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Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS)
The CPPS examination is a computer-based certification exam (100 scored + 20 pretest multiple-choice items, 2.5 hours) covering four patient safety domains, administered by appointment at PSI Assessment Centers or by live remote proctor on behalf of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.
Official exam siteJump to prep options ↓
Questions120 questions (100 scored, 20 unscored pretest)
Testing time2.5 hours (150 minutes)
ScoringPassing score of 500 on a criterion-referenced scale; cut score set by the Angoff method with equating
Exam feeUSD 549 (US/domestic); USD 649 for international candidates (USD 549 plus USD 100 international examination fee)
Prep options
Study resources for CPPS
Independent prep
Courses and study resources
Exam overview
What to know before choosing your prep
- Who runs it
- IHI
- Category
- Healthcare Quality & Patient Safety
- Current version
- Updated CPPS exam with new exam content outline effective November 12, 2024 (from the CBPPS job analysis; handbook Rev. 11/15/2024)
- Where it applies
- Global
- Exam languages
- English
- Score scale
- 200–800
- Testing provider
- PSI (PSI Services; PSI Assessment Centers)
- Format
- Computer-based test, in person at PSI Assessment Centers or online via live remote proctor
- Availability
- Year-round by appointment; daily at PSI Test Centers in the U.S. and internationally and by live remote online proctoring
- Results
- Results provided on screen at the end of the session with an official PDF score report emailed afterward; international candidates do not receive instant score reports and get results within two business days
- Credential validity
- A pass confers the CPPS designation; recertification is required every three years (45 CE hours or successful retest)
- Remote testing
- Available
Exam structure
100 scored plus 20 unscored pretest multiple-choice items across four domains — Culture; Systems Thinking, Human Factors Engineering, and Design; Safety Risks and Responses; Performance Measurement, Analysis, Improvement and Monitoring — with items classified as recall, application, or analysis; only a small percentage are recall
Where rules vary
US-origin credential delivered worldwide: one uniform exam, open to candidates in and outside the U.S., administered at PSI Test Centers across the United States and internationally and by live remote online proctoring; international candidates pay an additional USD 100 international fee.
Eligibility
Patient safety practices as an integral component of current or future professional responsibilities, plus either a baccalaureate degree or higher with 3 years of experience in a health care setting or with a provider of services to the health care industry, or an associate degree or equivalent with 5 years of such experience (clinical rotations/residency time counts); CBPPS randomly audits applications
Retake policy
30-day waiting period after a failed attempt; candidate must reapply and pay all fees; up to 3 attempts in a one-year period, then a one-year wait after a third failure