Healthcare Administration Degrees

Credentials in healthcare administration

CMPE Certification: Requirements and Pathways

Edited by Taylor Rupe, B.A. Psychology, University of Washington Seattle · B.S. Computer Science, Oregon State University

Last updated

Most credentials in this field ask you to finish something before you may start. ACMPE runs three routes to CMPE, and one of them is built for people who have not finished yet: students and early careerists with under 3 years left on the degree or the experience.

Key facts for the CMPE credential
What it is Voluntary certification
Awarded by ACMPE, the certification body of MGMA
Open to MGMA members on any of three pathways, from a bachelor's plus 2 years
Headline fee $167 to register for the multiple-choice paper
Keeping it 50 continuing education hours, 30 of them from MGMA

The Three Routes to CMPE Certification

Which one applies to you decides whether this credential is available now or in several years, so it is the first thing to establish.

ACMPE eligibility pathways for CMPE certification
Route Who it is for What it asks
Pathway 1 Working already, degree finished A bachelor's degree or 120 college credit hours, plus 2 years working in healthcare
Pathway 2 Students and early careerists Still completing either the degree or the experience, with under 3 years left to run
Pathway 3 Experience instead of a degree 6 years in the industry, 4 of them in management or a leadership role

MGMA membership is required on all three. Once the application is verified, MGMA confirms acceptance as a Nominee within about 10 business days.

Why CMPE Certification Has a Route That Skips the Degree

Pathway 3 asks for 6 years of healthcare experience with 4 in management or leadership, and states no degree condition. In a field where the other senior credential requires a master's, that is a genuine alternative route for the many practice managers who came up through billing, the front desk or as a medical assistant and never took a management degree.

It is worth reading against FACHE, which requires a master's, five years of management and a current executive post with no experience-only alternative. Two credentials in the same field, one of which treats a decade of doing the job as sufficient and one of which does not. Which of those describes your situation is a better guide to where to spend your effort than which sounds more prestigious.

The Exams Are the Smaller Half

The examinations get the attention: 175 multiple-choice items in three hours and fifteen minutes at $167 to register, a scenario-based paper alongside it, and a scaled pass mark of 500. Candidates generally report the scenario paper as the harder of the two, since it asks for judgement about running a practice rather than recall.

The larger commitment is the 50 continuing education hours. 30 of them must come from MGMA and its affiliates, and 12 of those 30 must be in a live format. That is a majority of the requirement obtainable from one provider only, and live delivery usually means travel or fixed scheduling rather than watching a recording at midnight.

None of that makes the credential a bad deal, and MGMA education is well regarded in practice management. It does mean the honest cost of CMPE is not the $167 exam fee, and anyone budgeting from that number will be surprised. Price the education first, then decide.

Questions About CMPE Certification

What are the eligibility requirements for CMPE?
Three pathways. The first asks for a bachelor's degree or 120 college credit hours plus 2 years of healthcare experience. The second is for students and early careerists still completing either of those with under 3 years left. The third takes 6 years of healthcare experience, 4 of them in management or leadership. MGMA membership is required throughout.
Can you start CMPE while still at university?
Yes, through the second pathway, which exists for candidates still completing the degree or the experience with less than 3 years to go. That makes CMPE unusual among healthcare management credentials: most require you to have finished before you may begin.
What exams does CMPE require?
Two. A multiple-choice paper of 175 items with three hours and fifteen minutes to complete it, at a registration fee of $167, and a scenario-based paper alongside it. The pass mark is a scaled 500. The scenario paper tests judgement about running a practice rather than recall, and is the one candidates generally find harder.
How long do you have to complete CMPE?
3 years from the date you purchase the application, within which both exams and all 50 continuing education hours must be finished before submitting for final board approval. MGMA contacts accepted applicants within about 10 business days of verifying eligibility.
What continuing education does CMPE require?
50 hours, of which 30 must come from MGMA and its affiliates, and 12 of those 30 must be in a live delivery format. That is the largest commitment in the credential and the one worth costing out before you begin, because a majority of the hours can only be obtained from a single provider.

Credentials to Consider Alongside CMPE

CMPE is the credential attached to practice management, the route into healthcare administration that stays open on a bachelor's degree. Readers weighing this against the alternatives should look at CPHQ, which has no eligibility requirement, and CHFP, which is module-based rather than exam-gated.

Sources for This CMPE Certification Data