If you need help studying for the Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM) exam or just want some more information about what the test is like, you’ve come to the right place.
Click below to take a free CHMM practice test!
Exam Eligibility
Before you can register to take the CHMM exam, you’ll have to meet the following education and experience requirements:
- You need a bachelor’s degree (or higher) in a field relate to hazardous materials management (environmental science, engineering, chemistry, biology, safety, etc.).
- You need at least four years of professional experience in hazardous materials management.
If you meet these requirements, you’re set to begin the registration process!
What’s on the Exam?
First, let’s talk about the questions on the exam. There are 140 multiple-choice questions, but you’ll likely see a handful of additional questions that don’t count toward your score. Why is that?
The few unscored questions on the CHMM exam are called “pretest” questions. These are added to the exam to determine if they’re good enough questions to add to future versions of the test.
The trick is that you won’t have any way of knowing which questions are scored and which ones are pretest. They will appear just like the scored questions throughout the test.
The time limit for the exam is 3 hours. There aren’t any scheduled breaks, but you’re free to take restroom breaks as needed.
Let’s take a closer look at the different sections of the CHMM exam.
1. Planning for Materials with Hazards
10.71% of the exam
- Names of hazardous materials
- Identifying hazardous materials given four safety data sheets
- Constituents that make certain mixtures hazardous
- Pollution prevention strategies
- Examples of effective recycling
- Specific pollution impacts and related regulations
- Elements and sequences of events regarding a PPOA
- The impact of hazardous materials and processes on water resources, air, and soil
- Minor and major permits
- Permit application and review
- Inspection, training, and waste requirements of permitting
- Determining the threshold quantity of a regulated substance
- SOP components
2. Shipping and Transporting Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Materials
10% of the exam
- Requirements for hazmat transportation
- Appropriate containers for packaging
- Required labeling for transporting hazardous waste/materials
- The marking of hazardous materials when shipping
- Information included in shipping documents
- Required placarding when shipping
- Conditions under which shipments can be accepted or rejected
3. Store Materials with Hazard
9.29% of the exam
- Storage location site requirements for hazardous waste/materials
- Regulations that apply to specific inventory
- Facility signage requirements
- Proper container labeling requirements for storage
- Controlling access to hazardous waste/materials
- Identifying how specific storage meets requirements
4. Facility Operations Involving Materials with Hazards
9.29% of the exam
- Engineering control that should be used to treat, store, or dispose of hazardous waste/material
- Regulatory training record requirements
- Hazardous communication requirements needed for specific materials
- PPE used when handling and handling hazardous materials
- Testing procedures needed to determine hazards associated with specific materials
- Health, safety, and security requirements
5. Disposition of Materials with Hazards
8.57% of the exam
- Typical components of a waste profile
- Disposition options
- Identifying what a generator uses to qualify or disqualify a disposal facility
- Disposition requirements for certain materials
- Final confirmation and documentation of hazardous waste/materials
- Management of a release from a container
- Management of emissions and discharges
6. Record Keeping and Reporting
6.43% of the exam
- Reporting requirements for hazardous materials
- Recordkeeping requirements for relevant regulatory programs
7. Training Personnel
7.86% of the exam
- Training requirements for relevant regulatory programs
- Competencies needed for various activities involving hazardous materials
- Types of training required for various jobs
- Assessments used for training
- Agencies involved in different hazmat events
- Adequacy of training content and duration given a regulatory requirement
8. Response and Recovery
7.86% of the exam
- Chemical and physical hazards of materials involved in a spill/release
- The amount of material that has been spilled or released in given scenarios
- Conditions that require an incident to be reported to the NRC
- Mitigating the impact of a spill/release
- Developing a recovery or incident action plan
- Data needed to investigate causes of incidents
9. Remediation
6.43% of the exam
- Identifying the constituents of concern regarding a spill/release
- Appropriate remedial objectives given a release scenario
- Treatment options needed to remediate various contaminants
- Tools needed to ensure remedial action objectives are achieved
- Capital and recurring costs associated with a selected remedial action
- Redevelopment considerations and pitfalls
- Determining if clean-up standards have been achieved based on soil analytical results
10. Management Systems
6.43% of the exam
- Regulations that apply to a multimedia program
- Requirements for maintenance and retention of records
- Determining if a regulation is current
- Knowledge needed to participate in regulation development
- Required public outreach mechanisms
- Elements of a management system audit
- Variables in a financial analysis
- Operations that require a program
11. Environmental Studies
6.43% of the exam
- Required environmental due diligence regarding property transfer
- Conducting a building survey when lead-based paint, asbestos, and other materials are thought to be present
- Required processes and outputs for various regulatory frameworks
- Identifying contaminants of concern
- Likely exposure routes of various sources of contamination
12. Health and Safety
10.71% of the exam
- Exposure routes and susceptible populations that may be affected by specific contaminants
- Potential hazardous material exposure routes given screening thresholds
- Identifying tsks to complete a job
- Process safety management
- Recommended basic elements of a site safety plan
- Recommended elements of an emergency response plan
- Appropriate containment of various hazardous materials
- Labeling requirements for various products
How to Register
Once you’ve ensured that you meet all of the eligibility requirements, you can register for the exam.
To get started, you’ll need to submit an application on IHMM’s website via your MyIHMM account. The application will ask you for your contact information and any documentation to prove your eligibility (among other things).
When you submit the application, you’ll also need to submit the application fee, which is $185. Once your application is approved, you’ll need to pay an additional $375 testing fee as part of the registration process.
CHMM Study Guide and Flashcards
Get practice questions, detailed study lessons, and complex subjects broken down into easily understandable concepts.
Exam Scores
The test is scored using a scaled scoring method. Here’s how it works:
You will need a score of 700 to pass the test.
The reason your raw score is converted to a scaled score is because everyone who takes the CHMM test is given a slightly different set of questions. Since everyone has a different arrangement of questions, and because some questions are harder than others, converting your raw score to a scaled score ensures a more even playing field.
Retaking the Exam
If you didn’t get a passing score on your first try, that’s okay! You can retake the test as soon as you feel ready, as long as you do it within the first 12 months after your first attempt.
Keep in mind that you will have to pay the $!60 retesting fee every time you retake the test.
FAQs
How many questions are on the CHMM exam?
The exam contains 140 questions.
What is the time limit for the CHMM exam?
The exam is timed at 3 hours.
What is the passing score for the CHMM exam?
You’ll need to get a final scaled score of at least 700 to pass.
How much does the CHMM exam cost?
The application fee is $185, and the testing fee is $375, which brings the cost to a total of $560.