9.3 Exam Security, Nondisclosure, and Proprietary Content

Protecting the fairness of the credential

The CHES credential signals that a person met NCHEC eligibility, passed the relevant competency examination and maintains certification. That signal loses value if candidates solicit or circulate secure, undisclosed exam content. The rule is specified in NCHEC's candidate affirmation and examination confidentiality agreement; professional integrity is also consistent with Article I.1 and Article II section 2 of the 2020 Code.

The October 2026 HESPA II exam has 165 items (150 scored, 15 pretest) based on eight Areas of Responsibility. NCHEC has announced a nine-area HESPA III outline and 175 items beginning in spring 2027. Study from the official outline for the scheduled cycle.

Memorization is not a loophole: NCHEC says no part of the exam may be copied or reproduced by any means, including memorization. Its agreement bars disclosure or discussion of the specific or general nature of exam scenarios or questions. A publicly released, authorized NCHEC sample is different from a secure, unreleased item. “Actual” in a product advertisement requires checking whether the material was officially released; unauthorized recalled or leaked questions are prohibited.

Nondisclosure in study groups and after testing

A study group can discuss public competencies, work through authorized specimen questions and build original practice scenarios. It must not pool remembered secure items or ask test-takers what appeared on their forms. A member who recalls a question should be told to stop sharing it and return to the public outline. For a serious or organized leak, report through NCHEC or the appropriate examination channel rather than spreading screenshots.

NCHEC's current CHES handbook says violation of the affirmation and agreement may lead to suspension or revocation of an earned credential or suspension or denial of future examination eligibility. These consequences arise from the candidate agreement, not an invented Code clause. The agreement covers content copied or distributed in part or whole, including remembered substance; withholding the exact answer choices does not make a protected scenario public.

Assess a study product's source

A provider can legitimately use NCHEC's authorized public samples and its own original questions. A claim to contain secure questions reconstructed from real administrations is a red flag. Do not buy, use or redistribute leaked or recalled protected items; verify source permissions rather than treating every appearance of the word “actual” as proof of misconduct.

The professional parallel

Health educators also handle entrusted curricula, evaluation tools, grant drafts and partner datasets. Article I.4 supports confidentiality; Article II.2 supports professional integrity; Article II.3 concerns employer responsibilities; and Article II.4G prohibits plagiarism. Confirm permission and applicable agreements before republishing another organization's materials. These Code duties complement the specific NCHEC examination agreement; they do not replace it.

Decision checklist

• Public outline, authorized sample or original practice item → usable according to its terms.
• Secure recalled scenario or stem → decline to disclose, solicit, record or distribute.
• Uncertain source → seek permission or verification before use.
• Organized leak → preserve only what the reporting channel requests, avoid further circulation and report appropriately.

Why security matters

A secure competency examination supports fair comparison among candidates. If unreleased items leak, preparation may reward prior access to protected content rather than competence. That can disadvantage honest candidates and weaken confidence in the credential. This ethical rationale supports NCHEC's nondisclosure agreement, Article I.1's honesty principle and Article II section 2's responsibility to the profession. It does not require each examinee to receive newly authored questions; secure items may be reused under a controlled pool.

The practical distinction is publicly authorized material versus secure, undisclosed material. NCHEC intentionally publishes outlines and may release example questions. Candidates can learn and discuss the ideas in those sources. They cannot reconstruct their exam's stems, scenarios or answer choices, ask other candidates for them, or sell them. A familiar concept such as SMART objectives is public; the specific wording and configuration of a protected item is not.

Use these examples to test the boundary:

• “I discussed informed consent generally from the outline.” → a public concept discussion.
• “I described the scenario I saw, but changed the names.” → still a disclosure if it reveals the protected substance.
• “Our group wrote new questions from the public competencies.” → legitimate if genuinely original.
• “A site offers remembered questions from last month's exam.” → avoid and consider reporting the leak.
• “NCHEC released this specimen question.” → use only within the official authorization.

A candidate confronted with a request for specific exam content should decline and redirect the requester to the appropriate current outline and authorized preparation resources. That response protects exam fairness while still helping someone study.