The Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM) certification
by The Institute of Hazardous Materials Management (IHMM) examines your
understanding of the field of hazardous materials management. The exam is
designed to ensure certified candidates have the skills and knowledge necessary
to protect public health, safety, and the environment.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the CHMM exam, you need to hold at least
a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college/university, a minimum of four
years of relevant experience, two references, and payment of the application
fee. Eligibility requirements must be met before submitting your application
and scheduling the CHMM examination.
Registration
Once the eligibility requirements are met, you can register
for the certification. Complete the online application, submit the required
documents and pay the $175.00 application fee by credit or debit card. If your
application is complete and demonstrates the required prerequisites, IHMM
issues an authorization to test. You have 12 months from the date your
application is approved to schedule your exam.
The exam is offered at Kryterion HOST computer-testing
facilities at centers located worldwide. Test appointments vary based on
location, and most centers are closed on the weekend and holidays. Your
authorization to test includes instructions for registering for the
examination.
Test design
Your knowledge and understanding of the relevant laws and regulations, scientific principles and their application, and best management practices are assessed in the three-hour, computer-delivered exam. The exam consists of 140 multiple-choice questions from the following duty areas:
Planning – 7.9% of questions
This domain assesses your ability to
determine material hazards, conduct pollution prevention assessments, analyze
operations, and develop permits, program plans, and operating procedures.
Shipping and Transporting – 7.6% of questions
Your knowledge of the proper packaging,
labeling, and shipment of materials and hazards is examined.
Storage – 8.5% of questions
Your understanding of the proper selection
and storage of hazardous materials is assessed.
Facility Operations – 8.2% of questions
Your understanding of the security
standards for operations involving hazardous materials is assessed.
Disposition – 11.8% of questions
Manage the disposition, treatment, release,
emissions, and discharges of hazardous materials.
Record Keeping and Reporting – 5.2% of questions
Determine reporting and recording keeping
requirements. Ensure policies and procedures for record maintenance are
followed.
Training Personnel – 8.8% of questions
Determine the training requirements and
competencies, conduct training drills and exercises, and evaluate the
effectiveness of training.
Response and Recovery – 9.4% of questions
Competencies evaluated include your ability
to identify incidents, the required responses, and reporting procedures. Your
skills in developing recovery plans, incident action plans, and root cause
analysis are examined.
Remediation – 8.1% of questions
Your knowledge of remedial objectives, remediation
steps and the management of remediation plans, including site closure are
assessed.
Management Systems – 7.8% of questions
Complete management of records,
regulations, communication, audits, financial analysis, and the development of
policies are tested in this domain.
Environmental Studies – 4.7% of questions
Your ability to assess environmental
concerns, including contaminants and environmental impact, is examined.
Health and Safety – 12.0% of questions
You are assessed on your knowledge of
hazardous substance dangers to employees, the public, and the environment. Your
knowledge of the development of various mitigation plans is examined including
analysis, operation, site safety, emergency response, prevention, hazardous
communication, personal protective equipment, and global harmonization systems.
Test Day
On the day of your appointment, arrive 15 minutes early with
your authorization to test and two forms of identification. The only test aid
you can bring with you to the testing center is a four-function or
non-programmable scientific calculator. Scratch paper and writing utensils are
provided.
Your official test time begins when you start the exam. If
time remains, review your answers. At the conclusion of your exam, log off the
computer to submit your responses.
Exam results and scoring
The CHMM exam is pass or fail, and you receive your unofficial
results before you leave the testing center. Only correct responses are scored.
It benefits you to answer every question, even if you have to guess. Official
results are sent by email within three weeks of your exam.
If you need to retake the exam, you can reschedule as soon as you receive your official results. You can take the exam two times (after the first attempt) at no charge before you are required to wait a year and resubmit your application and fee again.
How Can I Prepare for the CHMM Exam?
That’s a great question. We’ve broken down the answer into three parts.
- Do yourself a favor and study. Do not walk in unprepared. We have recommended prep materials below, but that only helps if you actually try. Plus, studying is actually proven to be the best antidote to test anxiety.
- Take care of yourself. Make sure you’re eating well, exercising, and sleeping. All of these things are scientifically linked to brain performance. If you take care of your body, you’ll be helping your grades.
- Get a study guide or set of flashcards. Some people study better a certain way. Find your study strengths and make the most of them. We’ve tried to make it easy for you by tracking down the best study guide and flashcard set for your exam. Below you’ll see links to both!