How the CHPN exam is scored, timed and retaken
- Awarded by
- Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center (HPCC)
- Holders
- 7,283 current CHPN holders as of February 19, 2026 [2]
- Facts taken from
- HPCC: CHPN Computer Based Examination Candidate Handbook, December 2025 + 5 more documents under Sources
- Last read
The CHPN exam has 150 questions, 135 of which count toward your result. The time limit is 3 hours, at a PSI test site or at home under remote proctoring. Scores are scaled, and the cut is 500. In HPCC's 2025 results, 69.3% of first-time candidates passed.
On this page 8 sections
CHPN exam rules from the December 2025 handbook
| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Question format | Multiple choice: each question has four answer options and one best response. One untimed practice question comes before the clock starts. You can skip and bookmark questions; the score counts only correct answers, so a guess costs nothing. | CHPN Computer Based Examination Candidate Handbook [1] |
| Answer options | Four options per question (A, B, C, D) | CHPN Computer Based Examination Candidate Handbook [1] |
| Questions | 150 questions | CHPN Computer Based Examination Candidate Handbook [1] |
| Scored questions | 135 scored questions | CHPN Computer Based Examination Candidate Handbook [1] |
| Unscored questions | 15 unscored pretest questions, mixed in with the scored ones | CHPN Computer Based Examination Candidate Handbook [1] |
| Exam time | 3 hours. Time spent on the practice question is not counted. | CHPN Computer Based Examination Candidate Handbook [1] |
| How it is scored | Scaled scoring: forms are equated and the passing point comes from a standard-setting study | CHPN Computer Based Examination Candidate Handbook [1] |
| Passing score | A scaled score of 500 on a 200–800 scale. Each of the 135 scored questions counts the same, and 500 is a converted score rather than a percent correct. | CHPN Computer Based Examination Candidate Handbook [1] |
| Score report | Pass or fail, a scaled score, and the percent correct in each content domain | CHPN Computer Based Examination Candidate Handbook [1] |
| Results | Pass or fail on screen when you finish; PSI emails the score report within 24 hours | CHPN Computer Based Examination Candidate Handbook [1] |
| Pass rate | 69.3% of first-time candidates passed in 2025 (825 of 1,190). Repeat candidates passed at 48.8%; all candidates, 66.8%. | Exam statistics (2025 exam results) [2] |
| Retake limit | Unlimited attempts | CHPN Computer Based Examination Candidate Handbook [1] |
| Wait before a retake | No set wait: apply again for any later window. Each attempt needs a new application during an open window. | CHPN Computer Based Examination Candidate Handbook [1] |
| Retake fee | $135 once through reTEST Assured, taken in one of the next three windows; after that, the full fee. reTEST Assured has no member discount. | CHPN Computer Based Examination Candidate Handbook [1][3] |
| Content outline in force | Detailed Content Outline from the 2021 job analysis, printed in the December 2025 handbook | CHPN Computer Based Examination Candidate Handbook [1][4] |
| Upcoming change | HPCC has posted a 2027 content outline but no date when it takes effect. Checked on the credential page (read Nov 11, 2026). | CHPN (Registered Nurse) credential page [5][6] |
Windows, booking and fees are on the registration page.
Where the 75-out-of-99 figure goes wrong
A passing score of 75 out of 99 circulates for this exam. It does not come from the candidate handbook, which describes a scaled score instead: raw results are converted, and the cut sits at a scaled score of 500 on a 200–800 scale.
The pass point itself comes from a standard-setting study, in which expert hospice nurses judged how a just-qualified candidate would do on the questions. Forms are then equated: on a tougher form, a candidate reaches the same scaled score with fewer right answers. That is why no percentage or raw cut is published.
What the score report tells you
Pass or fail appears before you leave the test, and the full report follows by email; the table gives the timing.
After a fail, the domain percentages are the useful part: with five domains this close in size, they show where the points went. They are percentages of each domain, so they do not add up to the scaled score.
How CHPN candidates fared in 2025
Results are published each year for first-time, repeat and all candidates. In 2025 repeat candidates passed at a clearly lower rate than first-timers (both are in the table), which is a good reason to prepare for the first attempt as the one that counts.
If you do not pass
Failing is not final. You can apply again for any later window, as many times as needed. After the first failed attempt you may use reTEST Assured once, at $135 as of Nov 11, 2026, provided you test in one of the next three windows; you apply for it after the result, not before.
Which rules this page follows
Everything here comes from the December 2025 candidate handbook. The format holds in the posted 2027 outline, which still counts 135 scored questions and only redistributes them; when it applies is not yet stated (Nov 11, 2026). The study guide has the new split.
Also on the CHPN
- CHPN
Who can sit the hospice and palliative RN exam, what it covers, and how renewal works
- CHPN practice test
Free questions in all five domains, each answer choice explained
- CHPN registration
Testing windows and deadlines, test center or remote, and what certification costs
- CHPN study guide
The five domains: what each asks, its traps, and how the 2027 outline shifts it
Sources
- [1]HPCC: CHPN Computer Based Examination Candidate Handbook, December 2025 (PDF) advancingexpertcare.org, consulted Nov 11, 2026
- [2]HPCC: Exam statistics (2025 exam results) advancingexpertcare.org, consulted Nov 11, 2026
- [3]HPCC: reTEST Assured program advancingexpertcare.org, consulted Nov 11, 2026
- [4]HPCC: CHPN Detailed Content Outline, current exam (PDF) advancingexpertcare.org, consulted Nov 11, 2026
- [5]HPCC: CHPN (Registered Nurse) credential page advancingexpertcare.org, consulted Nov 11, 2026
- [6]HPCC: 2027 CHPN Exam Content Outline (PDF, posted 2026) advancingexpertcare.org, consulted Nov 11, 2026
CHPN exam day and scoring
Can I switch from a test center to remote testing after booking?
Yes. Both options carry the same fee and windows, and PSI allows the switch until a cutoff shortly before the appointment; the registration table gives it.
How long is the CHPN exam?
You have 3 hours to answer 150 questions.
Does every CHPN question count toward the score?
No. The exam includes 15 unscored pretest questions, mixed in with the scored ones. They are not marked, so treat none of them as a throwaway.