1. Certified in Public Health Then why aren’t you…
Are you committed to public health?
Are you comprehensive in public health?
Are you staying current in public health?
Then why aren’t you…
Certified in
Public Health

2. Why is there a CPH?
Public health is the only health field that does not have a mandatory credentialing process.
National Board of Public Health Examiners developed the CPH to:
Create a standardized benchmark to assess knowledge.
Encourage continuing education to demonstrate commitment to and current knowledge of the field.
Unify public health as a profession.
Reasons why a credential is needed:
- CEPH-accredited Schools of Public Health alone graduate more than 8,000 students each year, in diverse disciplines.
- There are more than 80 CEPH-accredited programs specializing in various segments of public health.
Who is NBPHE?: NBPHE is an independent non-profit organization, incorporated in 2005, and includes representatives from a broad range of partner organizations (to name a few: APHA, ASPH, NACCHO).

3. CPH and Degree– What’s the difference?
Your degree shows your academic ability. The CPH shows your professional ability and commitment.
Only exam to test professionals’ command of the core public health principles and cross-cutting competencies.
The CPH enhances your graduate degree
Benchmark for education excellence
Certified commitment to the field
Access to continuing education
Life-long learning in public health and maintenance of certification
Further information on enhancements:
Standardized benchmark: The initial exam acts as a standard benchmark to test your grasp of contemporary public health topics, which is needed as schools and programs have various graduation requirements. This exam is simply the entryway to the CPH process.
Continuing education/Life-long learning: Unlike a standard graduate degree, the CPH requires you to earn targeted continuing education credits throughout your career. This maintenance of certification (MOC) shows how you stay ahead of the new developments, and ensures your readiness and professionalism as a member of the public health workforce. Those that are certified raise the bar and enhance the public health profession through their exemplary academic and leadership skills.

4. What do these organizations have in common?
These are just a few of the national and local organizations that prefer their employees earn and maintain the CPH.
Increasingly employers are supporting their employees who become CPH by paying or reimbursing for CPH or maintenance fees, preferential hiring or promoting CPH. Remember to ask your employer about such benefits and practices.
Allegheny County HD
American Legacy Foundation
American Public Health Association
Army Nurse Corps Incentive Special Pay
Association of State & Territorial Health Officials
California State University, East Bay
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Cherokee Nation Healthy Nation
Clinical Connexion
U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs
They all want their employees to earn the CPH!

5. Why do employers care about the CPH?
As a public health administrator in both local and state health departments, I often was responsible for hiring decisions. I found a great deal of variability in the form and content of graduate degrees in public health.
CPH is a credential recognizable by employers and providing assurance that an applicant possesses a solid knowledge base in core public health content areas routinely used in practice in health departments.
~ Diane L. Matuszak, MD, MPH

6. CPH and Your Career The CPH shows potential employers…
You are committed to the public health profession.
You will excel in the field through your work and actions.
Through the CPH you are assuring potential employers and the public you serve that you are accountable, committed and well trained.
You take every opportunity to further your education and grasp of current issues in the field.

7. What does the CPH Exam cover?
Featured in the exam from a professional viewpoint:
Domain Areas:
Biostatistics
Environmental Health Sciences
Epidemiology
Health Policy and Management
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Cross-Cutting Domains:
Communication and Informatics
Diversity and Culture
Leadership
Public Health Biology
Professionalism
Program Planning
Systems Thinking
What is the exam?: The CPH Exam is the first part of the credentialing process. It was created by professionals who began with these public health competencies and then expanded/contextualized them based on their expertise and experience. NOTE: The exam is simply the gateway to start the CPH process. The CPH is about commitment to the field, not passing one exam. To maintain the credential, professionals must continue their education through a variety of CE credit opportunities.
Eligibility: To sit for the NBPHE Certified in Public Health exam, all candidates must have a graduate level (Masters or Doctoral) degree from a CEPH-accredited school or program of public health. Those graduating the same year as their exam date must have completed all degree requirements, including, but not limited to, coursework, internships, and thesis, by December 31. Walking in a graduation ceremony or receipt of a diploma is not necessary, so long as all degree requirements have been met and verified by the accredited institution. Persons who do not meet these criterions are not eligible to take the exam.

8. What does the CPH Exam Look Like?
Computer based exam in proctored testing center
200 multiple choice questions (jumbled by domain and type )
Approximately 4½ hours to complete
The total amount of time at the testing center is 4.5 hours. This time is comprised of:
- 15 minutes (initial tutorial)
- Four 1 hour Exam Sections (with approximately 50 questions in each section)
- 15 minutes of break time (to be taken between exam sections)

9. How is the CPH Exam Scored?
Each item is examined for its performance and difficulty.
Content–based analysis determines the minimum passing standard required to achieve certification.
Experts examine each item for its performance (i.e. was the answer coded correctly, was the correct answer chosen as expected or was the item clearly confusing), for its difficulty (again, based on performance and based on expert opinion), and for its usefulness in contributing to the overall score (i.e. if 100% of examinees answered correctly it is not an informative item). At the conclusion of this item analysis, NBPHE conducts a content–based analysis to generate statistical information for determining the minimum passing standard (Angoff and Hofstee procedures). A Standard Setting Committee determined the score required to achieve certification using results from the study and performance data on the exam. For more information, please see the attached scoring FAQ for NBPHE.pdf
Handled on Pass/Fail basis
Pass rate is more than 70%

10. CPH and Your Future
Work with our expert organizations for continuing education and professional development.
Obtain 50 hours of continuing education every two years.
Activities must address one of the domains tested by the exam, be scholarly, and represent diverse learning activities.
Start reporting continuing education in the second calendar year following exam.
The heart of the CPH is commitment to the field through continuing education.
Process: The NBPHE´s maintenance of certification process is consistent with what other professions do to maintain their licenses, certifications, or credentials. The NBPHE is working towards the ultimate goal of achieving accreditation by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). NCCA accredited certifications include a variety of medical, nursing, counseling, and physical training professions.
Why begin the second year after the exam?: NBPHE has determined that 50 hours of continuing education credit is automatically awarded upon successful completion of the CPH exam. In order to maintain your certification, you will be required to report 50 hours of continuing education hours every two years beginning with the second calendar year after your CPH was earned. For example, if you earned certification in 2008, your two year CPH Continuing Education (CPHCE) cycle began January 1, 2010, and ends December 31, 2011 (24 months). Likewise, those who were certified in 2009 will begin their first CPHCE cycle on January 1, 2011.

11. CPH and the Public You Serve
The CPH provides evidence that public health professional staff are committed to lifelong learning. As public health undergoes rapid change, we can assure our community that staff with the CPH are familiar with the latest developments and challenges in public health. 
Staying up to date on the continuous advancements in science, technology, and methodology are critical to your preparedness in the field. As public health grows and its mission becomes more defined, it is essential for public health professionals to demonstrate their commitment to its evolution.
~ Alan Melnick, MD, MPH, CPH
Health Officer, Clark County, WA

12. Be a Public Health Professional. Be CPH.
Testing period: February 3-27, 2012
Offered in over 300 locations in U.S.
and all over the world
Appointments for locations and time are on a first-come, first-served basis. So sign up today!
Visit for more!