CHPLN Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling

2026 Testing Windows and Deadlines

The Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center (HPCC) doesn't run the Certified Hospice and Palliative Licensed Nurse exam year-round. Instead, candidates apply for and sit the exam during four fixed testing windows: March, June, September, and December. Each window is preceded by an online application deadline, and PSI - the organization that administers the exam at physical test centers or through live remote proctoring - will not process late applications.

Notice the pattern: the application deadline always falls roughly two weeks before the calendar month the window opens in. Missing a deadline by even a day pushes you to the next quarterly window - a three-month delay that matters if an employer is waiting on your credential. If you're still confirming whether you meet eligibility at all, review CHPLN Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify before you build a testing-window plan around a date you might not yet qualify for.

How the PSI Application Process Works

Once you decide on a window, the mechanics are straightforward but unforgiving of shortcuts. You submit your application and documentation online, pay the initial examination fee, and receive authorization to schedule once HPCC confirms your eligibility. Fees differ by HPNA membership status:

• HPNA members: $260 initial exam fee
• Nonmembers: $365 initial exam fee

After approval, you schedule your seat directly with PSI, choosing between an in-person test center or live remote proctoring from a private location that meets PSI's environment requirements. Scheduling availability inside a given window can fill up, especially near popular test centers, so approved candidates should book a seat as soon as authorization arrives rather than waiting until the final days of the window. For a full breakdown of every fee tied to initial certification and renewal, see CHPLN Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.

Eligibility Timing: Lining Up Your Hours With a Window

CHPLN eligibility isn't just about holding a current unrestricted U.S. or territorial LPN/LVN license - it also requires documented hospice or palliative nursing practice under RN supervision: 500 hours in the preceding 12 months, or 1,000 hours in the preceding 24 months. Because these hour counts are calculated backward from the date you apply, your choice of testing window can directly affect whether you meet the threshold.

If you're a few hundred hours short right now, mapping out which window you'll actually qualify for is more useful than fixating on the soonest one. A nurse who started hospice work in January, for example, is unlikely to hit 500 hours by the February 15 deadline for the March window but could easily clear it before the May 15 deadline for June. Run your own math against both the 12-month and 24-month pathways before locking in a date.

Choosing the Right Testing Window for You

With four windows a year, the real question isn't "when can I test" but "when should I test." A few practical factors matter more than they might seem:

• Study runway: The 150-question, three-hour, closed-book format covering seven domains rewards a deliberate multi-week study plan, not a cram session squeezed into the two weeks before a deadline.
• Work schedule intensity: Hospice and palliative nurses often work irregular or rotating shifts. Pick a window that falls during a calmer stretch of your schedule rather than during a period of mandatory overtime or holiday coverage.
• Employer or reimbursement timelines: Some employers tie tuition or certification-pay bonuses to a specific fiscal quarter. Confirm those internal deadlines before committing to a window.
• Domain weighting: Because Patient Care: Symptom Management carries the most scored items of any domain, candidates often want extra runway specifically to master that content before test day - see the domain box below.

For a domain-by-domain breakdown of what to study and in what order, pair your window selection with CHPLN Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 7 Content Areas.

ReTEST Assured and Retake Scheduling

Not every candidate passes on the first attempt, and HPCC builds a structured second chance into the scheduling calendar through ReTEST Assured, a one-time option costing $135. If you don't pass, ReTEST Assured allows you to retake the exam in one of the next three testing windows - but explicitly not the same window you just tested in. That means if you sit in June and don't pass, your ReTEST Assured retake must happen in September, December, or the following March, not a second attempt crammed back into June.

This built-in gap is actually useful for planning: it forces a minimum of roughly three months between attempts, giving you time to identify weak domains and rebuild your knowledge rather than immediately re-testing on the same gaps. If you're unsure how competitive the exam actually is or want to calibrate expectations around a retake, CHPLN Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows and How Hard Is the CHPLN Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 both cover what the numbers mean for first-time and repeat candidates.

Prepping Backward From Your Deadline

Once you know your application deadline and test date, work backward. The exam's 135 scored items are distributed across seven domains in this order: 18, 27, 39, 12, 15, 13, and 11 items respectively - meaning Patient Care: Symptom Management and Patient Care: Pain and Comfort Management together account for well over half the scored content. A study plan that ignores this weighting and spends equal time on all seven domains is misallocating effort.

For a structured walkthrough of exactly what to study each week and how to sequence practice questions, see CHPLN Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. You can build and time full practice sessions using the question banks at CHPLN Exam Prep to rehearse the three-hour format before your scheduled date.

Day-of Scheduling: PSI Test Centers vs. Live Remote Proctoring

Once your window and date are set, decide between two PSI delivery options:

• Test center: A proctored, controlled environment with computer terminals - useful if your home or workplace doesn't offer a quiet, private space for three uninterrupted hours.
• Live remote proctoring: Take the exam from a private location that meets PSI's technical and environmental requirements (webcam, stable internet, no unauthorized materials in view), avoiding travel entirely.

Whichever option you choose, confirm your seat well before the window opens. Test center slots and remote proctoring time blocks can be limited near the start and end of a window, particularly during December when holiday scheduling competes for candidates' attention. Bring your unrestricted LPN/LVN license documentation and any required identification as specified in your confirmation email - incomplete documentation at check-in can result in a forfeited appointment.

If you're still weighing whether pursuing CHPLN certification fits your career plans and hiring landscape, Is the CHPLN Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and CHPLN Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis both address that question from a broader angle, while CHPLN Jobs looks at the kinds of hospice and palliative care roles that value the credential. Once you're certified, remember that the credential lasts four years and renews through HPAR with documented practice and professional-development evidence in LearningBuilder, or by re-examination - a scheduling question of its own, but one worth planning for well before your four-year mark arrives.

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