The most recent HECM exam publication date is listed on the HECM Exam area of this website.
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The most recent HECM exam publication date is listed on the HECM Exam area of this website.
NeighborWorks does not offer a training course for HECM Exam preparation. However, we have a variety of tools available to aide in study, including a list of exam topics, study materials, and a practice exam.
A passing grade is 80%.
You can find a sample exam on this website in the HECM exam area.
You can find study materials on this website in the HECM exam area.
You can take the HUD HECM exam as many times as necessary.
Yes, you can log out after you’ve purchased the test, and come back later to schedule your exam and print your Authorization Letter. Be sure to make a note of your Login ID and Password.
The HUD HECM exam costs $100.
If you have problems with the registration system, or need to change your test site or your name or contact information, Net Certification has a Support Website that lists FAQ’s, and a contact number and an email address. If you have general questions about exam content or study materials, email hecminfo@nw.org
No. It is HUD’s exam. It is only administered by NeighborWorks.
No. You can take the exam without being employed at a HUD approved agency. However, when registering you must follow specific instructions. When registering, the system will require you to list an agency name and HUD agency ID number. If you are not yet employed at an agency, HUD has indicated test takers enter “No Agency” as a place holder for the agency field, and enter “80000” as a place holder for HUD agency ID number field.
Immediately following the completion of the exam, your score will be shown on the screen. You will not receive a certificate. The data is sent to HUD and the records are kept electronically.
The exam is challenging and requires a good amount of studying. Be sure you’ve read through and studied all the Study Materials provided on this site. Take the Sample Exam a couple times, making note where you could study more. Also review the Exam Topics: What You Need to Know to make sure you’ve reviewed all the important topics. You can read and review the HUD HECM Handbook and the HECM Counseling protocol, along with the HO111 training manual NeighborWorks makes available for those studying for the exam.
It is very important you use a professional, active email address you check daily. This is the email address that will be used to create your account in RMA IBIS as well as your profile on www.hecmcounselors.org. It will also be used for NeighborWorks to communicate with you once you’ve passed the exam.
Each week, NeighborWorks downloads the weekly HUD HECM exam results, and passes them along to HUD. At that time, HUD processes the results, and therefore when you apply for the HUD HECM roster, your exam results will be on file with HUD. Additionally, NeighborWorks reaches out to those that have successfully passed the HUD HECM exam and provides support and assistance in the roster application process. Once you’ve passed the exam, please allow 7 days for your results to reach HUD.
Yes. If you want to see all the sites where the exam is offered go to http://www.2test.com/and then do the following steps.
IMPORTANT NOTE: You cannot actually register for the exam at this site until you have Registered and paid for your exam.
No. You must apply for the roster.
To change the date or time of your test, call Prometric at 1-800-796-9855. If you call less than 30 days before your appointment, you will be charged a fee. The charge incurred will depend on the date that you call and the date on which your test is scheduled.If you call, you will be charged the following:
Yes, counselors who have taken the exam any time prior to the effective date of the regulation (September 2009) will not have to retake the exam to apply and be placed on the Roster provided they meet all other eligibility requirements.
To cancel your exam registration altogether, call Prometric at 1-800-796-9855 to cancel the appointment. Then call Net Certification at 1-888-845-2634, Option 2 to cancel your registration altogether. A fee credit will be issued.
If you took the exam less than 7 days ago, please wait a few additional days before applying to the HUD HECM roster. It takes a few days for your exam results to reach HUD. If you have changed your name since you registered for the exam, your exam records only reflect the name you registered with to take the exam. In this case, please apply to the roster with the name you’ve used to register for the exam. Then you can update your information with HUD in FHA Connection.
No. In order to register via FHA Connection, counselors will be required to show proof that they have attended HECM-related training within the last 2 years, in addition to passing the exam.
No, HUD receives this information directly from NeighborWorks America.
When calling Thomson Prometric to schedule your exam, use the information on the Exam Authorization Letter you got when you registered. Be sure to have this Letter in front of you when you call, and use the exact words in the Letter to schedule your exam. For example, you must request the "Net 2" exam rather than the AARP exam, HECM exam, HUD exam, etc.
To remain an active HECM counselor, you must take the exam once every three (3) years.
Yes, periodically the exam content changes due to industry changes. However, it does not change every time there is an industry change.
No. In order to maintain the test's security and validity for future examinees, we are not able to provide the test questions or give feedback on specific items. We also ask that you not share information about specific items with colleagues who may be taking the test in future; this is considered cheating.
Yes, each training event NeighborWorks has scholarships available. Please see the Scholarship website to apply.
NeighborWorks America Training Division
1325 G Street, NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20005
Email: nti@nw.org
Phone: (800) 438-5547, (202) 220-2454
Fax: (202) 376-2168
By visiting NeighborWorks’ training opportunities page, you see where the upcoming NTI’s are being held. You can also use our Training Events Calendar to search by Upcoming Event.
Using NeighborWorks’ online registration system, you can register for upcoming NTI’s.
No. NeighborWorks offers training and technical assistance to HECM counselors and those wishing to become HECM counselors. However, HUD ‘certifies’ HECM counselors through the HUD HECM roster system. In order to be an authorized HUD HECM counselor, you must be on the roster. NeighborWorks does offer certifications in other areas, such as Pre-Purchase Homeownership Education, Foreclosure Intervention and Default Counseling, and more.
By visiting NeighborWorks’ training opportunities page, you see where the upcoming PBT’s are being held. You can also use our Training Events Calendar to search by Upcoming Event.
By visiting NeighborWorks’ training opportunities page, you see where the upcoming PBT’s are being held. You can also use our Training Events Calendar to search by Upcoming Event.
Using NeighborWorks’ online registration system, you can register for upcoming PBT’s.
Using NeighborWorks’ online registration system, you can register for eLearning courses.
If you haven't registered for a NeighborWorks course online before, you'll need to first fill out a profile and obtain a user name and password. The online user profile requires that each person use a unique email address as their login that cannot be used by anyone else. Within minutes, you’ll get an e-mail with a temporary password and a link with instructions to log back into your online user account, where you will be prompted to reset your temporary password with a permanent password of your choosing.)
Enter your user name and password and your online learning home page will open. From this page you can register for an eLearning course or any of the NeighborWorks public events.
For questions during this registration process, use the Registration Assistance link.
No. Anyone can take a NeighborWorks HECM training course.
A full list of course names and descriptions can be found on this site, under NeighborWorks HECM Training.
Course descriptions for all HECM NeighborWorks Training courses are under Homeownership and Community Lending category in the Course Catalogue. Direct links to each HECM course description can be found on the NeighborWorks HECM Training page.
Course enrollment ranges from 10-40 participants per course.
NeighborWorks HECM classroom training courses do not include an exam at the end of the course. However, eLearning courses do have an exam component and you must pass to receive the certificate. The system gives you four chances to pass the exam.
This website provides an overview of the HUD HECM roster requirements, as well as a full list of the training courses NeighborWorks offers.
HUD mandates how often HECM counselors must take HECM training, and what courses qualify as accepted HECM training.
eLearning courses generally take 2 – 4 hours to complete; depending upon how much time you spend exploring the additional course resources. From the date you purchase the course, you will have 60 days to complete it and pass the exam. The system will give you four chances to pass the eLearning course exam in order to print out your certificate of completion.
The HUD HECM Handbook and the HECM counseling protocol can be found on HUD’s website or within the Resources section of this website.
Yes, completing each NeighborWorks training course will earn you a training certificate. For eLearning classes, you must pass the exam at the end of the course. For classroom courses, you must be present for the entirety of the class.
To stay current on HUD rules and requirements, real all HECM related Mortgagee letters as they are published.
No. Viewing previously recorded webinars will not earn you a certificate. Occasionally, NeighborWorks will offer a webinar on a special topic to HUD HECM Roster counselors, for which they may receive a certificate.
At this current time, NeighborWorks does not offer any specific courses for HECM exam preparation. Enrolling in a NeighborWorks HECM training course will provide you with a great overview of the product and counseling requirements. The materials provided are great tools to use while studying. Additional study is recommended before taking the HUD HECM exam.
To remain active on the HUD HECM roster, you must take one qualifying HECM training course every two (2) years.
A list of qualifying courses in listed in the NeighborWorks HECM training area of this website.
If you work at a HUD approved agency, have your supervisor email hecminfo@nw.org with your name, agency name, and HUD Agency ID number.
If you search your agency and name through HUD’s online HECM counselor search tool, it shows when you were added to the roster.
Email housing.counseling@hud.gov.
You can only upload PDF’s into FHA connection. Therefore you must scan and save the hard copy of your certificates.
Yes. NeighborWorks offers HO272 Introduction to HUD’s HECM Counseling Program Procedures & Roster. It is a one day classroom course designed to help counselors and managers navigate HUD HECM processes and procedures.
The following NW courses can be used to satisfy the continuing education requirement for the HUD HECM Counselor Roster:
All are available on the HECM Training page. If you have a question about a course that is not offered by NeighborWorks, you can email housing.counseling@hud.gov .
On this site we offer answers to the most frequently asked questions about HECM training, the HECM exam, and continuing education. If you have questions about the HECM program, the product itself or counseling questions, please use the Forums to discuss with your fellow counselors, or use our Ask the Expert tool to get an answer. You may also wish to contact the following resources.