Who awards the RPA and FMA, and where BOMA fits
The RPA and FMA are BOMI designations. BOMI is the Building Owners and Managers Institute. It writes the courses, runs the course exams and the Capstone exam through the BOMI Learning Portal, and grants the letters after your name. BOMA International is the trade association for commercial building owners and managers. BOMA International and BOMI have since fully integrated their management and staff teams (BOMA dates the merger to 2023), so you now enroll through boma.org.
In practice that means one website and one service line (1.800.235.2664), and pricing split between BOMA members and non-members. The credential is still a BOMI designation. Your resume should say RPA or FMA, earned through BOMI. Both are private professional designations. Neither one is a state license, and neither replaces a real estate license where your state requires one for property management.
RPA or FMA: which one fits your job
BOMI built the RPA for assistant property managers, property managers and people who manage real estate assets. The coursework covers budgeting and accounting, law and risk management, real estate investment and finance, environmental health and safety, two parts on building systems, and an ethics short course. You also pick one elective: asset management, leasing and marketing, or managing the organization. If you run tenant relations, budgets and owner reporting for office or other commercial buildings, this is your track.
The FMA is aimed at assistant facility managers, facility managers and staff who handle daily operations and maintenance. It shares the building systems, safety and ethics courses with the RPA. It adds fundamentals of facilities management and facilities planning and project management, plus two electives from asset management, real estate investment and finance, and managing the organization. Because the two programs share four courses, some people earn the second designation later with less extra work.
How the Capstone exam works
You pass a final exam for each course with a score of 70 percent or higher. Once every required course is done, you sit the Capstone exam. It is two hours long with 100 multiple-choice questions, each with four answer options. The questions are application scenarios drawn from three years of commercial property and facility work. BOMI says plainly that it is not a cumulative final.
You take it online in the BOMI Learning Portal whenever you are ready, with HonorLock proctoring. It is closed book. You cannot take breaks, and you need a clear desk and a room scan. A weighted score of 700 or higher passes. If you fall short, you pay an exam administration fee to retake it. BOMI sells an optional prep course that includes the exam fee.
What it costs and how long it takes
On BOMI's current U.S. price sheet, enrolling in a designation program costs $225 for BOMA members and $270 for non-members. Online self-paced courses cost $929 ($1,119 for non-members), and the ethics short course is $309 ($369). The Capstone exam fee is $100 ($120). Seven full courses plus ethics, enrollment and the Capstone come to about $7,137 for a member or $8,592 for a non-member. Collaborative virtual classes push the total to roughly $11,177 or $13,372.
You have seven years from enrollment to finish, with an optional one-year extension. After you complete a course you have six months to take its exam. Each online course gives six months of access. Annual continuing professional development costs $75 a year, or $180 for three years paid up front, and reactivation costs $250.
Pay
USD a year, before tax. Ranges run from the 25th to the 75th percentile for property, real estate and community association managers (BLS OEWS May 2025, moved to 2026 with the Employment Cost Index). That BLS series covers residential, commercial and association managers together. It is not specific to RPA or FMA holders, and the national median is $72,200. Florida's 75th percentile is $98,200; the row shows the 25th percentile to the median. Refer to the Commercial Property Management salary guide for figures from live adverts.
What you need
- EnrollmentPay a one-time designation enrollment fee of $225 for BOMA members or $270 for non-members. You can enroll at any stage of your career.
- Required coursesThe RPA requires seven courses plus the Ethics Is Good Business short course, including one elective. The FMA requires six core courses, including ethics, and two electives.
- Course examsPass each course exam with 70 percent or higher, within six months of finishing the course.
- Three years of experienceShow three years of verifiable property management experience for the RPA, or facilities management experience for the FMA. Under the Capstone Experience, BOMI only needs your employment history verified.
- Capstone examPass a proctored, two-hour, 100-question online exam with a weighted score of 700 or higher. The fee is $100 for members and $120 for non-members.
- Time limitFinish all requirements within seven years of enrolling. You can ask for one extra year.
- Prior education creditCoursework that overlaps with BOMI courses may earn competency credit. Academic credit costs $250 per course.
How to get there
- Any timeEnroll in the RPA or FMAPick the track that matches your job: property management for the RPA, building operations for the FMA. Joining BOMA first lowers every fee.
- Years 1-3Take the core coursesChoose online self-paced, collaborative virtual, accelerated review or classroom delivery. Pass each course exam at 70 percent or higher.
- Years 2-4Complete your electivesRPA candidates take one elective and FMA candidates take two. Pick the ones that fill gaps in your current role.
- Years 1-3Build three years of experienceExperience can build up while you study. BOMI verifies your employment history.
- Within 7 yearsPass the Capstone examSit the 100-question proctored exam online once every course is complete. A weighted score of 700 passes.
- OngoingKeep it activePay continuing professional development fees of $75 a year or $180 for three years.
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Questions people ask
Does BOMA or BOMI award the RPA?
BOMI awards the RPA and the FMA. BOMI and BOMA International have merged (BOMA dates this to 2023) and integrated their staff and management, so you now enroll and pay through boma.org, and BOMA members get lower prices.
How hard is the RPA Capstone exam?
It has 100 multiple-choice questions, two hours, and scenario questions that assume three years of commercial property experience. It is closed book and proctored online. You need a weighted score of 700 or higher to pass.
How much does the RPA or FMA cost in total?
Online self-paced, the total is about $7,137 for BOMA members and $8,592 for non-members. That covers enrollment, seven full courses, the ethics short course and the Capstone fee. Collaborative virtual classes bring it to roughly $11,177 or $13,372.
Can I start the RPA before I have three years of experience?
Yes. You can enroll at any point in your career and take courses while you build experience. You need the three years of verifiable experience, and the Capstone pass, before BOMI awards the designation.
How long do I have to finish?
BOMI gives you seven years from enrollment, plus an optional one-year extension. If you don't finish in that time, your enrollment is marked inactive.
Is the RPA or FMA a license?
No. Both are private professional designations from BOMI. They show training and experience to employers, but they do not replace any license your state requires for property management or real estate work.
Sources
- BOMA International: Real Property Administrator (RPA) designation
- BOMA International: Facilities Management Administrator (FMA) designation
- BOMA International: education policies and fees
- BOMI: U.S. price sheet
- BOMI: Capstone exam FAQ (February 2026)
- BOMA International: integration with BOMI announcement
- BOMA International: About BOMA
