Certified Housing Manager Assistant Exam study plan
Certified Housing Manager Assistant Exam · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
HUD Compliance
Define HUD program categories (public housing, Section 8 HCV, PBRA) and state which rules govern each
Identify the income types counted and excluded when calculating annual and adjusted income
Explain how the 30 percent of adjusted income rent formula is applied to a sample household
List the required elements of a lease and tenancy addendum under HUD rules
Your checkpoint
A one-page income-and-rent worksheet completed for three hypothetical households, showing annual income, adjusted income, TTP, and total tenant payment, with each calculation step labeled
HUD Compliance
Describe the annual and interim recertification triggers and the timelines HUD requires
Apply the 10-day notice requirements and the reasonable-accommodation process to two written scenarios
Outline the steps of a HUD-compliant informal hearing for a proposed termination
Distinguish HUD's utility allowance methods and choose the correct one for a scenario
Your checkpoint
A recertification and termination timeline flowchart covering notice dates, hearing rights, and documentation retention, verified against at least three HUD handbook citations you can name
HUD Compliance & Tax Credits
Complete 40 practice questions on HUD compliance and log every missed concept
Define the four tax credit tests (income, gross rent, availability, and the 140 percent next-available-unit rule)
Explain how applicable fraction and qualified basis drive the annual credit amount
Compare the 4 percent and 9 percent credit types and their acquisition/rehab components
Your checkpoint
A flashcard set of 30 HUD and tax-credit terms with your own definitions plus a scored practice-question log showing baseline accuracy per domain
Tax Credits
Compute maximum allowable income for a household at 50 and 60 percent AMI using a published income limit table
Calculate maximum gross rent including the utility allowance for three unit sizes
Identify the compliance periods, the 15-year compliance and 15-year extended-use phases, and what happens at each year-end
Describe the recordkeeping requirements for tenant income and rent under Section 42
Your checkpoint
A tax-credit rent and income calculation sheet completed for six unit scenarios, with the AMI source cited for each
Tax Credits
Apply the available-unit rule and the next-available-unit rule to two vacancy scenarios
Explain noncompliance consequences including recapture, and how a correction period works
Outline the requirements for the annual owner certification and the tenant income certification
Differentiate student household restrictions and the exceptions that apply
Your checkpoint
A written compliance memo of at least 400 words analyzing a vacancy and student-eligibility scenario, citing the specific rule that controls each conclusion
Property Management
Build a monthly operating budget for a 50-unit property covering income, expenses, and reserves
Calculate occupancy rate, delinquency rate, and net operating income from a sample rent roll
Draft a work-order prioritization policy covering emergency, urgent, and routine requests
Describe fair housing obligations that apply to screening, advertising, and reasonable modifications
Your checkpoint
A property operating pro forma with a calculated NOI, occupancy percentage, and delinquency percentage, plus a one-page fair housing screening checklist
Property Management & On-Demand Training and Employment Testing
Write a 10-question employment test for a leasing role that maps each item to a job task
Explain the difference between a valid employment test and one that creates disparate impact risk
Design a 30-minute on-demand training module outline with learning objectives and an assessment
Draft a maintenance and safety inspection schedule with owner and resident responsibilities
Your checkpoint
A complete training and testing package for one role: objectives, module outline, 10-item test with answer key, and a scoring rubric
HUD Compliance & Tax Credits & Property Management & On-Demand Training and Employment Testing
Take two full-length timed practice exams and record scores by domain
Re-review every missed item from weeks 1 through 7 and rewrite the underlying rule in your own words
Recite the key formulas for income, rent, applicable fraction, qualified basis, and NOI without notes
Confirm exam-day logistics and assemble your final one-page formula and rule sheet
Your checkpoint
A final review packet containing two scored practice exams with domain breakdowns, a corrected error log, and a one-page formula sheet you can reproduce from memory
Milestones
Week 2: Score at least 75 percent on a 40-question HUD compliance set and correctly complete three income and rent calculations without notes
Week 4: Score at least 75 percent on a 40-question tax credit set and correctly compute maximum rent and income for four of six scenarios
Week 6: Produce a property budget with a defensible NOI and score at least 75 percent on a mixed property management set
Week 7: Deliver a complete training and employment testing package that another person can run without your explanation
Week 8: Average at least 80 percent across two full-length timed practice exams with no domain below 70 percent