Certified Maine Assessor (CMA) Exams

Exams are offered at the annual Property Tax School and at least three other times throughout the year.

Dates of Exams

The CMA exam is composed of five parts and requires a minimum 70% passing grade on each part. The exam runs from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, with a half-hour break for lunch at noon.

  1. Part I contains 50, two-part questions, testing a candidate's practical knowledge of Maine property tax law.  Each question is worth two points: one for the answer, and one for the correct legal citation.  The first part of each question will generally require only a few words or, at most, a short sentence.  A law book along and all Property Tax Division Bulletins and Rules are included in the test packet for reference.  The time limit for Part I is four hours. Upon completion, Part I must be returned to the testing monitor.  Candidates may begin Parts II through V of the test after having turned in Part I.  
  2. Part II contains 50 multiple choice questions on assessment theory including concepts of value, concepts of property, and appraisal arithmetic.
  3. Part III contains 50 multiple choice questions dealing with land valuation and tax maps.
  4. Part IV contains 50 multiple choice questions on the cost approach to value and the market approach to value.
  5. Part V of the exam contains 50 multiple choice questions on the income approach to value, land pricing, ratio studies, and tax mapping.

Exam Preparation Material

Course PT101 - Introduction to Property Tax Assessment | Textbook | Handouts | PowerPoint presentation

Course PT102 - Maine Property Tax Law | Textbook

Course PT103 - Valuation of Real Estate | Textbook | PowerPoint presentation

Course PT104 - CMA Exam Review Course | Video

Laws Relating to Property Taxation | Volume 1 | Volume 2

Property Tax Bulletins

Dates of Exams

2025

2026

  • Tuesday, March 3, 2026 | Augusta
  • Friday, June 5, 2026 | Property Tax School, Waterville
  • Tuesday, September 15, 2026 | Augusta
  • Tuesday, December 8, 2026 | Location, TBD 

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