I've been studying graphology for about 3 years independently and I'm finally working toward the CHA credential. The part I'm confused about is the portfolio requirement — I've read different things about how many handwriting samples you need and how detailed the analysis reports have to be. Some sources say 10 samples, others say 25.
I'm spending about 1.5 hours a day on prep and I've completed the theory portion with a practice score of around 78%. The practical analysis section is where things get fuzzy, especially stroke pressure and baseline analysis. My mentor said the graders are strict on terminology consistency.
For anyone who's gone through the process: how long did it take from application to receiving your certificate? I've seen timelines from 4 months to over a year and I can't figure out what drives the difference.
It took me about 7 months from application to certificate, but 3 of those months were waiting on the portfolio review. The graders are volunteers and the queue backs up. Submit everything as cleanly formatted as possible the first time — revisions add weeks to the timeline.
The baseline analysis section is the hardest part of the written exam. Practice on at least 40–50 diverse samples before you sit for it.
I had to resubmit two of my case studies because I didn't use the correct classification terminology for letter formations. Read through the grading rubric multiple times before finalizing any report in your portfolio — tedious but necessary.
78% on theory practice is solid. The stroke pressure questions rely on understanding the zone theory connections, so if you can nail the upper/middle/lower zone relationships you'll pick up a lot of points there. Inconsistent terminology is exactly what fails people in the practical, as your mentor said.
The portfolio requirement varies depending on which certifying body you're going through — there are a few different organizations that issue CHA credentials with different standards. Make sure you're looking at the right organization's current requirements rather than older forum posts, which go out of date fast.