- Which CHA This Calendar Covers
- The Four 2026 Testing Windows and Application Deadlines
- How Scheduling Works: PTI, Pearson VUE, and the Authorization to Test
- Choosing Your Window: Matching Eligibility, Budget, and Readiness
- Clearing Eligibility Before the Deadline
- Working Backward From Your Test Date
- What to Expect on Test Day
- After the Exam: Results, Retakes, and Renewal Dates
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The 2026 computer-based windows are February 1-28, April 14-May 12, August 1-31, and November 1-30.
- Application deadlines fall roughly ten days to a week before each window opens: Jan 20, Apr 7, Jul 21, Oct 20.
- Your application approval lasts 12 months, and Pearson VUE will not seat you without an Authorization to Test.
- Initial certification costs US$598 total: a US$99 application plus a US$499 examination fee.
Which CHA This Calendar Covers
"CHA" is an acronym shared by several unrelated credentials, so a quick identity check saves you from planning around the wrong calendar. This article is about the Certified Hospice Administrator credential, offered through the National Board for Home Care and Hospice Certification (NBHHC). Professional Testing (PTI) coordinates exam administration, and candidates test through Pearson VUE computer-based test centers or approved onsite paper testing.
Every date, deadline, and fee below applies to the Certified Hospice Administrator exam only. If you are still orienting yourself to the credential, start with What Is CHA Certification? or What Does CHA Stand For?, then return here to build your schedule.
The Four 2026 Testing Windows and Application Deadlines
Unlike exams offered on-demand all year, the Certified Hospice Administrator exam is delivered in defined computer-based testing windows. In 2026 there are four. Your application must be in before the deadline attached to the window you want, and those deadlines come early enough that a last-minute decision will cost you a window.
| Testing Window | Dates | Application Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Window 1 | February 1-28 | January 20 |
| Window 2 | April 14-May 12 | April 7 |
| Window 3 | August 1-31 | July 21 |
| Window 4 | November 1-30 | October 20 |
The gap between a deadline and its window is short, but that does not mean you can apply at the deadline. Your application includes education and experience evidence plus three healthcare-industry references, and those pieces take time to gather. Treat the deadline as the last possible day, not the target day.
How Scheduling Works: PTI, Pearson VUE, and the Authorization to Test
The sequence matters because each step unlocks the next. You do not simply pick a date on a calendar; you move through a gated process.
- Submit the application and pay the application fee. The application fee is US$99. This is where you document your education, your management or administrator experience, and your three references.
- Receive approval. Once your eligibility is confirmed, your approval remains valid for 12 months. That 12-month life gives you flexibility to choose among several windows, but it also creates a hard stop if you keep postponing.
- Pay the examination fee. The exam fee is US$499, bringing the total initial cost to US$598. Optional CAHSAH administrator course tuition is separate and not part of this figure. For a fuller cost picture, see CHA Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
- Obtain your Authorization to Test. Pearson VUE appointments require this authorization. Without it, you cannot book a seat at a test center, so do not wait until the final days of a window to discover you are missing it.
- Book your Pearson VUE appointment inside an open window. Choose a date within the window you applied for and confirm your location.
Key Takeaway
Think of the Authorization to Test as your real ticket. The application deadline gets you approved, but only the authorization lets you schedule. Book your Pearson VUE seat as early in your window as your readiness allows so that a conflict or closure does not push you out.
If you are considering approved onsite paper testing rather than a Pearson VUE center, confirm availability and logistics directly through the NBHHC and PTI resources, since onsite sessions follow their own arrangements.
Choosing Your Window: Matching Eligibility, Budget, and Readiness
With four windows to choose from, the decision comes down to three questions: are you eligible yet, are you prepared, and does the timing fit your work calendar?
February (Application by January 20)
A good fit if you are eligible now and want the credential early in the year. The tradeoff is that January is a busy period for many hospice operations teams, and your prep would run through the holidays. If you start preparing in the fall, this window works well.
April 14-May 12 (Application by April 7)
The longest window and the one most forgiving for scheduling, because you have nearly four weeks to find an appointment. It sits well ahead of summer vacations and the end-of-year budget crunch.
August (Application by July 21)
Useful if you want a mid-year attempt and have used spring for preparation. Be aware that summer leave may reduce the number of convenient appointment slots at popular test centers, so book early within the window.
November (Application by October 20)
The final window of the year. It is the natural landing spot if you missed an earlier deadline or if you are completing an eligibility requirement during the year. Because it is the last chance, any problem here, such as a rescheduling issue, carries the cost of waiting into the next year.
Clearing Eligibility Before the Deadline
Date planning is pointless if your application is not approved. The most common reason people miss a window is not procrastination on studying but incomplete eligibility documentation. The Certified Hospice Administrator credential offers several routes that combine education with experience:
| Education Level | Experience as Supervisor/Manager | Or Experience as Administrator |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's or master's degree | 5 years | 1 year |
| Associate degree | 7 years | 2 years |
| High-school diploma | 9 years | 3 years |
A health-related professional license also supports the 3-year administrator route. On top of the route requirements, applicants need relevant management or leadership work for at least 12 of the last 48 months, evidence of education and experience, and three healthcare-industry references, with the current employer listed first when applicable. Management experience is prorated for the portion of your time spent on management duties, which matters if your role mixes clinical and administrative work.
If you are unsure whether you qualify, read CHA Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify before you commit to a window. Resolving a borderline experience question in the weeks before a deadline is stressful; resolving it months earlier is routine.
Collecting references without losing a window
Three references from the healthcare industry sounds simple until a supervisor is on leave or a former employer does not respond quickly. Contact your references well before your target deadline, explain what the form needs, and give them a clear date. Listing your current employer first, where it applies, avoids last-minute reordering.
Working Backward From Your Test Date
The cleanest way to use the exam calendar is to start at your chosen window and subtract. The study content itself is weighted unevenly, and your schedule should reflect that. Business Operations carries 34% of the exam and Finance carries 31%, so together they account for nearly two-thirds of your score. Compliance is 24% and Business Development is 11%. For a deeper breakdown, see CHA Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 4 Content Areas.
Business Operations (34%)
- Hospice utilization and length of stay
- Volunteer programs and levels of care
- QAPI concepts and nursing-facility agreements
Finance (31%)
- Hospice cap concepts and how they affect operations
- Cost reports and reimbursement logic
- Practice calculations until they feel routine
Compliance (24%) and Business Development (11%)
- Regulatory and quality expectations that shape administrator decisions
- Growth, referral relationships, and community positioning
Mixed review and timed practice
- Full-length timed sets against the 2-hour limit
- Revisit weak areas, especially hospice cap and utilization items
The reasoning behind the order is simple: the two heaviest domains deserve the most time and the freshest attention, and the finance topics reward repeated practice more than a single read-through. Use the final week to simulate the pacing of the real test with timed sets from the CHA practice test. For a broader plan, the CHA Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt walks through resources and sequencing.
Padding your timeline for the application
Remember that the application deadline sits before the window opens. If your window is April 14-May 12, your paperwork is due April 7, which means your approval process happens while you are still studying. Build your plan so that the application is submitted weeks before the deadline and your study calendar runs in parallel.
What to Expect on Test Day
Knowing the format lets you pick an appointment time that suits you. The NBHHC candidate handbook describes an exam of 80 to 100 questions with a 2-hour limit. Questions are single-answer selected response. The exam is closed book, results are reported as pass or fail, and there is no guessing penalty, which means you should answer every question rather than leave any blank.
Choose an appointment slot when you are typically at your sharpest. If you do your best analytical work in the morning, take a morning seat. Arrive early, bring the required identification noted in your Authorization to Test materials, and confirm the test center location the day before.
Curious how difficult the exam feels in practice? How Hard Is the CHA Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 covers what candidates tend to find challenging, and CHA Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass explains how pass/fail reporting works.
After the Exam: Results, Retakes, and Renewal Dates
Your date choice also sets the clock on your certification's life. Once certified, the credential lasts 4 years. Renewal requires 50 points, including at least 36 continuing-education contact hours and no more than 14 other points, plus relevant management or leadership employment for 12 of the preceding 48 months.
| Fee Type | Components | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Initial certification | US$99 application + US$499 examination | US$598 |
| Renewal | US$99 application + US$299 renewal | US$398 |
| Late renewal (within the permitted 1-year period) | Adds US$99 | Renewal total plus US$99 |
If you do not pass on your first attempt, your approval period is a useful asset: because it lasts 12 months, you may be able to use a later window without reapplying from scratch, but confirm the specifics of retake procedures and any additional fees in the current candidate handbook. Plan your first attempt so that a second window remains inside the approval period.
For the long-term payoff of the credential, see Is the CHA Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and CHA Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis.
Key Takeaway
Pick your window first, then work backward: confirm eligibility, collect references, submit the application well ahead of the deadline, secure your Authorization to Test, and book your Pearson VUE seat early in the window.
Frequently Asked Questions
For computer-based testing in 2026, there are four windows: February 1-28, April 14-May 12, August 1-31, and November 1-30. You apply for a specific window before its deadline and then schedule your appointment inside it.
January 20 for the February window, April 7 for the April 14-May 12 window, July 21 for August, and October 20 for November. Submit well before these dates to leave time for any documentation questions.
Approval lasts 12 months. Within that period you can choose a testing window, but you need an Authorization to Test before Pearson VUE will let you book an appointment.
Initial certification costs US$598, made up of a US$99 application fee and a US$499 examination fee. Optional CAHSAH administrator course tuition is separate. See the cost breakdown for details.
The candidate handbook describes 80 to 100 single-answer selected-response questions with a 2-hour time limit. The exam is closed book, results are pass/fail, and there is no guessing penalty, so answer every question.