I'm planning to sit for the Healthcare Construction Certification exam in 8 weeks and trying to build a realistic study plan. My background is in general commercial construction — 12 years of project management experience — but I've only done 3 healthcare projects specifically. The FGI Guidelines and infection control risk assessment content is where I feel weakest going in.
From what I've seen, the exam covers 5 main content areas: Planning and Pre-Construction, Infection Prevention, Safety, Construction Documents, and Regulatory Compliance. The ASHE study guide suggests infection prevention is the most heavily tested area, which tracks with what I've heard from colleagues who've taken it. I'm thinking 30% of my prep time there, 20% on regulatory compliance, and splitting the rest across the other three domains.
My plan is 90 minutes per day on weekdays, which gives me roughly 60 hours total before the exam. That feels like enough but I'm not certain. I'd love to hear from people who've passed recently — how many hours did you put in, and were there any areas that hit harder than you expected? Also wondering if the ASHE HCC prep course is worth the cost or if self-study is viable.
ICRA and PCRA classifications caught me off guard more than any other topic. I thought I knew them from field work but the exam tests them at a more technical level than day-to-day site practice. Make sure you can identify the correct risk group for specific construction activities and patient populations.
60 hours for someone with your PM background sounds about right. The people I've seen struggle are either light on construction fundamentals or light on healthcare-specific regulations — you've got the former covered, so lean into the latter. The ASHE glossary is worth memorizing since some questions hinge on precise definitions.
I passed last year with about 55 hours over 7 weeks. Self-study was totally viable — I used the ASHE study guide plus the FGI Guidelines themselves for the infection control sections. The prep course might compress your learning curve but it's not mandatory if you're disciplined.
The regulatory compliance section is heavier on CMS Conditions of Participation than I expected. If you're mostly familiar with OSHA and local codes, spend dedicated time on the CMS survey process and how it intersects with construction work in occupied facilities.