NORMI CMA study guide
NORMI CMA · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The NORMI Certified Mold Assessor (CMA) is a professional credential issued by the National Organization of Remediators and Microbial Inspectors (NORMI), a certifying agency that has provided training for mold and indoor environmental professionals since 2004. NORMI trains both Assessors (CMA) and Remediators (CMR) and reports that it has trained thousands of entrepreneurs, home inspectors and construction professionals across the United States, Canada, Australia, Europe and South America. The CMA pathway is aimed at people who inspect, evaluate and assess buildings for mold and moisture problems, then interpret laboratory results and write a remediation or sanitization protocol that others can follow. Because the assessment role sits upstream of the cleanup, the exam content spans four broad areas: mold and microbial assessment; mold and microbial remediation; indoor air quality and allergens; and sanitization, monitoring and professional practice and ethics. The NORMI CMA study guide has 5 sections and about 1,520 words.
01Mold and Microbial Assessment
Mold and microbial assessment tests whether you can investigate moisture and microbial conditions, choose sampling only when it answers a question, and produce defensible data. The assessor's first product is a hypothesis about water sources and pathways, not a spore count.
331 words, about 2 min02Mold and Microbial Remediation
Remediation tests whether you can plan and verify source removal, containment, drying, and cleaning under IICRC S520-style principles without spreading contamination. Correct the moisture source before or during remediation; otherwise mold returns.
303 words, about 2 min03Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and Allergens
IAQ and allergens tests whether you can identify sources, evaluate ventilation and filtration, and recommend controls in the right order: source control, ventilation, then air cleaning. Common indoor allergens include dust mites, pet dander, cockroach allergen, pollen, and mold.
300 words, about 2 min04Sanitization
Sanitization tests whether you can distinguish cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting, and sterilizing; follow label directions; and avoid claims that a product cannot support. Cleaning removes soil, organic matter, and biofilm.
298 words, about 1 min05Monitoring and Professional Practice/Ethics
Monitoring and professional practice/ethics tests whether you can track project conditions, verify outcomes, and behave with candor and independence. Monitoring is not a final snapshot; it is a record of containment, drying, and cleaning.
288 words, about 1 min