- What the 12 Headings Actually Are
- How the Exam Is Delivered
- Domains 1-3: Foundations, Courts and Federal Statutes
- Domains 4-5: Protected Categories and Key FHA Provisions
- Domains 6-7: Familial Status and National Origin
- Domains 8-9: Section 504 and Disability Issues
- Domains 10-12: Liability, Tax Credit Properties and Enforcement
- Sequencing the 12 Domains Across Your Prep Window
- Fees, Vouchers and Renewal Mechanics
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The 12 domains mirror the chapter headings of NAHMA's public Fair Housing Compliance course manual; they are unweighted curriculum headings, not an official...
- The exam is online, nonproctored and open-book with a 2-hour limit, and course manuals and notes are permitted.
- Historical results show 193 passes in 251 attempts through October 15, 2025, a calculated 76.9% pass ratio.
- NAHMA's October 2025 committee packet records manual rewriting, so prioritize updates supplied with your current course over the 2022 manual.
What the 12 Headings Actually Are
Fair Housing Compliance (FHC) is a credential from the National Affordable Housing Management Association (NAHMA). Most candidates take the NAHMA FHC course and then sit the examination. FHC is also a required course within NAHMA's separate NAHP program, so many property management professionals encounter it on the way to a larger credential.
The 12 domains on this page come from the outline of NAHMA's public Fair Housing Compliance course manual (copyright 2022, printed Introduction and Outline, pages 1-3), and they are corroborated by NAHMA's FHC student slides. They are best understood as preparation curriculum headings. NAHMA's public materials do not publish a weighted exam blueprint, and the count of 12 reflects the chapters supplied in the manual, not an official statement of "exam domains." No public source verified current question counts per chapter.
If you want a broader preparation plan around these headings, pair this guide with the FHC Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt, and keep the FHC Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts nearby for quick recall.
How the Exam Is Delivered
NAHMA's 2026 Retest Application Form describes the delivery model, and it shapes how you should study:
- Platform: Prometric, taken online and nonproctored.
- Open-book: Course manuals and notes are permitted.
- Time limit: 2 hours.
- Calculator: A calculator is supplied within the exam environment.
- Results: Immediate upon completion.
- Voucher window: Candidate vouchers expire after 3 weeks.
The open-book format changes the skill being tested. You are rarely rewarded for memorizing a statute number; you are rewarded for knowing where an answer lives in your materials and for applying a rule to a fact pattern quickly. Two hours is generous for recall but tight if you must hunt through an unfamiliar manual for every item. Candidates who tab and index their notes by domain tend to have a smoother experience than those who plan to read on the fly.
No current question count or numeric passing threshold was verified in the public issuer materials, so be wary of any source that states them as fact. For more on what is and is not known, see FHC Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass and How Hard Is the FHC Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.
Domains 1-3: Foundations, Courts and Federal Statutes
The opening chapters set the context. They are easy to skim and easy to underestimate, because later chapters assume you can place each law, agency and court correctly.
Domain 1: Why We Study Fair Housing Law
This chapter frames fair housing as both a legal duty and an operational reality for owners and managers of affordable housing.
- Understand the purpose of the laws and why compliance matters for property operations
- Recognize that discrimination can be subtle and unintentional in day-to-day leasing
- Be ready for scenario items that start from a practical property management situation
Domain 2: How Our Legal System Works
Here the course explains how federal law, regulations and court decisions fit together so you can read the rest of the material correctly.
- Distinguish statutes, regulations and case law, and know how each one binds a housing provider
- Understand how disputes move through administrative and judicial channels
- Recognize why a court interpretation can change how a rule is applied in practice
Domain 3: Principal Federal Fair Housing Laws
This chapter is the map of federal law that governs your property. Expect it to feed directly into later chapters on the Fair Housing Act and Section 504.
- Identify the major federal fair housing statutes and what each one covers
- Know which laws apply to which kinds of properties and funding sources
- Connect each law to the agency responsible for it
Because Domain 3 introduces the laws that Domains 4 through 9 explore in depth, a clear mental map here saves time later. Candidates considering the credential's career value should also review FHC Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Domains 4-5: Protected Categories and Key FHA Provisions
Domain 4: Protected Categories under the Fair Housing Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
This chapter defines who is protected. Notice that it covers two laws together, which signals that the course expects you to compare their scope.
- Know each protected category under the Fair Housing Act
- Understand how Section 504 protection differs, since it is tied to disability and to federally assisted programs
- Practice spotting which category a fact pattern implicates, since a single scenario can implicate more than one
Domain 5: Key Provisions of the Fair Housing Act
This is the operational core. It turns the abstract list of protected categories into specific prohibited and required conduct.
- Learn the categories of prohibited conduct in rental, advertising, screening and ongoing tenancy
- Understand how discriminatory effects can arise from neutral-looking policies
- Be ready to apply a provision to a leasing scenario and choose the compliant action
Domains 6-7: Familial Status and National Origin
Domain 6: Special Issues Regarding Familial Status under the Fair Housing Act
Familial status questions frequently arise in affordable housing, where occupancy and unit-size decisions are routine.
- Understand who is covered when a household includes children or is expecting a child
- Recognize how occupancy standards and unit assignment can create exposure
- Watch for scenarios involving rules that single out families with children
Domain 7: Special Issues Regarding National Origin
National origin issues often surface through language, documentation and screening practices.
- Know how national origin discrimination can occur indirectly, such as through language or documentation practices
- Understand the difference between lawful verification requirements and unlawful treatment
- Expect applied scenarios that test whether a screening step is applied consistently
These two chapters reward consistency of thinking: in each case, ask whether a policy treats a protected group differently, and whether a stated justification is applied evenly to everyone. If you want to see how these topics fit the larger picture of the credential, the explainer What Is FHC Certification? is a useful companion.
Domains 8-9: Section 504 and Disability Issues
Domain 8: Key Provisions of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Section 504 applies to housing that receives federal financial assistance, which makes it especially relevant for affordable housing professionals.
- Understand which programs and properties fall under Section 504 obligations
- Know the core duties it imposes on housing providers
- Be able to contrast its requirements with those of the Fair Housing Act
Domain 9: Special Issues Regarding Persons with Disabilities
Disability scenarios tend to be among the most detailed in a fair housing course, because they involve individualized requests and ongoing dialogue with residents.
- Practice handling requests that relate to a person's disability, including how and when to respond
- Understand the interactive nature of working through a request with an applicant or resident
- Recognize what information a provider may and may not seek
Key Takeaway
Treat Domains 8 and 9 as a pair. Section 504 tells you which properties carry federal-assistance obligations, and the disability chapter tells you how those obligations play out in real resident interactions. Study them back to back, and annotate your manual so you can find the relevant section quickly during the open-book exam.
Domains 10-12: Liability, Tax Credit Properties and Enforcement
Domain 10: Special Issues Regarding Liability
This chapter addresses who can be held responsible when a violation occurs, an area where managers and owners often misjudge their exposure.
- Understand how responsibility can extend beyond the individual who committed an act
- Recognize the role of policies, training and supervision in managing risk
- Be prepared for questions about who bears responsibility in a given fact pattern
Domain 11: Information for Tax Credit Properties
Tax credit properties operate under overlapping program rules, and this chapter explains how fair housing obligations fit alongside them.
- Understand how fair housing duties interact with tax credit program requirements
- Recognize where program rules and fair housing obligations must be reconciled
- Expect scenarios drawn from tax credit property operations
Domain 12: Enforcement of Civil Rights Laws
The final chapter covers how complaints are handled and how the laws are enforced.
- Understand how complaints are filed and processed
- Know the agencies and mechanisms involved in enforcement
- Connect enforcement outcomes back to the conduct described in earlier chapters
Domains 10 through 12 reward candidates who think like a compliance officer: not just "what is prohibited," but "who is accountable, what program rules also apply, and what happens if a complaint is filed." Professionals who work in these areas often pursue roles in affordable housing management, compliance and administration; see FHC Jobs for how the credential shows up in the market.
Sequencing the 12 Domains Across Your Prep Window
Because a voucher expires after 3 weeks, you have a natural deadline once you receive access to the exam. A short, domain-driven plan keeps you from spending your time unevenly. The schedule below groups the chapters by how they depend on each other.
Foundations and the Federal Map
- Read Domains 1-3 and build a one-page chart of the federal laws and who enforces each
- Tab your manual by domain so open-book lookups are fast
Protected Categories, FHA Provisions and Special Issues
- Study Domains 4-7, since the special-issues chapters build directly on the categories and provisions
- Write short scenario notes for familial status and national origin
Section 504, Disability, Liability, Tax Credit and Enforcement
- Study Domains 8-12 and compare Section 504 duties with Fair Housing Act duties
- Run practice questions at the FHC practice test site and revisit any domain where you hesitate
Fees, Vouchers and Renewal Mechanics
The cost of getting started depends on how you take the course, because many candidates register through a regional affiliate package. The figures below are dated regional examples, not a national standalone exam fee.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| SAHMA course-and-exam package (Jackson, Nov. 9, 2026) | USD 425 members; USD 575 nonmembers |
| NEAHMA course-and-exam package (Feb. 11, 2026) | USD 549 members; USD 729 nonmembers |
| FHC retest fee | USD 85 |
| Retest spacing | At least 1 month between examinations |
| Retest voucher processing | 7-10 days |
| Annual maintenance | 2 hours of fair-housing CE plus USD 128 renewal fee, due each January |
For a full breakdown, see FHC Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown. If you are weighing the investment against the return, Is the FHC Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and FHC Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis cover the career side. For timing questions, check FHC Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.
What the Historical Results Tell You
Through October 15, 2025, there were 193 passes among 251 FHC examination attempts, which calculates to a 76.9% pass ratio. This is a dated, attempt-based figure, not a current pass rate. A separate figure of 83% appears in the source, but it is the average score among passing attempts, not a pass ratio and not a required passing threshold. Do not read it as the score you need. For more context, read FHC Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. They are the chapter headings from NAHMA's public course manual outline. No formal weighted exam blueprint was verified, so the headings should be treated as unweighted preparation topics, not official exam percentages.
Yes. NAHMA's 2026 Retest Application Form describes the exam as online, nonproctored and open-book, with course manuals and notes permitted and a 2-hour time limit. Organizing your notes by domain makes lookups much faster.
You can retest for USD 85, with at least 1 month between examinations. Retest processing takes 7-10 days before the voucher is issued, and vouchers expire after 3 weeks.
Possibly. NAHMA's October 2025 committee packet records manual rewriting and reorganization, and no newer public replacement curriculum was verified. Preserve these 12 headings as your baseline and incorporate any updates supplied with your current course.
Annual maintenance requires 2 hours of fair-housing-focused continuing education and a USD 128 renewal fee, with the CE form and payment due each January. For background on the credential itself, see What Is FHC? and FHC Training.