Exam Overview
The Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES®) and Master Certified Health Education (MCHES®) examinations are competency-based tools used to measure possession, application, and interpretation of knowledge in the Seven Areas of Responsibility for Health Education Specialists delineated by A Competency-Based Framework for Health Education Specialists 2015. 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 computer-based format at more than 400 Prometric test centers worldwide. Candidates are allotted 3 hours to complete the exam questions. Total seat time at Prometric Test Centers, including tutorials and surveys, is 3.5 hours.
Exam Eligibility
CHES® Exam Eligibility
Eligibility to take the CHES® examination is based exclusively on academic qualifications.
CHES® Exam Eligibility
MCHES® Exam Eligibility
The MCHES® exam eligibility includes both academic and experience requirements.
MCHES® 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 2019 exam cycles had a total of 2785 CHES® registrants and 153 MCHES® registrants. To date, there are over 15,500 CHES® and MCHES® representing all 50 states in the United States, Puerto Rico, as well as many others who are practicing internationally.
Figure 1: 5-Year Comparison Study - CHES® registrants
Figure 2: 5-Year Comparison Study - MCHES® registrants
Figure 3: 2019 CHES® and MCHES® by State Map
