamp or seal (not a photocopy) showing your achievement of a degree from the accredited college or university in the United States which conferred your degree. To find out whether a college in the U.S. is accredited, check with the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

Degrees acquired through foreign colleges or universities are acceptable if they are documented as equivalent to an AAS or BS/BA degree issued in the United States. Candidates with degrees from colleges and universities outside the U.S. must provide a statement of equivalency from a recognized evaluating agency. For a list of recognized agencies, see www.naces.org/members.htm. See our FAQ's section for more information. If the applicant holds an additional degree in a relevant field from an accredited U.S. college or university, only the U.S. college transcript needs to be submitted, and a degree equivalency report will not be required.

Relevant Experience Requirements

Relevant experience includes any of the following:

• Hazardous materials identification and handling in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
• Planning and preparing for and responding to hazmat emergencies and incidents.
• Sampling and analysis (of air, water, soil, waste) for potential contaminants.
• Site investigation and remediation.
• Hazmat program or project management.

THE EXAMINATION

Candidates meeting the prerequisites above, are then eligible to sit for a multiple-choice examination professionally developed and administered by IHMM which tests a candidate's ability to:

• Recognize, Identify and Characterize Hazards of Materials
• Assess Risks Related to Hazardous Materials
• Mitigate and/or Eliminate Hazards of Materials
• Manage Impacts of Hazardous Materials on the Environment
• Manage Impacts of Hazardous Materials on Human Health
• Ensure Regulatory Compliance
• General Management of Hazardous Materials, and Business Skills

Go to Exam Content for a detailed blueprint of the CHMM examination.

EXAMINATION DATES AND LOCATIONS
All examinations are held through the proctored Kryterion HOST® network, at over 450 computer-testing locations world-wide. Please note that most testing centers will likely be closed for holiday and each testing center has its own hours of operation and seating availability within our windows.

Go here for a list of testing center locations.

APPLYING FOR THE EXAMINATION

All applications require a non-refundable $125 application fee, detailed work history or resume, official, original college transcript, and two reference evaluations. Applications to take IHMM examinations expire 18 months from the date your application is received. You must submit all supporting documentation, register for and complete the examination within that time, or you will have to start over as a new candidate, and meet whatever requirements are in effect at that time. Please view or download the CHMM Candidate Handbook for additional information.

Go HERE to apply ONLINE!

If you've never applied before, please select the link for "First Time Users" to set up your account.

EXAM RESULTS AND RETAKE POLICY
All candidates will be notified of their examination results in writing, within 2 weeks after sitting for the examination. Successful candidates will be notified of the next steps required toward certification. Non-successful candidates will be provided with a print-out of the specific area(s) of weakness in their performance on the examination.

A candidate who fails the examination must wait at least six months before retaking it, and may be granted no more than two retakes within 18 months of the original exam date. The candidate shall pay the examination fee but need not submit a new application.

After a third unsuccessful sitting, a candidate must wait at least one year from the date of the last attempt to be eligible to take the examination again, and must submit a new application form and full fees for each new sitting. The candidate must also meet whatever eligibility requirements are in effect at that time. For more information, see the IHMM Management System Manual.

MAINTAINING YOUR CREDENTIAL

Once the candidate has successfully passed the examination, they must pledge to maintain the highest standards of integrity through the CHMM Code of Ethics, submit their Annual Certification Maintenance Fee each year in order to remain in good standing, and, because the field of hazardous materials management changes over time, must demonstrate currency in the field and continued competence by undergoing recertification every five years.

The recertification schedule is based on the initial certification or last recertification date. To meet this requirement, you must either submit documentation of your employment and professional development activities for your 5-year cycle, or take and pass the exam again.

Ready to learn more? Specific information on each credential follows below. For general information on the certification process, click on these links:

• Fees
• Exam Content
• Preparing for an Examination
• Study Courses and Materials
• FAQ's