| Exam FAQs |
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| Successfully passing the Certified in Public Health (CPH) exam is the first step in earning the CPH credential. We have outlined FAQs about the exam process below. If you have any remaining questions please email us at info@nbphe.org. |
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| Eligibility |
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My school was accredited after I graduated, can I still take the exam? |
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The program or school from which I graduated is no longer accredited by the Council in Education for Public Health (CEPH), but it was CEPH-accredited when I graduated. Am I eligible for the CPH examination? |
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How does this exam/credential Relate to CHES? The ACHE Diplomate? Being a Registered Sanitarian? |
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Is the CPH required? |
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| Registration |
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When can I register for the exam? |
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How do I register for the exam? |
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What about candidates with disabilities / request a special accommodation? |
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How do I update my email or mailing address? |
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Can I defer my registration to another exam administration? |
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| Exam Fees |
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What are the exam fees? |
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Is the registration fee refundable? |
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Will my employer pay the CPH registration fee? |
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Can I Use veterans' benefits for the CPH exam? |
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| Exam Information |
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How to prepare for the Exam? |
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What can I expect during the exam? |
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Can I retake the CPH Exam? |
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My score report says that I'm “Provisionally Certified.” What does that mean? |
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Will anyone else see my score? |
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| Testing Centers |
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United States |
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International Locations and Fees |
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| Eligibility |
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| My school was accredited after
I graduated, can I still take the exam? |
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You can take the exam if you graduated up to three years before the CEPH–accreditation date of your school or program. (Example: University of Alabama at Birmingham was accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health [CEPH] in 1978. If you graduated in 1975 or thereafter, you are eligible to take the exam.)
The Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) is an independent agency which accredits schools of public health and public health programs offered in settings other than schools of public health. See the list of schools and programs accredited by CEPH. |
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| The program or school from which I graduated is no longer accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), but it was CEPH-accredited when I graduated. Am I eligible for the CPH examination? |
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Yes you are, as long as your graduation occurred within the time period of CEPH accreditation, or up to three years before the award of accreditation. The NBPHE will contact CEPH to confirm an entity’s accreditation date. Note also that NBPHE routinely verifies graduation status of all examinees with the registrar of the public health school or program. It will be your responsibility to ensure that the records documenting your graduation during the appropriate time period are available for verification. |
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| How does this exam/credential relate to CHES? The ACHE Diplomate? Being a Registered Sanitarian? |
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The exam will cover general information in the five core areas of knowledge basic to public health and cross–cutting areas relevant to contemporary public health. The exam will not delve into more specialized areas covered in the CHES, ACHE and other exams. |
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| Is the CPH required for me
to work in U.S. Public Health? |
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The CPH is not a license to practice public health in the U.S. The U.S. does not currently
require any license to be hired in public health or to deliver an essential service of public health. The CPH is a
voluntary credential that demonstrates mastery of the core knowledge of public health. However, more and more employers are preferentially hiring and promoting CPH professionals or those who are eligible for CPH credentialing. |
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| Registration |
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| When can I register for the exam in October 2013? |
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Early-Bird Registration: February 5 - August 31, 2013
Regular Registration: September 1 – 20, 2013 |
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| How do I register for the exam? |
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Candidates can register at the “NBPHE Registration Center”
Candidates who successfully complete the registration process will receive an email from AMP Customer Service (schedule@goamp.com) with instructions on scheduling the date, time and location of their exam. Candidates who have not received an email from AMP within five business days of registration may call AMP's Candidate Support Center at (888) 519-9901.
Telephone Scheduling:
Candidates who requested special accommodations from the NBPHE under the Americans with Disabilities Act must call AMP to schedule their examination appointment at 888-519-9901.
If you contact AMP by 3:00 p.m.
Central Time on… |
Depending on availability, your examination may be scheduled beginning… |
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Friday/Saturday |
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Monday |
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Email Scheduling:
Candidates who selected a test location outside of the 50 US states and DC must schedule via email with AMP. Look for an email from AMP with instructions and a request for preferred locations and dates.
Telecommunication Devices for the Deaf:
AMP is equipped with Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf (TDD) to assist deaf and hearing-impaired candidates who wish to make application for the examination. TDD calling is available 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Central Time) Monday through Friday at 913-895-4637. This TDD phone option is for individuals equipped with compatible TDD equipment. |
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| What about candidates with disabilities / requesting a special accommodation? |
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NBPHE is interested in ensuring that no individual with a disability is deprived of the opportunity to take the examination solely by reason of that disability. AMP testing facilities will provide reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities.
- Wheelchair access is available at all established Assessment Centers. Candidates must advise AMP at the time of registration that wheelchair access is necessary.
- Candidates with visual, sensory or physical disabilities that would prevent them from taking the examination under standard conditions may request special accommodations and arrangements by submitting accommodation request forms to Examination Services, AMP, 18000 W. 105th Street, Olathe, KS, 66061-7543. Questions about the accommodation request process should be directed to 888-519-9901.
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| How do I update my email or mailing address? |
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To update your account before you have taken the CPH exam, please log in to NBPHE Online Services and update your contact information. To update your contact information after you have taken the CPH exam, please log in to the recertification portal at: https://www.nbphe.org/recert/. |
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| Can I defer my registration to another exam administration? |
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Yes. There is a $125 fee to carry your registration information over to the next exam administration. If the first exam for which you registered was the February 2013 exam, you may log into the registration system to request a deferral. If you registered for any exam prior to the February 2013 exam, please contact the NBPHE staff at info@nbphe.org for further instructions. |
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| Exam Fees |
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| What are the exam fees? |
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Early-Bird registration - $385 USD
Regular registration - $420 USD |
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| Is the registration fee refundable? |
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The registration fee is not refundable but it is deferrable. The international exam fee is NOT refundable. |
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| Will my employer pay the CPH registration fee? |
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Increasingly employers are supporting their employees who become CPH by paying or reimbursing for CPH fees. For example, these agencies support their CPH employees:
- Allegheny County Health Department
- American Legacy Foundation
- American Public Health Association
- American University of Beirut
- Army Nurse Corps Incentive Special Pay
- Association of Schools of Public Health
- Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
- California State University, East Bay
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Cherokee Nation – Healthy Nation
- Clinical Connexion
- College of Charleston
- Denver Health Medical Center
- Duval County Health Department
- East Tennessee State University
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Health Resources and Services Administration
- Instituto Nacional de Salud Publica
- Intermedix
- International Partnership for Microbicides
- Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
- Medical College of Georgia, School of Allied Health Sciences
- Morehouse School of Medicine
- Morgan State University
- National Asembly on School-Based Health Care
- National Nursing Centers Consortium
- Nebraska Dept. Of Health & Human Services
- North Carolina Center for Public Health Preparedness
- North Dakota Department of Health
- P.E.L.L. Company
- Public Health Management Corporation
- Richmond Behavioral Health Authority
- Texas A&M School of Rural Public Health
- The Public Health Group, LLC
- Toledo-Lucas County Health Department
- University Hospital at UNMDJ
- University of Georgia
- University of Kentucky
- University of Louisville
- University of Maryland at Baltimore
- University of Nebraska Medical Centers College of Public Health Office of Public Health Practice
- University of North Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health
- University of South Florida
- University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
- Westminster College, MPH Program
- WI State Laboratory of Hygiene
- Yale New Haven Health System
NBPHE encourages all candidates to discuss support of their voluntary certification in the core sciences of public health with their employers. NBPHE can accept payments via employer credit card or check. |
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| Can I use veterans' benefits for the CPH exam? |
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Yes. As of November 2009, the NBPHE is approved to offer the CPH exam through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Veterans, their eligible dependants, and reservists may qualify for reimbursement of the CPH exam costs through their veteran's education benefits. For more information, please contact the Veterans Benefits Administration office in your area or visit the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Education Benefits website at: http://www.gibill.va.gov |
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| Exam Information |
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| How to prepare for the Exam? |
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The exam consists of 200 questions and is timed (the standard form is 4 hours). All questions on the exam are multiple choice and single-best answer. Some questions are: matching items; part of a series of questions related to a common vignette; and have associated pictorials or charts.
Click here to view Study Resources.
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| What can I expect during the exam? |
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See our candidate handbook for more details about the scheduling and examination process. |
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| Can I retake the CPH exam? |
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Please contact the NBPHE at info@nbphe.org or 1-866-514-7569 to verify your eligibility to retake the CPH exam. Candidates retaking the CPH exam will be charged the appropriate registration fee when registering to retake the exam. |
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| My score report says that I’m “Provisionally Certified.” What does that mean? |
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The NBPHE only certifies graduates or alumni of schools or programs of public health accredited by CEPH. Therefore, your CPH is pending award until after your academic institution verifies with the NBPHE that you have completed all requirements for graduation. This will happen electronically between your academic institution and the NBPHE. Then you will automatically receive a certificate recognizing your accomplishment and your CPH status will be active. |
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| Will anyone else see my score? |
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Scores for alumni are confidential and results are reported as aggregates. Students' scores are shared with their academic institution. A list of successful Certified in Public Health examinees will be published annually. |
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| Testing Centers |
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| United States |
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AMP testing centers where you can take the exam are located throughout the US.
Click here to search for a testing center. In addition, some schools and programs offer paper/pencil exams on campus. Candidates who wish to test in the U.S. territories should select their location from the list under “International only.”
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| International Locations and Fees |
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AMP testing centers where you can take the exam are located throughout in a number of countries outside the U.S.
Click here to search for a testing center. Candidates who wish to test in the U.S. territories should select their location from the list under “International only.”An additional fee of $125 is required to sit for the exam outside of the 50 U.S. states and DC. |
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