Earning your CAM (Certified Apartment Manager) credential allows you to demonstrate your skills, knowledge, and ability to manage an apartment community and achieve owners’ investment goals. This CAM credential is available both in-person or online.
1. Determine if CAM is Right for You
- Occupancy rates
- Comprehensive marketing plans
- Sales team management and product readiness
- Equitable treatment of current and potential residents
- Resident retention and the maintenance of a positive company image
- Consistent and ongoing resident communication
- Positive resident service and issue resolution
- Enforcement of company policy in compliance with laws and regulations
- Property inspections
- Preventive maintenance programs
- Service request process
- Apartment turnover process
- Contractors and vendors
- Recruitment, hiring, orientation and training of high-caliber employees
- Systematic employee evaluation
- Employment regulations and record keeping
- Analysis of the property’s financial operations with corrective actions for underperformance
- Monitoring of property performance to achieve the owner’s investment goals
- Accounting principles and practices
- Maximizing net operating income
- Reporting property performance honestly and accurately
To obtain the CAM credential, candidates must complete the following:
- Minimum of 12 months of onsite property management experience
- Successful completion of all CAM coursework (totaling 40 hours)
- Meet all examination standards within six (6) months of declaring candidacy
Take the CAM Self-Assessment Tool to see whether you are ready for CAM.
NOTE: If you are a CAS credential holder who would like to earn CAM, you will need to complete the CAM courses not included in CAS and pass the CAM exam.
To obtain CAM in addition to your CAS, you will need to:
- obtain or present evidence of the required one year of onsite management experience
- enroll in CAM on the NAA website
- take the CAM modules that are not included in CAS ( if taken online, you will only need to pay for those modules, not for the whole course)
- take and pass the CAM exam.
2. Choose Your Program
Courses may be taken as standalone seminars or in full, or online, to earn the industry credential. NAAEI credential programs are scheduled by local and state affiliates and consist of individual courses.
3. Take Your Exam
The CAM exam is an online exam held in a proctored environment and timed for four hours. The exam is administered by Castle Worldwide. Your computer must be equipped with a webcam and audio capability in order to complete the exam. The CAM exam is scored pass/fail and consists of 185 multiple choice questions. Learn more.
After Earning Your CAM Credential
Claim Your Digital Badge
Once you have earned the CAM credential, you will receive an email from ProExam Vault with an invitation to claim your Digital Badge, which allows you to market yourself as an apartment professional with valuable skills. Claim your digital badge and show off your credentials.
Extend Your Management Skills to Student Housing
The CAM Student Housing micro-credential provides CAM credential holders the opportunity to learn about the distinct set of skills needed to manage student housing communities.
Renew Your Credential
The CAM credential requires annual renewal based on the anniversary date of completion. Submission of both annual CAM dues of $100 and documentation of eight hours of continuing education credits should be submitted to complete the annual CAM renewal. Renew now.