CHMM (IHMM)

You need a baccalaureate degree or higher from an accredited college or university (applied science, chemistry, biology, geology, hazardous materials management, environmental science, and related fields are preferred) and a minimum of four years of relevant experience in hazardous materials management or a related field. Your official transcript or diploma must be uploaded before the application can be submitted, along with third-party employment verification. Degrees earned outside the U.S. require a statement of equivalency from a recognized evaluating agency.

IHMM's fee schedule lists a nonrefundable CHMM application fee of $175 and an examination fee of $360. After you pass, an annual certification maintenance fee of $160 applies for a single credential, or $225 if you hold more than one IHMM credential. A $25 late fee applies to past-due annual maintenance fees.

IHMM states that candidates need to be familiar with relevant laws and regulations, relevant scientific principles and their application, and best management practices. Examination questions are developed from IHMM's published CHMM blueprint, which outlines the reasonably expected duties and tasks based on surveys of what hazardous materials managers do in practice. IHMM advises downloading the blueprint and understanding its domains and contents as the first step.

IHMM describes the CHMM examination as challenging and states plainly that it is drawn directly from the CHMM blueprint - if you understand the blueprint, you understand what is on the exam. IHMM does not publish a pass rate on its CHMM pages, and the exam is not based on any single reference, so breadth across the three subject areas matters more than depth in one.

IHMM's public CHMM pages do not state an item count, a time limit, or a passing score; the page directs candidates to the Candidate Handbook for examination details. Download the handbook and the blueprint before you schedule so you know the exact format rather than relying on secondhand numbers.

IHMM's CHMM page and fee schedule do not describe a retake policy or a separate retake fee. The schedule lists a $360 examination fee and a $360 recertification-by-exam fee, but no retake rule is published. Contact IHMM staff before you sit for the exam if a possible retake would affect your timing or budget.

No. IHMM states that it does not require any specific type of exam preparation or training and that the exams are not based on any single reference. Many candidates do attend overview courses or use self-study materials, and IHMM points to its companion foundation for exam preparation courses. A sound sequence is blueprint first, then the Candidate Handbook and study guide, then a course if you want structure.

Recertification runs on a five-year cycle. Over those five years you need 200 certification maintenance points (CMPs): you receive 100 CMPs for the job you perform and must earn a minimum of another 100 in other ways. IHMM recommends entering CMPs as you earn them in your MYIHMM account, opening a recertification application early, and keeping employment information and annual fees current.

A former certificant who was not decertified on ethical grounds may apply for reinstatement if annual fees have been expired for less than five years and/or the decertified certification has been expired for less than five years; otherwise the full certification process is required. The reinstatement application fee is $75, plus a $200 reinstatement administrative fee when fees were the grounds for decertification, along with all past-due fees and late fees.