Overview

Exam Overview

The Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES®) and Master Certified Health Education (MCHES®) examinations are competency-based tools used to measure the possession, application, and interpretation of knowledge in the key Areas of Responsibility for Health Education Specialists delineated by a National Health Education Specialist Practice Analysis II 2020 study known as the HESPA II. The CHES® and MCHES® certifications create a national and international standard for health education specialists practicing at both entry and advanced levels.

READ MORE: The Difference Between CPH and CHES® Certification

The CHES® Exam 

The CHES® exam is :

• designed for individuals in the early stages of their career
• validated by a comprehensive job analysis study that identified entry-level Competencies for health education specialists- testing you on what is relevant in the profession
• designed for health education specialists who select participants and deliver training
• designed for health education specialists who identify existing data collection instruments for program evaluation

The MCHES® Exam

The MCHES® exam is:

• designed for experienced specialists with at least five years of experience
• validated by a comprehensive job analysis that identified advanced-level Competencies and Sub-competencies for experienced health education specialists
• designed for health education specialists responsible for developing and managing budgets, and applying ethical principles
• designed for health education specialists responsible for identifying staff development and training needs
• designed for health education specialists who develop and monitor strategic plans

Consisting of 165 multiple-choice questions (150 scored and 15 pilot tested), both the CHES® and MCHES® examinations are only in a computer-based format at more than 400 PSI test centers worldwide. Live Remote Proctoring (LRP) is now available with verified technology requirements. Candidates are allotted 3 hours to complete the exam questions. Total seat time at PSI Test Centers, including tutorials and surveys, is 3.5 hours.

Exam Eligibility

The CHES® and MCHES® examinations have met national standards in credentialing and have been accredited by the National Commission of Certified Agencies accreditation since 2008. 

NCHEC also is internationally accredited as a Personnel Certification Body by the International Accreditation Service (IAS) to the ISO/IEC 17024 Conformity Assessment. 

Examination Statistics

The National Commission for Health Education Credentialing continues to show solid growth in certifying both CHES® and MCHES®. The 2022 exam cycle had a total of 2,261 CHES® registrants and 199 MCHES® registrants. To date, there are over 15,100 CHES® and MCHES® representing all 50 states in the United States, Puerto Rico, as well as many others who are practicing internationally or on military bases overseas.

Figure 1: Number of CHES® and MCHES® Certified per year from 2012 - 2022

Figure 2: Registered-Tested-Passed 2012 - 2022

Figure 3: 2022 CHES® and MCHES® by State Map