CHTI Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass

The 70% Threshold and What It Means

The single most useful number for a Certified Human Trafficking Investigator candidate is the one McAfee Institute actually publishes: 70%. That is the current published passing threshold for the final examination. Course-path review quizzes also carry a 70% requirement, so if you take the training route, you will meet that same bar repeatedly before you ever reach the proctored assessment.

A 70% threshold is a clear target, but it is easy to misread. It tells you the proportion of the exam you must answer correctly. It does not tell you how many questions are on the exam, how many of them count toward your score, or whether some subject areas are weighted more heavily than others. Those details matter for how you prepare, and as we will see, most of them are not publicly confirmed for this credential.

What Is Published and What Isn't

Because this site exists to help you prepare, it is worth being blunt about the limits of the public record. The exact current program and exam pages on the McAfee Institute website were reviewed on September 29, 2026. Direct public requests returned access errors, so everything below comes from the page text that was actually retrievable, not from hidden page data or private exam materials.

You may see references online to roughly 200 questions, or to a particular proctoring vendor. Those come from McAfee Institute's general license policy and FAQ material, which covers its credentials broadly. They are not authenticated as CHTI-specific specifications, so treat them as context at most. When you register, check the current candidate instructions for the credential-specific details. For a full walkthrough of what makes the exam demanding, see our guide on how hard the CHTI exam is.

Passing Score vs. Pass Rate

These two terms get conflated constantly, and conflating them is how rumors start. The passing score is a rule: you need 70% to pass. The pass rate is an outcome: the share of candidates who actually do. McAfee Institute does not publicly disclose a CHTI pass rate, so any specific percentage you encounter is unsourced.

What can you responsibly say? The 70% threshold is published and the pass rate is not. If a forum post claims a precise pass percentage, ask where it came from. Our dedicated breakdown of the CHTI pass rate and what the data shows covers what can and cannot be concluded from available information.

Format, Timing, and Proctoring

The CHTI final assessment is an online-proctored evaluation of program competencies and applied knowledge. You get three hours, you sit it in a single session, and it is closed-book. There is no pausing to look something up and no splitting it across days.

On proctoring, the public picture is mixed. McAfee Institute's general license FAQ names ProctorU, and other material describes automated or AI-based proctoring. Because the specific vendor configuration for CHTI is not confirmed, check your current candidate instructions before exam day. Identity and webcam checks apply, so plan on a quiet room, a working camera, and valid identification.

The general policy describes mixed item types, including multiple-choice, true/false, and scenario questions. That description is not confirmed as the exact CHTI mix, but the nature of the subject matter makes scenario-style thinking a sensible thing to practice. Questions about an investigative situation, a victim's circumstances, or a reporting decision reward applied reasoning, not just memorized definitions.

Pacing Without a Known Question Count

Since the credential-specific question count is unverified, you cannot calculate a per-question time budget in advance. Instead, build a habit: do a fast first pass answering what you know, mark anything that requires extended reasoning, and use remaining time for the marked items. Three hours is generous for a knowledge-and-judgment exam, but scenario items take longer to read than definitional ones.

Eligibility Comes Before Any Score

A passing score is irrelevant if you cannot sit the exam. Eligibility is built around education plus relevant experience, with three published alternatives:

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

There is an important wrinkle for the exam-only product. It is restricted to people with official investigative or intelligence responsibilities, and it excludes several private-sector, nonprofit, volunteer, and advocacy roles. Broader marketing language on the course page does not override that narrower restriction. If your role is ambiguous, for example a private or nonprofit position with investigative duties, you need written approval from the issuer before relying on the exam-only route. A background and conduct policy also applies. Our CHTI requirements guide goes deeper on qualifying and documenting your experience.

Fees, the Single Attempt, and the Exam License

The exam-only product is US$450. That price includes one attempt, proctoring, and a one-year exam license. It does not include access to the course or study guide. The alternative is the training bundle at US$1,497, which advertises 31 hours of instruction and 31 CPE credits, lifetime learning access, and a one-year exam license.

Two points deserve emphasis. First, one attempt means your preparation window matters. Treat the first sitting as the real one rather than as a practice run. Second, do not confuse the quantities attached to the training product with exam specifications. The 31 hours and 31 CPE credits describe the course; they are not a question count or the exam's length. The exam is three hours. Similarly, a one-year exam license and lifetime course access say nothing about how long the credential itself lasts. For the full financial picture, see the CHTI certification cost breakdown.

No member versus non-member price schedule is published for this credential, so avoid assuming a discount structure that may not exist.

Where to Earn Your 70%: The 11 Preparation Categories

Here is where preparation gets concrete. The eleven categories below reflect subjects explicitly named in the current issuer curriculum narrative. They are editorially separated, unweighted preparation categories. They are not an official exam blueprint, and they are not the thirteen advertised module titles, which the public text does not list. Because official weights are unverified, spread your effort across all eleven rather than betting on a guess about which counts most. Our complete guide to the CHTI content areas expands on each one.

Notice how these categories interlock. A single scenario might ask you to read indicators (Domain 3), consider victim dynamics (Domain 2), choose an investigative step (Domain 4), and note the reporting implications (Domain 11). Studying each in isolation will not fully prepare you for that kind of blended question. The CHTI study guide shows how to connect them.

A Domain-Sequenced Study Plan

Because official weights are unknown, the sensible approach is to cover all eleven categories and then spend your remaining time on your weakest ones. The timeline below sequences them in a logical order: foundations first, methods next, legal and coordination material after, and reporting last. Adjust the pacing to your own schedule and prior experience.

Why this order? The first week builds the language and judgment everything else depends on. Methods make more sense once you know what you are looking for. Law and coordination make more sense once you understand the investigative and victim context. Reporting comes last because it synthesizes everything. When you are ready to test yourself, use the CHTI practice tests to find which categories need more attention.

After You Pass: Renewal and Hiring Context

Passing the exam is the beginning of maintaining the credential, not the end. The certification renews on a two-year cycle. General license materials list a US$125 renewal fee, and a Department of Defense directory entry reports 25 CPE credits per cycle. Because those figures come from general or third-party listings, confirm the current issuer-specific CPE requirements and fee before you plan around them.

On the career side, the credential speaks to people in official investigative and intelligence responsibilities, which aligns with the exam-only eligibility restriction. If you are weighing the credential as a career move, our CHTI jobs overview and salary guide cover the market, and our ROI analysis helps you decide whether the investment makes sense for your situation. If you are still orienting yourself, start with what CHTI certification is.

For exam logistics such as scheduling, see our guide to CHTI exam dates and scheduling. And when you are ready to measure your readiness against the 70% bar, head to the main practice test site.

Frequently Asked Questions