HIPAA Study Guide 2026

Everything you need to pass the HIPAA exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.

HIPAA exam key facts

The CHPS exam contains 150 total questions, including 125 scored items and 25 pretest items that do not count toward your score. Source
The passing score for the CHPS is 300. Source
Candidates must wait 90 days before submitting a new application and retaking the exam. Source
The CHPS credential is valid for two years before recertification is required. Source

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📋 HIPAA Exam Format at a Glance

Questions

90 min

Time Limit

70%

Passing Score

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📚 HIPAA Topics to Study (37)

De-identification and Data Anonymization · 36 cards Electronic Health Records (EHR) Compliance · 36 cards Healthcare Provider Obligations and Covered Entities · 36 cards HITECH Act and Technology Requirements · 36 cards Mental Health and Substance Abuse Privacy Rules · 36 cards Workforce Training and Compliance Programs · 29 cards Compliance · 11 cards Medical Information · 11 cards Administrative Safeguards · 7 cards HIPAA Transaction Standards and Code Sets · 7 cards Minimum Necessary Standard · 7 cards Minimum Necessary Standard · 7 cards Minimum Necessary Standard · 7 cards Minimum Necessary Standard · 7 cards Minimum Necessary Standard · 7 cards Patient Rights Under HIPAA · 7 cards Patient Rights Under HIPAA · 7 cards Patient Rights Under HIPAA · 7 cards Patient Rights Under HIPAA · 7 cards The HIPAA Privacy Rule · 7 cards The HIPAA Privacy Rule · 7 cards The HIPAA Privacy Rule · 7 cards The HIPAA Privacy Rule · 7 cards Administrative Safeguards · 6 cards Business Associate Agreements · 6 cards Breach Notification Rule · 6 cards Enforcement and Penalties · 6 cards Patient Rights Under HIPAA · 6 cards Protected Health Information (PHI) · 6 cards Technical & Physical Safeguards · 6 cards

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✍️ Sample HIPAA Questions & Answers

1. A hospital migrates to a new EHR system. What HIPAA requirement applies to PHI stored in the old system?

✓ It must be retained according to applicable retention laws and securely disposed of when no longer needed

HIPAA requires that PHI be retained per applicable state and federal retention laws, and disposed of securely when retention periods expire.

2. A covered entity's employee discovers that a family member is a patient at their organization. Under HIPAA, what is the employee's obligation?

✓ The employee must not access the family member's records unless they are directly involved in that person's care

Workforce members may not access PHI of patients they are not involved in treating — 'snooping' on family members' records is a HIPAA violation even with good intentions.

3. What are 'psychotherapy notes' under HIPAA, and how do they differ from other mental health records?

✓ Psychotherapy notes are notes from a therapist's private files capturing mental impressions during therapy, separate from formal treatment records, and requiring specific authorization for disclosure

Psychotherapy notes are mental impressions and analysis captured in a therapist's private files — distinct from treatment records — and require specific authorization for most disclosures.

4. A patient's legal guardian submits a request to access the patient's PHI. Under HIPAA, the guardian is treated as:

✓ A personal representative with the same rights as the patient

HIPAA recognizes personal representatives, including legal guardians, as having the same access rights as the patient.

5. When can a covered entity DENY a patient's request to restrict disclosure of their PHI?

✓ When the disclosure is required for emergency treatment

A covered entity may deny a restriction request if the PHI is needed to provide emergency treatment to the patient.

6. A patient requests an accounting of disclosures of their Protected Health Information (PHI) from a hospital. Which of the following disclosures must be EXCLUDED from this accounting report?

✓ A disclosure made to the patient's health plan for payment purposes.

The HIPAA Privacy Rule specifically exempts disclosures made for Treatment, Payment, and healthcare Operations (TPO) from the accounting of disclosures requirement. Disclosures for public health activities, in response to court orders, or for health oversight are not part of TPO and must be included in an accounting if requested.

🎯 Free HIPAA Practice Tests

Electronic Health Records (EHR) Compliance · 36 questions Mental Health and Substance Abuse Privacy Rules · 36 questions Healthcare Provider Obligations and Covered Entities · 36 questions HITECH Act and Technology Requirements · 36 questions De-identification and Data Anonymization · 36 questions Workforce Training and Compliance Programs · 29 questions Compliance · 11 questions Medical Information · 11 questions The HIPAA Privacy Rule · 7 questions The HIPAA Privacy Rule · 7 questions

📖 HIPAA Guides & Articles

Your HIPAA Study Path

1. Learn with Flashcards → 2. Drill Practice Tests → 3. Take the Full Exam Simulation

🃏 HIPAA Flashcards (420)🏆 HIPAA Exam Simulation

What Practice Test Geeks adds beyond an AI chat for HIPAA

An AI chatbot can quiz you, but it can't reproduce the exam conditions or keep your record. Here you get:

A timed, full-length HIPAA mock exam — 75 questions in 90 minutes with a 70% pass mark, modeled on the official exam's question count and time limit, followed by a score report broken down by exam domain.
A fixed HIPAA question bank: the same test every attempt, so your score is comparable from one try to the next instead of changing with every regenerated quiz.
Progress saved on your device: completed tests, scores and missed questions stay in My Progress, so you can retake only what you got wrong.
A printable HIPAA cheat sheet you can print or save as a PDF.
HIPAA flashcards built from the same question bank.
Free HIPAA practice tests with the correct answer shown after each question.

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How this page was made: written with AI tools and published by Nathan Beja, founder of Practice Test Geeks, who is responsible for its content. Exam facts are checked against the official sources listed below. Not reviewed by a subject-matter expert. Editorial policy

Sources & references

Exam facts on this page (fees, format, dates, passing scores) are checked against these official sources; the date is our last check. Editorial policy

ahima.org — Test delivery, fees, exam format, passing score, renewal, retake policy, score validity · verified Oct 2026