NHA Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist

What is it?

What exactly is the NHA Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist?

NHA Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist — Allied Health credential from National Healthcareer Association (NHA)

Credential for specialists managing electronic health record systems., a nationally recognized professional credential in this field. Offered by National Healthcareer Association (NHA), it is designed for candidates who need to demonstrate verified competence in the Allied Health field. The credential is commonly used for career entry, advancement, regulatory compliance, or employer requirements. Candidates should review the official handbook for eligibility, exam format, and scoring before registering.

The path in brief

1. Confirm you meet any eligibility or prerequisites
2. Review the official handbook and study materials
3. Register and pay through the awarding body or authorized provider
4. Schedule and take the exam (test center or online proctoring)
5. Receive your score and, if passed, your credential

Before you book

Who is eligible to sit the NHA Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist?

Eligibility varies; many credentials are open to all, while others require coursework, work experience, or sponsorship.

Who it is for: Professionals and candidates seeking to validate Allied Health competence.

The test itself

What is the format of the NHA Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist?

The NHA Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist is administered by National Healthcareer Association (NHA) and runs 2 hours and contains 100 questions.

The fine print

What are the retake and renewal rules for the NHA Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist?

Proctoring & delivery

Proctored, computer-based delivery (test center or remote online proctoring), varying by exam.

Retake policy

Varies by credential — most bodies permit retakes after a waiting period and full or partial fee.

Score reporting

Scores are reported per the body’s timeline, typically electronically after the exam.

Recertification

Varies; many credentials require renewal every 2–3 years via continuing education or a recertification exam.

What it pays

How much does this credential pay?

$50,250 median for medical records specialists (BLS, May 2024) — SOC 29-2072

The direct answer is that the occupation a CEHRS actually performs — medical records specialists, SOC 29-2072 — earned a median of $50,250 per year in May 2024, the most recent BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, and it is the correct BLS series to cite because BLS classifies by job duties rather than by certificate, and the CEHRS credential is one of several certifications that feed this occupation. That figure needs context before it is used for planning. The lowest 10 percent of medical records specialists earned less than $35,780 and the highest 10 percent more than $80,950, so the credential is an entry-and-mobility signal inside a working-class occupation rather than a wage multiplier on its own; employers pay for the certified holder partly because certification is the most common way a candidate demonstrates EHR competence without years on the job. The occupational headwind is favourable: BLS projects employment of medical records specialists to grow 7 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations, with roughly 14,200 openings a year, most from replacement need. The growth is driven by an aging population's record volume, the continuing digitisation of health records, and the regulatory pressure for accurate, auditable clinical documentation. Where the CEHRS sits in that picture is worth being precise about: the credential is entry-to-mid level, focused on EHR use, HIPAA compliance, basic coding for reimbursement, and the revenue cycle, which positions a holder for roles like health information clerk, medical records coordinator, patient registrar, or a step onto an EHR implementation or health information management track. The honest caveat is that a dedicated health information management degree or an RHIT-class credential moves a career further than CEHRS alone, and the real value of the NHA credential is the speed with which it can be earned — the exam is a single 100-question sitting a trained candidate takes after weeks, not years — and the verification it gives a first EHR job.

Job growth.7% projected change 2024-34 (much faster than average) with ~14,200 openings a year; growth is driven by record digitisation, an aging population, and regulatory demands for auditable documentation

Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Medical Records Specialists

Your schedule

How long should I study for it?

40-80 hours over 4-8 weeks of focused study

Plan four to eight weeks at 5 to 10 hours a week for the CEHRS, and start from the premise that the exam rewards the language of regulation and reimbursement as much as EHR mechanics — HIPAA terms, ICD-10 and CPT basics, and the revenue cycle are where candidates who trained only on software screens lose points. The exam is 100 questions in 2 hours, scored on a 200-500 scale with a 390 passing standard, delivered at PSI centres or by live remote proctoring, and built from the NHA job-task analysis that was refreshed for the exam update launched June 17, 2020, so the five content areas — intake and patient registration, clinical documentation, clinical support, the revenue cycle, and regulatory compliance — should structure your study. Begin with the NHA CEHRS Online Study Guide or the published outline, because the official materials define the actual scope, and pair it with the NHA practice test once you are halfway through the content. A practical weekly rhythm works best: two weeks on intake, registration and patient demographics; two weeks on clinical documentation, including the medical chart, SOAP notes, e-prescribing and how records flow through a visit; one week on clinical support such as referrals, lab results and immunisation records; one week on the revenue cycle — ICD-10 and CPT basics, claim submission and billing audits — which is the most commonly cited weak area; and one week on regulatory compliance, dominated by HIPAA privacy and security, HITECH, and data-security practice. Use the last two weeks for timed practice tests and gap closure on the two areas that hurt most, and spend one session drilling answer-every-question discipline, because there is no wrong-answer penalty. If your employer or school is sponsoring the exam, confirm that through your NHA account before paying the fee yourself, and note that eligibility requires a high school diploma or GED plus either an EHR training programme completed within the last five years or one year of supervised EHR work experience within the last three years (or two years within five).

1. Weeks 1-25-10 hrs/week

   Intake, registration, and the EHR workflow

   • Study patient intake: registration, insurance verification, consent forms, and demographic collection
   • Map how a record moves from intake through a visit to discharge — the CEHRS is a workflow exam as much as a software exam
   • Learn the medical chart and its components, including SOAP notes and progress notes
   • Set up your NHA account and confirm your eligibility pathway and exam sponsorship
2. Weeks 3-45-10 hrs/week

   Clinical documentation and clinical support

   • Study documentation standards: accurate, complete and timely charting and the common errors auditors look for
   • Cover e-prescribing, medication lists, and how controlled information flows through the EHR
   • Study clinical support: referrals, lab results, immunisation records, and communication with physicians
   • Start the NHA practice test to baseline your position against the 390 scaled passing score
3. Week 56-8 hrs

   Revenue cycle and basic coding

   • Learn the revenue cycle end to end: registration, charge capture, coding, claim submission, and billing audits
   • Cover ICD-10 and CPT at the level the exam requires — recognition and application, not professional coder depth
   • Drill insurance and reimbursement terminology, including the common denial reasons
   • Practise translating a documented visit into the correct billing codes
4. Week 66-8 hrs

   Regulatory compliance — HIPAA and HITECH

   • Study the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules, the minimum necessary standard, and permitted disclosures
   • Cover HITECH, meaningful-use concepts, and breach-notification basics
   • Drill security practice: access controls, passwords, audit trails, and what a specialist must never do
   • This is the highest-miss content area — give it a full week, not a long weekend
5. Weeks 7-86-8 hrs/week

   Timed practice and gap closure

   • Take two full-length timed practice exams under the 2-hour limit
   • Return to the outline for every missed item and re-drill that content area
   • Sweep the revenue-cycle and compliance terminology once more — the two most common weak areas
   • Schedule the exam at a PSI centre or via remote proctoring and rest the day before

What to buy

Which study resources are worth paying for?

The buying decision for the CEHRS is dominated by official and near-free resources: the NHA CEHRS page, the online study guide, and the practice test define the actual scope, and the exam fee itself is the main cost. The exam runs about $117 (confirm the current figure in your NHA account, since it can vary by site and promotion), with a roughly $75-150 price band for optional study materials, and the renewal costs about $185 every two years plus 10 continuing education credits — which is a small, predictable lifetime cost that a candidate should budget for at the start, not discover after passing. The buying rule is to spend on the official practice test before anything else, because it is the only resource scored on the real 390/500 scale and therefore the only one that tells a candidate whether they are above or below the line before paying the exam fee; the online study guide is worth the money for the official scope it enforces, especially for candidates training outside an accredited programme. Textbooks such as The Electronic Health Record for the Physician's Office are useful supplements for documentation depth, but they are supplements — the outline and the practice test are the curriculum. Commercial flashcard apps and third-party question banks exist and can help with terminology, but their accuracy varies, their scoring does not map onto the NHA scaled scale, and none of them is the exam; the official outline stays the source of truth. NHA itself states that buying prep materials is not required to sit the exam and does not guarantee a pass, which is the right caveat: the highest-value preparation is a structured study plan against the official outline, and the practice test as the calibration point, with paid products in their proper secondary role.

Prices checked 2026-08 in USD and approximate; NHA exam and study-material pricing varies by package and promotion, so confirm in your NHA account before purchase. NHA states that buying prep materials is not required to sit the exam and does not guarantee a pass. We do not rank by commission.

What you'll face

What question types will I see?

The CEHRS is a computer-delivered exam of 100 questions — single-answer multiple choice, mostly scenario-based — with a 2-hour time limit, no scheduled break, no penalty for wrong answers, and a passing standard of 390 on the NHA scaled 200-to-500 range. The content is organised into five domains from the current job-task analysis: intake and patient registration; clinical documentation; clinical support; the revenue cycle; and regulatory compliance, with HIPAA and HITECH carrying heavy weight. Practically, the paper breaks into three families: direct-knowledge items on terminology, requirements, and documentation standards; application items that present a patient or record scenario and ask what a specialist should do next; and compliance-judgement items that ask whether an action, disclosure or record change is permitted — the family with the highest miss rate, because the HIPAA scenarios invert the comfortable answer and reward knowing the principle behind the rule. Because every question is equal and there is no penalty for guessing, the pacing rule is simple: answer everything, flag the hard compliance or coding items for a second pass, and keep the whole paper moving at about 72 seconds per question, which is achievable only if a candidate has rehearsed the full-length timing at least once. The five-domain structure has a diagnostic payoff that candidates underuse: the NHA score report shows performance against the exam domains, so a failing candidate can read exactly where the 390 line was lost — most often the revenue cycle and regulatory compliance — and a passing candidate knows where the first job should concentrate. The samples below are editor-written illustrations of the published styles, not live items, and the same standing note applies: study the official outline, calibrate against the practice test, and treat the 390 cut as the number that matters.

Samples are editor-written illustrations of the published blueprint, not live exam items.

Reference

What are the key facts about the NHA Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist?

NHA Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist is a certification credential; awarded by National Healthcareer Association (NHA); the exam fee is $117; typical preparation is 40-60 hours over 4-6 weeks; holders typically earn $35,000-$60,000 (29-2072 median $50,250).

In short

Is the NHA Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist worth it?

• NHA Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist is awarded by National Healthcareer Association (NHA).
• Validates job-ready competence in Allied Health.
• Registration is through the awarding body or an authorized test provider.
• Renewal and retake policies vary — confirm before scheduling.

Worth comparing

How does the NHA Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist compare with similar credentials?

• NHA Patient Care Technician Certification National Healthcareer Association (NHA)
• NHA Mental Health Technician Certification National Healthcareer Association (NHA)
• NHA Certified Clinical Medical Assistant National Healthcareer Association (NHA)
• NHA Certified Medical Administrative Assistant National Healthcareer Association (NHA)
• NHA Certified Pharmacy Technician National Healthcareer Association (NHA)

Trust

Where does this information come from?

Everything above is taken from the awarding body's own published material. Fees, question counts and domain weights are revised regularly — check the official page before you pay.

Research confidence: low · Last reviewed 2026-08