What does a CMMC POA&M template need to include?

A Plan of Action and Milestones template should list, for each not-yet-met control: the control ID and weakness, the planned remediation, the responsible party, the resources required, the milestones, and a completion date. It tracks the gap from open to closed. The point of the template is consistent, auditable tracking of every control that isn't fully implemented yet.

Which controls can go on a CMMC POA&M?

Only a limited set. Under CMMC, a conditional Level 2 status allows certain not-yet-met controls to ride on a POA&M, but you must meet a minimum score and the highest-weight controls generally cannot be deferred — with narrow exceptions such as 3.13.11. Specific controls (like having an SSP, 3.12.4) cannot be POA&M'd at all. Always confirm the current rules against official guidance, because the allowable set is narrow.

How long do I have to close a POA&M?

CMMC requires POA&M items to be closed within 180 days. A POA&M is a time-boxed plan to finish the work, not a permanent exception. If items remain open past the window, your conditional status can lapse. Treat the 180 days as a hard clock from the date of the assessment.

Is there a free POA&M template?

Yes, free POA&M templates exist, and a simple spreadsheet works. But the template is the easy part — knowing which controls are even eligible for a POA&M, and getting your score high enough to qualify, is the real work. Score yourself against all 110 controls first so your POA&M reflects an accurate, eligible gap list.

CMMC POA&M Template (Free) — What It Needs and the 180-Day Clock | NIST 800-171 & CMMC Level 2

With a POA&M, the template is the easy part. What trips contractors up is which controls you're even allowed to defer — and the 180-day clock. A POA&M built on ineligible controls is worse than none.

A POA&M — Plan of Action and Milestones — is how you track the controls you haven't fully met yet. Templates are easy to find, and a spreadsheet works fine. But with a POA&M, the template is the easy part. The rules around which controls you can defer, and for how long, are what trip contractors up. Here's both.

What a POA&M template needs to contain

For every control that isn't fully met, your POA&M should capture:

Field	What it records
Control ID & weakness	Which of the 110 controls is not met, and what the specific gap is
Planned remediation	What you will do to close it
Responsible party	Who owns getting it done
Resources required	Budget, tools, or people needed
Milestones & completion date	The steps and the target close date (inside the 180-day window)
Status	Open / in progress / closed

The part the template won't tell you: not every control is eligible

This is where a blank template is dangerous — it lets you put anything on the POA&M, but CMMC doesn't. Under a conditional Level 2 status, only a limited set of not-yet-met controls can ride on a POA&M, and:

Can defer

POA&M-eligible

1-point controls — once you've met the minimum qualifying score
The narrow exception: 3.13.11 (FIPS-validated cryptography)
Small gaps you can genuinely close inside 180 days

Must be done

Not eligible

The 3- and 5-point heavy controls — MFA, monitored remote access, wireless/mobile
Your SSP (3.12.4) — can't be POA&M'd at all
Anything, if you're below the minimum qualifying score

Because the eligible set is narrow and the scoring rules are specific, confirm the current rules against official guidance before relying on a POA&M for a given control. A POA&M built on ineligible controls is worse than none — it creates false confidence.

The 180-day clock

A POA&M is not a permanent exception. CMMC requires POA&M items to be closed within 180 days of the assessment. Miss the window and your conditional status can lapse. Treat the 180 days as a hard countdown, and sequence your remediation so the highest-impact, fastest wins land first — see the 5-point controls to fix first.

Build an accurate POA&M — score yourself first

Your POA&M is only as good as the gap list behind it. Run all 110 controls free, see exactly what's not met and what it's worth, then document it. No signup.

Calculate your SPRS score free →

From gap list to documented plan

Step 1 · Score

Get an eligible gap list

Run all 110 to see what's not met and what each gap is worth — that's what decides POA&M eligibility.

Step 2 · Document

SSP, then POA&M the rest

Draft your SSP for what's implemented; put the remaining eligible gaps on the POA&M with real milestones.

Step 3 · Close

Work the 180-day clock

Sequence the fastest, highest-impact wins first; every item closed and verified inside 180 days.

The clean workflow: score all 110 to get an accurate, eligible gap list → draft your SSP for what's implemented → put the rest on a POA&M with real milestones and dates → work the 180-day clock. A template gives you the grid; the tools and the control library give you the part that's actually hard.

POA&M templates — frequently asked

What does a POA&M template need?

For each not-yet-met control: control ID + weakness, planned remediation, responsible party, resources, milestones, completion date, and status.

Which controls can go on a POA&M?

Only a limited set under conditional Level 2 — you must meet a minimum score, the highest-weight controls generally can't be deferred (narrow exceptions like 3.13.11), and some (e.g. the SSP, 3.12.4) can't be POA&M'd at all. Confirm against official guidance.

How long to close a POA&M?

180 days from the assessment. It's a time-boxed plan, not a permanent exception; open items past the window can cost you your conditional status.

Is there a free template?

Yes — a spreadsheet works. But the template is the easy part; knowing which controls are eligible and getting your score high enough to qualify is the real work. Score yourself first.