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Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) Exam

Help Center

This is your page for all things HECM. The testing portal through your user account, will provide a more uniformed and seamless testing experience.

HECM ORGANIZATION 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 currently being offered online only. The cost to take the exam is $100.00.

Go to HUD EXCHANGE
Help Center

HECM Exam Center "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. Register and have 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.

Practice Practice Practice

Practice Exam

Taking a practice exam that poses questions at different levels of difficulty can help you prepare for the real thing. By reviewing the results of this type of test, you can assess your knowledge and focus studies on your knowledge gaps.

Take Practice Exam

Study Resources

  • 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 to take online only until further notice.
Begin Registration

After you've passed the exam - applying to FHA Connection

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 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

HUDCLIPS!

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

HECM Policy

Stay up to date on HUD policies