Policies & Procedures

1. Who is eligible to sit for the exam?

2. How much does the exam cost?

3. Does ASHIM offer a practice exam?

4. How do I register for the exam?

5. What is the format of the exam?

6. How do I earn and maintain the CHISP™ Credential?

7. How is the CHISP™ exam administered?

8. If I want to cancel my annual membership or my exam, can I get a refund?

9. What happens if I can’t show up for my scheduled exam or if I am more than 10 minutes late?

10. I need special accommodations for testing. Who should I contact?

1. Who is eligible to sit for the exam?

“Qualified” ASHIM members

In order to be “qualified” and eligible to sit for the certification exam and to earn the CHISP™ credential:

• An individual must have at least three years working IT experience (hardware related, software related, data related, or clinical IT training related) to qualify for CHISP™.

Note: The three years experience requirement will be waived if the ASHIM™ member has earned a Microsoft or Cisco certification, a degree in computer science, or a diploma from an accredited IT post secondary program.

2. How much does the exam cost?

To sit for the exam one time, the cost is $260.00

• Annual Membership Fee (required in order to take the CHISP™ exam): $85.00

• First Attempt – CHISP™ exam: $175.00

• Subsequent Attempt/s – CHISP™ exam: $49.95 (secured test proctor processing fee)

3. Does ASHIM offer a practice exam?

Yes, practice exams are available after January 15, 2010 for $29.95.

Practice exams are available to ASHIM members only. They are designed to give you the ability to gauge your readiness for the actual CHISP™ exam. Practice exams are non-refundable and non-transferable.

4. How do I register for the exam?

After becoming an ASHIM member and completing an application that demonstrates that you are “qualified” and eligible to sit for the certification exam and to earn the CHISP™ credential, you will be provided with information to schedule your exam. Exams are fully proctored online and must be scheduled in advance.

Note: ASHIM, at any time, will randomly select CHISP™ certification applications for validation review. If you are unable to provide documentation upon request that supports your CHISP™ qualifying information your CHISP™ certification and or ASHIM membership will be revoked and other penalties may apply.

5. What is the format of the exam?

CHISP™ is a three hour timed exam. There are 100 multiple choice questions. No books, tools, or resources are permitted with testing.

• You will be monitored during exam. There is no “pause function” permitted during the examination. Examinee must remain on web camera during the entire exam.

• If your proctor believes that are “cheating” (receiving help answering questions), your proctor will provide you with a warning or will stop the exam. Proctor determinations are final.

• If an unexpected ASHIM-caused error occurs during testing, ASHIM will allow you to reschedule the exam without any additional fee.

6. How do I earn and maintain the CHISP™ Credential?

• Your final pass/fail exam score will be revealed to you within two weeks of exam completion

• Your credential will remain valid for one year. To renew your credential, you must maintain your annual ASHIM membership, which includes demonstrating your current knowledge in the healthcare industry.

7. How is the CHISP™ exam administered?

ONLINE.

The CHISP™ exam does not require a test taker to go to a testing facility; instead it is delivered using online secured testing technologies that allow for a “green” exam, which is both fully proctored and high-stakes secured.

ONLINE TESTING ENVIRONMENT REQUIREMENTS

Your testing area must meet the following requirements during your test session:

• Quiet and free from any activity other than testing.

• Ample lighting is necessary.

• A web camera must provide a view of your keyboard, hands and face during the entire exam.

TESTING WORKSTATION SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Windows

• Operating System – Windows 2000 Professional (with Service Pack 3+) / Windows XP (with Service Pack 2+) / Vista (32 bit operating systems ONLY)

• Hard Drive – Minimum 500MB available space

• Video – Color video display set to 1024×768 resolution

• Internet Access – Internet access using Internet Explorer via a dedicated ISDN, DSL, T1 or cable connection (dial-up and satellite connections are not acceptable)

• Installed Hardware – Microsoft compatible mouse, Approved Webcam/Microphone

• Installed Applications – Internet Explorer 6.0+ (Mozilla Firefox is not supported), Flash Player (installed through IE), .NET Framework 2.0+, Windows Installer 3.0+

• Firewall – ports 80 and 443 open

• Administrator rights to install

Macintosh

• Operating System – Mac OS X 10.5.3 or later with an Intel processor type

• Hard Drive – 5GB available space recommended

• Video – Color video display set to 1024×768 resolution

• Internet Access – Internet access using Safari via a dedicated ISDN, DSL, T1 or cable connection (dial-up and satellite connections are not acceptable)

• Installed Hardware – Macintosh compatible mouse, Approved Webcam/Microphone

• Installed Applications – Safari version 3.0+ (3.1.2 or later recommended) (Mozilla Firefox not supported), Flash Player

• Firewall – ports 80 and 443 open

• Administrator rights to install

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS

A BASIC WEBCAM WITH THE FOLLOWING FEATURES (built-in webcams are not compatible with the exam)

• 640 x 480 resolution

• Manual focus ring or Auto Focus

• Built-in microphone preferred

• USB connection preferred

8. If I want to cancel my annual membership or my exam, can I get a refund?

ASHIM maintains a strict “No Refund” policy on all purchases, including annual membership.

• Fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.

• All payments are final.

• If you cancel or do not attend your exam there is no refund.

9. What happens if I can’t show up for my scheduled exam or if I am more than 10 minutes late?

If you do not give a 48 hour notice, you will be charged a processing fee of $49.95, which must be paid before the exam can be rescheduled.

• E.g., if your exam time is 10:00 a.m. February 16, you must cancel no later than 10:00 a.m. on February 14 in order to avoid an additional processing fee.

• If you provide more than 48 hours written notice, you may reschedule without an additional fee. Provide notice by email to examdepartment@ashim.org. Note: cancellation requests that are not submitted in writing, or submitted after the cancellation cut-off date, will not be honored under any circumstances.

10. I need special accommodations for testing. Who should I contact?

• Special accommodations are available for qualified individuals, contact the exam department by email at examdepartment@ashim.org