Completion of training is optional and is not required to become certified. However, to increase certification exam passing rates, candidates are highly encouraged to study the course content.
To access the training, you must be signed into your account on HUDHousingCounselors.hud.gov.
Once you are signed in, select “Training Center” at the top of the page. If you are already signed in, you can access the Training Center launch page directly.
Training is available to anyone who creates an account. You can choose from two study methods: an interactive online training course or a downloadable Study Guide in PDF format.
The practice exam is designed to give candidates a feeling for the format and style of test questions and the breadth of the subject matter in the test (90 questions that are not broken into smaller stand-alone sections). It is delivered in a similar format to the certification exam. The practice exam does not provide numeric scoring because performance on the practice exam does not guarantee passing results on the certification exam.
Upon completion, you will receive a summary page with feedback and recommendations for further study by topic. Please take note of the summary page, as you will not have repeat access to the results. The recommendations are based on how well candidates perform in each content area of the examination:
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Areas in which candidates perform well receive feedback that some additional review is recommended for continued success;
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Areas in which performance was marginal receive feedback that additional study is needed for moderate improvement; and
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Areas in which performance was weak receive feedback that significant study is needed for considerable improvement.
To access the Knowledge Assessment, you must be signed into your account on HUDHousingCounselors.hud.gov.
Once you are signed in, click on the Training Center button on the home page, then click on “Take Knowledge Assessment.” If you are already signed in, you can access the Take Knowledge Assessment launch page directly.
The Study Guide consists of 15 modules and a Glossary that vary from approximately 20 to 60 pages. A single file of the entire training is not available.
The Support team is not able to provide physical copies of the Study Guide. You are welcome to print the training as befits your needs to prepare for the exam.