NHA Exam Retake Policy: 30-Day Wait, 3 Attempts, Then 1 Year

By Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team · Last verified August 11, 2026

The NHA exam retake policy gives you a 30-day wait and three attempts. Your next exam date has to be at least 30 days after the one you did not pass. You get three attempts on that exam. Fail on the third attempt, and you wait a full year. You pay the full price every single time — there is no retake discount.

That is the rule, and almost every page stops there. Two things they leave out can cost you the second attempt too. A new version of your exam can be sitting on the other side of that 30-day wait. And NHA's 30-day final-score appeal window reaches its stated limit on the same calendar date the standard 30-day retake wait ends.

We will get to both. First, your dates.

NHA exam retake policy calculator: get your dates

Four questions: which exam, the date you tested, which attempt that was, and whether the result is preliminary or final. It gives you back the earliest date under NHA's published waiting rule, your appeal and hand-rescore dates counting down from today, how many attempts you have left before the one-year wait, and whether a CPCT/A retake falls before, during, or after the January 2027 version transition.

Everything is worked out inside your browser. The calculator component does not send your four entries to Castleport or write them to cookies, local storage, or session storage.

The calculated date is a policy date, not a guaranteed appointment. Your NHA account, testing availability, institution schedule, accommodations, and any written NHA decision can push the actual date later.

The right retake plan isn't the same for every candidate. It depends on the exam version you'll actually sit, which content areas your score report flagged, your test date, and how far you are from passing today. The official handbook sets the requirements; a diagnostic only narrows where to study. If you're retaking the CCMA, take the free Castleport CCMA diagnostic and see where your weak tasks are before you spend anything. For the other seven exams we don't have a diagnostic live yet — start with your final NHA score report and NHA's free current test plan for your exam instead.

Castleport built the calculator and the CCMA diagnostic. Neither tool is affiliated with NHA, predicts an official score, or guarantees a passing result.

Last verified: August 11, 2026. Governing document: the NHA Candidate Handbook, updated June 1, 2026, read in full on that date, plus the current NHA policy, version, fee, renewal, accommodation, forms, and pass-rate publications cited below. Every official claim below links to the document it came from.

Quick check that you're in the right place. This page covers the eight certification exams from the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) — CCMA, CPT, CET, CMAA, CEHRS, CBCS, CPCT/A and ExCPT. If you searched "NHA exam" looking for the Nursing Home Administrator exam, that one belongs to NAB and has completely different rules. You want NAB's exam information.

Read this page if…

• You got a non-passing result on the CCMA, CPT, CET, CMAA, CEHRS, CBCS, CPCT/A, or ExCPT exam.
• You need to know the earliest date allowed by the published waiting rule, what another attempt costs, and which deadlines started on exam day.
• You're deciding whether to appeal, ask for a rescore, report a testing incident, or just study and go again.

Start somewhere else if…

• You mean the NAB Nursing Home Administrator exam. Different organization, different rules. Go here instead.
• You have not tested yet and need CCMA eligibility, format, scoring, or first-attempt planning. Use the current CCMA exam hub instead.
• Your certification expired and you're trying to reinstate it. You didn't fail an exam, so the failed-attempt ladder is not the first rule to use. Skip to the expired-certification section — it's a different rulebook and a different cost.
• NHA sent you a written misconduct, eligibility, accommodation, or account decision. Follow the process and deadlines in that decision; the standard calculator on this page cannot override it.

What is the NHA exam retake policy?

NHA lets you retake after a minimum 30-day wait following a first or second unsuccessful attempt. You get three attempts to pass; after a third unsuccessful attempt, and after each failure beyond it, the wait becomes one year. Every retake requires a new registration and the full current examination price.

That's the whole rule. It lives in one short paragraph in the Candidate Handbook, under Retaking the Exam, and it's worth reading yourself because so many sites paraphrase it wrong.

Three quick corrections while we're here, because these are the ones that cost people:

• It isn't three free tries. The three attempts are three chances, not three sittings included in one fee.
• The one-year wait starts after the third unsuccessful attempt, not the second.
• You are not locked out for life after three. The wait gets long. It doesn't become permanent under the standard retake paragraph.

Does the same policy apply to all eight NHA exams?

The current handbook presents one general retaking section covering all eight certification examinations it lists. It does not publish a separate 30-day or one-year ladder for the CCMA versus the CPT versus the ExCPT. What does differ by exam is the current content plan, eligibility rules, and whether a version change is scheduled — covered further down.

Five things you'll read about NHA retakes that the handbook doesn't say

Five claims come up repeatedly that the current handbook does not support, and three of them would change how a candidate plans. We're not interested in picking fights — we're telling you which numbers to stop repeating, and you can check every one of them in the handbook yourself.

One more, on money: a widely repeated figure puts standard NHA recertification at $179. NHA's own renewal page published $195 when we checked it on August 11, 2026. Use NHA's number for the seven non-CPhT credentials; CPhT has a separate $55 renewal structure.

When is the earliest date I can retake my NHA exam?

For a first or second unsuccessful attempt, add 30 days to the examination date. The handbook sets a minimum of 30 days "between each examination attempt," which means the published rule measures exam date to exam date — not from the day you open the score report and not from the day you start studying again.

This is the single most useful thing on this page, so let's slow down on it.

NHA's handbook says there must be a minimum of 30 days between attempts. Its candidate guidance likewise says a person who does not pass the first or second attempt can reapply to sit again after 30 days. The public sources do not clearly document whether the portal will let every candidate submit a new application or select a seat before day 30.

So the move is: calculate the policy date now, log in as a returning candidate, and use the eligible date and options shown in your own NHA account. Do not create a second profile.

Calendar days, not business days, is Castleport's calculator rule. The handbook says "days" and does not label them business days. The tool adds ordinary calendar days and tells you to confirm the result in your NHA account.

Your policy date is not a promised seat

Your earliest date under the published waiting rule can still be earlier than the first appointment you can actually get. Your institution's schedule, PSI or remote availability, accommodations, sponsor rules, and account holds can move the real date later. The calculator does not add an invented venue lead time or call a date "bookable" when it cannot see live appointments.

For a February 29 examination followed by a one-year wait, NHA does not publish a leap-day instruction. The calculator uses March 1 in the following non-leap year so it does not shorten the waiting period, then flags the date for confirmation.

How many attempts do I get?

You get three attempts before the one-year wait. The handbook says you "are allowed three (3) attempts to successfully pass the exam," with at least 30 days between each one. After a third unsuccessful attempt, the wait becomes one year, and the handbook applies that one-year wait to "each repeated failure after the third attempt."

Here's the shape of it:

Attempt 1 → 30 days → Attempt 2 → 30 days → Attempt 3 → one year → Attempt 4

The standard retake paragraph is written around attempts to pass the exam. It does not state that an ordinary failed attempt on one credential is pooled with failed attempts on a different credential. A misconduct or eligibility decision can be broader, so follow any written NHA decision that applies to you.

What happens if I fail the NHA exam three times?

After a third unsuccessful attempt, the standard wait becomes one year before your next attempt. It is a waiting period, not a ban. Confirm the exact eligible date in your NHA account, and before you start studying, re-check the current test plan — a lot can change to an exam in twelve months.

Two things the handbook does not say

We'd rather flag these than guess, because guessing wrong on either one costs someone time or money.

Does the three-attempt counter reset? The handbook says a one-year wait applies to "each repeated failure after the third attempt." Read plainly, that means every repeated failure after the third carries a one-year wait, and no reset is described anywhere. But the handbook never addresses a reset question head-on. If you're at three failures, ask NHA in writing before you plan around one.

Does a no-show burn an attempt? The handbook is clear that missing the rescheduling cutoff can forfeit the fee and require a new application and payment. It does not clearly say whether a no-show is counted as an unsuccessful exam attempt. Confirm the attempt count in your account rather than testing the theory.

How many people actually don't pass an NHA exam?

About 60,883 NHA examination sittings did not result in a pass in 2025. Across the eight exams, NHA reported 254,225 examinations administered and a Castleport-calculated weighted pass rate of 76.05%, leaving about 23.95% without a passing result. The published pass rates range from 62.75% on the ExCPT to 81.73% on the CCMA.

NHA publishes this. It's a one-page PDF called 2025 Pass Rates, revised January 9, 2026.

We ran the arithmetic NHA didn't, because the pass rate isn't the number you need right now. The number you need is how many exam administrations ended exactly where yours did.

Pass rates and volumes are NHA's published figures. The weighted rate and "did not pass" column are Castleport arithmetic on those figures, rounded to the nearest whole sitting.

Three things fall out of that table.

One: roughly 60,900 NHA sittings did not pass in 2025. If you failed, you joined a very large group. That is not a pep talk — it's the number.

Two: these are per-examination rates, not per-candidate rates. Look at NHA's column header: "# of Examinations Administered." The report does not identify unique people, attempt numbers, or retaker outcomes. So an 81.73% CCMA pass rate does not mean 81.73% of unique candidates passed on their first try.

Three: the published rates span 18.98 percentage points. That does not prove one exam is intrinsically easier: candidate pools, eligibility routes, training, and preparation can differ. It does prove that "the NHA exam pass rate" is not one universal number.

What we won't tell you: how likely you are to pass on attempt two. NHA does not publish retaker-specific pass rates, and we're not going to model one and present it as a fact.

How much does an NHA exam retake cost?

Full price, every time. The handbook is unambiguous: "For each retake attempt, you must re-register and pay the full examination price." There is no discounted retake in the standard policy and no partial credit for the attempt you did not pass.

NHA states elsewhere in the same document that candidates must pay an examination fee for each exam attempt.

Current official exam prices we could verify

NHA's public Store exposed current application prices for four exams when checked August 11, 2026. The amount in your own NHA account still controls, especially when a school, employer, sponsor, Access Key, or discount is involved.

We are not filling the four gaps with third-party estimates. A current first-party amount is stronger than a spread of prep-site guesses, and a school, employer, sponsor, or account arrangement can change what you personally owe.

What multiple attempts actually cost you

Because the fee is full price each time, your exposure is simple multiplication:

Castleport arithmetic on NHA's full-price-per-attempt rule. Excludes study materials, travel, and time off work.

Three things to check before you pay yourself:

1. Is your school or employer sponsoring this attempt? NHA says an associated organization may have pre-purchased exams or possible discounts. Ask exactly which attempt is covered.
2. Do you have a voucher or Access Key? Apply it through the official registration path before self-paying.
3. If you're self-paying, watch the clock. The handbook gives you two hours to complete payment after applying. Miss the window and the unfinished application is voided — you start the application over.

Two figures NHA does publish, since they come up in retake conversations: standard certification renewal is $195 every two years for the seven non-CPhT credentials. If one of those credentials has been expired more than 30 days but less than one year, NHA publishes 15 CE credits, a $277.50 late renewal amount, and a $99 reinstatement fee — $376.50 total. CPhT uses a separate $55 renewal structure covered below.

Will my retake be on the same version of the exam?

Not necessarily. NHA has published that a candidate who fails shortly before a new exam version launches may have to retest on the new version. When NHA answers whether retakers get a grace period after a rollout, its current published answer is: "Candidates will test on the new exam."

This is the part nobody warns you about, and it deserves a whole section.

The mandatory 30-day wait can push a retaker across a version boundary. NHA used that exact warning for the CPT update: anyone who tested and failed in the 30 days before the January 7, 2026 launch had to retest on the new exam. NHA's update FAQ likewise says there is no grace period that preserves the old exam for a retaker whose waiting period crosses the launch.

The practical rule is simple: match prep to the exam date you will actually sit, not the version you failed. Before you buy anything or reopen old materials, check NHA's current test-plan page and any exam-specific launch announcement.

Which NHA exam has an announced version change coming?

As of August 11, 2026, the published upcoming boundary that directly affects this page is CPCT/A.

NHA has not published the exact January 2027 launch day. That creates one honest transition-month problem:

The calculator does not invent a January launch day. Neither should a study guide.

Studying the wrong version is the most expensive mistake a retaker makes

You've already paid for one attempt. Paying for a second one while revising content that's about to be replaced is how people lose two fees instead of one.

→ Check which version your retake date falls on — uses the current published January 2027 boundary without inventing an exact launch day. Free, instant, nothing to sign up for.

The three clocks that all start on your exam date

Three separate NHA policy dates begin with the day you sit. After a first or second unsuccessful attempt, the standard retake date is 30 days later. A final-score appeal must be received within 30 days. A hand-rescore request must be received within 60 days. All three count from the examination date — not from the day you open the result.

Line them up and something falls out that we haven't seen assembled in one place elsewhere.

Assembled from the NHA Candidate Handbook updated June 1, 2026. The tool calculates dates; your written NHA record controls any individual exception.

Finding one: day 30 is both doors on the calendar

The date produced by adding 30 days is both the earliest standard retake date after attempt one or two and the date produced by the handbook's 30-day appeal period. If an appeal is even possible, don't wait for the retake date to start thinking about it. Submit before the cutoff rather than arguing about the last hour of day 30.

Finding two: pilot scoring creates a potential deadline collision NHA does not publicly resolve

When NHA launches a new exam version, it may run what it calls a pilot scoring period — a stretch where psychometricians collect enough data to set the passing score before results are released. NHA's Help Center says gathering that data can take up to eight weeks, and during that time candidates wait to learn whether they passed. NHA also says not every new release uses pilot scoring and affected candidates are notified in advance.

Eight weeks is 56 days. Do the arithmetic:

• Day 30: the handbook's appeal period reaches its stated limit.
• Day 56: a pilot-scored result could arrive.
• Day 60: the hand-rescore period reaches its stated limit.

That is a potential 26-day collision between the appeal rule and the maximum pilot delay. NHA's public sources reviewed for this page do not explain how a final-score appeal is handled when the final result is not available inside 30 days.

If NHA tells you your exam will use pilot scoring, contact NHA in writing before day 30, ask how the final-score appeal period will be applied, and keep the response. That is Castleport's protection step around a published gap — not an NHA ruling that the appeal is already lost, and not a prediction that CPCT/A will use pilot scoring.

Should I appeal, request a rescore, report an incident, or just retake?

NHA publishes separate paths for a final-score appeal, a hand rescore, and a testing incident. An appeal of the final score must be received in writing on NHA's official Appeals form within 30 days of the exam date. A hand-rescore request must be received within 60 days; NHA may charge a fee. A room, proctor, or software problem belongs on the Incident Form or Remote Proctoring Event Review Form.

For most people, retaking is the practical path. Here's how we'd separate the decisions — this is our editorial read, built on the verified facts above, not an NHA rule.

The official NHA forms page currently lists the Appeals Form, Incident Form, and Remote Proctoring Event Review Form together. Do not assume that filing one form pauses the retake, appeal, or rescore clock; NHA's public materials reviewed for this page do not state that it does.

Will the questions be the same on my retake?

NHA says it is unlikely. NHA builds each exam in multiple forms, and the handbook states directly that "it is unlikely that the retake exam will be the same as the prior exam." If your retake remains on the same exam version, the blueprint stays the same while the questions and difficulty mix can change; if it crosses a version launch, use the new test plan.

This matters for how you study. Trying to reconstruct and memorise the questions you remember from attempt one is close to wasted effort — you'll be answering different items drawn from the same test plan.

It also matters for your safety. Memorising or soliciting exam content is named directly in the attestation you already agreed to at registration, and NHA treats it as grounds for invalidating scores and barring you from testing. So the practical advice and the safe advice happen to be identical here: study the published test plan, not remembered questions.

For our part: every Castleport practice item is an original question written to the current published test plan. We do not have, and do not claim to have, access to actual, recalled, or leaked NHA exam questions.

What does my score report tell me before a retake?

Your final score report shows a scaled score on a 200–500 range, a pass or fail against the 390 standard, and a performance band for each major content area: Above, Near, or Below the passing standard. It does not show which questions you missed, and it does not give a percentage for any area.

Four things the handbook says that should change how you study:

Two more limits worth knowing. The bands don't add up — you can't total them to reconstruct your scaled score. And your band doesn't predict next time: NHA states that the level you received in a content area on one exam won't guarantee the same level on a retake, because a different form can shift the difficulty mix.

Where to find it: log in to your official NHA account and open the detailed or individual result report available in the exam-results area. NHA's interface labels can change, so use its current result instructions if the wording in your account differs.

Once you have the final report, the next question is narrower: turn the weakest content bands into a study plan, then use the dates and version check above before you pay again.

What should I do during the 30-day wait?

Diagnose before you re-study. The most common retake mistake is repeating the same study routine at higher volume, when the score report has already narrowed the problem to one or two content areas. Use the first week to figure out what actually broke, then spend the rest of the month on that.

Here's the shape we'd give it. Adjust to your life — this isn't a prescription, it's a sequence.

Days 1–3: collect evidence, don't study yet. Pull the final score report. Save the current test plan for your exam. Write down four dates: your exam date, your appeal deadline, your rescore deadline, and your earliest retake date. Then answer one honest question — was this a content problem, or a pacing, reading, or nerves problem? They need completely different fixes, and studying harder doesn't solve the second one.

Days 4–10: map the report to the blueprint. Take every Near and Below area and list the tasks underneath it on the official test plan. Mark each task one of four ways: I could teach this / I could apply it in a scenario / I recognise it but couldn't explain it / I have never actually learned this. That last category is usually smaller than it feels, and it's where the fastest gains are.

Days 11–21: repair, then retrieve. Work the smallest set of weak tasks that explains the biggest part of the gap. Then test yourself on them from memory rather than rereading — rereading feels productive and mostly isn't. Keep a light touch on your Above areas so they don't go cold.

Days 22–27: practise transfer. Use questions you haven't seen. For every one you miss, write down why the wrong answer was tempting — that's the part that transfers to a new form. Do at least one session under real time pressure.

Days 28–30: decide, don't just count. Confirm the test plan is still current. Confirm your fee and any sponsorship. Then schedule — or don't. A date you're not ready for is just an expensive way to restart this cycle.

Your report says a content area was "Below." It doesn't say which part of it.

That's the gap. NHA gives you a domain name; you need a task list. If you're retaking the CCMA, our free diagnostic is 25 original questions written to the current published NHA test plan, with an instant score by content area and a written rationale on every item — including why each wrong answer looked right.

→ Take the free Castleport CCMA diagnostic — instant results, no sign-up, no email wall.

This is our own free tool, and we're telling you that plainly. It's a 25-question directional check, not a pass prediction, and it doesn't replace the official NHA test plan. Retaking one of the other seven NHA exams? We don't have a diagnostic live for it yet — download NHA's free test plan for your exam and work the areas your report flagged.

What changes on test day when I retake?

If you retake at a different venue than your first attempt, the writing tools on your desk can change. The current handbook gives institution candidates two sheets of scratch paper, PSI test-center candidates a physical whiteboard, marker, and eraser, and live-remote candidates an on-screen digital whiteboard.

Either way, your own calculator is not allowed. Use the one inside the exam.

One more from the current prohibited-devices list that surprises people: AI glasses are named explicitly, alongside phones, watches, earbuds, calculators, and other electronic devices.

How do accommodations work on an NHA retake?

An approved accommodation is generally valid for one year and automatically applies to additional exams inside that 365-day period, including a retake — but you still need to confirm it follows the new attempt and venue.

NHA recommends submitting an accommodation request at least 30 days before the scheduled exam. The candidate must register before submitting the request. Third-party testing candidates are told not to schedule the date and time until the accommodation is approved and special scheduling instructions arrive.

For a retake:

• Same institution: confirm that the approved accommodation will be available for the new exam.
• PSI again: contact PSI's Accommodation Team using the instructions on NHA's current accommodation page.
• Changing venue or testing mode: register, then notify NHA Compliance so the approval is applied to the new administrator.
• Approval older than one year, or a changed need: submit a new request.

This is one place where an earlier policy date may not be the right exam date. Protect the accommodation first.

Special situations that change your retake math

Four groups of candidates have a second clock running alongside the 30-day wait: students who tested before finishing an externship, employees on an employer training agreement, high school students holding a provisional certification, and anyone still looking at a preliminary result.

You only have a preliminary result

If you tested at your school, the handbook says a preliminary score report may be available immediately — and that preliminary results are not final results. Exam data can be analyzed for anomalies, and an exam can be rescored.

Don't re-register and pay on the strength of a preliminary fail. Wait for the final report to post to your account. The calculator can preserve your dates while you wait, but it labels the result as preliminary for exactly this reason.

You tested before finishing your externship

Under the applicable pre-externship pathway, a passing score can remain contingent on completing and reporting the required externship within NHA's 90-day window. If you did not pass, the ordinary retake wait still matters; if you pass the retake, make sure the pathway completion deadline and reporting step are satisfied so the passing score is not voided.

You're on an employer training agreement

Same structure, 180 days instead of 90. Your certificate can be held until the employer confirms that the on-the-job portion is complete. Miss the applicable completion and reporting requirement and the passing score can be voided.

You hold a provisional certification

This is the tightest clock on the page. A provisional certification expires 12 months after your examination date, and the handbook says it cannot be renewed or reinstated. It is not available for ExCPT. If it lapses before conversion to a full credential, you retake the exam.

Do the arithmetic before you schedule. A 30-day wait plus real study time eats a meaningful share of a 12-month window — especially on a second or third attempt.

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Is a failed-attempt retake the same as retaking after my certification expires?

No, and they're governed by different rules. The 30-day and three-attempt policy applies to unsuccessful exam attempts. If your certification lapsed, you didn't fail an exam — you're in NHA's renewal and reinstatement track.

For the seven non-CPhT credentials, NHA currently publishes:

CPhT/ExCPT uses a different renewal structure: $55 every two years and 20 hours of continuing education, including at least one hour of pharmacy law and one hour of patient safety. NHA allows CPhT reinstatement inside one year but tells the candidate to pay the applicable recertification and reinstatement fees in the account; the public page reviewed for this article did not state the exact combined reinstatement dollar amount.

Use the standard NHA renewal page or the separate CPhT renewal page for the credential you actually hold.

The one wall that isn't in the retake section

NHA can bar you from retaking. If a candidate is found to have cheated, removed exam content, or misrepresented their eligibility, the handbook gives NHA the right to invalidate scores, revoke credentials, and "deem you ineligible to retake the exam or sit for any other NHA certification exam."

We're including this for completeness, not to frighten someone who simply had a bad day. It is one concrete circumstance where the standard three-attempt ladder may stop applying — and it's written into the misconduct sections rather than the retake section, so someone reading only the retake paragraph could miss it.

It's also the concrete reason to stay away from "real exam questions" and braindump sites while you're preparing. The risk isn't just that the material is wrong. It's that using it puts your ability to test at all on the line.

What we could not verify

Publishing what we couldn't confirm matters as much as publishing what we could. These points remain unresolved in the current public sources, and we'd rather you know that than read a confident guess.

• Current public prices for CMAA, CEHRS, CPCT/A, and ExCPT. The official Store output exposed CCMA, CPT, CET, and CBCS prices, but not reliable current amounts for the other four. Your official account controls.
• Retaker pass rates. NHA publishes overall examination pass rates, not success rates for second or third attempts.
• Whether a no-show consumes an attempt. The handbook clearly states the fee consequences but does not clearly state the attempt-count consequence.
• Whether the three-attempt counter resets after a one-year wait. The handbook says each repeated failure after the third carries a one-year wait and does not publish a reset.
• Whether the portal lets every candidate apply or reserve a seat before day 30. That's account behavior, and the public policy sources reviewed do not document one universal answer.
• The exact January 2027 CPCT/A launch day. NHA publishes January 2027, not a day of the month.
• How the 30-day final-score appeal rule is administered when pilot scoring delays a final result beyond day 30. The current public sources do not reconcile those two rules.
• NHA's leap-day interpretation for a one-year wait. The calculator uses March 1 in a non-leap year so it does not shorten the wait, then flags it.

NHA exam retake questions

Can I retake the NHA exam before 30 days?

Not under the standard policy after a first or second unsuccessful attempt — the handbook sets a minimum 30-day wait between attempts. A written NHA decision or your account status governs any unusual case, so don't assume a calculator can override it.

Does NHA mean 30 calendar days or 30 business days?

The handbook says "days" and does not say business days. Our calculator counts calendar days, then tells you to confirm the eligible date in your NHA account.

How long do I have to wait to retake the NHA exam?

After a first or second unsuccessful attempt, the next attempt must be at least 30 days later. The public sources reviewed do not clearly document whether every candidate can re-register or reserve a seat before day 30.

How many times can I take the NHA exam?

Three attempts, at least 30 days apart. After a third unsuccessful attempt the wait becomes one year, and the handbook applies that wait to each repeated failure beyond the third.

Do I get three NHA tries per calendar year?

No calendar-year reset is published. It's three attempts with a minimum 30 days between each, then a one-year wait after the third unsuccessful attempt.

Is the second NHA attempt free?

No. The handbook requires the full current examination price for every retake. A school, employer, sponsor, Access Key, or discount may change what you personally pay, so check before you self-pay.

Do I have to repeat my classes before I can retake?

The general retake section doesn't require it. Your school, employer, sponsor, or eligibility pathway may impose its own conditions, so confirm any program-specific requirement before you pay again.

Can my employer see that I failed?

NHA's public verification does not disclose failed attempts or exam scores. Separately, you may elect — or in some school and employer arrangements be required — to share results through your NHA account or registration relationship.

Will my retake be on the same version of the exam?

Usually, but not always. NHA publishes no grace period when a retaker's waiting period crosses a new exam launch. The announced upcoming change is CPCT/A: updated materials in October 2026 and the new exam in January 2027, with the exact January launch day still unpublished.

Are the NHA retake questions the same?

Unlikely. NHA uses multiple exam forms and the handbook says it's unlikely a retake will match the prior exam. Prepare to the current test plan rather than to remembered questions.

Can I appeal a failed NHA exam score?

NHA allows a written appeal of the final exam score on its official Appeals form within 30 days of the examination date. A hand rescore is separate and must be requested in writing within 60 days; NHA may charge a fee.

What happens after a fourth failed NHA attempt?

The handbook requires a one-year wait for each repeated failure after the third. You re-register and pay the full current examination price again.

Does failing one NHA exam affect my attempts on a different one?

The general retake paragraph does not state that ordinary failed attempts are pooled across different exams. A broader misconduct or eligibility decision can affect another exam, so follow any written NHA decision that applies.

What score do I need to pass an NHA exam?

390 on a scaled range of 200 to 500 — the same passing standard across the exams covered by the handbook. It is not a percentage, and NHA publishes no universal raw-score conversion.

My NHA certification expired. Do I have to retake the exam?

For the seven non-CPhT credentials, more than one year expired means reinstatement is unavailable and the exam must be retaken. CPhT has different renewal and CE rules, but its current public page also says more than one year expired requires retaking the certification exam.

Is this the Nursing Home Administrator exam retake policy?

No. This page covers National Healthcareer Association certifications. The NAB Nursing Home Administrator exam is a separate exam system with its own rules.

What we actually verified

Every official claim on this page was read directly from a current NHA publication on August 11, 2026. Here is which source each one came from, so you can check us.

What we calculated ourselves: the 30-day and one-year dates, the appeal and rescore dates, the cumulative fee exposure, the 2025 weighted pass rate, the approximate "did not pass" counts, the 18.98-point published pass-rate spread, and the potential pilot-scoring deadline collision. Those are Castleport calculations on published inputs — not NHA determinations.

Who wrote this, and how

Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team. We read the current NHA Candidate Handbook, the current NHA Help Center policy pages, the CPCT/A announcement, the official Store output, the current renewal pages, and NHA's 2025 pass-rate report on August 11, 2026. We recalculated every derived date and number rather than copying another prep page.

This page exists because almost every other page on this topic recites the rule without telling you what it collides with.

This is study and scheduling guidance, not legal, licensing, or eligibility advice. NHA controls certification-exam policy and account eligibility. If your state licenses your role, confirm state requirements with your state board — NHA certification and state licensure are separate things.

We don't offer a pass guarantee, and we don't publish pass rates we can't source. No diagnostic, study guide, or calculator can promise a passing result.

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Castleport Test Prep is an independent publisher and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, approved by, or connected to the National Healthcareer Association. NHA, exam names, and credential names are used descriptively to identify the examinations discussed. Castleport does not claim ownership of third-party names or marks.

Castleport's practice questions are original items written to publicly available test plans. We do not have or claim access to actual, recalled, or leaked exam questions.

Last verified: August 2026.