How do I Prepare for the CMRP Exam?

Exams are especially difficult at the best of times when employees can take them during a typical workday, as part of regular training; however, when it’s an exam for an important certification, stress levels could be even more salient.

This is usually the case for the Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional exam. Many folks taking exams often have trouble focusing on preparation when the stress is turned on. You have a million other things that you need to get done that seem more important. The study keeps getting shoved back and the test gets delayed. 

From understanding the fundamental concepts and ideas that the exam is built on to quizzes that mimic what you’ll be facing, we have you covered.

It's important to note that this exam is specifically designed for supervisors and managers in maintenance and reliability. However, any interested maintenance professional can most certainly take this exam as a continuing education certification, job advancement, or overall enrichment of their resume. The CMRP exam can be particularly helpful if you would like to advance someday in the near future to a supervisor or manager position.

Let’s get started on your journey to becoming certified and taking your maintenance and reliability career to the next level.

An Overview of How to Study

A good plan of study is built on one important piece: Do you want to pass the CMRP exam? 

It may seem like a silly question, but it’s very important. In many cases, people set themselves up to fail because they believe or have been taught that they are going to fail the exam at least once.

While this may be true, you may pass it easily and find it to be simple. No one can know for sure either way. However, since people have studied and passed the CMRP exam, you can as well. Do not allow yourself to become psyched out or disproportionately worried about it before you start. 

To sum up how you should study:

• Set time aside
• Gather quality materials that directly relate to your exam/certification
• Assure yourself that it is possible to pass and that you will pass

Once you have set aside some amount of time to study, where should you start? Here’s an in-depth breakdown look at the fundamentals of the exam, common study guides, and how to integrate these into a cohesive study plan that is suited for your needs. We’ll start with the fundamentals. 

Fundamentals of the CMRP Exam

The SMRP (Society for Maintenance & Reliability Professionals) has the general CMRP requirements on its website. The main areas/fundamental principles you’ll be tested on include:

• Business and management
• Equipment reliability
• Manufacturing process reliability
• Organization and leadership
• Work management

Each of these topics will be covered in depth during the test. The point of it all is to test your overall knowledge to make sure that you can use that information as a manager or supervisor in the near future. The certification is good for three years. 

As you can see, the breadth of knowledge you’ll need is fairly wide, encompassing all aspects of maintenance management. At first glance, this may seem overwhelming, especially on a deadline!

However, this is a very high-level overview of the test in question. We start here in order to give you a broad understanding of what kinds of study you should pursue outside of the traditional guides and practice quizzes.   

Expect all of these subjects to be covered in detail at the very least. Depending on your previous experience, you may find that you have covered much of the general information already.  

Now that you have a simple understanding of the topics covered and the purpose of the exam, let’s take a look at how to read up for the exam and some common resources that are available. 

How to Study for the CMRP

You’ll want to study up on as much target material as thoroughly as possible to maximize your chances of passing the exam. What do we mean by targeted material and where can it be found?

Target study material is material designed to bring a student to proficiency in a short period of time. For an exam such as the CMRP exam, targeted reading, and study guides are the fastest way to read up for the exam.

Common study aids for the CMRP exam include:

• The Society for Maintenance and Reliability Professionals’ online library and collection of resources. 
• Online classes that specifically provide tips for the CMRP exam.
• Free study guides created by other students.
• And the classic books were written on maintenance, such as The Toyota Way by Jeff Liker, Maintenance Planning, and Scheduling by Doc Palmer, and the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. 

As you read through these books or other books like them, make sure you keep notes. You won't be able to recall everything you read and it won't sink in unless you take notes. Good note-taking practices also eliminate the need to re-read books over and over again in order to find the information you have forgotten.

All of that being said, what if reading just isn’t working? While some students and people can retain a significant amount of information from simple reading and note-taking, others have more trouble. That's where practice quizzes come into play. Some of the books have quizzes to make sure that you understand the material, but other books do not. 

What are some ways to prepare for the actual test-taking part of the exam? Let's look at the most common practice quizzes available for the CMRP exam and how students can get the most out of them.

Practice Quizzes and How to Use Them

After you've read some of the books, filled out some study guides, and otherwise gained a strong basis of knowledge to work off of, practice quizzes fill the gap between discovering all the information and displaying your knowledge of it. How can students best prepare for this part of the exam?

The actual test-taking part of the exam relies on an entirely different set of skills. These skills may have to be studied on their own, depending on individual test-taking capacities. Some useful resources include college study guides and practice quizzes in general. 

It's worth noting at this point that there are only a few quizzes specifically for this exam. However, if you're having trouble with quiz taking, consider studying for other certifications, such as the UpKeep certification courses. 

If you are looking for materials and quizzes that directly relate to the exam, the SMRP provides specific study materials to help maintenance professionals prepare for their certification exams. Those materials—which include practice questions—can be found on their site under the title CMRP Candidate Guide for Certification and Recertification. 

The guide also outlines eligibility requirements and other information, so make sure you read it before submitting your exam application! It may also help you identify gaps in your studying before you get to the actual exam. 

What are some other official or semi-official resources for students?

CMRP Study Apps

In addition to the official resources offered by the SMRP, there are apps available for those who would like extra study help. Two, in particular, include the CMRP Study Quiz 2.0 and the CMRP Study Quiz V3. 

The CMRP Study Quiz 2.0 app costs a small amount of money, but it contains 200 practice questions that you can use to quiz yourself. If you learn best in practice or in pre-test format, this money may be a very good investment for you. 

If you want to use a free version, the CMRP Study Quiz V3 app is technically free, but it does offer in-app purchases. It includes 130 questions to help you memorize the concepts you’ll need to know for the exam. This is a great resource if you want to try out a quiz for free. 

Other quizzes that you may be able to find include book quizzes, different questionnaires, and quiz sets on study sites.  

Turn to Experts

Tap into your workplace

If you already have a career in maintenance and reliability, talk to your coworkers, supervisor, or manager. Many maintenance workers in supervisory roles are certified themselves and they might have pointers for you as you prepare for your exam. If one of your mentors in the past has taken the exam or other colleagues, reaching out to them may prove unexpected information and answers to some of the test questions. 

Look into your extended professional network

Consider asking around beyond your workplace as well. Reach out to old teachers or other professionals in your network and see how they might be able to help you.

Utilize online communities for support

Another place is to turn to online forums and ask about people’s experiences there. While this can produce a lot of unnecessary information and clutter, it is a viable way to collect the information that you need. There may also be the option to take classes based on the CMRP exam. Both of these should be considered carefully, due to the potential time and money costs vs. the information you may get from these sources. 

It's also worth noting that many people delay taking exams because they don't feel ready enough to do so. Heading off to the experts is one of the most common ways of procrastinating. It's good to be aware of these tendencies and stop them before they become burdensome to you, your studying, and your certification.

What can you expect on the day that you go to the testing center to take the exam? Let's take a look at the ins and outs of the day of testing, what happens, and how to move forward if you don’t pass it on the first time. 

Taking the Test

It’s easy to get worried on the day of the test, particularly as they only take place in designated testing areas. Some things that remain the same include:

• The application process, is completely online, including the payment.
• The length of the test. The time allowed is two and a half hours and is made up of 110 questions.
• The grading is done automatically and will be given to you as soon as you complete the test.
• And the amount of time that is needed before you can retake the test, which is six months. You’ll have to pay the same fees for the next test. 

And that's it! The day of the test is straightforward and simple. 

Onwards and Upwards! 

The CMRP certification does expire every three years, but after it has passed, you can take retake the test! It's time to take advantage of your new certification and see where it can take you and your career next. 

If it takes you a few times, consider getting the information from other sources, doubling down on the areas where you're having the most trouble, or delaying it for some time before diving back into it. You may also consider contributing to others studying for the test, find a study group, or otherwise work together with other people in order to successfully retake it. 

At the end of the day, preparing for the CMRP (Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional) exam doesn’t really have any shortcuts. Study the material, quiz yourself until you feel confident, and you should succeed.