CHPN Exam Guide: What to Expect on Test Day
Preparing mentally for exam day is just as important as studying the content. The Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse (CHPN®) exam, offered by the Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center (HPCC), validates your knowledge and expertise in hospice and palliative nursing. Here’s what you can expect in terms of format, timing, and scoring.
Exam Format
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The CHPN exam is a computer-based test (CBT), administered through PSI Services (PSI).
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The exam consists of 150 multiple-choice questions, each with four answer choices.
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You will receive your Pass/Fail status immediately, along with your raw and scaled scores.
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Certification is valid for four years.
Questions and Timing
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Of the 150 questions, only 135 count toward your score. The remaining 15 are pretest items used to evaluate potential future questions.
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Since you won’t know which questions are scored, treat every question as if it counts.
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You’ll have three hours to complete the exam.
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A short practice test is available before the exam begins, which does not count toward your time.
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You may also leave comments on individual questions during the test.
Content Breakdown
The CHPN exam reflects real-world hospice and palliative nursing practice, based on a role delineation study by the HPCC. The test blueprint is divided as follows:
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Patient Care: Life-Limiting Conditions in Adult Patients – 18%
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Patient Care: Pain Management – 22%
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Patient Care: Symptom Management – 24%
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Patient and Family Care, Education, and Advocacy – 24%
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Practice Issues – 12%
Exam Results
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After completing the exam, you’ll be prompted to take a brief survey about your testing experience.
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You’ll then receive your pass/fail score report immediately from the proctor.
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Within a few weeks of passing, you’ll receive your official certificate by mail from the HPCC.
Resources
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Hospice & Palliative Credentialing Center. (2019). CHPN Candidate Handbook. Retrieved from HPCC Handbook PDF
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PSI. (n.d.). Welcome to PSI Candidate Services. Retrieved from PSI Candidate Services
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Wright, P. M. (2019). Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse (CHPN) Exam Review. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.
