CPHQ exam-day guide
CPHQ · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring an unexpired, signature-bearing photo ID (driver's license, passport, or military ID). The name must match your registration exactly. Confirm the precise ID and name-match policy with NAHQ/your testing vendor before exam day; a mismatch can bar entry.
Appointment confirmation / eligibility information
Have your appointment confirmation, candidate/eligibility ID, or authorization-to-test details accessible (printed or on paper if electronic devices are collected). Confirm what the vendor requires you to present at check-in.
Test-center logistics plan
Know the exact address, parking or transit options, and building/suite entry. Plan to arrive well before your appointment time - confirm the vendor's required arrival window rather than assuming 30 minutes.
Remote-proctoring equipment check (only if testing online)
If you are testing via live remote proctoring, run the vendor's system test on the same computer, camera, microphone, and network you will use on exam day. Confirm supported browsers, bandwidth, and any required software download with the vendor.
Compliant testing environment (remote testing only)
A private, quiet, well-lit room with a cleared desk, no visible notes or second screens, and a door you can close. Confirm the vendor's room-scan and permitted-items rules in advance.
Clarification of allowed materials
Ask the provider in advance whether scratch paper, a marker board, an on-screen calculator, or a basic calculator is provided or permitted - policies vary and you do not want to assume.
Eyeglasses and a light layer
Bring any prescription glasses you need for screen reading and a sweater or light jacket; testing rooms are often cold and you may not be able to leave to retrieve one.
Water and a snack for before the exam
Hydrate and eat beforehand. Any food or drink will almost certainly need to stay in a locker or outside the testing room - confirm the vendor's policy on access during breaks.
Current candidate handbook reviewed
Read the candidate handbook and test-center/remote-proctoring rules from your certifying body once more in the final week so nothing at check-in is a surprise.
Time buffer and post-exam plan
Build in extra travel time for traffic or transit delays, and do not schedule anything demanding immediately after the appointment; check-in and the exam plus a possible break can occupy a long block.
Plan the day
Reconfirm the appointment date, time, location (or remote session details), and ID requirements. Save the confirmation number where you can find it quickly.
Do a final content pass focused only on your weakest domains, using your own summary sheets and missed-question notes. Do not start brand-new topics this late.
Take one short practice set to calibrate pacing, then stop testing. Review the explanations, note the pattern of your errors, and close the books on practice exams.
If testing remotely, run a full equipment and room check at the same time of day as your appointment, and confirm the check-in process and start time.
Shift toward a normal sleep schedule. Move bedtime earlier over these three nights rather than planning to sleep well the night before the exam.
Do light review only - one or two pages of key terms, frameworks, and definitions - and finish studying by early evening.
Pack your ID, confirmation details, glasses, layer, and snack. Scout the route or rehearse the remote check-in steps. Set two alarms.
Eat a normal dinner, limit alcohol and caffeine late in the day, and avoid last-minute cramming; sleep is worth more than one more review pass.
Eat a normal breakfast, get dressed in layers, and leave with a generous buffer. Arrive at the vendor's stated check-in time - confirm it rather than assuming.
At most, skim a one-page summary in the waiting area; do not try to learn new material. Put your phone away and follow check-in instructions exactly.
Read each stem completely before looking at options, and watch for qualifiers such as 'best', 'first', 'except', and 'most likely'. Many misses come from misreading the question, not from missing knowledge.
Answer every item - there is no penalty for an incorrect response, so never leave a blank. Mark difficult items, choose your best answer, flag it, and move on.
Track your pace against the total item count and time limit at a few checkpoints. If allowed, take any offered break; confirm in advance whether the clock keeps running during breaks.
Reserve the final minutes to revisit flagged items and confirm no question was left unanswered before you submit.
Rules to check
Your ID must be unexpired, government-issued, signature-bearing, and match your registration name exactly. If your legal name has changed since registering, contact the certifying body before exam day to correct it.
Personal items - phone, smartwatch, notes, study materials, bags, food, and drink - must be stored as the vendor directs and may not be accessed during testing. Confirm the specific permitted-items list in advance.
Do not write on or use any material the provider has not supplied. Use only scratch paper, boards, or calculators the provider explicitly allows; ask before assuming.
Confirm with the provider whether breaks are scheduled or optional, how many you may take, and whether the exam clock continues to run during them. Plan hydration around that answer.
The CPHQ is a criterion-referenced pass/fail exam: your result reflects whether you met the passing standard, not how you compared to other candidates, and incorrect answers are not penalized - so answer every question.
Follow all proctor instructions. Talking, leaving the camera view, using unauthorized materials, or accessing devices can lead to exam termination or score invalidation regardless of intent.
Request any testing accommodations well before exam day and confirm the provider's deadline and required documentation; accommodations are generally not arranged at check-in.
If you do not pass, confirm the current retake eligibility, waiting period, and fee directly with the certifying body rather than relying on secondhand information.