CHC Certification for Healthcare: Requirements, Exam, and How to Get Certified

Eligibility Criteria for CHC Certification

The CHC credential validates your ability to plan and deliver construction in active healthcare settings while protecting patients, staff, and operations. It is designed for professionals in construction project management, field supervision, and owner’s representation who routinely work in hospitals, clinics, and other care environments.

Eligibility typically combines verifiable, progressively responsible experience on healthcare projects with knowledge of healthcare construction standards and regulatory drivers. Academic preparation helps, but the credential emphasizes documented on‑the‑job responsibility across preconstruction, design coordination, and execution inside occupied facilities.

What the certifying body expects to see

• Direct experience leading or contributing to healthcare facility projects (e.g., project manager, superintendent, estimator, scheduler, owner’s rep, or facility-side construction liaison).
• Familiarity with healthcare facility safety, infection prevention, interim life safety measures, utility shutdowns, and phased work around clinical operations.
• Working knowledge of healthcare construction standards and guidelines commonly applied in the United States.
• Professional integrity and adherence to published candidate policies and ethics requirements.

Documentation you should prepare

• A concise project portfolio highlighting your role, scope, risk controls, and outcomes on healthcare jobs.
• Employment verification (titles, dates, responsibilities) and, if applicable, transcripts or licenses.
• References who can confirm your responsibilities related to compliance, safety, and project delivery.

Exam Format and Content

The CHC exam is a computer-based, closed-book test that uses multiple-choice items to assess applied judgment. Questions often present scenarios drawn from real construction practice in hospitals and ambulatory facilities, requiring you to choose the best course of action.

Core knowledge areas covered

• Regulatory and industry framework: healthcare construction standards, code pathways, accreditation considerations, and risk assessment methods.
• Planning and design coordination: programming, constructability, budgeting, scheduling, phasing, and stakeholder engagement.
• Construction within active facilities: infection control risk assessments, interim life safety measures, noise/vibration, utility outages, and clinical access.
• Contract administration: procurement, submittals, RFIs, change management, claims avoidance, commissioning, and turnover.
• Project controls and leadership: cost control, scheduling logic, risk registers, quality, and communication across teams.

Expect scenario-based items, terminology checks, and questions that test how you balance healthcare facility safety with scope, time, and cost. Calculations are limited and context-driven; emphasis is on sound decision-making aligned with ASHE certification guidelines.

Scheduling and Testing Options

After your application is approved, you will receive authorization to test and can select either a secure test center or an online-proctored session. Both options follow strict exam proctoring procedures to ensure fairness and exam security.

Testing at a center

• Choose a nearby site and appointment time; bring government-issued ID that exactly matches your registration.
• Arrive early to complete check-in; personal items are stored outside the room, and the exam is delivered on a locked-down workstation.
• Break and reschedule policies are controlled by the vendor; review them before exam day.

Online-proctored testing

• Complete a system check; you will use a webcam, microphone, and a stable internet connection.
• During check-in, the proctor verifies your ID and performs a 360-degree room scan; only one monitor and a clear workspace are allowed.
• You must remain on camera, follow all proctor directions, and avoid prohibited items or software.

Accommodations and rescheduling

• Request testing accommodations in advance with supporting documentation; await approval before booking.
• Rescheduling and cancellation windows vary; changes outside those windows can forfeit fees or eligibility.

Recertification Process and Requirements

The CHC is renewed on a defined cycle (commonly three years). You can maintain the credential by earning continuing education units in topics aligned to the exam content outline, or by retaking the exam if you prefer that path.

What counts toward renewal

• Instructor-led courses, conferences, and webinars focused on construction project management and healthcare facility safety.
• Standards and code education relevant to healthcare construction standards and compliance updates.
• Presentations, published articles, or formal in-house training you deliver, with learning objectives and hours documented.

How to stay audit-ready

• Map each activity to the CHC domains and record the date, provider, and CEUs earned.
• Retain certificates, agendas, or syllabi that verify learning and duration.
• Review certification renewal compliance rules annually to confirm your activities qualify.

Preparation Resources for CHC Exam

Prioritize official materials such as the candidate handbook, exam content outline, and ASHE certification guidelines. Build fluency with healthcare facility safety practices and the unique risks of building inside occupied care environments.

High-yield study areas

• Risk controls: infection control risk assessments, interim life safety measures, hot work, utility shutdown planning, and negative pressure strategies.
• Project delivery: contracts, RFIs/submittals, change orders, commissioning, closeout, and turnover to facilities operations.
• Controls and analytics: scheduling (CPM), earned value basics, cost forecasting, and risk registers tailored to clinical impacts.
• Codes and guidelines commonly applied in healthcare settings and how they influence design and construction choices.

An efficient 6–10 week plan

• Weeks 1–2: Review the exam outline; gather references; create a domain-weighted study schedule.
• Weeks 3–6: Deep dives by domain with practice questions; summarize takeaways and open issues each week.
• Weeks 7–8: Scenario drills focused on phasing, shutdowns, and clinical risk; refine decision frameworks.
• Final week: Light review, full-length practice, and exam-day logistics check.

Renewal Fees and Deadlines

Recertification includes a renewal application and a fee that may differ for members versus nonmembers. Deadlines are tied to your personal expiration date; late or missed submissions can result in lapse and the need to retest.

• Track your expiration date and set reminders 90, 60, and 30 days in advance.
• Submit CEU documentation with your renewal application; incomplete records delay approval.
• Budget for renewal fees and any course costs well ahead of the deadline.
• If your credential lapses, remove the designation from signatures until reinstated according to current policy.

Conclusion

CHC certification signals that you can deliver construction safely and efficiently in healthcare environments. By meeting eligibility requirements, mastering the exam domains, following exam proctoring procedures, and maintaining continuing education units, you protect patients and projects while advancing your career.

FAQs

What are the eligibility requirements for CHC certification?

Eligibility centers on verifiable, progressively responsible experience on healthcare projects and knowledge of healthcare construction standards. Provide employment verification, a focused project list, and references; academic credentials and relevant licenses strengthen your application.

How is the CHC exam structured?

The exam is computer-based and closed-book, using multiple-choice questions to test scenario-driven judgment. Content spans planning and design coordination, construction within active facilities, contract administration, project controls, and the healthcare regulatory framework.

What continuing education is required for recertification?

You renew on a defined cycle by earning a specified number of continuing education units aligned to the exam domains, or by retaking the exam. Keep detailed CEU records, certificates, and agendas to demonstrate certification renewal compliance during audits.

Where can I take the CHC exam?

You can test at approved centers or via online proctoring from a quiet, private space. Online sessions require a system check, ID verification, a room scan, and adherence to all exam proctoring procedures.