- Why the CHONC Has No Fixed Exam Calendar
- Membership and Authorization Come First
- Fees, Attempts and What They Mean for Your Timeline
- Test Center vs. Remote Proctoring
- What You Are Scheduling: Format and Time Block
- Working Backward From Your Test Date
- Sequencing the 14 Content Areas Against Your Date
- Reference Rules That Affect Exam-Day Logistics
- After the Exam: Maintenance Dates That Start the Clock
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The CHONC is administered by AAPC through Meazure Learning test centers and ProctorU by Meazure Learning remote proctoring.
- Active AAPC membership and exam authorization are required before you can schedule; there is no non-member exam-only tier.
- The exam is 100 multiple-choice questions in one four-hour sitting, passed with 70 correct (70%).
- The exam fee is USD 325 for one attempt or USD 399 for two; the observed membership add-on is USD 229.
Why the CHONC Has No Fixed Exam Calendar
Candidates searching for "CHONC exam dates 2026" often expect a list of national test days, the way some credentials publish a handful of annual sittings. The Certified Hematology and Oncology Coder (CHONC) exam, offered by AAPC, is delivered through Meazure Learning test centers and ProctorU by Meazure Learning remote proctoring. That delivery model is built around scheduling flexibility: you book a seat or a remote session after you are authorized, rather than registering for one of a few fixed national dates.
This site does not publish a specific list of 2026 calendar dates, because we have not verified a fixed national schedule in the reviewed official sources, and inventing one would do you harm. What we can give you is the mechanics that determine when you can actually sit: membership status, authorization, attempt structure, delivery method and your own preparation timeline. For the authoritative, current availability, check your AAPC account and the scheduling interface used by Meazure Learning and ProctorU.
Membership and Authorization Come First
The single most common reason a CHONC candidate cannot schedule is skipping the order of operations. AAPC requires active membership and examination authorization before you can test. There is no non-member exam-only eligibility tier for this specialty exam, so the membership step is not optional.
On exam day you will also need a valid ID that matches your registration. Our CHONC requirements guide walks through eligibility in detail, but the short version is this:
- Active AAPC membership is required.
- Examination authorization must be in place before you book.
- CPC or COC is not a prerequisite, so you do not need another AAPC credential first.
- Specialty experience is recommended, but no mandatory degree, references or training-hour total was verified.
Because there is no mandatory training-hour total to complete, your real gating item is not coursework; it is getting membership active and authorization granted. Build a few buffer days for that administrative step into your timeline instead of assuming you can pay and test the same afternoon.
Fees, Attempts and What They Mean for Your Timeline
The fee structure directly shapes how you should pick a test date. AAPC sells the CHONC exam as either a one-attempt or a two-attempt purchase, and membership is a separate line item.
| Item | Amount / Detail | Scheduling Implication |
|---|---|---|
| Specialty exam, one attempt | USD 325 | Best if you plan to test only when fully prepared |
| Specialty exam, two attempts | USD 399 | Gives a built-in retake; plan the gap between sittings deliberately |
| Membership add-on (observed) | USD 229 | Must be active before you can test |
| Non-member exam-only option | Not available | Membership cannot be skipped |
The USD 74 difference between one and two attempts is small relative to the cost of a failed sitting with no retake. If your timeline is tight, or you are testing without hands-on oncology coding experience, the two-attempt option gives you breathing room. If you take it, do not treat the second attempt as a license to rush the first; use the result of attempt one to decide which of the 14 content areas to rebuild before attempt two. For a full cost walk-through, see our CHONC certification cost breakdown, and for the value question, our ROI analysis.
Test Center vs. Remote Proctoring
You will choose between two delivery paths, both run under the Meazure Learning umbrella. Your choice affects how far in advance you should book and how much exam-day setup you need to manage.
Meazure Learning test centers
A physical test center removes most technology risk. The environment is controlled, and you are not responsible for your own webcam, bandwidth or room setup. The trade-off is travel and the limits of local seat availability, which is why booking earlier gives you more choice of day and time.
ProctorU by Meazure Learning remote proctoring
Remote testing lets you sit from home or office, but live proctoring and equipment requirements apply. Because this is a four-hour exam, a connection drop or a policy violation in your testing space is a bigger risk than it would be on a short quiz. Run any system check the platform offers well before exam day, not the morning of.
What You Are Scheduling: Format and Time Block
Before you pick a date, make sure you know what you are blocking out. The current official AAPC exam guidance supports the following structure:
- 100 multiple-choice questions
- Four hours in a single sitting
- 70 correct answers (70%) required to pass
- The split between scored and unscored questions is not disclosed
Do not confuse the live exam with study materials. The 35-question exercise in the study guide and the 50-question practice product are preparation tools, not the real exam length. When you book, block the full four hours plus check-in time, and avoid scheduling the exam on a day when you have clinical-coding deadlines or long work shifts around it. Our passing score guide explains exactly what 70 correct answers means in practice.
Four hours for 100 questions gives you generous pacing room, but the questions are case-driven: expect operative and physician-note-based scenarios where you must apply ICD-10-CM, CPT and HCPCS Level II knowledge, not just recall definitions. Time pressure is rarely the issue; fatigue across a long sitting is.
Working Backward From Your Test Date
Since you control the date, the most useful thing you can do is pick a target and build backward. Here is a practical order of operations specific to the CHONC process:
- Activate AAPC membership and confirm your account is in good standing.
- Purchase the exam (one or two attempts) and confirm authorization.
- Choose delivery: test center or ProctorU remote.
- Book a date that leaves enough time for the weakest of your 14 content areas.
- Verify ID and equipment requirements well ahead of exam day.
- Confirm which references you will bring (see the reference rules below).
If you are new to oncology coding, give yourself a longer runway. The 2026 AAPC study-guide sample itself states that the guide is not comprehensive and that hands-on specialty coding experience matters. A candidate who codes infusion, chemotherapy administration and E/M encounters daily needs a different timeline than one coming from a primary care or inpatient background. Our difficulty guide helps you gauge where you fall.
Sequencing the 14 Content Areas Against Your Date
A note on terminology: AAPC has not published a numbered, weighted blueprint for the CHONC, so the 14 areas below are the published exam-related competencies from the 2026 study-guide sample, not official weighted domains. The largest area on the live exam is unknown, so do not assume any one topic dominates. Our complete domains guide covers each in depth.
This is the one place where scheduling and study planning meet. Use your test date to decide when each cluster gets attention, ordered by how much each depends on the one before it.
Foundations
- Medical terminology and anatomy
- Medical physiology
- These underpin every later coding decision, so settle them first.
Compliance and Payment Rules
- Teaching physician guidelines, incident-to guidelines, split/shared services
- HIPAA regulations, proper use of the Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN)
- CMS drug wastage policy and clinical trial services
Code Selection and Application
- ICD-10-CM coding and E/M code selection using the AMA CPT E/M guidelines
- CPT coding for common procedures, CPT and HCPCS Level II modifier usage, HCPCS Level II coding
- Finish with timed case practice so you can apply rules under fatigue.
Why the CPT Procedure Area Deserves Extra Calendar Time
The CPT common-procedure competency in the study-guide sample lists five published subtopics, and all of them are fair game for scenario questions.
- 30000 Series
- Laboratory and Pathology
- Radiology
- Medicine
- Category III codes
Why the Compliance Cluster Is Easy to Underestimate
Teaching physician, incident-to and split/shared rules, drug wastage, ABN usage and clinical trial services are payment-policy topics that candidates often skim because they feel administrative. In an oncology setting, drug-heavy billing and trial-related services make them directly relevant to case questions.
- Know who may bill and under what supervision conditions.
- Understand documentation of discarded drug amounts.
- Recognize when an ABN is and is not appropriate.
For a structured study plan keyed to these areas, see our CHONC study guide, and for a compact review near your exam week, the CHONC cheat sheet. You can also take timed questions on the main practice test site to check readiness before you commit to a date.
Reference Rules That Affect Exam-Day Logistics
Your booking should account for what you are allowed to bring, because preparing the wrong materials is a logistics failure, not a knowledge failure. Under current AAPC rules, approved CPT Professional, ICD-10-CM and HCPCS Level II references are allowed, subject to current print and electronic rules. A few details matter for your preparation:
- A provided online E/M calculator is available, and it is different from a prohibited personal calculator. Do not bring your own.
- A study guide is not an allowed reference. Do not plan on leaning on it during the exam.
- Remote testers face live proctoring and equipment requirements on top of these rules.
Practice navigating your coding books quickly well before the exam. Tabbing and familiarity with the code sets and guidelines save far more time than they cost, and they are permitted preparation. Apply current official ICD-10-CM, CPT, HCPCS and regulatory guidance when you practice, and treat payer-specific assumptions as relevant only when a case states them.
Key Takeaway
Book your date only after you have confirmed which references you are allowed and have practiced with exactly those references. A prepared candidate with unfamiliar books loses time on every question.
After the Exam: Maintenance Dates That Start the Clock
Passing is not the end of the calendar. To keep the credential, you must maintain annual AAPC membership and complete 36 CEUs per two-year cycle for a single credential, including eight hematology/oncology CEUs. If you hold more than one AAPC credential, multiple-credential totals vary, so check your account rather than adding numbers yourself.
Plan your test date with the maintenance cycle in mind: a date that lets you begin earning relevant CEUs early gives you a more comfortable two-year runway. If you are thinking about career impact, note that no verified 2026 CHONC-specific salary premium is documented; see our salary guide for what can and cannot be said, and our CHONC jobs overview for where the credential is relevant. New to the credential entirely? Start with what CHONC certification is before you pay for anything.
One more note on reliability: no retirement notice for the CHONC was found in the reviewed current issuer sources, and we make no claim about any undisclosed future policy. Check AAPC directly for the latest status whenever you plan a long-lead schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
We have not verified a fixed national schedule in the reviewed official sources. The exam is delivered through Meazure Learning test centers and ProctorU remote proctoring, so you generally schedule after authorization. Confirm current availability in your AAPC account.
No. Active AAPC membership and examination authorization are required, and there is no non-member exam-only eligibility tier. The observed membership add-on is USD 229.
It is 100 multiple-choice questions in a single four-hour sitting. You pass with 70 correct answers, or 70%. The scored and unscored split is not disclosed.
The specialty exam is USD 325 for one attempt or USD 399 for two attempts. Membership is separate. See our cost breakdown for the full picture.
No. CPC and COC are not prerequisites, and no mandatory degree, references or training-hour total was verified. Specialty coding experience is recommended, and the study-guide sample stresses that hands-on experience matters.
For a broader look at the credential, read our exam dates overview alongside the pass rate discussion, which explains why no CHONC-specific pass rate can be quoted. Then test your readiness with timed questions on the CHONC practice test site.