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Exam Help Center

The HECM Counselor Exam is for counselors who have passed the HUD Certified Housing Counselor Exam and want to provide reverse mortgage counseling on HUD's HECM Counselor Roster. This page covers information about the exam and resources to help you get ready for the exam.

HECM Origination Counseling

Getting ready for the exam

Take some time to study the information for prospective and active Home Equity Conversion Mortgage Program (HECM) counselors. The HUD EXCHANGE site has a ton of resources for HECM counselors. The HECM Exam is offered online and in person. The cost to take the exam is $100.00.

Go to HUD EXCHANGE

Help Center

HECM Counselor Roster Eligibility Requirements

Only HECM counselors who meet the eligibility criteria listed below may apply to be on HUD's HECM Counselor Roster.

  1. Must have previously passed the HUD Housing Counseling Certification Exam and is a current HUD Housing Counselor
  2. Have registered for and passed HUD's HECM Counseling Certification Exam
  3. Have successfully completed at least one training course related to HECM counseling within the past two years
  4. NOT be listed on the General Services Administration's Excluded Parties List System (EPLS), HUD's Limited Denial of Participation List (LDP), or HUD's Credit Alert Interactive Voice Response System (CAIVRS)
  5. Be employed by a HUD-approved housing counseling agency

If you are a new applicant, you must apply online by uploading the application and proof of your successful completion of the HECM training course(s) listed on your application in PDF format.

HECM Training and Practice

HECM Training Courses

Roster eligibility requires at least one HECM counseling training course completed within the past two years. HUD's Office of Housing Counseling announces upcoming HECM courses in the Housing Counseling Training Digest on HUD Exchange.

Find HECM training on HUD Exchange

HECM Practice Exam

The HECM practice exam is available in the HUD Counselors Training Portal. Take it before you schedule the exam to check your knowledge and focus your studies where you need them.

Sign in to the Training Portal to take the practice exam

Study Resources

  • How to Become a HECM Roster Counselor Toolkit (PDF)

    HUD's step-by-step guide to the HECM exam, required training, and the roster application.

  • HECM Origination Counseling

    This link provides information for prospective and active Home Equity Conversion Mortgage Program (HECM) counselors.

  • HUD Housing Counseling Handbook

    This link specifies the legislative and programmatic requirements for the implementation of the Housing Counseling Program. Specifically, the housing counseling handbook outlines requirements for program eligibility and approval, the delivery of comprehensive and Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) counseling services, program record keeping and reporting, performance monitoring, and the competitive funding and grant application process.

  • HECM Mortgagee Letters

    The mortgage letters listed on this link update the policies in HUD Handbook 4235.1.

  • Housing Notices

    HUD Information on all housing notices.

  • Housing Counseling FAQs

    HUD Counseling information.

Students studying

Steps to take the exam

  1. Registration
  2. Scheduling your exam online
  3. Payment
  4. Take the exam. This exam is available online and in person.

Begin Registration

Apply to FHA Connection After You've Passed The Exam

You must be able to fill in and print the application from FHA Connection (FHAC), sign it, scan it and save it in PDF format. You must use a scanner that creates PDF files. Please be sure that you save all pages of the scanned and signed form into one file before uploading it. PDF is the only acceptable file format.

In addition to the application, you must submit proof to HUD that you successfully completed each education course listed on your application. Each certificate must be scanned to your computer and saved individually in separate PDF files.

Start your FHA Connection Application.

If your application clears all initial system edits:

A Success message will appear at the top of the Results page. The Accepted On field displays the date the application was accepted. You are not on the roster yet.

Note: A counselor will not be officially placed on the Roster until:

  1. The application and credentials pass a full review by HUD staff.
  2. HUD staff approve the application to be on the roster.
  3. You inform the Application Coordinator at your agency that you have successfully submitted your application.
  4. The Application Coordinator successfully validates in the system – Please note: The Application Coordinator cannot validate your employment until HUD staff approve the application to be on the roster.

If your application does not clear all initial system edits:

A Warning message appears at the top of the Results page and the "Application held for HUD review on" field displays the date it was held.

Please visit HUD Exchange Application Overview and Process for more information.

Continuing Education

HECM Roster counselors must complete HECM-related continuing education every two years and document it to HUD. Review the HECM continuing education requirements on HUD Exchange.

HUDCLIPS!

HUD's CLIENT INFORMATION POLICY SYSTEMS – The hud.gov site has a listing of Housing Notices dating back to 1990

HUD's Office of Housing Counseling HUD’s Office of Housing Counseling

#HUDCertifiedProud

Use #HUDCertifiedProud once you are HUD Certified!