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CPH Exam

Your Guide to the CPH Exam

Overview

Passing the Certified in Public Health (CPH) Exam is a degree requirement for all MPH students. Our faculty selected this exam as the most thorough, most recognized method to assess MPH students’ core knowledge and crosscutting skills. Upon passing the exam and graduating, examinees may claim the Certified in Public Health (CPH) credential, which endorses the competency of the credential holder on a national level with competitive advantage. The National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE) certifies the CPH.

The CPH exam is a 200-question, four-hour exam that tests knowledge in ten domains, each comprising 10% of the total exam:

1. Evidence–based Approaches to Public Health
2. Communication
3. Leadership
4. Law and Ethics
5. Public Health Biology and Human Disease Risk
6. Collaboration and Partnership
7. Program Planning and Evaluation
8. Program Management
9. Policy in Public Health
10. Health Equity and Social Justice

Since its inception as a degree requirement in Fall 2015, our MPH students have averaged a passing rate of over 95%, exceeding the 73% national average passing rate.

Eligibility

MPH students are eligible to sit for the exam after successfully completing all five core public health courses. To facilitate exam scheduling, the SPH will verify eligibility as long as the student has successfully completed four core courses and is registered for their last core course– but the student must not take the exam until the final core course has been passed.

Registration and Scheduling

The CPH exam can be scheduled at any time of the year. Meazure Learning Testing centers are located across the U.S., as well as abroad. Tests are administered through both live-remote proctoring, which is available 24/7, and computer-based testing centers, open Monday – Friday (and weekends at some locations).

Note: there are more testing centers than noted in the publicly- available list of cities, including one in Portland/Beaverton. When you schedule your exam, you will be able see the complete list.

To register for and schedule your exam, do the following:

  1. Review the CPH Exam Candidate Handbook
  2. Contact sphregistration@ohsu.edu for your payment voucher. MPH students who began their programs in or after Fall 2015 have already paid for the exam via a one-time fee assessed at matriculation. No need to pay again! Use the voucher to pay.
  3. Apply to take the exam on the NBPHE’s website. Begin by creating an account.
  4. Wait for your eligibility to be verified. The SPH will receive an automatic notification that your account has been created, and will verify your eligibility to sit for the exam, usually within 48 business hours.
  5. The NBPHE will notify you when your eligibility has been verified. Complete your registration and schedule your exam.
  6. Students who need a private space to take the exam via remote live-proctoring may reserve a study room on the 5th floor of the Vanport Building by contacting vptrequests@ohsu.edu. These study rooms are available only during regular business hours Monday – Friday.

Payment

MPH students who began their programs in or after Fall 2015 have already paid for the CPH exam via a one-time fee assessed at matriculation, and are entitled to a payment voucher. To avoid being charged an exam fee, contact sphregistration@ohsu.edu for your payment voucher code, and submit it with your registration.

MPH students and alumni who began prior to Fall 2015 may choose to sit for the CPH Exam voluntarily. These individuals pay the exam fee directly to NBPHE, and are eligible for the SPH discounted rate of $250.

Accommodations

Follow the process outlined outlined in the CPH Candidate Handbook to submit a request for accommodation, being sure to allow ample time for review and processing. The handbook specifies a minimum of 30-45 days. Be prepared to submit documentation of disability-related needs with your request.

Request For Special Examination Accommodations Form

Meazure Learning, the company that provides testing services for the exam, will provide reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities. Wheelchair access is available at Meazure Learning-affiliated testing centers.

Candidates with visual, sensory, or physical disabilities that would prevent them from taking the examination under standard conditions may request special accommodations and arrangements. Reasonable accommodations are decided based on the individual’s specific request, disability, documentation submitted, and appropriateness of the request.

Studying for the Exam

The School of Public Health recommends students review materials from their core courses, as well as materials published by the NBPHE and the Association for Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH). These recommended study resources include the following:

Additional ways to prepare for the exam:

  • Form a study group
  • Create a study plan
  • Consult an expert in learning and study strategies. Staff at OHSU’s Student Academic Support Services are available to assist students with study skills, test-taking skills, test anxiety, time management, goal setting and motivation, and more.

Policies Concerning the CPH Exam

Students are required to pass the CPH exam to graduate, and are responsible for any cost associated with re-taking or rescheduling the exam.

Students who do not pass the exam on the first attempt should use the subscale information provided by the testing service to discuss ways to strengthen their performance with their faculty advisor and Program Director, and wait a minimum of 30 days before re-taking the examination.

Students are expected to adhere to SPH academic integrity standards while studying for and taking this off-site exam.

Additional expectations and policies can be found at Graduate Student Policies and Procedures.

Certification

MPH students who pass the CPH Exam are provisionally certified until graduation.

MPH students who have passed the CPH Exam may use the CPH designation following their name only after fulfilling all graduation requirements and the MPH degree has posted to their transcript, the official academic record. These alums then are considered fully certified, and the paper certificate will be sent to the alum by NBPHE.