ASFPM CFM study plan
ASFPM CFM · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Floodplain Management and the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Regulatory Framework
Diagram the statutory chain running from the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 through the 1973 and 1994 reforms to the current 44 CFR framework
Explain the NFIP's three core functions (mapping, insurance, regulation) and describe how each one depends on the others
Describe the duties a community accepts at the point it joins the NFIP, including the adoption and enforcement obligations attached to participation
Differentiate participating, suspended, and non-participating communities and list the practical consequences of each status for property owners and lenders
Your checkpoint
A one-page NFIP authority flowchart plus a 15-term glossary written in your own words, each term self-checked against the exam outline.
Floodplain Management and the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Regulatory Framework & Flood Hazard Identification, Mapping, and Flood Risk Data
Map each subpart of the federal floodplain management regulations to the function it performs (definitions, criteria, map distribution, variances, enforcement)
Explain the variance standard a community must apply and the recordkeeping and reporting duties that accompany a granted variance
Outline the enforcement options available to a floodplain administrator when a violation is found, from notice through remediation and denial of flood insurance
Read a flood map panel legend and identify the zone, scale, effective date, and panel identifier fields before using any elevation data
Your checkpoint
A two-column table with at least 12 entries pairing a regulatory citation or authority with the specific action it requires of the floodplain administrator.
Flood Hazard Identification, Mapping, and Flood Risk Data
Distinguish the A, AE, AH, AO, A99, shaded and unshaded X, and V/VE zone labels and state the elevation and insurance implications of each
Trace how a Flood Insurance Study becomes an effective Flood Insurance Rate Map and locate base flood elevation, floodway, and depth data within the supporting tables and profiles
Differentiate a Letter of Map Amendment, Letter of Map Revision, Letter of Map Revision Based on Fill, and Conditional Letter of Map Revision, and describe when each is appropriate
Extract flood zone, base flood elevation, and panel data for a sample location using the national flood hazard layer and record the source and date
Your checkpoint
A one-page flood hazard data brief for a fictitious parcel covering zone, base flood elevation, floodway status, data source, and the steps you would take to resolve an elevation discrepancy.
Flood Hazard Identification, Mapping, and Flood Risk Data & Floodplain Development Review, Permitting, and Elevation/Fire-Resistant Construction Standards
Interpret flood map data correctly during a permit review and cite the effective map panel and date in the review record
List the minimum submission items required for a complete residential and a complete nonresidential development permit application
Apply the substantial improvement and substantial damage definitions and compute a ratio using market value and cost of improvement
Distinguish development, new construction, and substantial improvement when writing review findings
Your checkpoint
A completed permit review checklist that covers application completeness, zone-specific standards, and elevation certificate requirements, tested against three sample applications.
Floodplain Development Review, Permitting, and Elevation/Fire-Resistant Construction Standards
Apply elevation, anchoring, enclosure, and flood opening standards to construction in A zones that have a base flood elevation
Apply V zone standards, including the free-of-obstruction requirement and pile or column foundation requirements
Explain freeboard and compute an advisory lowest floor elevation from a given base flood elevation and a community freeboard policy
Identify the data items recorded on an Elevation Certificate and specify which items a reviewer must verify against the permit plans
Your checkpoint
Two graded case exercises, one A zone and one V zone, each with a written findings memo that states pass or fail and the reason for each cited standard.
Floodplain Development Review, Permitting, and Elevation/Fire-Resistant Construction Standards & NFIP Insurance, Claims, Rating, and Community Rating System Concepts
Conduct a substantial damage determination from site inspection through the written determination issued to the property owner
Describe the flood insurance claim flow from notice of loss through adjuster inspection, proof of loss, and payment
Identify what increased cost of compliance coverage pays for, the events that trigger eligibility, and the coverage limit
Explain how a substantial damage finding interacts with the owner's rebuild decision and with increased cost of compliance eligibility
Your checkpoint
A one-page substantial damage determination worksheet plus a claim and increased cost of compliance flow diagram marking every decision point.
NFIP Insurance, Claims, Rating, and Community Rating System Concepts
Explain the rating variables used under current NFIP pricing methodology and why two similar structures can carry very different premiums
Distinguish the roles of the insurance agent, the adjuster, the community, and the federal program in a claim
Outline the Community Rating System class structure, its credit series, and the mechanism by which a better class reduces premiums
Calculate the premium effect of a class improvement for a sample policy and check the arithmetic
Your checkpoint
A 40-question self-written practice set scored at 80 percent or better, with every missed item rewritten as a flashcard explaining the underlying rule.
NFIP Insurance, Claims, Rating, and Community Rating System Concepts & Flood Risk Reduction, Mitigation, Planning, and No Adverse Impact Principles
Compare acquisition, elevation, dry floodproofing, relocation, drainage improvement, and land use measures on effectiveness, cost, and program implications
Apply the no adverse impact framework to evaluate whether a proposed action shifts flood risk onto another property or reach
Locate a community hazard mitigation plan and identify how it links to the floodplain ordinance, the comprehensive plan, and Community Rating System credit
Complete a timed full-length practice test and convert the results into a ranked list of weak domains
Your checkpoint
A mitigation alternatives matrix for one scenario plus an exam readiness scorecard naming the three weakest areas and a 30-day follow-up study plan.
Milestones
Week 2: Score 80 percent or better on a 20-question self-quiz on the regulatory framework and community obligations, closed book.
Week 4: Read a sample flood map and produce zone, base flood elevation, and floodway status for five locations with no more than one error.
Week 6: Complete the A zone and V zone case exercises and correctly cite the governing standard for every finding.
Week 8: Score 75 percent or better on the timed full-length practice test, with no single domain below 60 percent.