CLMS Certification Practice Exam | 2026/2027 100 Questions | Grade A
CLMS CERTIFICATION PRACTICE EXAM
(Latest 2026/2027 Update)
Questions and Verified Answers | 100% Correct | Grade A
100 Questions | Comprehensive Rationales
Aligned with the Redesigned 2026 DMEC CLMS Certification Program
10-Module Format | Expanded PWFA/PUMP Act Coverage
Cognitive Levels: 30% Recall | 50% Application | 20% Analysis
75% Scenario-Based | 25% Direct Recall
CLMS Certification Practice Exam 2026/2027 | Verified Answers Page 1
,CLMS Certification Practice Exam | 2026/2027 100 Questions | Grade A
Section 1: FMLA Eligibility and Core Concepts (Q1-Q20)
Eligibility Requirements, Qualifying Reasons, Employee Rights, & Employer Obligations
Q1: An employee has worked for a company with 45 employees at one worksite and 60 employees
at a second worksite located 90 miles away. The employee works at the first worksite. Under FMLA,
is this employee eligible for leave?
A. Yes, because the employer has 105 total employees across all worksites
B. Yes, because the employer has more than 50 employees within 75 miles of the employee's worksite
C. No, because the 50-employee threshold must be met within 75 miles of the employee's worksite
**[CORRECT]**
D. No, because only employees at the larger worksite are counted toward eligibility
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: FMLA eligibility requires that the employer employ at least 50 employees within a 75-mile radius of
the employee's worksite. The first worksite has only 45 employees, and the second worksite is 90 miles away,
so it cannot be counted. The total headcount across all locations is irrelevant; proximity is the determining
factor. Therefore, the employee does not meet the FMLA worksite eligibility criterion.
Q2: A nurse has been employed at a hospital for 14 months and has worked 1,180 hours during the
preceding 12-month period. The hospital employs 2,000 staff within a 10-mile radius. Is this nurse
FMLA-eligible?
A. Yes, because the employer meets the 50-employee threshold and the nurse has worked more than
12 months
B. Yes, because hospital employees are exempt from the hours-worked requirement
C. No, because the nurse has not worked the required 1,250 hours in the preceding 12 months
**[CORRECT]**
D. No, because the nurse must also be employed full-time to qualify
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: FMLA requires three eligibility criteria: (1) employed by a covered employer (50+ employees within
75 miles — met here), (2) employed for at least 12 months (met at 14 months), and (3) worked at least 1,250
hours in the preceding 12-month period. At 1,180 hours, the nurse falls short of the 1,250-hour requirement by
70 hours. Full-time status is not an FMLA requirement; part-time employees who meet the hours threshold
qualify.
Q3: Which of the following qualifies as a legitimate FMLA-qualifying reason for leave?
A. Caring for a sibling with a common cold who lives in the same household
B. The birth of a grandchild to the employee's adult child
C. The employee's own serious health condition that makes them unable to perform essential job
functions **[CORRECT]**
D. Attending a child's school graduation ceremony as a one-day absence
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: FMLA provides leave for the birth/bonding with a newborn (the employee's own child, not
grandchild), adoption/foster care placement, the employee's own serious health condition, or to care for a family
member (spouse, child, or parent) with a serious health condition. A common cold typically does not meet the
serious health condition definition, and school events are not qualifying reasons. The employee's own serious
health condition that renders them unable to work is a core qualifying reason under 29 CFR 825.202(a)(1).
Q4: An employee requests FMLA leave to care for a parent with a chronic back condition. The
parent's physician certifies ongoing treatment consisting of prescription medication and physical
therapy twice per week. Does this qualify as a serious health condition under FMLA?
A. No, because chronic conditions never qualify unless they require hospitalization
CLMS Certification Practice Exam 2026/2027 | Verified Answers Page 2
,CLMS Certification Practice Exam | 2026/2027 100 Questions | Grade A
B. Yes, because the parent requires continuing treatment by a healthcare provider under a regimen of
continuing supervision **[CORRECT]**
C. No, because prescription medication alone does not constitute a serious health condition
D. Yes, but only if the employee provides a new certification every 30 days
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Under FMLA regulations at 29 CFR 825.115, a chronic health condition qualifies as a serious health
condition if it requires periodic visits for treatment by a healthcare provider, continues over an extended period
of time, and may cause episodic rather than a continuing period of incapacity. The parent's treatment regimen
of prescription medication and physical therapy twice per week meets this standard. Hospitalization is not
required for chronic conditions to qualify.
Q5: An employer uses the rolling 12-month period measured backward from the date the employee
uses FMLA leave. An employee used 6 weeks of FMLA leave ending January 15. The employee
requests another 8 weeks starting March 1 of the same year. How much FMLA leave is available?
A. 12 weeks, because each leave request starts a new 12-month entitlement period
B. 6 weeks, because the 6 weeks used in January fall within the prior 12-month period
C. 4 weeks, because only the leave used in the 12 months preceding March 1 counts against the
entitlement **[CORRECT]**
D. 8 weeks, because the employer must grant the full request regardless of prior usage
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Under the rolling 12-month period measured backward, the employer looks at the 12 months
immediately preceding the date leave begins (March 1). The 6 weeks used ending January 15 fall within that
lookback period. The employee's 12-week entitlement minus 6 weeks already used leaves 6 weeks available.
The employer must grant leave up to the available balance. Each request does not start a new 12-month period
under the rolling method; only under the calendar year or fixed 12-month methods would this differ.
Q6: A covered employer must maintain the employee's group health insurance coverage during
FMLA leave on the same terms as if the employee continued to work. If the employee fails to pay
their share of premiums, what is the employer's obligation?
A. The employer must continue coverage indefinitely until the employee returns to work
B. The employer may drop coverage after providing 30 days' written notice to the employee
**[CORRECT]**
C. The employer must pay the employee's share of premiums to maintain continuous coverage
D. The employer may immediately terminate coverage upon the first missed payment
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Under 29 CFR 825.209, if an employee's share of health insurance premiums is paid on a monthly
basis and the employee fails to make a timely payment, the employer must provide written notice giving the
employee at least 30 days to make the payment before coverage may be dropped. The employer is not
required to pay the employee's share of premiums. Coverage cannot be terminated immediately without notice.
The 30-day grace period protects employees from inadvertent lapses during leave.
Q7: An employee gives notice of the need for FMLA leave 3 days before a scheduled surgery. The
employer denies the request, stating the employee failed to provide 30 days' advance notice. Is the
employer's denial valid?
A. Yes, because FMLA requires 30 days' notice for all foreseeable leave
B. No, because 30-day notice is only required when the need is foreseeable more than 30 days in
advance **[CORRECT]**
C. Yes, because the employee knew about the surgery well in advance of the 3-day notice
D. No, because medical emergencies always exempt employees from all notice requirements
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Under 29 CFR 825.302, when the need for FMLA leave is foreseeable (such as a scheduled
surgery), the employee must provide at least 30 days' notice before the leave is to begin. If the leave is to begin
in less than 30 days, notice must be given as soon as practicable. A 3-day notice before a scheduled surgery
CLMS Certification Practice Exam 2026/2027 | Verified Answers Page 3
, CLMS Certification Practice Exam | 2026/2027 100 Questions | Grade A
that was presumably planned earlier likely fails the 'as soon as practicable' standard. However, the 30-day rule
applies only when the need is foreseeable at least 30 days in advance. The key issue is whether 3 days was 'as
soon as practicable' given when the employee learned of the need. The employer's blanket 30-day denial
without evaluating practicability is the error.
Q8: Which family members are covered under FMLA for the purpose of an employee taking leave to
care for them?
A. Spouse, child, parent, grandparent, and sibling
B. Spouse, child, and parent only **[CORRECT]**
C. Spouse, child, parent, and any individual related by blood or marriage
D. Any individual who shares the employee's household
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: FMLA defines covered family members narrowly as a spouse, son or daughter (under 18 or over 18
if incapable of self-care due to disability), and parent (but not parent-in-law). Grandparents, siblings, and other
relatives are not included unless they stand in loco parentis (acted as a parent to the employee when the
employee was a minor). The statute is explicit at 29 CFR 825.122 that only these three categories of family
members trigger the family-care provision of FMLA.
Q9: An employee returns from FMLA leave and is placed in a different department at the same pay
grade and with equivalent benefits, but the new position requires a 45-minute longer commute. Has
the employer met its restoration obligation?
A. Yes, because pay and benefits are equivalent, which is all FMLA requires
B. No, because the employer must restore the employee to the same or an equivalent position, and a
significantly longer commute may make the position not truly equivalent **[CORRECT]**
C. Yes, because FMLA only requires equivalent pay, not equivalent location
D. No, because FMLA requires restoration to the exact same position held before leave
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Under 29 CFR 825.214, an employee returning from FMLA leave is entitled to be restored to the
same position or an equivalent position with equivalent pay, benefits, and other terms and conditions of
employment. The DOL has indicated that factors such as shift, location, and commuting distance may be
relevant in determining equivalency. A 45-minute longer commute could render a position not equivalent.
However, FMLA does not require the exact same position—equivalent positions are permissible if truly
equivalent across all key terms.
Q10: An employer has a no-fault attendance policy that assigns points for absences. An employee
who takes FMLA-protected leave receives 8 attendance points. The employee challenges the points,
arguing the leave was FMLA-protected. What is the correct outcome?
A. The employer may apply points because FMLA does not regulate attendance policies
B. The employer must remove the points because FMLA leave cannot be counted against the
employee under any attendance policy **[CORRECT]**
C. The employer may apply half-points as a compromise under FMLA regulations
D. The employer must remove the points only if the employee provided proper medical certification
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Under 29 CFR 825.220, employers cannot count FMLA-protected leave as an absence that may
lead to or result in discipline under a no-fault attendance policy. This means attendance points, demerits, or
other negative consequences cannot be applied for absences that are designated as FMLA leave. The
protection applies regardless of whether certification was provided, as long as the leave was properly
designated and qualifying. Employers must ensure their attendance systems separately track FMLA leave to
prevent unlawful counting.
Q11: An employee works for a covered employer and meets all FMLA eligibility criteria. The
employee requests intermittent leave for migraine headaches that occur approximately twice per
month, lasting 1-2 days each. How should the employer handle this request?
CLMS Certification Practice Exam 2026/2027 | Verified Answers Page 4
CLMS CERTIFICATION PRACTICE EXAM
(Latest 2026/2027 Update)
Questions and Verified Answers | 100% Correct | Grade A
100 Questions | Comprehensive Rationales
Aligned with the Redesigned 2026 DMEC CLMS Certification Program
10-Module Format | Expanded PWFA/PUMP Act Coverage
Cognitive Levels: 30% Recall | 50% Application | 20% Analysis
75% Scenario-Based | 25% Direct Recall
CLMS Certification Practice Exam 2026/2027 | Verified Answers Page 1
,CLMS Certification Practice Exam | 2026/2027 100 Questions | Grade A
Section 1: FMLA Eligibility and Core Concepts (Q1-Q20)
Eligibility Requirements, Qualifying Reasons, Employee Rights, & Employer Obligations
Q1: An employee has worked for a company with 45 employees at one worksite and 60 employees
at a second worksite located 90 miles away. The employee works at the first worksite. Under FMLA,
is this employee eligible for leave?
A. Yes, because the employer has 105 total employees across all worksites
B. Yes, because the employer has more than 50 employees within 75 miles of the employee's worksite
C. No, because the 50-employee threshold must be met within 75 miles of the employee's worksite
**[CORRECT]**
D. No, because only employees at the larger worksite are counted toward eligibility
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: FMLA eligibility requires that the employer employ at least 50 employees within a 75-mile radius of
the employee's worksite. The first worksite has only 45 employees, and the second worksite is 90 miles away,
so it cannot be counted. The total headcount across all locations is irrelevant; proximity is the determining
factor. Therefore, the employee does not meet the FMLA worksite eligibility criterion.
Q2: A nurse has been employed at a hospital for 14 months and has worked 1,180 hours during the
preceding 12-month period. The hospital employs 2,000 staff within a 10-mile radius. Is this nurse
FMLA-eligible?
A. Yes, because the employer meets the 50-employee threshold and the nurse has worked more than
12 months
B. Yes, because hospital employees are exempt from the hours-worked requirement
C. No, because the nurse has not worked the required 1,250 hours in the preceding 12 months
**[CORRECT]**
D. No, because the nurse must also be employed full-time to qualify
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: FMLA requires three eligibility criteria: (1) employed by a covered employer (50+ employees within
75 miles — met here), (2) employed for at least 12 months (met at 14 months), and (3) worked at least 1,250
hours in the preceding 12-month period. At 1,180 hours, the nurse falls short of the 1,250-hour requirement by
70 hours. Full-time status is not an FMLA requirement; part-time employees who meet the hours threshold
qualify.
Q3: Which of the following qualifies as a legitimate FMLA-qualifying reason for leave?
A. Caring for a sibling with a common cold who lives in the same household
B. The birth of a grandchild to the employee's adult child
C. The employee's own serious health condition that makes them unable to perform essential job
functions **[CORRECT]**
D. Attending a child's school graduation ceremony as a one-day absence
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: FMLA provides leave for the birth/bonding with a newborn (the employee's own child, not
grandchild), adoption/foster care placement, the employee's own serious health condition, or to care for a family
member (spouse, child, or parent) with a serious health condition. A common cold typically does not meet the
serious health condition definition, and school events are not qualifying reasons. The employee's own serious
health condition that renders them unable to work is a core qualifying reason under 29 CFR 825.202(a)(1).
Q4: An employee requests FMLA leave to care for a parent with a chronic back condition. The
parent's physician certifies ongoing treatment consisting of prescription medication and physical
therapy twice per week. Does this qualify as a serious health condition under FMLA?
A. No, because chronic conditions never qualify unless they require hospitalization
CLMS Certification Practice Exam 2026/2027 | Verified Answers Page 2
,CLMS Certification Practice Exam | 2026/2027 100 Questions | Grade A
B. Yes, because the parent requires continuing treatment by a healthcare provider under a regimen of
continuing supervision **[CORRECT]**
C. No, because prescription medication alone does not constitute a serious health condition
D. Yes, but only if the employee provides a new certification every 30 days
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Under FMLA regulations at 29 CFR 825.115, a chronic health condition qualifies as a serious health
condition if it requires periodic visits for treatment by a healthcare provider, continues over an extended period
of time, and may cause episodic rather than a continuing period of incapacity. The parent's treatment regimen
of prescription medication and physical therapy twice per week meets this standard. Hospitalization is not
required for chronic conditions to qualify.
Q5: An employer uses the rolling 12-month period measured backward from the date the employee
uses FMLA leave. An employee used 6 weeks of FMLA leave ending January 15. The employee
requests another 8 weeks starting March 1 of the same year. How much FMLA leave is available?
A. 12 weeks, because each leave request starts a new 12-month entitlement period
B. 6 weeks, because the 6 weeks used in January fall within the prior 12-month period
C. 4 weeks, because only the leave used in the 12 months preceding March 1 counts against the
entitlement **[CORRECT]**
D. 8 weeks, because the employer must grant the full request regardless of prior usage
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Under the rolling 12-month period measured backward, the employer looks at the 12 months
immediately preceding the date leave begins (March 1). The 6 weeks used ending January 15 fall within that
lookback period. The employee's 12-week entitlement minus 6 weeks already used leaves 6 weeks available.
The employer must grant leave up to the available balance. Each request does not start a new 12-month period
under the rolling method; only under the calendar year or fixed 12-month methods would this differ.
Q6: A covered employer must maintain the employee's group health insurance coverage during
FMLA leave on the same terms as if the employee continued to work. If the employee fails to pay
their share of premiums, what is the employer's obligation?
A. The employer must continue coverage indefinitely until the employee returns to work
B. The employer may drop coverage after providing 30 days' written notice to the employee
**[CORRECT]**
C. The employer must pay the employee's share of premiums to maintain continuous coverage
D. The employer may immediately terminate coverage upon the first missed payment
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Under 29 CFR 825.209, if an employee's share of health insurance premiums is paid on a monthly
basis and the employee fails to make a timely payment, the employer must provide written notice giving the
employee at least 30 days to make the payment before coverage may be dropped. The employer is not
required to pay the employee's share of premiums. Coverage cannot be terminated immediately without notice.
The 30-day grace period protects employees from inadvertent lapses during leave.
Q7: An employee gives notice of the need for FMLA leave 3 days before a scheduled surgery. The
employer denies the request, stating the employee failed to provide 30 days' advance notice. Is the
employer's denial valid?
A. Yes, because FMLA requires 30 days' notice for all foreseeable leave
B. No, because 30-day notice is only required when the need is foreseeable more than 30 days in
advance **[CORRECT]**
C. Yes, because the employee knew about the surgery well in advance of the 3-day notice
D. No, because medical emergencies always exempt employees from all notice requirements
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Under 29 CFR 825.302, when the need for FMLA leave is foreseeable (such as a scheduled
surgery), the employee must provide at least 30 days' notice before the leave is to begin. If the leave is to begin
in less than 30 days, notice must be given as soon as practicable. A 3-day notice before a scheduled surgery
CLMS Certification Practice Exam 2026/2027 | Verified Answers Page 3
, CLMS Certification Practice Exam | 2026/2027 100 Questions | Grade A
that was presumably planned earlier likely fails the 'as soon as practicable' standard. However, the 30-day rule
applies only when the need is foreseeable at least 30 days in advance. The key issue is whether 3 days was 'as
soon as practicable' given when the employee learned of the need. The employer's blanket 30-day denial
without evaluating practicability is the error.
Q8: Which family members are covered under FMLA for the purpose of an employee taking leave to
care for them?
A. Spouse, child, parent, grandparent, and sibling
B. Spouse, child, and parent only **[CORRECT]**
C. Spouse, child, parent, and any individual related by blood or marriage
D. Any individual who shares the employee's household
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: FMLA defines covered family members narrowly as a spouse, son or daughter (under 18 or over 18
if incapable of self-care due to disability), and parent (but not parent-in-law). Grandparents, siblings, and other
relatives are not included unless they stand in loco parentis (acted as a parent to the employee when the
employee was a minor). The statute is explicit at 29 CFR 825.122 that only these three categories of family
members trigger the family-care provision of FMLA.
Q9: An employee returns from FMLA leave and is placed in a different department at the same pay
grade and with equivalent benefits, but the new position requires a 45-minute longer commute. Has
the employer met its restoration obligation?
A. Yes, because pay and benefits are equivalent, which is all FMLA requires
B. No, because the employer must restore the employee to the same or an equivalent position, and a
significantly longer commute may make the position not truly equivalent **[CORRECT]**
C. Yes, because FMLA only requires equivalent pay, not equivalent location
D. No, because FMLA requires restoration to the exact same position held before leave
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Under 29 CFR 825.214, an employee returning from FMLA leave is entitled to be restored to the
same position or an equivalent position with equivalent pay, benefits, and other terms and conditions of
employment. The DOL has indicated that factors such as shift, location, and commuting distance may be
relevant in determining equivalency. A 45-minute longer commute could render a position not equivalent.
However, FMLA does not require the exact same position—equivalent positions are permissible if truly
equivalent across all key terms.
Q10: An employer has a no-fault attendance policy that assigns points for absences. An employee
who takes FMLA-protected leave receives 8 attendance points. The employee challenges the points,
arguing the leave was FMLA-protected. What is the correct outcome?
A. The employer may apply points because FMLA does not regulate attendance policies
B. The employer must remove the points because FMLA leave cannot be counted against the
employee under any attendance policy **[CORRECT]**
C. The employer may apply half-points as a compromise under FMLA regulations
D. The employer must remove the points only if the employee provided proper medical certification
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Under 29 CFR 825.220, employers cannot count FMLA-protected leave as an absence that may
lead to or result in discipline under a no-fault attendance policy. This means attendance points, demerits, or
other negative consequences cannot be applied for absences that are designated as FMLA leave. The
protection applies regardless of whether certification was provided, as long as the leave was properly
designated and qualifying. Employers must ensure their attendance systems separately track FMLA leave to
prevent unlawful counting.
Q11: An employee works for a covered employer and meets all FMLA eligibility criteria. The
employee requests intermittent leave for migraine headaches that occur approximately twice per
month, lasting 1-2 days each. How should the employer handle this request?
CLMS Certification Practice Exam 2026/2027 | Verified Answers Page 4
