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Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) Examination
The CPHQ (Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality) Examination is NAHQ's NCCA-accredited, 140-question multiple-choice computer-based exam — 125 scored plus 15 unscored pretest items — taken in 3 hours, scored 200–800 with a passing scaled score of 600, and delivered year-round in the United States (online with a live remote proctor or at PSI test centers) or during quarterly testing windows internationally; passing earns the two-year renewable CPHQ credential, the only accredited certification in healthcare quality.
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Questions140 multiple-choice questions: 125 scored and 15 unscored pretest questions (pretest items dispersed throughout the exam and not identifiable)
Testing time3 hours maximum
ScoringPassing scaled score of 600 on a 200–800 scale; pass/fail determined by the overall raw score on the 125 scored items only (cut score set via the Angoff method)
Exam feeUSD 714 non-member / USD 500 NAHQ standard member / USD 357 NAHQ premium member in the United States; USD 799 / USD 559 / USD 400 outside the United States (fees nonrefundable and nontransferable; +$25 when paying by check)
Prep options
Study resources for CPHQ Exam
Independent prep
Courses and study resources
Exam overview
What to know before choosing your prep
- Who runs it
- NAHQ
- Category
- Healthcare Quality & Patient Safety
- Current version
- Exam content outline effective March 15, 2023 (detailed content outline published in the candidate handbook, ©2024 Healthcare Quality Certification Commission)
- Where it applies
- Global
- Exam languages
- English
- Score scale
- 200–800 (scaled)
- Testing provider
- PSI (PSI test centers and PSI live remote proctoring)
- Format
- Computer-based multiple-choice exam (one question at a time, four options A–D), delivered online with a live remote proctor or by computer at PSI test centers
- Availability
- United States: offered 365 days a year except major U.S. holidays, by appointment at PSI test centers (Mon–Fri, evening/Saturday where available) or online, with 90 days from application date to test; international: quarterly testing windows (2026: Feb 3–24, May 4–25, Aug 3–24, Nov 2–23) with preceding application periods
- Results
- Unofficial score report (with pass/fail and scaled score) shown on screen immediately after the exam and available digitally in the account; the credential may be used only after the official CPHQ digital badge is issued by NAHQ
- Credential validity
- Passing scores have no expiry window; the CPHQ credential itself is a two-year renewable certification maintained by recertification (continuing education) rather than re-examination
- Remote testing
- Available
Exam structure
125 scored multiple-choice items across seven content domains (with 15 additional unscored pretest items): Quality Leadership and Integration (19 items), Performance and Process Improvement (27), Population Health and Care Transitions (11), Health Data Analytics (26), Patient Safety (18), Quality Review and Accountability (16), and Regulatory and Accreditation (8); items are approximately 23% recall, 57% application, and 20% analysis
Where rules vary
Worldwide professional certification exam with one uniform content outline; delivered continuously in the U.S. (365 days/year) and in quarterly testing windows at international testing centers or online; not offered in China since August 1, 2021
Eligibility
None required: 'There are no formal eligibility requirements to sit for the exam'; at least two years of experience in the healthcare quality profession is recommended (exam is written for the two-year healthcare quality professional)
Retake policy
Failed candidates may reapply 14 days after the initial exam date; no more than three attempts in 365 days; after three failed attempts in 365 days, must wait 365 days from the third attempt to reapply; each attempt requires a new fee