CERTIFIED FLOODPLAIN MANAGER COMPREHENSIVE
EXAM 2026 UPDATED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS RATED
A+
✔✔Mitigation Division - ✔✔The FEMA office that sets national policy for the NFIP and
administers the mapping program
✔✔Movable Bed Streams - ✔✔A type of flooding that features uncertain flow paths
✔✔Mudslide - ✔✔Also known as Mudflow. A condition where there is a river, flow, or
inundation of liquid mud down a hillside
✔✔Multi-Objective Management (M-O-M) - ✔✔An approach to planning and funding
local programs that involves a variety of local interests and concerns
✔✔NEPA - ✔✔The National Environmental Policy Act, a federal law that requires
agencies to evaluate the environmental impact of a proposed project
✔✔NGVD - ✔✔National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929, the national datum used by
the NFIP. NGVD is based on mean sea level. It was known formerly as the "Mean Sea
Level Datum of 1929 (MSL)"
✔✔No-Rise Certification - ✔✔a certification by an engineer that a project will not cause
a set increase in flood heights
✔✔Non-Structural Flood Protection Measures - ✔✔Administrative tools for controlling
flooding and flood damage, including regulations on development, building codes,
property acquisition and structure relocation, and modification of existing buildings
✔✔Ordinance - ✔✔Te generic term for a law passed by local government
✔✔Planned Unit Development (PUD) - ✔✔A regulatory approach that allows a
developer to design the entire area while individual requirements may be relaxed to
allow for open space, mixed land uses, and other variances to traditional zoning rules
✔✔Ponding - ✔✔Runoff that collects in depressions and cannot drain out, creating a
temporary pond
✔✔Post-FIRM Building - ✔✔For insurance rating purposes, a _______ building was
constructed or substantially improved on or after December 31, 1974 or after the
effective date of the initial FIRM of a community, whichever is later. For a community
that participated in the NFIP when its initial FIRM was issued, ________ buildings are
the same as new construction and must meet the NFIPs minimum floodplain
management standards
, ✔✔Pre-FIRM Building - ✔✔For insurance rating purposes, a ______ building was
constructed or substantially improved on or before December 31, 1974 or before the
effective date of the initial FIRM of the community, whichever is later. Most ________
buildings were constructed without taking the flood hazard into account
✔✔Probability - ✔✔A statistical term having to do with the size of a flood and the odds
of that size of flood occurring in any year.
✔✔Profile - ✔✔A graph that shows elevations of various flood events
✔✔Q3 Flood Data Product - ✔✔A graphical representation of certain features of a FIRM
in digital format
✔✔Recreational Vehicle - ✔✔A vehicle designed to be self propelled or permanently
towable by a light duty truck that is designed for use as temporary living quarters for
recreation, camping, travel, or seasonal use.
✔✔Reconstruction - ✔✔Building a new structure on the old foundation or slab of a
structure that was destroyed, damaged, purposefully demolished or razed. The term
applies when an existing structure is moved to a new site
✔✔Regular Program - ✔✔Also called the Regular Phase. The phase of community
participation in the National Flood Insurance Program that begins on the date of the
Flood Insurance Rate Map or when the community adopts an ordinance that meets the
minimum requirements of the NFIP and adopts the technical data provided with the
FIRM, whichever is later. Nearly all communities participating in the NFIP are in the
Regular Program.
✔✔Rehabilitation - ✔✔An improvement made to an existing structure which does not
affect its external dimensions.
✔✔Restudy - ✔✔A new Flood Insurance Study for all or part of a community that has
already had a Flood Insurance Study.
✔✔Retrofitting - ✔✔Retrofitting techniques include floodproofing, elevation, construction
of small levees, and other modifications made to an existing building or its yard to
protect it from flood damage.
✔✔Revision - ✔✔A change to a floodplain map based on new data submitted to FEMA
✔✔Riverine - ✔✔Of or produced by a river. Riverine floodplains have readily identifiable
channels. Floodway maps can only be prepared for riverine floodplains.
EXAM 2026 UPDATED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS RATED
A+
✔✔Mitigation Division - ✔✔The FEMA office that sets national policy for the NFIP and
administers the mapping program
✔✔Movable Bed Streams - ✔✔A type of flooding that features uncertain flow paths
✔✔Mudslide - ✔✔Also known as Mudflow. A condition where there is a river, flow, or
inundation of liquid mud down a hillside
✔✔Multi-Objective Management (M-O-M) - ✔✔An approach to planning and funding
local programs that involves a variety of local interests and concerns
✔✔NEPA - ✔✔The National Environmental Policy Act, a federal law that requires
agencies to evaluate the environmental impact of a proposed project
✔✔NGVD - ✔✔National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929, the national datum used by
the NFIP. NGVD is based on mean sea level. It was known formerly as the "Mean Sea
Level Datum of 1929 (MSL)"
✔✔No-Rise Certification - ✔✔a certification by an engineer that a project will not cause
a set increase in flood heights
✔✔Non-Structural Flood Protection Measures - ✔✔Administrative tools for controlling
flooding and flood damage, including regulations on development, building codes,
property acquisition and structure relocation, and modification of existing buildings
✔✔Ordinance - ✔✔Te generic term for a law passed by local government
✔✔Planned Unit Development (PUD) - ✔✔A regulatory approach that allows a
developer to design the entire area while individual requirements may be relaxed to
allow for open space, mixed land uses, and other variances to traditional zoning rules
✔✔Ponding - ✔✔Runoff that collects in depressions and cannot drain out, creating a
temporary pond
✔✔Post-FIRM Building - ✔✔For insurance rating purposes, a _______ building was
constructed or substantially improved on or after December 31, 1974 or after the
effective date of the initial FIRM of a community, whichever is later. For a community
that participated in the NFIP when its initial FIRM was issued, ________ buildings are
the same as new construction and must meet the NFIPs minimum floodplain
management standards
, ✔✔Pre-FIRM Building - ✔✔For insurance rating purposes, a ______ building was
constructed or substantially improved on or before December 31, 1974 or before the
effective date of the initial FIRM of the community, whichever is later. Most ________
buildings were constructed without taking the flood hazard into account
✔✔Probability - ✔✔A statistical term having to do with the size of a flood and the odds
of that size of flood occurring in any year.
✔✔Profile - ✔✔A graph that shows elevations of various flood events
✔✔Q3 Flood Data Product - ✔✔A graphical representation of certain features of a FIRM
in digital format
✔✔Recreational Vehicle - ✔✔A vehicle designed to be self propelled or permanently
towable by a light duty truck that is designed for use as temporary living quarters for
recreation, camping, travel, or seasonal use.
✔✔Reconstruction - ✔✔Building a new structure on the old foundation or slab of a
structure that was destroyed, damaged, purposefully demolished or razed. The term
applies when an existing structure is moved to a new site
✔✔Regular Program - ✔✔Also called the Regular Phase. The phase of community
participation in the National Flood Insurance Program that begins on the date of the
Flood Insurance Rate Map or when the community adopts an ordinance that meets the
minimum requirements of the NFIP and adopts the technical data provided with the
FIRM, whichever is later. Nearly all communities participating in the NFIP are in the
Regular Program.
✔✔Rehabilitation - ✔✔An improvement made to an existing structure which does not
affect its external dimensions.
✔✔Restudy - ✔✔A new Flood Insurance Study for all or part of a community that has
already had a Flood Insurance Study.
✔✔Retrofitting - ✔✔Retrofitting techniques include floodproofing, elevation, construction
of small levees, and other modifications made to an existing building or its yard to
protect it from flood damage.
✔✔Revision - ✔✔A change to a floodplain map based on new data submitted to FEMA
✔✔Riverine - ✔✔Of or produced by a river. Riverine floodplains have readily identifiable
channels. Floodway maps can only be prepared for riverine floodplains.
