CHHA Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass

What "Passing" Actually Means on the NCCT Scale

The phrase "passing score" gets thrown around loosely, but for the CHHA exam it has one exact meaning: a scaled score of 575 on NCCT's 200-720 point scale. This is not the same as answering 575 out of 720 questions correctly, and it's not a simple percentage like "75% correct." NCCT converts your raw number of correct answers into a scaled score using a statistical model that accounts for question difficulty across different exam forms. That means two candidates who each miss 20 questions on different test versions could end up with slightly different scaled scores, because the specific items they missed carried different weight.

This distinction matters for how you prepare. Chasing a vague "75% rule" leads candidates to under-prepare for harder items and over-prepare for easy ones. Instead, treat every domain as equally worthy of full mastery, because you don't know in advance which questions the scoring model will weight more heavily. If you want a deeper breakdown of how difficulty affects real-world performance, How Hard Is the CHHA Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 walks through what actually trips candidates up on test day.

Inside the November 2024 Test Plan

The current detailed test plan, effective November 2024, lays out exactly what you'll face:

• 125 scored items that count toward your 575 cut score
• 25 unscored pretest items mixed in without identification, used by NCCT to evaluate future exam content
• 150 total questions delivered within a three-hour testing window
• 92% four-option multiple-choice questions, with the remaining 8% split across drag-and-drop, multi-select, and hotspot formats

Because the 25 unscored items are indistinguishable from the 125 scored ones, you have to treat every single question on the screen as if it counts - because statistically, most of them do. There's no way to "save energy" by skimming questions you assume are pretest filler. Pacing across a three-hour block for 150 items works out to roughly a minute and change per question if you want a comfortable buffer for review, though some items (especially the hotspot and drag-and-drop formats) will naturally take longer than a straightforward multiple-choice item.

For a full domain-by-domain walkthrough of what's tested inside those 125 scored questions, see CHHA Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 6 Content Areas.

Where Points Are Won or Lost: The Six Domains

The scored portion of the exam is organized into six content domains. Your 575 isn't calculated domain-by-domain - it's a single overall scaled score - but weak performance in a heavily weighted domain will drag that overall number down faster than weak performance in a smaller one. Direct Client Care is the largest category, which means it deserves proportionally more of your study time than any other single domain.

Question Formats That Affect Your Score

Because 92% of the exam is standard four-option multiple choice, most of your practice should mirror that format - read the stem, eliminate obviously wrong distractors, and select the best answer. But don't ignore the 8% built from drag-and-drop, multi-select, and hotspot items. These formats often test sequencing (like the correct order of an ADL procedure) or spatial identification (like locating a pressure point on a hotspot diagram), and they can feel unfamiliar if you've only ever practiced with flashcard-style single-answer questions.

The exam is also closed book, and no scratch paper is permitted. That rules out jotting down vital sign ranges, PPE sequences, or conversion figures during the test. Anything you might normally write down to "check your work" has to live in memory on exam day, which is a strong argument for repeated retrieval practice rather than passive review in the weeks before your test.

Registration, Fees, and Eligibility Before You Even Sit

Reaching a 575 starts long before test day, with confirming you're actually eligible to register. NCCT offers three eligibility pathways:

• Completion of an NCCT-authorized education program
• Verified home health aide experience: either six months (1,040 hours) working with multiple clients, or one year (2,080 hours) working with a single client, completed within the previous five years
• Qualifying recent U.S. military training

The exam itself costs $70, and if you test via live remote proctoring rather than an in-person authorized site, there's an additional $44 remote-testing fee. Since testing is administered both at physical test centers and remotely, decide early which format fits your schedule and testing style - some candidates perform better in a controlled test center than at home, where distractions can quietly eat into your three-hour window.

For the complete eligibility breakdown, including documentation requirements for each pathway, read CHHA Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify. If you're budgeting for the full cost of certification beyond just the exam fee, CHHA Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown covers everything from training programs to renewal costs.

Raw Questions vs. Scaled Score: A Quick Reference

Because the scaled score isn't a direct percentage, it's easy to misjudge how "close" you are while reviewing practice exams. Use this table to keep the relationship between the exam structure and your target score straight.

If you want to see how this structure plays out across large groups of test-takers, CHHA Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows puts the scoring model into broader context.

A Study Timeline Weighted to Domain Size

Generic study advice - spaced repetition, timed drills, teaching concepts back out loud - only works when it's applied to the right material at the right time. Since Direct Client Care is the largest domain, it should anchor the middle of your prep, after you've built foundational vocabulary in Infection Prevention but before you move into the more situational Special Populations and Law and Ethics content.

For a structured breakdown of this kind of week-by-week approach, CHHA Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt goes deeper into daily study habits. And when you're ready to simulate real exam pacing under the same closed-book, three-hour conditions, the practice tests on CHHA Exam Prep are built to mirror that pressure before you ever see the real thing.

After Exam Day: Renewal and What Happens If You Miss the Score

Passing with a 575 isn't the finish line - it's the start of an annual renewal cycle. Active CHHA status renews every year, and CHHA-only recertification requires six continuing-education contact hours plus a $40 fee. Skip this consistently and the consequences compound: if you miss recertification for five consecutive years, the credential becomes invalid entirely, meaning you'd likely need to requalify from scratch through one of the three eligibility pathways.

If you don't reach 575 on your first attempt, don't treat it as a reflection of overall competence - treat it as data. Review which domains felt shakiest, particularly within Direct Client Care given its size, and rebuild your study plan around those specific gaps rather than repeating a generic review of everything. Retesting eligibility, fees, and scheduling windows are covered in CHHA Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.

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