The quick answer
What it is: a state-approved pre-licensure education course (commonly offered as a roughly 16-hour course) covering Florida community association law and management.
Why it matters: you must complete it before you're eligible to take the DBPR licensing exam. It's step one; the exam is step two. Always confirm the current required hours with the DBPR.
What is the pre-licensure course?
Florida requires aspiring Community Association Managers to complete an approved pre-licensure education course before sitting the licensing exam. It's mandated under Chapter 468, Part VIII of the Florida Statutes and the rules of the Regulatory Council of Community Association Managers. The course is offered by state-approved education providers — in person or online — and is frequently marketed as a “16-hour CAM course,” though the exact required hours are set by the state and can change, so verify the current requirement with the DBPR before you enroll.
What the course covers
The pre-licensure course introduces the body of knowledge the exam then tests. Expect instruction across the same general subject matter as the five official exam content areas:
- Florida association law — the statutory framework for condos (FS 718), cooperatives (FS 719), and HOAs (FS 720)
- Procedure — meetings, notices, elections, and statutory recordkeeping
- Budgets and finances — reserves, assessments, and financial reporting
- Insurance — association coverage essentials
- Management & maintenance — day-to-day operations, vendors, and contracts
How it fits the path to licensure
The pre-licensure course is the first formal step. The full path looks like this:
- Complete the state-approved pre-licensure course (this page).
- Pass the DBPR Community Association Manager licensing exam — 100 questions, 3 hours, closed book, 75% to pass. See the CAM exam guide.
- Submit your application and fees to the DBPR and clear the background check.
- Keep the license active with continuing education at each renewal.
The course gets you eligible. It doesn't guarantee you'll pass — the exam is closed book and detail-heavy, so most candidates need focused practice on top of the course to be ready.
Course vs. exam prep: you need both
It's a common mistake to think the pre-licensure course alone is enough to pass. The course delivers the required instruction and makes you eligible to test; exam prep is what turns that material into a passing score. Because the exam is closed book, you have to recall the statutes under time pressure — a skill you build by working through practice questions, not by sitting through lectures.
That's exactly the gap Flcampro fills: after your course, drill all five content areas with 308 practice questions and statute-referenced explanations, check your weak spots with the practice quiz, and rehearse the real thing with a timed exam simulation.
Where to take the course
Choose a state-approved provider — that approval is what makes your hours count toward exam eligibility. Many providers offer the course fully online and self-paced, which is the fastest route for most people. Confirm a provider's current approval status and the exact required hours with the DBPR before paying, since requirements and approved-provider lists change over time.
Finished the course? Now make the exam routine.
The course makes you eligible. Flcampro makes you ready — 308 practice questions across all 5 content areas, a study guide, and a full timed simulation, every answer tied to the exact Florida Statute.