What is the NORMI Certified Mold Assessor (CMA) exam?

The NORMI CMA is a professional certification exam administered by the National Organization of Remediators and Microbial Inspectors for mold and indoor-air-quality assessors. It is a 2-hour proctored multiple-choice exam covering mold assessment, sampling, lab interpretation, moisture, remediation oversight, and Florida licensing law, with a passing standard of about 70%.

Does the NORMI CMA exam count toward a Florida mold assessor license?

Yes. NORMI is a Florida DBPR-approved training and proctored-exam provider (#PVD-2), and its assessor exam serves as the licensure-track Mold-Related Services Assessor (MRSA) examination. Florida licensure also requires meeting education/experience requirements and 24 hours of training in mold, moisture, and respiratory protection.

Can I challenge the exam without taking the course?

Yes. Candidates may challenge the NORMI assessor exam without first completing the 24-hour course, either onsite or online with proper monitoring equipment. NORMI still recommends the course, noting that a large share of those who take it pass the exam at 70% or higher.

How is the exam delivered and how long is it?

The exam is a 2-hour proctored test offered onsite or online with monitoring. It is multiple choice; NORMI does not publish a fixed question count. The passing threshold is approximately 70%.

What is Florida's conflict-of-interest rule for assessors and remediators?

Under Florida Statute 468.8419, a mold assessor may not perform or offer remediation on a structure they assessed within the previous 12 months, and a remediator may not assess what they remediated within 12 months. The rule prevents inflating scope or self-verifying one's own work.

What sampling knowledge does the exam test?

The exam covers spore-trap (non-viable, reported in spores/m3) versus culturable (viable, CFU/m3) air sampling, surface methods (tape lift, swab, bulk), wall-cavity sampling, pump calibration, and the use of a same-day outdoor control so indoor genera and counts can be compared against the normal outdoor fungal ecology.

What standards and regulations should I study?

Key references include the ANSI/IICRC S520 standard for professional mold remediation (source removal), EPA mold remediation guidance and area thresholds, OSHA 1910.134 respiratory protection and 1910.1200 HAZCOM, and Florida Chapter 468, Part XVI licensing law. There are no federal numerical airborne mold limits.

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: NORMI CMA Exam

2 hours

Proctored Exam Length

NORMI Examinations

~70%

Passing Score

NORMI

24 hours

Florida Required Training

Florida DBPR / Chapter 468 Part XVI

12 months

Assessor/Remediator Conflict Window

Florida Statute 468.8419

-0.02 inches WC

Containment Negative Pressure

ANSI/IICRC S520

99.97% at 0.3 micron

HEPA Filter Efficiency

HEPA Standard

#PVD-2

NORMI DBPR Provider Number

Florida DBPR

The NORMI Certified Mold Assessor (CMA) is taken by mold inspectors and indoor-air-quality professionals, and it doubles as Florida's licensure-track Mold-Related Services Assessor (MRSA) exam. It is a 2-hour proctored multiple-choice test (onsite or online-monitored) passed at roughly 70%; candidates may challenge it without the recommended 24-hour course. Content spans mold and IAQ assessment and sampling (spore-trap vs culturable air sampling, tape-lift/swab/bulk surface methods, and wall-cavity sampling), interpreting laboratory reports (spores/m3 vs CFU/m3, genus identification, indoor/outdoor comparison, and water-damage indicators like Stachybotrys and Chaetomium), moisture intrusion and moisture mapping (pin vs pinless meters, thermal imaging, dew point, and relative-humidity thresholds), remediation protocol writing under IICRC S520 source-removal principles, remediation oversight (containment, negative pressure near -0.02 inches water column, HEPA filtration at 6-12 ACH, and post-remediation verification), HAZCOM/PPE and OSHA 1910.134 respiratory protection, and Florida Chapter 468 Part XVI licensing including the 468.8419 12-month conflict-of-interest rule.

Sample NORMI CMA Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your NORMI CMA exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1A spore-trap air sample (e.g., Air-O-Cell cassette) is collected by drawing a known volume of air over an adhesive-coated slide. How does the laboratory analyze and report this type of sample?

A.It incubates the sample on agar and reports colony-forming units that grow

B.It performs direct microscopic examination and reports total spores per cubic meter of air

C.It runs a DNA assay and reports a mold-specific quantitative index only

D.It weighs the captured particulate and reports milligrams of mold per sample

Explanation: A spore trap is a non-viable (non-culturable) method: spores are impacted onto a greased slide and counted by direct microscopy, with results extrapolated to spores per cubic meter (spores/m3) of air sampled.

2An assessor needs to determine the exact species of a fungus (for example, distinguishing Aspergillus fumigatus from Aspergillus niger) recovered from indoor air. Which sampling/analysis method is required?

A.Non-viable spore-trap cassette read by direct microscopy

B.Surface tape-lift examined under a microscope

C.Culturable (viable) air sample incubated on growth media

D.Total airborne particle count with a laser particle counter

Explanation: Only a culturable (viable) sample, in which captured spores are incubated on media and grow into identifiable colonies, allows speciation such as distinguishing Aspergillus fumigatus from Aspergillus niger.

3On a non-viable spore-trap laboratory report, two common indoor genera are frequently grouped together because their spores are visually indistinguishable by direct microscopy. Which grouping is this?

A.Aspergillus and Penicillium

B.Cladosporium and Alternaria

C.Stachybotrys and Chaetomium

D.Basidiospores and Ascospores

Explanation: Aspergillus and Penicillium spores are small, round, and nearly identical under the light microscope, so spore-trap reports list them together as 'Aspergillus/Penicillium-like' unless a culture is grown to speciate them.

4Before collecting an indoor spore-trap sample to evaluate a suspected mold problem, why must the assessor also collect an exterior (outdoor) air sample?

A.To calibrate the sampling pump against ambient barometric pressure

B.Because Florida law requires the outdoor sample to be analyzed by culture only

C.To establish a baseline so indoor spore types and counts can be compared against the normal outdoor fungal ecology

D.To measure outdoor temperature and humidity for the report header

Explanation: The outdoor sample is the reference/control: a normal indoor environment should have the same genera as outdoors but at lower or comparable concentrations, so the outdoor baseline is essential to interpret indoor results.

5An assessor wants to confirm that a visible dark stain on a baseboard is fungal growth and to identify the structures present without disturbing a large area. Which surface sampling method is most appropriate?

A.Wall-cavity air sample through a drilled hole

B.Spore-trap air sample held near the baseboard

C.Bulk sample requiring removal of the entire baseboard

D.Tape-lift (clear adhesive) sample of the stained surface

Explanation: A tape lift presses clear adhesive against the surface to capture fungal structures (spores, hyphae, conidiophores) for direct microscopy, confirming growth and identifying genera with minimal disturbance.

6An assessor suspects hidden mold growth inside a wall cavity but sees no visible growth on the wall surface. Which technique directly samples the air inside the concealed cavity?

A.A tape-lift on the exterior of the drywall

B.A bulk sample of the carpet pad nearby

C.A swab of the baseboard at the floor line

D.A spore-trap connected to a probe inserted through a small drilled hole into the cavity

Explanation: Wall-cavity sampling uses a spore-trap cassette fitted with a probe/tube inserted through a small bored hole, drawing cavity air so the lab can compare concealed-space spore burden to the room and outdoors.

7A spore-trap pump is rated to draw 15 liters per minute and the assessor runs it for 5 minutes. What is the primary reason the exact flow rate and run time must be recorded?

A.They are only required for outdoor samples, not indoor samples

B.They set the incubation temperature for the culture plates

C.They determine the total air volume sampled, which the lab needs to calculate spores per cubic meter

D.They establish the dew point at the sampling location

Explanation: Spores/m3 is derived from the spore count divided by the volume of air sampled; volume equals flow rate times run time (15 L/min x 5 min = 75 L), so accurate flow and time are essential for a valid concentration.

8Why should the sampling pump used for air cassettes be calibrated against a primary flow standard before a project?

A.To verify the actual airflow matches the rated flow so the reported spores/m3 is accurate

B.To ensure the laboratory uses the correct stain on the slide

C.Because uncalibrated pumps cannot capture Stachybotrys spores

D.To document the relative humidity at each sample point

Explanation: If the pump's true airflow deviates from its rated value, the calculated sample volume is wrong and the reported concentration (spores/m3) becomes inaccurate; calibration confirms the actual flow.

9During an assessment, an HVAC system serving the area is running. What is the recommended practice for representative air sampling under typical protocols?

A.Always shut off all mechanical systems for at least 24 hours first

B.Sample under conditions that represent normal occupancy, and document whether the HVAC was on or off

C.Only sample in the supply plenum, never in occupied rooms

D.Disconnect the return ducts before every sample

Explanation: Samples should represent the conditions occupants actually experience; the assessor records the HVAC status (on/off) and other conditions so results are interpreted in context rather than altering the environment artificially.

10Stachybotrys chartarum growth is confirmed on a wet gypsum board, yet the room air spore-trap shows very few Stachybotrys spores. What best explains this discrepancy?

A.Stachybotrys is only detectable by gravimetric weighing of the cassette

B.Stachybotrys cannot grow on gypsum board, so the surface result must be an error

C.Air sampling always overcounts Stachybotrys, so the surface result is more reliable

D.Stachybotrys spores are heavy and held in a slimy mass, so they aerosolize poorly and are often underrepresented in air samples

Explanation: Stachybotrys produces spores in a wet, sticky (slimy) mass; the relatively heavy spores do not readily become airborne, so a room air sample can show low counts even with active surface growth, which is why surface/bulk sampling is important.

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