CAHPI National Exam (CNE)

CAHPI states the exam is available online 24/7 and is proctored by video (web cam). Results are emailed upon completion. Because a webcam proctor monitors the session, plan for a quiet, private space, a working camera and microphone, and stable internet. Confirm your identity documents and system requirements with the exam administrator before your appointment.

Yes. CAHPI says a practice exam can be written up to five times prior to writing the CAHPI National Exam. Treat each attempt as diagnostic: note which topic areas produce wrong answers, review the underlying standard or system, then retake. Saving an attempt or two for after focused study is usually wiser than burning all five early.

CAHPI does not publish a pass rate or difficulty rating, so judge readiness by your practice results. Common failure modes reported by candidates generally involve standards-of-practice details, ethics scenarios, and report wording rather than obscure building science. Weak spots tend to be precise language: what must be inspected, what must be excluded, and how limitations are disclosed.

Start with the CAHPI Standards of Practice or CSA A770 Home Inspection Standard, since members inspect to one of these, then the CAHPI Code of Ethics. Move to technical systems - structure, envelope, roofing, plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling - and finish with professional practice and reporting. Standards and ethics frame everything else, so studying them first makes technical review more efficient.

The source material available to us does not state a question count, time limit, or passing score, so we cannot give reliable figures. Rather than guess, confirm the current format, duration, and pass mark directly with CAHPI or the third-party examination provider before you schedule. Practice under timed conditions once you know the real duration.

Passing the National exam is one membership qualification CAHPI lists; mentoring with peer evaluation and continuing education are also required. CAHPI recognizes the designations National Certificate Holder and Registered Home Inspector. The exam alone does not confer a designation, so plan the mentoring and education components alongside your exam preparation rather than after.

CAHPI states that the examination process is provided by a neutral third party specializing in home inspector competency assessment. That means scheduling, proctoring, and result delivery are handled outside CAHPI's own website. Direct format, accommodation, and technical questions to that provider, and keep your results email for your membership application records.

Re-read the standards and code of ethics, then practise writing inspection report language for defects and limitations. Use practice exam attempts to find gaps, and review each miss against the source standard rather than memorizing answer keys. Confirm your webcam setup and identification requirements a few days early so technical problems do not cost you a scheduled sitting.