CHES® Recertification

After initial certification, each CHES® must earn a total of 75 continuing education contact hours (CECH) every five years to be recertified. Detailed information about renewal and recertification requirements for CHES® credential-holders can be found in the Handbook for Renewal and Recertification.

Category I CECH (minimum of 45) Category II CECH (optional, maximum of 30) Continuing Competency Credits

Category I CECH (minimum of 45)

Refers to CECH opportunities that relate to one or more of the Areas of Responsibility. These are activities preapproved by NCHEC (offered by designated providers.) You need at least 45 Category I CECH to recertify. However, you can complete all 75 CECH in this category. Category I credits are reported for you by the provider on a quarterly basis. There is no need to submit anything to NCHEC for Category I CECH. You can find a list of Category I events/courses on the NCHEC website.

Category II CECH (optional, maximum of 30)

Refers to opportunities that relate to one or more of the Areas of Responsibility, but have not been preapproved by NCHEC (offered by non-designated providers). You can claim a maximum of 30 Category II credits in your 5-year recertification cycle. You can find a complete list of activities that are eligible for Category II credits in the Policies and Procedures Handbook beginning on page 9. The Category II claim form is available through your online portal. It is an easy way to submit your Category II credits for review.

Continuing Competency Credits

CHES® must complete 5 CECH of a “Continuing Competency Assessment,” as part of the total 75 CECH for recertification, which includes either:

  1. A work performance assessment by a supervisor/ client (Category II). (I strongly encourage folks to complete the Category II performance assessment – there is no cost, and it can relate to the work you are currently doing in the field.) To read more about Continuing Competency and the performance assessment, go to the NCHEC website here .
  2. A Category I continuing education activity that is pre-approved for Continuing Competency. To locate Category I Continuing Competency activities, use the search tool on our Credit Activities Page and make sure the box for Continuing Competency is checked.

Rollover Credits

MCHES® who have accumulated in excess of 75 CECH at the end of their current five-year certification cycle may carry over a maximum of 15 Category I CECH into their next five-year certification cycle, however, the CECH (entry or advanced) will carry over as entry-level credits only.

Please Note (for prior CHES® who have just become MCHES®): Continuing education credits earned previously as a CHES® do not carry over; however, if you earned more than 75 credits in your CHES® cycle, a maximum of 15 credits are eligible to be carried over into the MCHES® certification cycle. The philosophy behind the policy is that continuing education toward recertification needs to be part of the ongoing commitment to professional development, not something done in the past. This becomes especially important as the Responsibilities, Competencies, and Sub-competencies that are the basis of the certification and the continuing education requirement for recertification are updated every five years. The 75 credits must be earned within the current five-year period, and at least 30 of them must be at the advanced level.

Recertification by Examination

If a CHES®/MCHES® does not earn enough contact hours within the five-year certification cycle and has exhausted extension privileges, they may recertify by re-taking the CHES®/MCHES® examination.

To recertify by examination a CHES®/MCHES® must:

Failure to pass the examination will result in the expiration of CHES®/MCHES® certification as of the end of the current five-year certification period.

For more information on the continuing education requirements view the Policies and Procedures Handbook.