New public health certification credentialing exam offered in August 2008 by National Board of Public Health Examiners

For several years, the APHA (American Public Health Association) and the ASPH (Association of Schools of Public Health) have considered the issue of credentialing the public health workforce. The goal of those involved in this effort is to set a standard for those in the practice of public health.

A National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE), an independent entity governed by a board of representatives from a diverse range of public health practice and academic organizations, has been working for the past two years to develop a certification exam for public health professionals. This examination will be offered for the first time in August 2008. The examination, which will consist of 200 multiple choice questions, is based on testing your knowledge of core and cross-cutting competencies in public health that were developed by the ASPH. A copy of those competencies can be found on the ASPH website at http://asph.org/document.cfm?page=851. Individuals who pass the examination will receive the new public health credential of CPH (Certified in Public Health).

Registration for the first examination is occurring right now, and will continue until April 30, 2008. Registration for the exam is open now through April 30, 2008. The registration fee is $400. Please visit the NBPHE website http://www.publichealthexam.org to learn more about the exam and http://www.asph.org/cphstudyguide to learn more about the study guide.

However, since the examination is new, it is unclear at this time how public health employers will value the CPH credential. The examination is still in the process of being developed. There are no plans to beta test the examination before it is offered for the first time, so those taking it in August 2008 will be the first group to experience the test. If you are considering taking the examination, we strongly encourage you to learn more from the websites above.

Reader thoughts and comments are welcome.