CMCA (CERTIFIED MANAGER OF COMMUNITY ASSOCIATIONS)
EXAMINATION COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND DETAILED
SOLUTIONS LATEST UPDATE THIS YEAR JUST RELEASED
Major Coverage Areas
1. Governance and Compliance — governing documents, laws, policies, ethical responsibilities,
enforcement, and manager duties.
2. Association Legal Framework — declaration, bylaws, rules, resolutions, hierarchy of authority, and
compliance requirements.
3. Financial Management — budgets, assessments, collections, financial reporting, reserves, and investment
considerations.
4. Financial Controls — internal controls, authorization, reconciliations, segregation of duties, and
safeguarding association funds.
5. Meetings and Events — board meetings, membership meetings, notices, agendas, minutes, elections, and
meeting procedures.
6. Risk Management — identifying exposures, insurance, claims, emergencies, safety, loss prevention, and
incident response.
7. Property Maintenance — preventive maintenance, inspections, common elements, vendors, capital
projects, and maintenance planning.
8. Contracting — specifications, bids, contract terms, insurance requirements, performance monitoring, and
contract administration.
9. Communication and Stakeholder Relations — owners, boards, vendors, committees, conflict resolution,
transparency, and professionalism.
10. Managerial Judgment and Ethics — applying policies consistently, protecting confidential information,
avoiding conflicts, and acting within authority.
1. Which governing document typically establishes the basic legal
framework and restrictions applicable to a community association?
A. Meeting agenda
B. Declaration
C. Manager's monthly report
D. Maintenance calendar
Answer: B. Declaration
Rationale: The declaration generally establishes the association's
property rights, obligations, covenants, and restrictions affecting
owners and the community.
,2. When an association rule conflicts directly with a controlling
provision in the declaration, which provision should generally take
precedence?
A. The newer rule
B. The manager's interpretation
C. The declaration
D. A committee recommendation
Answer: C. The declaration
Rationale: Association rules generally cannot override higher-authority
governing documents unless legally authorized amendments
appropriately change the controlling provision.
3. A manager discovers that a board decision may violate applicable
law and the association's governing documents; what should happen
first?
A. Ignore the issue
B. Publicly criticize the board
C. Document and communicate the concern appropriately
D. Immediately resign
Answer: C. Document and communicate the concern appropriately
Rationale: Managers should identify compliance concerns, provide
accurate information, document advice, and escalate unresolved legal
issues appropriately.
,4. Why should a community association manager avoid providing legal
opinions when a matter requires professional legal interpretation?
A. Managers cannot communicate with attorneys
B. Legal opinions may exceed the manager's professional authority
C. Owners cannot ask legal questions
D. Boards cannot retain counsel
Answer: B. Legal opinions may exceed the manager's professional
authority
Rationale: Managers should recognize their professional boundaries
and recommend qualified legal counsel when specialized legal
interpretation is necessary.
5. A board asks a manager to enforce a restriction against one
homeowner but not another similarly situated homeowner; what
concern arises?
A. Budget variance
B. Selective enforcement
C. Reserve funding
D. Preventive maintenance
Answer: B. Selective enforcement
Rationale: Inconsistent enforcement can create fairness concerns,
undermine credibility, and potentially expose the association to legal
challenges.
, 6. Which action best demonstrates ethical conduct by a community
association manager?
A. Favoring preferred owners
B. Concealing unfavorable information
C. Acting objectively and protecting association interests
D. Accepting undisclosed vendor compensation
Answer: C. Acting objectively and protecting association interests
Rationale: Ethical management requires impartiality, transparency,
professionalism, and decisions focused on legitimate association
interests.
7. What is the primary purpose of association rules governing
homeowner conduct and property use?
A. Generate manager income
B. Establish consistent standards for community operations
C. Replace all governing documents
D. Eliminate board authority
Answer: B. Establish consistent standards for community operations
Rationale: Properly adopted rules provide practical standards
supporting the association's governing documents and orderly
community operations.
8. Before recommending enforcement action against an owner, what
should a manager verify most carefully?
EXAMINATION COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND DETAILED
SOLUTIONS LATEST UPDATE THIS YEAR JUST RELEASED
Major Coverage Areas
1. Governance and Compliance — governing documents, laws, policies, ethical responsibilities,
enforcement, and manager duties.
2. Association Legal Framework — declaration, bylaws, rules, resolutions, hierarchy of authority, and
compliance requirements.
3. Financial Management — budgets, assessments, collections, financial reporting, reserves, and investment
considerations.
4. Financial Controls — internal controls, authorization, reconciliations, segregation of duties, and
safeguarding association funds.
5. Meetings and Events — board meetings, membership meetings, notices, agendas, minutes, elections, and
meeting procedures.
6. Risk Management — identifying exposures, insurance, claims, emergencies, safety, loss prevention, and
incident response.
7. Property Maintenance — preventive maintenance, inspections, common elements, vendors, capital
projects, and maintenance planning.
8. Contracting — specifications, bids, contract terms, insurance requirements, performance monitoring, and
contract administration.
9. Communication and Stakeholder Relations — owners, boards, vendors, committees, conflict resolution,
transparency, and professionalism.
10. Managerial Judgment and Ethics — applying policies consistently, protecting confidential information,
avoiding conflicts, and acting within authority.
1. Which governing document typically establishes the basic legal
framework and restrictions applicable to a community association?
A. Meeting agenda
B. Declaration
C. Manager's monthly report
D. Maintenance calendar
Answer: B. Declaration
Rationale: The declaration generally establishes the association's
property rights, obligations, covenants, and restrictions affecting
owners and the community.
,2. When an association rule conflicts directly with a controlling
provision in the declaration, which provision should generally take
precedence?
A. The newer rule
B. The manager's interpretation
C. The declaration
D. A committee recommendation
Answer: C. The declaration
Rationale: Association rules generally cannot override higher-authority
governing documents unless legally authorized amendments
appropriately change the controlling provision.
3. A manager discovers that a board decision may violate applicable
law and the association's governing documents; what should happen
first?
A. Ignore the issue
B. Publicly criticize the board
C. Document and communicate the concern appropriately
D. Immediately resign
Answer: C. Document and communicate the concern appropriately
Rationale: Managers should identify compliance concerns, provide
accurate information, document advice, and escalate unresolved legal
issues appropriately.
,4. Why should a community association manager avoid providing legal
opinions when a matter requires professional legal interpretation?
A. Managers cannot communicate with attorneys
B. Legal opinions may exceed the manager's professional authority
C. Owners cannot ask legal questions
D. Boards cannot retain counsel
Answer: B. Legal opinions may exceed the manager's professional
authority
Rationale: Managers should recognize their professional boundaries
and recommend qualified legal counsel when specialized legal
interpretation is necessary.
5. A board asks a manager to enforce a restriction against one
homeowner but not another similarly situated homeowner; what
concern arises?
A. Budget variance
B. Selective enforcement
C. Reserve funding
D. Preventive maintenance
Answer: B. Selective enforcement
Rationale: Inconsistent enforcement can create fairness concerns,
undermine credibility, and potentially expose the association to legal
challenges.
, 6. Which action best demonstrates ethical conduct by a community
association manager?
A. Favoring preferred owners
B. Concealing unfavorable information
C. Acting objectively and protecting association interests
D. Accepting undisclosed vendor compensation
Answer: C. Acting objectively and protecting association interests
Rationale: Ethical management requires impartiality, transparency,
professionalism, and decisions focused on legitimate association
interests.
7. What is the primary purpose of association rules governing
homeowner conduct and property use?
A. Generate manager income
B. Establish consistent standards for community operations
C. Replace all governing documents
D. Eliminate board authority
Answer: B. Establish consistent standards for community operations
Rationale: Properly adopted rules provide practical standards
supporting the association's governing documents and orderly
community operations.
8. Before recommending enforcement action against an owner, what
should a manager verify most carefully?
