Last updated: July 4, 2026
Health Education Certification
Health Education Certification Exam: CHES, Praxis 5551, and How to Prepare for Both
The two major health education certification exams serve different purposes and different career paths. Here is a clear breakdown of what each one covers, who needs which, and how Mastery Labs helps you prepare.
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Two Certification Paths, One Field
Health education has two nationally recognized certification exams. Understanding which one applies to your career goals is the first step toward choosing the right preparation strategy.
If you are preparing to teach health education in a K–12 public school, your state almost certainly requires the Praxis Health Education: Content Knowledge (5551), administered by ETS. This is a teacher licensure exam. Its purpose is to confirm that you have the content knowledge and professional judgment expected of an entry-level classroom health educator.
If you are working as a health education specialist in a community, clinical, public health, or workplace setting, you are more likely pursuing the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) credential, issued by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC). CHES is a professional practice credential. It validates competency across the eight Areas of Responsibility that define what health education specialists do across all practice settings.
Many health educators hold both credentials, and the content knowledge required for each exam overlaps significantly. If you are already CHES-certified and pursuing K–12 licensure, or if you are a teacher-licensure candidate also seeking CHES, the preparation you do for one exam will carry over into the other more than you might expect.
CHES vs. Praxis 5551: Side-by-Side Comparison
The two exams measure overlapping content knowledge from different angles. Here is how they compare on the details that matter most to candidates.
| Detail | CHES (NCHEC) | Praxis 5551 (ETS) |
|---|---|---|
| Full Name | Certified Health Education Specialist | Praxis Health Education: Content Knowledge |
| Issuing Body | National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC) | Educational Testing Service (ETS) |
| Purpose | Professional practice credential for health education specialists across all settings | Teacher licensure exam for K–12 health education |
| Who Needs It | Health educators in community, clinical, public health, and workplace settings | Prospective K–12 health education teachers seeking state licensure |
| Questions | 165 multiple-choice (150 scored, 15 unscored pretest) | 120 selected-response |
| Time | 3 hours | 2 hours |
| Passing Score | 600 out of 800 (scaled) | Varies by state (142 to 164 on a 100–200 scale) |
| Content Framework | Eight Areas of Responsibility (NCHEC) | Five Content Categories (ETS / SHAPE America / SOPHE) |
| Exam Delivery | Computer-based at authorized testing centers; offered in April and October | Computer-based at Praxis testing centers; available year-round |
| Eligibility | Bachelor’s degree or higher with a major in health education, or 25+ semester hours in the field | Typically completing or holding a bachelor’s degree in health education or a related program |
| Renewal | 75 Continuing Education Contact Hours (CECHs) every 5 years | No renewal required; state licensure renewal is separate from the exam |
| Exam Fee | $230 to $400 depending on NCHEC membership status | $130 (standard Praxis subject assessment fee; verify on ETS.org) |
Inside Each Exam
A closer look at how each certification exam is structured and what it actually measures.
CHES Exam
- Questions 165 total; 150 scored and 15 unscored pretest items mixed throughout
- Time 3 hours of testing time; 3.5-hour appointment including tutorial and survey
- Format Multiple-choice; computer-based at authorized NCHEC testing centers
- Scoring Scaled score reported out of 800; passing is 600
- Schedule Offered in two testing windows each year: April and October
- Framework Eight Areas of Responsibility defined by NCHEC, covering the full health education practice cycle from needs assessment through advocacy and communication
- Pass Rate Approximately 67% to 73% depending on the testing window
- Renewal 75 CECHs required every five years to maintain the credential
Praxis 5551 Exam
- Questions 120 selected-response items; all questions count toward your score
- Time 2 hours; approximately 1 minute per question
- Format Selected-response (multiple-choice and multiple-select); computer-based at Praxis testing centers
- Scoring Scaled score from 100 to 200; passing cut score set by each state (range: 142 to 164)
- Schedule Available year-round at Praxis testing centers; 28-day waiting period between attempts
- Framework Five content categories aligned to SHAPE America and SOPHE teacher preparation standards, covering discipline foundations, health promotion, advocacy, pedagogy, and assessment
- Pass Rate Not publicly reported by ETS; varies by state and preparation level
- Renewal No exam renewal; state teacher licensure renewal is governed separately by each state’s licensing board
The Eight CHES Areas of Responsibility
The CHES exam is organized around these eight areas, which define the full scope of health education specialist practice. These areas also overlap significantly with the five Praxis 5551 content categories.
Assessment of Needs and Capacity
Planning
Implementation
Evaluation and Research
Advocacy
Communication
Leadership and Management
Ethics and Professionalism
Candidates preparing for the Praxis 5551 will find that mastering the NCHEC Areas of Responsibility provides useful reinforcement for Praxis content categories, particularly Category 1 (Health Education as a Discipline) and Category 5 (Assessment and Evaluation).
Which Certification Do You Need?
The right credential depends on your career setting. Some professionals need one; some need the other; some benefit from both.
K–12 Health Education Teachers
If you are seeking state licensure to teach health education in a public elementary, middle, or high school, the Praxis 5551 is the exam your state licensing board requires. CHES is not a substitute for the Praxis in any state that mandates the Praxis for teacher licensure.
Praxis 5551Community and Public Health Educators
If you work in a health department, nonprofit, hospital, or community organization designing and delivering health education programs, CHES is the credential most relevant to your practice setting. It signals professional competency to employers across non-school health education contexts.
CHESGraduate Students in Health Education
Graduate students in health education or public health programs often pursue CHES before completing their degree to strengthen their professional credentials. If your long-term goal includes K–12 teaching, adding the Praxis 5551 after CHES preparation is a natural next step, since much of the content overlaps.
CHESCareer Changers Entering Health Education
If you are transitioning into health education from another field and aiming for K–12 teaching, your first credential target should be the Praxis 5551. If you are entering community or clinical health education, CHES is the more relevant starting point. Confirm your state’s specific requirements before choosing your path.
Praxis 5551Health Educators Seeking Full Professional Recognition
Holding both CHES and Praxis licensure signals the broadest range of professional competency in the field. Many health educators working in school settings also hold CHES because it demonstrates alignment with NCHEC standards. Both credentials together strengthen your professional profile across school and community contexts.
Both CredentialsCHES Holders Pursuing K–12 Licensure
If you are already CHES-certified and now pursuing state teacher licensure, you have a meaningful head start on the Praxis 5551. The content you mastered for CHES, particularly in the areas of assessment, planning, and implementation, maps directly to Praxis 5551 content categories. Focused Praxis-specific practice is the most efficient path from here.
Praxis 5551Mastery Labs: Built for the Praxis 5551 by a CHES Professional
Mastery Labs was developed by Donna R. Turner, EdS, MPH, CHES, HSMI, CDVA, NCHEC #25145, a credentialed health education specialist with deep knowledge of both the CHES and Praxis 5551 content frameworks. Every question in Mastery Labs is written to ETS item-writing standards and reflects the professional judgment that both exams are designed to measure.
If you are a CHES professional now preparing for the Praxis 5551, Mastery Labs gives you scenario-based practice built around the specific five-category structure of the Praxis exam, so you can apply what you already know to the format and demands of teacher licensure testing.
- 1,001 scenario-based questions written to ETS item standards
- All five Praxis 5551 content categories covered
- Adaptive engine that surfaces your weakest areas automatically
- Full-length 120-question timed simulated exams
- Free. No account required. Runs in your browser.
Related Resources
Every page in this cluster links to the others so you always have a complete picture.
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