CHTI Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling

Why the CHTI Doesn't Run on a Fixed Calendar

Candidates searching for "CHTI exam dates 2026" often expect a table of quarterly testing windows, the way some professional credentials publish them. The Certified Human Trafficking Investigator credential from the McAfee Institute does not appear to work that way. In the issuer's current public product descriptions, the final assessment is delivered through online proctoring. A candidate secures an exam license, then sits the assessment within that license period.

That distinction matters for planning. Instead of asking "which window should I target?", the better questions are "when does my one-year exam license begin, when will I be genuinely ready, and what proctoring slot can I secure?" This article walks through those mechanics using only what the issuer's retrieved public pages support, and it flags what you must confirm directly before committing money to a date.

How CHTI Scheduling Works: License, Proctoring, and Your Window

The exam license is the real "window"

The exam-only product includes one attempt, proctoring, and a one-year exam license. In practical terms, the license is the time boundary you work within. You are not racing a published deadline shared by every candidate; you are managing your own twelve-month clock from the point your license is issued. The course bundle likewise carries a one-year exam license alongside lifetime learning access.

One important caution: a one-year exam license and lifetime course access do not establish how long the credential itself remains valid. Those are separate concepts, covered under renewal below.

Online proctoring and what it implies for scheduling

The assessment is online-proctored. Older general license FAQ material names ProctorU, and some general language also describes automated or AI-assisted proctoring. Because the exact proctor configuration for the CHTI specifically is not authenticated in the retrieved public sources, confirm the current vendor and rules before you schedule. This affects your date choice in three ways:

• Identity and webcam checks apply. Plan for a quiet room, a working webcam, and valid identification at the moment of your sitting.
• Technical readiness is part of "being ready." A date is only a good date if your equipment, connection, and testing space are verified beforehand.
• Slot availability may vary. If the proctoring service uses scheduled slots rather than on-demand entry, booking earlier than your target gives you room to reschedule if something goes wrong.

What to Settle Before You Book

Eligibility comes first

Do not pick an exam date until your eligibility is clear. The issuer's current eligibility alternatives are:

1. A bachelor's degree or higher plus one relevant year of experience
2. An associate degree plus two relevant years
3. A high-school diploma or equivalent plus four relevant years

Qualified applicants may self-study rather than purchasing the course. However, the exam-only product is intended for people with official investigative or intelligence responsibilities, and it excludes multiple private, nonprofit, volunteer, and advocacy roles. Broader marketing language on the course page does not override that restriction. If your role is ambiguous, written approval from the issuer is the path forward, and that approval takes time. Build it into your timeline. Our full guide to CHTI requirements, eligibility, and prerequisites covers how to document your experience.

Background and conduct policy

A background and conduct policy applies to candidates. The number of references required is unverified in the retrieved sources, so ask the issuer what documentation is needed and how long processing takes before you assume you can sit the exam on a specific day.

Fees and the One-Year License Clock

The published fee structure is straightforward, and it directly shapes how you should think about timing.

No separate member versus nonmember schedule is published. The 31 hours and 31 CPE figures describe training quantity. They are not the exam duration or a question count. For a full cost comparison, see the CHTI certification cost breakdown and the analysis of whether the certification is worth it.

Why "one attempt" changes your scheduling behavior

Because the exam-only fee includes a single attempt, scheduling is a one-shot decision. Booking too early to "lock in a date" and then sitting underprepared is the costliest mistake available here. Whether a retake can be purchased and at what price is not established in the retrieved public sources, so confirm retake policy with the issuer before you rely on a second chance.

What the Sitting Looks Like on Exam Day

Knowing the format helps you choose a start time and a day of the week that protects your focus.

• Duration: three hours, single sitting. You cannot split the exam across two days.
• Book access: closed-book.
• Passing threshold: 70% on the final assessment. Course-path review quizzes also require 70%.
• Question count: not confirmed for the CHTI specifically. General license policy references approximately 200 questions and mixed formats (multiple-choice, true/false, scenarios), but those are not authenticated CHTI-specific specifications. The scored versus unscored split is unknown.
• Pass rate: not publicly disclosed. The 70% figure is a threshold, not an observed pass rate.

Three uninterrupted hours is the practical constraint. Schedule a block when you will not be on call, mid-shift, or likely to be pulled into an active case. Investigators in particular should protect this window from operational demands. For more on how the threshold works, read our guide to the CHTI passing score, and for a realistic sense of difficulty, see how hard the CHTI exam is.

Choosing a Date by Domain Readiness

Official domain weights and the largest-weighted area are unverified, so you cannot prioritize by percentage. The sensible approach is to treat all eleven preparation categories as potentially testable and choose your date when you can answer scenario-style questions across every one. These categories editorially separate subjects named in the current issuer curriculum narrative. They are unweighted and are not an official exam blueprint. See the complete guide to all 11 content areas for deeper detail.

Building Backward From Your Target Date

This is the one place where a study schedule belongs, and it is tied to CHTI content rather than generic advice. Sequence the domains so that foundational concepts come before the applied, scenario-heavy material, then end with integration. The example below assumes a six-week runway inside your license year; stretch or compress it to match your experience. The CHTI study guide expands on resources.

Use timed practice at the end to test stamina across a three-hour sitting. You can build that habit with the questions on our CHTI practice test site, and a quick final refresher is available in the CHTI cheat sheet. Remember that practice-question allocation across topics is editorial, not a reflection of the real exam's distribution.

After the Exam: Renewal Planning

Your exam date also starts your renewal clock indirectly, so it is worth understanding now. The certification follows a two-year renewal cycle. A general fee of US$125 is referenced, and a Department of Defense directory entry reports 25 CPE per cycle. Because current issuer-specific CPE and fee policy should be confirmed, do not budget around those figures without checking. The course's 31 CPE are training credit, not renewal requirements.

Thinking ahead also helps career planning. If you are testing in order to move into a role, review CHTI-related jobs, and the CHTI salary guide for how earnings are discussed, keeping in mind that no specific salary figure is verified here.

Frequently Asked Questions