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100+ Free AHLEI CHA Practice Questions

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: AHLEI CHA Exam

100

Practice Questions

OpenExamPrep

~150

Exam Questions

AHLEI

3 hours

Time Limit

AHLEI

70%

Passing Score

AHLEI

Online

ExamFlex Proctoring

AHLEI

Executive

Flagship GM Credential

AHLEI

The Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) is the flagship executive credential of the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI), designed for general managers and hotel executives. The exam consists of roughly 150 multiple-choice questions delivered over three hours via AHLEI ExamFlex online proctoring, with a 70% passing score. It is experience-based: candidates are typically general managers, owners/operators, or corporate executives responsible for multiple properties. Content spans rooms division, financial and revenue management, food and beverage, human resources and leadership, sales and digital marketing, guest service and quality, hospitality law and risk, and sustainability. This free prep includes 100 research-based practice questions with explanations and an AI tutor.

Sample AHLEI CHA Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your AHLEI CHA exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1In a full-service hotel, which department is part of the rooms division rather than food and beverage?
A.Front office
B.Catering sales
C.Room service
D.Banquets
Explanation: The rooms division typically comprises front office, reservations, housekeeping, uniformed/guest services, and often telecommunications and security. Front office is its largest revenue-driving department.
2During which stage of the guest cycle does the night audit primarily reconcile guest accounts?
A.Arrival
B.Occupancy
C.Departure
D.Pre-arrival
Explanation: The night audit is run during the occupancy stage, typically in the early morning, to verify and balance the day's postings to guest folios and non-guest accounts before a new business day begins.
3A hotel sells 180 of its 240 available rooms on a given night. What is the occupancy percentage?
A.60%
B.70%
C.75%
D.80%
Explanation: Occupancy percentage equals rooms sold divided by rooms available: 180 / 240 = 0.75, or 75%. Occupancy is one of the three core rooms-division performance ratios.
4What does the room status term 'on-change' indicate?
A.The room is out of order for maintenance
B.The room is vacant, clean, and ready to sell
C.The room is occupied and the guest is staying another night
D.The guest has departed but the room is not yet cleaned and ready
Explanation: 'On-change' means the guest has checked out but housekeeping has not yet cleaned and inspected the room, so it cannot be reassigned. Coordinating front office and housekeeping status is essential to avoid selling unready rooms.
5Walking a guest occurs when a hotel:
A.Cannot honor a confirmed reservation and arranges accommodation at another property
B.Escorts a VIP guest personally to their room
C.Removes a non-paying guest from the property
D.Upgrades a loyalty member to a suite at no charge
Explanation: Walking a guest means the hotel is oversold and cannot provide a room for a guest with a confirmed reservation, so it relocates the guest to a comparable hotel, usually paying for the first night and transportation. Good recovery protects the guest relationship.
6What is the primary purpose of overbooking in front office management?
A.To lower the average daily rate
B.To maximize revenue by offsetting expected no-shows, cancellations, and early departures
C.To reduce housekeeping workload
D.To comply with ADA accessibility requirements
Explanation: Controlled overbooking accepts more reservations than rooms available to compensate for forecasted no-shows, cancellations, and understays so the hotel reaches 100% occupancy. It must be managed carefully to minimize walks.
7In housekeeping, a 'par level' for linens refers to:
A.The minimum thread count required for guest comfort
B.The percentage of linens lost to theft each month
C.The standard number of complete linen sets needed to support operations
D.The cost per pound to launder linens
Explanation: A par level is the standard quantity of an item that must be on hand to support smooth operations. For linens it is usually expressed in multiples (e.g., three to five par) so sets are in use, in the laundry, and in storage simultaneously.
8The document a room attendant uses to know which rooms to clean and in what status is called the:
A.Registration card
B.Banquet event order
C.Night audit report
D.Room status/housekeeping report
Explanation: The housekeeping (room status) report lists each room's occupancy and cleaning status so attendants and supervisors can plan and verify cleaning. It is reconciled against the front office system to catch discrepancies.
9A guaranteed reservation differs from a non-guaranteed reservation primarily because the guaranteed reservation:
A.Commits the guest to pay even if they do not show, and holds the room all night
B.Requires the guest to prepay the entire stay in advance
C.Can never be cancelled by the guest
D.Is held only until 6:00 p.m. on the arrival date
Explanation: A guaranteed reservation obligates the guest (typically via credit card) to pay for at least the first night if they fail to arrive, and the hotel holds the room past the normal cancellation hour. A non-guaranteed reservation is released if the guest has not arrived by a cutoff such as 6:00 p.m.
10Which engineering program schedules routine inspection and servicing of equipment to prevent breakdowns before they occur?
A.Deferred maintenance
B.Preventive maintenance
C.Reactive maintenance
D.Capital replacement
Explanation: A preventive maintenance program performs scheduled inspections and servicing to keep equipment and guestrooms in good condition and avoid costly failures and guest disruption. It is a hallmark of a well-run facilities operation.

About the AHLEI CHA Exam

The Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) is AHLEI's flagship executive credential for general managers and hotel executives. The exam has roughly 150 multiple-choice questions delivered over three hours through AHLEI's ExamFlex online proctoring, and requires 70% to pass.

Assessment

~150 multiple-choice questions over 3 hours via AHLEI ExamFlex online proctoring, 70% to pass; this practice bank is 100 selected-response items

Time Limit

3 hours

Passing Score

70%

Exam Fee

~$1,000+ for the application, online review, and exam bundle (varies) (American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI))

AHLEI CHA Exam Content Outline

20%

Rooms Division (Front Office & Housekeeping)

Front office and reservations, the guest cycle, room status and night audit, housekeeping operations, par levels, and facilities/engineering management

20%

Financial & Revenue Management

Budgeting, the USALI system of accounts, ADR/RevPAR/occupancy/GOPPAR ratios, yield management, pricing, and asset management

12%

Food & Beverage Operations

Restaurant, banquet, and catering operations, menu engineering, F&B cost control, par stock, and sanitation/HACCP food safety

20%

Human Resources & Leadership

Recruiting, training, appraisal, motivation, employee relations and labor law, leadership styles, and strategic management

12%

Sales, Marketing & Digital Marketing

Market segmentation, the marketing mix, group and transient sales, distribution channels and OTAs, and digital/social media marketing

16%

Guest Service, Quality, Law & Sustainability

Guest service excellence, quality assurance, service recovery, hospitality law, risk and safety/security, ADA, and sustainability

How to Pass the AHLEI CHA Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 70%
  • Assessment: ~150 multiple-choice questions over 3 hours via AHLEI ExamFlex online proctoring, 70% to pass; this practice bank is 100 selected-response items
  • Time limit: 3 hours
  • Exam fee: ~$1,000+ for the application, online review, and exam bundle (varies)

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

AHLEI CHA Study Tips from Top Performers

1Weight your study toward rooms division, finance/revenue, and HR/leadership — together they are the bulk of the exam
2Memorize the core operating ratios: occupancy, ADR, RevPAR (ADR x occupancy), and GOPPAR, and know how each is calculated
3Understand the USALI uniform system of accounts and how departmental income statements roll up to gross operating profit
4Expect case-style questions: practice connecting decisions across front office, housekeeping, F&B, and finance rather than memorizing isolated facts
5Review 2026 additions — digital and social media marketing, sustainability practices, and updated laws and regulations
6Complete all 100 practice questions and review every miss with the AI tutor before sitting the exam

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the AHLEI CHA exam and how long is it?

The Certified Hotel Administrator exam has approximately 150 multiple-choice questions and is delivered over about three hours through AHLEI's ExamFlex online proctoring. You need 70% to pass.

What score do I need to pass the CHA exam?

You need 70% to pass the AHLEI Certified Hotel Administrator exam. Because it is a broad executive-level exam covering operations, finance, HR, sales, law, and sustainability, balanced preparation across every domain is essential.

Who is eligible for the CHA certification?

The CHA is experience-based and aimed at the top of the hotel organization. Candidates are typically general managers, owners/operators, or corporate executives responsible for two or more properties, or assistant general managers and directors of operations or rooms who have completed the CRDE certification.

What topics does the CHA exam cover?

It covers rooms division (front office and housekeeping), financial and revenue management, food and beverage operations, human resources and leadership, sales and digital marketing, and guest service, quality, hospitality law, risk, and sustainability.

Is the CHA exam taken online?

Yes. AHLEI delivers the CHA exam through its ExamFlex online proctoring platform, so you can sit it remotely. AHLEI also offers a self-paced online review program to prepare for the exam.

Is this free CHA practice as good as paid prep?

Our 100 practice questions cover the same content domains as the official CHA review, with a teaching explanation for every answer plus free daily AI tutor interactions. All content is free forever and updated for 2026.