Certified in Healthcare Privacy and Security (CHPS®)
| Individuals who earn the CHPS designation will achieve recognition of their expertise in designing, implementing, and administering privacy and security protection programs in all types of healthcare organizations. Holders demonstrate advanced knowledge of the privacy and security dimensions of HIM to include best management practices. |
Online Proctored Exam Now Available
Candidates will now have the choice to take their certification exam at a Pearson VUE authorized test center, or online with OnVUE in the comfort of their home. Visit our webpage to learn more about remote exam test taking.
Eligibility Requirements
Candidates must meet one of the following eligibility requirements to sit for the CHPS examination:
- High School or General Education Degree (GED) and a minimum of six (6) years of experience in healthcare privacy or security; or
- Associate degree in a relevant field (e.g., Health Information Management, Health Informatics, or Information Technology, etc.) and a minimum of four (4) years of experience in healthcare privacy or security; or
- CCA or CCS or CCS-P or RHIT and a minimum of four (4) years of experience in healthcare privacy or security; or
- Baccalaureate degree in a relevant field (e.g., Health Information Management, Health Informatics, or Information Technology, etc.) and a minimum of two (2) years of experience in healthcare privacy or security; or
- RHIA and a minimum of two (2) years of experience in healthcare privacy or security; or
- Master’s Degree or higher (e.g., JD, MD, or PhD) in a relevant field (e.g., Health Information Management, Health Informatics, or Information Technology, etc.) and a minimum of one (1) year of experience in healthcare privacy or security
Apply for the Exam
Apply to take the Certified in Healthcare Privacy and Security (CHPS) exam.
- Non-member price: $329 (Learn more about the benefits of AHIMA membership.)
- Member price: $259
About the CHPS Exam
Certified Professionals and Pass Rates
As of 12/31/2022, there were 651 certified CHPS professionals.
| Year | Exam | # First Time Testers | Pass Rate First Time Testers |
| 2022* | CHPS | 135 | 59% |
| 2021* | CHPS | 71 | 46% |
| 2020* | CHPS | 63 | 48% |
*U.S. and Canada results only
Exam Specifications
The CHPS is a timed exam. Candidates have 3.5 hours to complete the exam. The total number of questions on the exam is 150. There are 125 scored items and 25 pretest items. The exam is given in a computer-based format.
AHIMA exams contain a variety of questions or item types that require you to use your knowledge, skills, and/or experience to select the best answer. Each exam includes scored questions and pretest questions randomly distributed throughout the exam. Pretest questions are for data collection purposes and they do not count towards the candidate’s score.
The passing score for the CHPS is 300.
Competencies for CHPS fall into four domains. Each domain accounts for a specific percentage of the total questions on the certification exam. See the Exam Content Outline below for greater detail.