National Health Science Certificate Program

The National Health Science Certificate (NHSC) is more than an assessment—it's a nationally recognized credential that validates students' mastery of the 11 National Health Science Standards. It gives educators confidence that students are building the knowledge needed for success in healthcare education and future careers.

Healthcare is constantly evolving, and so are we. The NHSC assessment is reviewed annually by industry experts to ensure it reflects current National Health Science Standards and the knowledge today's students need to succeed. They are also revised each time the National Health Science Standards are updated to ensure alignment and proof of mastery.

The National Health Science Certificate exams may now be proctored by the health science teacher/instructor as authorized by each state’s designated health science education authority

This update allows teachers/instructors access to valuable assessment data that can aid in reporting and funding that promote program and student growth.

The NHSC offers flexible pricing to fit programs of all sizes. Whether you're assessing a single class or an entire district, we have options to meet your needs.

Individual certification costs are listed below.

$15 per certificate for NCHSE member states

$20 per certificate for NCHSE non-member states

Absolutely! If you're interested in purchasing certification exams, you can request a personalized quote by completing our Contact Form and selecting "Get a Custom Quote" from the dropdown.

Yes! Learning doesn't have to wait until test day. Benchmark assessments are available and can help educators measure student progress, identify learning gaps, and prepare students for certification with confidence.

Additionally, there are four-course certificates that let students validate mastery of the 11 National Health Science Standards. Each certificate assesses specific health science standards taught in the corresponding four-course curriculum. They break the standards into smaller components that can be taught in semester-or year-long programs. Each exam costs $10 and offers its own end-of-course certificate.

It is important to ensure that the certification exam experience is consistent for all students throughout the country. Therefore, the certification exams must be initiated and completed during one class session.

We do make accommodations for students with an IEP or 504, and they may have as much time as needed and can take the exam over multiple days if necessary.

Every student deserves the opportunity to demonstrate what they know. The NHSC supports approved accommodations for students with documented IEPs and 504 Plans in accordance with our testing guidelines. We can make the following accommodations for students with IEPs or 504s:

• Add more time to their exam
• Pause and re-authorize to take the exam over multiple days
• Turn off item randomization to read to a group of students

Please call Customer Support at 385-255-7850 after the student is logged into the exam code and before you authorize the student, and we can make these accommodations.

The NCHSE exam is not constructed as a timed exam. For administrative reasons, the exam is set to time out after 90 minutes. Over 98 percent of candidates finish within the allotted time. Time accommodations are made for students with a documented IEP or 504.

All exams have a standard 90-minute time limit. If a student cannot finish within that time and needs additional minutes, please contact YouScience Customer Support at 385-255-7850, and we can extend the timer as needed.

Please note that students must complete the exam in a single sitting—they cannot exit and return to continue the test later.

Exceptions are made for students with an IEP or 504 plan. These students may take as much time as they need and are allowed to complete the exam over multiple days if necessary.

A basic calculator is provided on the exam platform. Students do not bring their own calculators to the exam. 

Yes. We recognize that learning is a journey. Students who don't pass on their first attempt have opportunities to retake the assessment and demonstrate their knowledge.

YouScience Certification Exams Standard Retake Policy:

• 1st retake: 1-day waiting period
• 2nd retake: 3-day waiting period
• 3rd retake: 7-day waiting period

Absolutely! YouScience provides a standard report that measures student growth between the pre-and post-NHSC exams.The report also provides educators with analytics that are designed to improve instruction and improve their health science program. 

The passing score for the National Health Science Certificate is currently 70%. However, the life cycle for each assessment differs depending on several factors, including the number of assessment forms, exam volume, exposure, and item rotations. For these and other reasons, passing scores are subject to change without notice.

The total possible points for the NHSC are 116 points.

• The passing percentage is 70%. Therefore, the students must answer 82 of the 116 points correctly.
• The National Health Science Certificate remains current with testing standards that require critical thinking and problem-solving. These differentiated exam items may provide partial credit points or may be worth more than one point per question. Thus, the 2022 National Health Science Certificate update has resulted in a revised exam blueprint of 108 exam items with a total point value of 116 points. Careful attention must be paid to a student's exam results (i.e., a total score of 70 does not grant a passing score out of 116 possible points) to alleviate misinterpretation of a student being granted a National Health Science Certificate of Proficiency.

Note: Exam blueprint details, including passing scores and total point values, are subject to change as exams are updated and revised.

Technology hiccups happen. For technical support, please contact our Customer Support Team at (385) 255-7850 or support@youscience.com.

YouScience sets the policies for the National Health Science Certificate program. These policies are in place to ensure a fair testing process for all students.

In order to be a qualified assessment location and proctor for the National Health Science Certificate, registered proctors must abide by the following policies as also outlined in the proctor agreement.

Proctor Agreement >>

• All NCHSE exams proctored must be delivered using Precision Exams online testing system.
• Test codes will be made available once your purchase has been processed.
• Test codes are purchased and distributed by the purchasing agent.
• No refunds on purchased exams.
• Purchased exams expire 18 months from date of purchase.
• Purchased exams will be available in your account within 48 hours after purchase.
• If exam availability is needed more quickly, please call Precision Exams Customer Support.
• The testing window for NCHSE certification exams is August to June.

The life-cycle for each assessment differs depending upon several factors including the number of assessment forms, test volumes, exposure, and item rotations. For these and other reasons, passing scores are subject to change without notice and cannot be disclosed prior to test administration.

However, upon completing an assessment, a score report is available indicating a test candidate’s assessment score.  Information about the range of passing standards for assessments is not disclosed.