1.1 Current Exam Facts

Quick Answer: The current HIMSS CPHIMS page is a 2-hour, 115-question multiple-choice exam (100 scored, 15 pretest) at a Pearson VUE center or via OnVUE. First-time fees are $559 Organizational Affiliate, $609 HIMSS member / corporate / student, and $729 non-member. The May 2024 handbook still says 100 questions and older $499 / $549 / $659 fees.

The Certified Professional in Healthcare Information and Management Systems (CPHIMS) is the mid-career credential of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS). It is built for people who already do health information technology, clinical informatics, or systems-management work and want an independent signal that they can lead that work across the care enterprise. It is not the associate-level Certified Associate in Healthcare Information and Management Systems (CAHIMS), and it is not the Certified Professional in Digital Health Transformation Strategy (CPDHTS). Job posts that say “HIMSS certified” are often sloppy; the exam you sit, the eligibility you claim, and the letters you put after your name must match CPHIMS.

Why exam facts matter on a professional blueprint

CPHIMS is a job-analysis exam. The outline tests environments, informatics, systems management, and leadership. Before any of that content helps you, you have to survive the sitting: the right item count, the right fee, an Authorization to Test (ATT) that still has days left, an identity document that matches the ATT name, and a delivery mode your computer or commute can actually support. Candidates lose attempts to handbook-versus-website confusion, OnVUE laptops that cannot install the proctoring app, and the myth that HIMSS publishes a pass rate you can reverse-engineer.

Two official sources overlap, and you should keep them straight:

• The current HIMSS CPHIMS page is newer for how many items you will see and for first-time application fees.
• The CPHIMS Candidate Handbook, effective May 1, 2024, is still the candidate-policy source for eligibility pathways, the 90-day ATT window, scoring, retakes, recertification math, exam-day conduct, and the handbook’s own reschedule language.

Where those two documents disagree on item count or initial fees, teach the live page and name the handbook date. Do not blend them into one imaginary “official” number.

Current format (prefer the HIMSS page)

The live HIMSS CPHIMS page describes the exam as two hours long and 115 multiple-choice questions, of which 100 are scored. The remaining 15 are pretest items. Pretest questions are mixed into the form so HIMSS can try out future content. You will not be told which 15 do not count, and you should treat every item as if it counts. Your scaled score is based on the 100 scored questions.

CPHIMS practice questionsPractice questions with detailed explanations

Questions are written at three handbook cognitive levels:

• Recall (RE): recognize a definition, a time limit, a named method, or a stated rule.
• Application (AP): use a rule in a new operational setting — for example, choose an implementation control that fits a stated constraint.
• Analysis (AN): compare options, interpret a small operational picture, or evaluate which solution fits strategy, risk, and workflow.

Most professional items live at application and analysis. A study plan that only flashcards acronyms is a CAHIMS-shaped plan on a CPHIMS exam.

How you actually sit the exam

HIMSS contracts with Pearson VUE. After HIMSS approves the application, you receive an ATT (the current page also calls this an eligibility ID) that includes a Candidate ID and Client Authorization ID. You then schedule one of three computer deliveries:

1. A brick-and-mortar Pearson VUE test center, using the center’s equipment.
2. OnVUE remote proctoring at home, an office, or another qualifying location, using your computer, webcam, microphone, speakers, and a stable network.
3. A special administration at selected HIMSS events, such as the Global Health Conference.

Unscheduled walk-ins are not admitted. HIMSS typically sends the ATT within 3–5 business days of approval. You must make an appointment and test within 90 days of eligibility confirmation. HIMSS currently states that exams are not available in Quebec, locally or virtually, because of a law requiring exams in both French and English.

OnVUE is convenient and brittle. You must pass Pearson’s system check with all green marks, have administrator rights to install the OnVUE app on exam day, and avoid most virtual desktop (VDI) or virtual private network (VPN) paths. Hospital-issued locked laptops fail this test constantly. If the system check fails, schedule a test center instead of hoping the proctor will waive hardware rules.

Tutorial time does not count against the two hours. The exam clock starts only when you choose to begin. A countdown timer stays on screen. You see one item at a time, may change answers, may flag items, and may review. There is no penalty for guessing. The session terminates at two hours.

Current first-time fees (HIMSS page is newer)

All figures below are U.S. dollars.

Chapter-only and online-only members are not eligible for the member rate. The May 2024 handbook still lists older first-time fees of $499 OA, $549 member / corporate / student, and $659 non-member. Prefer the live page for those two facts (item count and initial fees).

The same current HIMSS page also lists extension $149, retake $359, renewal $359 member / $479 non-member, a 50-question HIMSS self-assessment at $129 / $139, and recertification by exam $359. The May 2024 handbook still shows extension $129, retake $319, and renewal $319 / $429. When you apply, confirm the amount the HIMSS cart actually charges that day rather than memorizing a blog table. Examination-related fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. U.S. veterans may be able to request reimbursement through Department of Veterans Affairs licensing-and-certification benefits; that is a VA process, not a HIMSS discount at checkout.

Identity, calculator, and the two reschedule languages

Your first and last name on the ATT must exactly match a current government-issued photo identification that includes your signature. If they do not match, email certification@himss.org well before test day — Pearson’s HIMSS page asks for at least ten days. A mismatch at check-in is a no-show and forfeits the fee.

Pearson’s current HIMSS page emphasizes one primary government photo ID and recommends bringing a second ID if possible. The May 2024 handbook still describes two forms: a primary government photo ID plus a secondary signature document (credit card, employee badge, and similar). Confirm the current Pearson HIMSS ID policy on your appointment confirmation. Temporary IDs are not accepted.

Plan to arrive 30 minutes early. More than 15 minutes late can mean refusal and a forfeited fee. Use the on-screen calculator only; personal calculators are prohibited. Pearson’s HIMSS page states no breaks, food, or beverages during the exam. OnVUE candidates who leave camera view can have the session terminated and scored on items already completed. The handbook also bans eating, drinking, and smoking in the testing room and says extra time is not added if a proctor allows you to step out. Test-center candidates typically receive one sheet of scratch paper that must be returned or the score report may be held.

Reschedule language currently disagrees:

• Pearson’s HIMSS portal tells candidates to reschedule or cancel at least 48 hours before the appointment.
• The May 2024 handbook says rescheduling 30 or more days out is free, 5–29 days incurs a $35 Pearson fee, and candidates may not reschedule less than 5 days out.

Treat the HIMSS handbook as candidate policy, then confirm the current Pearson HIMSS scheduling rules printed on your confirmation email. Missing the cutoff that actually applies to your appointment forfeits the fee and pushes you onto a retake application.

Results you will see — and will not see

Pearson displays a Pass or Fail on screen when you finish (beta forms are the exception). You also receive a diagnostic by content area, usually as a bar graph: farther right means more proficient in that outline area. Individual item responses are not disclosed. Scores are not reported over the telephone, by email, or by fax. A hardcopy certificate and lapel pin are mailed in about eight weeks to the address on your HIMSS record. Certification is valid for three years.

Realistic CPHIMS traps

Trap: studying the handbook’s 100-item sentence and ignoring the live page. A clinical analyst prints a 2024 PDF, builds a 100-item timing drill, and is surprised by a 115-item form. The extra 15 are pretest, but they still consume minutes. Practice at 115 items / 120 minutes if you time yourself; do not assume a 200-item free bank is the live length.

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Trap: OnVUE on a locked hospital laptop. A pharmacy informatics lead schedules remote testing from a VDI session, fails the system check, and burns the morning. Run the Pearson check on the exact machine and network you will use, with local admin rights, and have a test-center backup inside the 90-day window.

Trap: name mismatch. “Jonathan” on the ATT and “John” on the driver’s license is enough for a no-show. Fix the HIMSS record before you pay Pearson.

Trap: inventing a pass rate. Forums quote 60% or 80% as if HIMSS published it. HIMSS does not. Study the outline, not a rumor.

CPHIMS practicePractice questions with detailed explanations