Finally passed CHI after failing twice — here's what actually worked

by Tom W. 522 views3 replies
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Tom W.OP
May 27, 2026

I'm not going to sugarcoat it — I failed the CHI exam twice before passing last month, and both times I thought I was ready. The first time I scored a 68 (needed 70 to pass), and the second time a 69. I was devastated. What finally clicked was switching up my entire study approach instead of just doing more of the same.

The biggest thing that helped was working through a solid CHI practice test regularly — not just reading my notes but actually simulating exam conditions. Timed, no phone, no breaks. I also spent way more time on medical terminology and interpreting ethics than I did before, because those sections killed me on my first two attempts. If you're building a study guide, I'd say weight those areas heavily.

My timeline was about 8 weeks of focused prep, roughly 1-2 hours a night. I went in aiming for 80+ this time, not just scraping by. Anyone else here taken the CHI recently? Would love to hear what exam tips made the difference for others.

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Mike_T
May 28, 2026
The timed practice test approach is genuinely the move. I used to study passively and wonder why I blanked on test day. Once I started treating every practice session like the real thing, my retention improved a lot. Good luck to everyone still prepping — the CHI is tough but absolutely worth it.
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Mike_T
May 28, 2026
Congrats on passing! I took mine six months ago and the ethics section was brutal for me too. What helped me was memorizing the IMIA and NCIHC code of ethics cold, not just understanding them generally. Also, the consecutive vs. simultaneous interpreting questions tripped me up — make sure you know the differences inside and out. Scored a 76 on my first try, which I'll take.
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Marcus T.
May 28, 2026
I'm currently prepping for my first attempt in about three weeks and honestly this post is both encouraging and terrifying lol. How did you handle the sight translation component? That's what I'm most nervous about. I've been doing practice tests but I feel like I'm not absorbing the feedback well, just moving on to the next one without really drilling my weak spots.

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