What is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES)?

Certified Health Education Specialists are professionals who design, conduct and evaluate activities that help improve the health of all people. These activities can take place in a variety of settings: schools, communities, health care facilities, businesses and colleges. Health educators are employed under a range of job titles such as patient educators, health education teachers, trainers, community organizers and health program managers. The Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES) are those who have met the standards of quality established by NCHEC by successfully passing the CHES examination. The CHES designation after a health educator's name is one indication of professional competency.

The CHES examination is competency-based. It tests those aspects of the responsibilities and competencies of entry-level health educators that can be measured with a paper and pencil examination. The examination is based on the Framework document that identifies seven different areas of responsibility. Within each area of responsibility, the basic competencies necessary for health education specialists have been delineated. These delineations serve as the basis for developing the questions on the certification examination. The CHES examination, consisting of 150 multiple choice questions, measures the possession, application and interpretation of knowledge essential to the professional practice of health education. California State University Fullerton is proud to have a high percentage of students passing the CHES exam. We also offer a workshop for those interested in taking the CHES exam.

 

Basis for the CHES Examination

The CHES examination is based upon the following seven areas of
responsibilities as delineated in the Framework.
1. Assess individual and community needs for health education
2. Plan effective health education programs
3. Implement health education programs
4. Evaluate the effectiveness of health education programs
5. Coordinate the provision of health education services
6. Act as a resource person in health education, and
7. Communicate health and health education needs, concerns and resources

Eligibility for the CHES Examination

Eligibility to sit for the CHES examination is based exclusively on academic
qualifications. An individual is eligible to sit for the examination if
he/she has:
A bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree from an accredited institution of
higher education; AND
1) an official transcript (including course titles) that clearly shows a
major in health education, e.g., Health Education, Community Health
Education, Public Health Education, School Health Education, etc. OR
2) an official transcript that reflects at least 25 semester hours or 37
quarter hours of course work with specific preparation addressing the seven
areas of responsibility in the FRAMEWORK.
90-Day Graduation Eligibility
The 90-day graduation eligibility is offered to undergraduate students
enrolled in an accredited institution of higher education who produce an
official transcript clearly showing a major in health education and who will
graduate within 90 days of the examination date. The student candidate must
also submit a written assurance from their faculty advisor that the student
will be academically qualified to sit for the exam.
CHES Eligibility Pre-Screening
Occasionally applicants are unclear as to their eligibility to sit for the
CHES examination. Their degree may not read 'health education', yet they may
have accumulated sufficient health education course work within one or a
combination of degrees. Thus, they might qualify for CHES examination
eligibility. The commission offers the option for pre-screening of a
prospective applicant's credentials to determine eligibility. Course work
deficiencies will be identified and guidance for qualification will be provided.

Making Application for the CHES Examination

Making application for the CHES examination is easy. The CHES examination is
conducted on college campuses throughout the United States. Any campus with
a testing service is eligible as a CHES examination site. There are two
publications available for use as study-guides for the CHES examination.
Information is provided with the application packet. An application can be
obtained either by downloading the form, contacting NCHEC directly at (888)
624-3248, completing the application on-line with credit card information,
or e-mailing the exam coordinator at nchec@nchec.org