CHPNA exam-day guide
CHPNA · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring the original, unexpired ID in the name that matches your registration. If your legal name differs from your registration name, confirm acceptable documentation with the provider before test day.
Confirmation/authorization notice
Print or save the scheduling confirmation and any authorization-to-test document you received. Requirements for what must be presented at check-in vary, so confirm with the provider.
Second form of identification
Some testing centers request a second ID (for example, a signature-bearing card). This is not universal; confirm with the provider whether a second ID is required.
Test center address, directions, and arrival time
Confirm the exact address, parking or transit plan, and the arrival time stated in your admission materials, which may be earlier than your appointment time.
Know your appointment details
Have your name as registered, appointment time, and any candidate or eligibility number available in case check-in staff ask for them.
Review the candidate handbook or testing rules
Read the provider's current candidate handbook for permitted items, prohibited items, and check-in procedures. Do not rely on secondhand summaries.
Plan for personal items
Most testing centers restrict bags, phones, and watches and provide a secure storage area. Confirm the specific storage and prohibited-item rules with the provider.
Comfort and logistics basics
Eat a normal meal, hydrate reasonably, and dress in layers since room temperature varies. Bring only what the provider permits.
Know the exam format and time
Confirm the number of questions, time limit, and whether breaks are scheduled or optional directly from the provider's current materials.
Confirm break and scoring policies
Ask the provider in advance how breaks work and how the exam is scored, including any passing standard, rather than assuming.
Plan the day
Re-read the candidate handbook for check-in time, permitted items, and ID rules. Confirm the test center location and your travel plan. Do light review of weak topic areas only; avoid cramming new material. Protect sleep.
Prepare your ID and confirmation documents and set them aside in one place. Confirm any name-mismatch documentation with the provider if applicable.
Lay out clothes and your permitted items. Charge nothing you cannot bring in; plan to leave your phone secured or at home per provider rules. Eat a normal dinner and go to bed at your usual time.
Eat breakfast, recheck that your ID and confirmation are with you, and leave with buffer time for traffic and check-in. Arrive at the time stated in your admission materials.
Follow staff instructions for ID verification and secure storage of personal items. Ask staff about restroom access and break procedures if unclear.
Read each question fully, answer every item, and flag uncertain items to revisit if the platform allows. Pace yourself against the time limit and use breaks only as permitted.
Review flagged items if time allows, submit, and follow staff instructions for exiting and retrieving stored items. Ask staff how and when results will be reported.
Rules to check
Bring valid, unexpired government-issued photo identification in the name used for registration; confirm acceptable ID types and name-change documentation with the provider.
Arrive at the arrival time stated in your admission materials; late arrival may result in being denied entry. Confirm the specific late-arrival policy with the provider.
Do not bring prohibited items such as phones, smartwatches, notes, or study materials into the testing room. Confirm the prohibited-item list and storage options with the provider.
Follow all testing center staff instructions and the provider's candidate conduct rules; misconduct can lead to score invalidation.
Ask the provider in advance how breaks are handled, whether scheduled or optional, and whether the clock stops during breaks.
Confirm the exam time limit, number of questions, and scoring or passing standard from the provider's current handbook rather than assuming.
If you need a testing accommodation, request it through the provider's published process well before test day and confirm approval before you arrive.
Keep exam content confidential; do not share, record, or reproduce questions after the exam.