CPHQ
CPHQ Study Plan: 8 Weeks or 3 Weeks
A CPHQ study plan by domain size, eight weeks or three, with when to take the full mock exam and tips for scenario questions.
- Next test
- 15 March – 12 April 2027 Add the date to your calendar
- Questions and time
- 140 questions: 125 scored and 15 unscored pretest questions · 3 hours
- Pass mark
- 600 on a 200 to 800 scale
- Exam fee
- USD 799 for non-members of NAHQ, USD 559 for members and USD 400 for premium members (candidates outside the United States)
Start with 10 free questions to find what needs more work. No sign-up, with answer explanations.
Try 10 free questions and see your levelPut what you just read into practice
Start with 10 free questions to find what needs more work. No sign-up, with answer explanations.
Try 10 free questions and see your levelLast verified: 1 November 2026. Our sources are the 2026 CPHQ International Candidate Handbook and the CPHQ Detailed Content Outline from NAHQ. Fees and windows can change, so check the NAHQ website before you apply. This guide comes from an independent website, not connected to NAHQ, HQCC, PSI or any government body.
In short: 140 questions in 180 minutes is about 77 seconds per question. Start with the two biggest domains, process improvement (27 scored questions) and data analytics (26), and take a full timed mock exam twice before your test.
Before you start
Answer the free questions to see your weakest domain, then move it earlier in the plan.
Eight-week plan
| Week | Focus |
|---|---|
| 1 | Performance and process improvement: PDSA, Lean, Six Sigma, teams and change |
| 2 | Quality tools: fishbone, Pareto, flowchart, FMEA, force field, and when to use each |
| 3 | Health data analytics: measures, numerators and denominators, sampling, dashboards |
| 4 | Statistics and control charts: mean, median, standard deviation, common and special cause variation, choosing a chart |
| 5 | Quality leadership and integration: strategy, governance, culture. End of week: first full mock exam |
| 6 | Patient safety: just culture, high reliability, incident reporting, root cause analysis, FMEA |
| 7 | Quality review and accountability, then regulatory and accreditation, then population health and care transitions |
| 8 | Your weakest 10 questions, wrong-answer log, and a second full mock exam a few days before your test |
Three-week plan
- Days 1 to 6: process improvement and quality tools.
- Days 7 to 11: data analytics, statistics and control charts.
- Days 12 to 16: patient safety and quality leadership.
- Days 17 and 18: quality review, regulatory and population health.
- Day 19: a full timed mock exam.
- Days 20 and 21: only your weakest domains and wrong-answer log.
Tips for scenario questions
- Read the last line first: is it asking what to do FIRST, the BEST tool, or the MOST likely cause?
- When a question asks what to do first, look for the option that confirms the problem with data or forms the right team before any solution.
- In safety questions, pick the answer that fixes the system, not the one that blames a person.
- There is no penalty for guessing, so never leave a question blank.
Finished reading? Try a set of questions
Start with 10 free questions to find your weakest units. Keep practising with the full question bank and mock exams from SAR 26.