The Board of Governors Exam in Healthcare Management is designed to test a well-defined, broad-based body of knowledge representative of professional practice in healthcare management.
- The Exam is administered at Pearson VUE Testing Centers, which are located across the U.S. and internationally. The centers are typically open Monday through Friday—some are open Saturday.
- After Fellow candidates pay their $225 Exam registration fee to ACHE, they will receive an Exam-authorization email within seven business days. This message will provide instructions on how to schedule an Exam with Pearson VUE.
- Exam-takers work with Pearson VUE to schedule a convenient date, time and location to take the Exam on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Six hours are given to complete the Exam consisting of 230 multiple choice questions with four answers to select from:
- 200 questions—Scored for the Exam
- 30 “Trial” questions—Not scored for the Exam, but evaluated for possible use as scored questions on future Exam forms
- Exams are immediately scored, and takers learn whether they passed upon completion. NOTE: The only exception to immediate scoring is when the Exam is taken on paper during the Congress on Healthcare Leadership.
- Candidates may take the Exam as many times as needed during their two-year application eligibility period. There is a 60-day waiting period between attempts. A new Exam registration fee is required for each attempt to pass the Exam.
Exam Registration Fee
In addition to the $250 Fellow Application fee, applicants are required to pay a $225 Exam registration fee prior to each attempt at passing the Exam. You may take the Exam as many times as needed within your two-year eligibility window. Fees must be paid directly to ACHE prior to scheduling your Exam.
For Fellows who wish to recertify by taking the Exam instead of completing the continuing education requirement, the fee is $350 prior to each attempt.
Exam Fee Waiver Opportunities
If you submit your completed Fellow application between March 1 and June 30, along with the $250 Fellow application fee and all supporting documents, ACHE will waive the $225 Board of Governors Exam fee for your approved application.
Exam Administration
The primary mode of delivery is by computer at Pearson VUE Testing Centers, which are geographically distributed throughout the world. Go to pearsonvue.com to find a testing center or to schedule, reschedule or cancel an appointment.
The Exam is also offered in paper-and-pencil format for free at the Congress on Healthcare Leadership. Anyone who has submitted a Fellow application and received approval to take the Exam is welcome to participate. For more information contact the Customer Service Center at contact@ache.org.
More about the Exam Development
Content of the Exam is defined by a national role delineation study. The study involves surveying practitioners in the field to identify tasks that are performed routinely and considered important to competent practice.
The Exam is developed through a combined effort of qualified subject-matter experts and testing professionals, who construct the Exam in accordance with the Exam Outline.