Are you looking to take the CHPN exam and wondering what to expect? Are you looking for tips and tricks on how to pass the CHPN exam? If your answer is yes, you are in luck!
We will help you understand what to expect from the exam and even some great CHPN study guide resources. Whether you are simply looking to understand the difficulty of the exam or you are looking to find out how many questions you need to answer correctly to pass, this article will have something for you.
All you have to do to find all this great information and more is keep reading.
What to Expect on the CHPN Exam?
What to Expect on the CHPN Exam?The Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse Exam or the CPHN are used to test a nurse’s knowledge of end-of-life care. This certification shows her aptitude in the field and expertise in helping patients and their families. This certification shows skill and makes a nurse more competitive in the field. This could mean a boost in monetary incentives. The CHPN test is intended to be taken by registered nurses who have at least 500 hours of work experience in palliative care within the most recent 12 months. Nurses may also have 1000 hours in the last two years (24 months).
When you are preparing to take the exam, there are several things you will need to prep for on the exam. The exam includes a range of topics that you should be familiar with. The exam focuses on five main domains with subtopics in each one. These five topics include the following:
- Patient Care – Pain Management
- Support, Education & Advocacy
- Patient Care – Symptom Management
- Patient Care – Assessment and Planning
- Practice Issues
These 5 include a host of more detailed areas that test-takers need to know. There are also task statements related to each domain that students may be tested on. These task statements have been taken directly from the CPHN handbook. Some samples of the task have been included below:
- Patient Care – Pain Management
- Identify and implement non-pharmacologic and complementary interventions
- Perform a comprehensive assessment of pain
- Support, Education & Advocacy
- Counsel or provide emotional support regarding grief and loss
- Facilitate effective communication among patients, family, and caregivers
- Patient Care – Symptom Management
- Provide evidence-based palliative management of signs and symptoms associated with life-limiting conditions
- Patient Care – Assessment and Planning
- Identify specific patterns of progression, complications, and treatment for life-limiting conditions.
- Monitor need for changes in levels of care)
- Practice Issues
- Maintain professional boundaries
- Identify and address ethical concerns
The Hospice & Palliative Credentialing Center provides detailed content outlines. The exam is meant to focus on the most critical aspects of palliative care and the skills needed. All drug names utilized throughout the exam are also generic.
All test takers will have a maximum of 3 hours to complete the exam though they may finish before the time is complete.
How Many Questions Are on the CHPN Exam?
The exam includes 15 non-scored research questions. You will not know what these questions are, and they will be mixed in with the test content. Answering these questions will not negatively or positively impact your overall score. In addition to these non-scored items, students will have 135 scored questions. The exam format is multiple choice. Each question will have four options and utilize “A, B, C” formatting.
What Percentage Do You Need to Pass the CHPN Exam?
Before you can receive your test results, you will be asked to complete a survey about the exam and your overall experience. If you are taking your exam at a testing center, you will need to see the exam proctor for your score report. This report will provide you with a status of pass or fail. Otherwise, your score report will be mailed to you at a later date.
Scores are reported in two ways. This happens via scaled scores and raw scores. Your raw score report shows the actual number of questions that you correctly answered; your scaled score is calculated from this.
The exam uses a methodology called the Angoff Method. The scaled score is administered with a range of 0 to 99. Students will need at least a 75 scaled score to pass the exam. Scaled scores are utilized because exam difficulty will differ based on the exam. They may vary because new versions of the test are updated each year. This causes a variance in each exam’s difficulty. Utilizing the scaled score puts individuals on a level playing field. This is done by a technique called equating. Scores are calculated so that a 75 represents the same level of competence on each exam.
Is the CHPN Exam Hard?
Many individuals who have taken the CHPN exam say that it is complicated. Many nurses say that you shouldn’t even attempt the exam without several years of hospice experience. Many nurses say that they used their expertise to help supplement the exam. Several nurses were unsure if they had passed the exam until they received their results.
Studying hard is a must for the exam. New nurses find the exam far more complex than seasoned professionals. Especially since it may not only be challenging but is expensive to take; however, you may have several other options based on your employer. Some will offer nurses tuition reimbursement for passing the exam.
Within the most recent testing season students, 1379 students took the exam. Of those individuals, 952 passed. There was a 42% CHPN pass rate for individuals repeating the exam.
How Do I Pass the CHPN Exam? 7 Tips
Passing the CHPN test does not have to be hard. You can do several things to avoid failing the exam and having to repeat it. Follow these tips to give you the boost you need to pass the exam.
Know the Handbook
Make sure you read the handbook front to back. The handbook provides a lot of valuable knowledge that you will need to pass the exam. It includes sample questions, reference materials, and even essential deadlines you need to know.
Create a Study Plan
One thing you should do before even starting studying for the exam is create a plan to attack the exam. Use your availability calendar to create a schedule that works for you. Schedule out blocks of time to study and put yourself on do not disturb when it is time to review.
Create a CHPN Study Guide
Have a study guide that includes all of the information you will need to know. Use this to point out reference guides you may need, study guides you will utilize, and other vital resources and content you will need.
Slow and Steady is Better
Do not try to cram your study time into your schedule. Take your time and adequately prepare yourself. There is no use in rushing just to get to the exam. Give yourself time to study in blocks so that you do not get burned out.
Practice Makes Perfect
Make sure you spend the time not only studying but taking a practice CHPN test. Taking practice exams and answering sample questions is a crucial way to ensure that you are not only prepared for the content but also the exam’s format.
You Have Options
You need to know that you have options when it comes to funding the exam. The exam can be expensive. However, there may be options that work for you. If you submit a financial hardship application, you may be allowed to request a modification of fees as long as you are able to provide supporting documents.
There is also a scholarship that you can take advantage of. This is the Sandra Lee Schafer Certification Scholarships. This scholarship will cover certification fees. Applications are open to students before or after the exam. However, do not expect to fill out the application and get the scholarship simply. It is highly competitive.
Know Your Long-Term Needs
Getting certified is only the first step to getting your CHPN certificate. After you have successfully passed the exam, you must then keep your certificate current. This means recertifying. Certificate holders will need to participate in various activities and events to do so.
Wrapping Things Up: The 7 Most Effective Study Tips for the CHPN
The CHPN test can be very difficult for new nurses and easier for individuals who have a long-standing career in hospice nursing. The exam is a great way for nurses to showcase their knowledge as well as gain higher pay.
There are five main domains on which individuals are tested. These are crucial areas for patient care when in the hospice space. In addition to the subdomain information, you must know some tasks that fall into these categories.
The information on the exam can be overwhelming but use the CHPN tips listed above and throughout this article to help you get the passing score, a 75, that you need.
