CPHQ Certification: Overview and FAQ

If you work in healthcare quality assurance, earning CPHQ certification could help make you a better leader. Professionals with this credential work at many levels of healthcare, helping make care better for everyone.

Over 40,000 professionals hold this credential, which was developed in 1983 by the National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ) to accomplish the following goals:

• Promote professional standards and improve the quality of medical care.
• Recognize professionals who have shown expertise in quality improvement.
• Identify the principles and practice of healthcare quality for employers, the public, and allied health professionals.
• Promote continuing competency and uphold a professional standard in care quality through recertification.

Could this certification help elevate your career? Let’s review what this credential means, who should earn it, and how to do so.

What Is CPHQ?

This credential stands for Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality, and it’s the only accredited certification in the field. NAHQ aims to set national standards for healthcare systems, promoting care that is sustainable and excellent.

Becoming certified in healthcare quality from the NAHQ means solidifying your competency in these eight domains:

• Patient safety
• Health data and analytics
• Population health and care transitions
• Performance and process improvement
• Quality leadership and integration
• Professional engagement
• Quality review and accountability
• Regulatory and accreditation

The NAHQ framework is now the standard for the quality-improvement industry and includes a blueprint for implementation for facilities. Professionals with this credential are prepared to be leaders in quality teams, use analytics to improve care, and make facilities safer for patients.

Why Pursue This Certification?

Earning this credential shows and solidifies your commitment to quality care. NAHQ’s research has shown that certified professionals are more likely to experience the following benefits:

• Career boost: Certified professionals tend to hold higher-level job titles (like Director, Executive Director, and VP) than those who aren’t certified.
• Leadership: Those who are certified work at higher levels of competency compared to their noncertified peers.

How to Become a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality: 4 Steps

Ready to get started earning this credential? One of the benefits of this certification, when compared to other leadership credentials, is that you don’t need to have practiced long to qualify. The NAHQ doesn’t have formal experience or degree requirements for certification, but they do recommend two years of experience in healthcare quality. Follow the steps below to get started.

Step 1: View the Information Session

To understand this credential, first view the NAHQ’s information session video. The video includes information about the following topics:

• Certification eligibility
• Updated exam content and dates
• The application process
• What to know for your exam
• Recertification
• Fees

Step 2: Apply and Pay Exam Fees

First, you’ll need to make an account with NAHQ and complete the application form. The exam fees are as follows, and are payable by credit card or check:

• Domestic NAHQ members: $519 ($544 via check)
• Domestic nonmembers: $619 ($644 via check)
• International NAHQ members: $579
• International nonmembers: $679

Additionally, there’s a $25 processing fee if you choose not to pay online, and a $289 fee if you want to become an NAHQ member.

Step 3: Schedule and Pass the Certification Exam

Next, schedule the test through your NAHQ account. The CPHQ exam is 125 items long, can be taken in person and online, and covers the eight domains listed above. There are three question styles in the test — analysis, recall, and application.

The test is scored on a scale of 200 to 800, and you’ll need a score of at least 600 to pass. Once you pass, you’ll get a copy of your digital badge in about two weeks. If you don’t pass, you’ll need to apply and pay the fees again before retaking the exam.

Looking for exam review content? The NAHQ certification handbook is a great resource for study materials. Check out these additional study tools:

• Certification mock test
• Complete exam content outline
• NAHQ certification pretest
• Online review course
• Live online review course
• HQ Solutions textbook

Step 4: Maintain Your Credential Through Recertification

This certification is valid for two years, after which you’ll need to complete 30 continuing education credits and recertify to remain active. You’ll log in to your NAHQ account again, complete the recertification application, and pay the recertification fee. You’ll only need to provide proof of your education credits if you’re audited.

View the recertification fees below.

CPHQ Frequently Asked Questions

What types of professionals should pursue this credential?

While there are no title requirements for this credential, it can benefit professionals in quality improvement and leadership, including those in the following roles:

• Nurse manager
• Nurse administrator
• Chief nursing officer
• Case manager
• Nurse consultant
• Infection preventionist
• Healthcare quality manager
• Compliance officer
• Clinical quality specialist
• Utilization review specialist
• Policy advisor

How hard is the exam?

The CPHQ pass rate for U.S. candidates on the exam is 65%, so this isn’t an exam to take lightly. Use the study materials provided by NAHQ, and consider enrolling in a review course to give yourself the best chance of passing on the first try.

Related Certifications

• Nurse Executive Certification
• Nurse Executive, Advanced – Board Certified (NEA-BC)
• Certified in Executive Nursing Practice (CENP)
• Certified Nurse Manager Leader (CNML)
• Nursing Professional Development Certification (NPD)

Improve Care Quality in a New Role

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