CHP Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass

Part I Passing Score: The 95-Correct Benchmark

The Certified Health Physicist exam administered by the American Board of Health Physics (ABHP) is split into two very different tests, and each has its own passing threshold. Part I is the computer-based screening exam delivered through Pearson VUE: 150 five-option multiple-choice questions, three hours on the clock, no reference materials beyond what's built into the exam software. The statistically set cut score for Part I has typically landed around 95 correct answers - roughly 63% of the total questions.

That number surprises a lot of candidates who assume a licensing-style exam requires 70% or 80% correct. It doesn't. Because Part I uses a scaled, criterion-referenced passing standard rather than a fixed percentage, the exact number of correct answers needed can shift slightly from one exam form to the next based on item difficulty. Ninety-five correct is the practical target to study toward, but treat it as a floor, not a ceiling.

Part II Passing Score: The 469-of-700 Threshold

Part II is where the exam changes character entirely. It's a six-hour, closed-reference written exam requiring responses to six core questions plus four of eight specialty problems you select yourself. The maximum possible score is 700 points, and the passing threshold is 469 points - again, about 67% of available points, but distributed across essay-style and calculation-based responses rather than multiple-choice guessing.

Because Part II graders award partial credit for correct methodology, unit tracking, and appropriate use of physical constants - even when the final numerical answer is off - the 469-point target rewards disciplined, complete work more than it rewards perfectionism on any single problem. A candidate who shows correct setup, correct equations, and reasonable assumptions on all ten required problems will often outscore someone who nails six problems perfectly and leaves four blank.

Eligibility to sit Part II isn't automatic. Candidates generally need six years of professional health physics experience, including three years of applied experience, along with qualifying education, professional references, and a radiation protection report submitted for review. If you're still confirming whether you meet these thresholds, the CHP Requirements guide breaks down each eligibility path in detail.

Why the Cut Score Isn't a Fixed Percentage

A common misconception is that ABHP publishes a single, permanent passing percentage. It doesn't - and understanding why changes how you should prepare. Standardized professional exams like the CHP use statistical equating so that a harder-than-average exam form doesn't unfairly penalize the candidates who happened to draw it. In practice, this means:

• The number of correct answers needed can vary slightly by administration, even though it has typically hovered near 95 for Part I.
• Studying to a vague "get most of it right" goal is riskier than targeting mastery across all five content domains.
• Part II's 469-point bar is fixed by point value, but how those points are earned (methodology, partial credit, complete answers) is where preparation quality shows up.

If you want a deeper look at how difficult this makes the exam relative to other professional certifications, the How Hard Is the CHP Exam guide walks through the difficulty factors side by side. And if you're trying to decide whether the numbers justify the investment of time and money at all, Is the CHP Certification Worth It lays out the ROI case using the same pass-rate and cost data referenced here.

How Domain Weighting Shapes Your Score

Part I's 150 questions aren't distributed evenly across content areas. Understanding the weighting tells you exactly where to spend marginal study hours to protect your score:

Because Measurements and Instrumentation carries the heaviest weight, a candidate who is weak there has the most points at risk on Part I. For a full breakdown of subtopics within each domain - including which ones tend to appear more frequently in released item pools - see the CHP Exam Domains Guide.

Fees, Deadlines, and the Seven-Year Clock

Passing scores don't exist in a vacuum - they interact with the cost and timeline structure of the certification. Part I requires a $100 application fee plus a $150 registration fee, plus a separate test-site fee charged by Pearson VUE. Part II is significantly more expensive: a $250 application fee plus a $500 registration fee, reflecting the six-hour, hand-graded nature of the exam.

Candidates have seven years to pass both parts once they begin the process, which puts real pressure on how you sequence retakes if you fall short of either cut score on a first attempt. A full cost breakdown, including recertification fees (every four years, requiring active AAHP membership and 80 continuing education credits), is available in the CHP Certification Cost guide. If you're trying to time your application around a specific testing window, the CHP Exam Dates guide covers registration deadlines and scheduling logistics.

Mapping Study Time to the Score You Need

Because Domain 1 (Measurements and Instrumentation) carries 25% of Part I's weight and Domains 2 through 4 each carry 20%, a study schedule that spends equal time on all five domains is mathematically inefficient. Weight your calendar the same way ABHP weights the exam.

This sequencing isn't generic exam advice - it's built directly from the domain percentages ABHP publishes. For a more granular week-by-week plan, including which reference texts to prioritize for each domain, the CHP Study Guide expands on this structure in full.

Score-Killing Mistakes to Avoid

Most candidates who fall short of 95 correct on Part I or 469 points on Part II aren't failing because they don't know the material - they're losing points to avoidable errors in exam mechanics.

• Guessing blind on Part I instead of using elimination. With five options per question, strategic elimination of two clearly wrong answers meaningfully improves your odds versus a pure guess.
• Leaving Part II problems blank. Since Part II awards partial credit, an incomplete but methodologically sound answer earns more of the 700 points than a blank page.
• Ignoring the weighted domains. Spending disproportionate time on Fundamentals and Education (15%) while neglecting Measurements and Instrumentation (25%) inverts the actual point value at stake.
• Underestimating the six-hour Part II format. Six core questions plus four selected specialty problems require serious time management; practicing under a strict clock matters as much as knowing the content.
• Misjudging eligibility timing. Because both parts must be passed within seven years, a poorly sequenced retake strategy can put your entire certification timeline at risk.

For candidates who want a compact review of the highest-yield facts across all domains right before test day, the CHP Cheat Sheet condenses the material into a single reference page. And if you're still early in the process and want a broader orientation to what the credential covers and who holds it, start with What Is CHP? or the fuller CHP Certification overview.

Once you've internalized the domain weighting and passing thresholds, the most reliable way to confirm you're actually at the 95-correct or 469-point level is disciplined practice testing under real exam conditions - which is exactly what you'll find on the main practice test platform.

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