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1.2 Exam Format, Scoring, & Logistics

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CBIC Associate Infection Prevention and Control a-IPC

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1 Chapter 1: Introduction & Exam Overview

1.1 About the CBIC a-IPC Certification 1.2 Exam Format, Scoring, & Logistics 1.3 Effective Study Strategies & Preparation Plan

2 Chapter 2: Processes to Identify Infectious Diseases

2.1 Chain of Infection & Pathogen Characteristics 2.2 Diagnostic & Laboratory Testing in IPC 2.3 Identifying Healthcare-Associated Infection Syndromes 2.4 Specimen Collection, Handling, Storage, & Transport 2.5 Colonization, Infection, Contamination, & Pseudo-Infection 2.6 Prophylactic, Empiric, & Therapeutic Antimicrobial Use 2.7 Host Risk Factors & Emerging Infectious Disease Threats

3 Chapter 3: Surveillance and Epidemiologic Investigation

3.1 Surveillance Methods & Program Design 3.2 Epidemiological Calculations & Rate Metrics 3.3 Outbreak Investigation Protocols & Epidemic Curves 3.4 NHSN Definitions & Standardized Infection Ratios (SIR) 3.5 Descriptive Statistics & Presenting Surveillance Data 3.6 Surveillance Across the Care Continuum 3.7 Notifiable Disease Reporting, Data Sources, & Registries 3.8 Data Validation & Surveillance Program Evaluation 3.9 Outbreak Control Measures, Environmental Sampling, & Reporting

4 Chapter 4: Preventing and Controlling Transmission

4.1 Standard Precautions & Hand Hygiene Guidelines 4.2 Transmission-Based Precautions & Isolation Protocols 4.3 PPE Selection, Donning, Doffing, & Safety 4.4 Safe Injection Practices & Medication Preparation 4.5 Patient-Care Equipment & Point-of-Care Device Handling 4.6 Emergency Preparedness & the Infection Preventionist's Disaster Role 4.7 Bioterrorism, Special Pathogens, & Community Response Planning

5 Chapter 5: Environment of Care

5.1 Environmental Cleaning & Surface Disinfection 5.2 Water Utilities, Air Handling, & Building Systems 5.3 Construction, Renovation, & Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA) 5.4 Laundry, Linen, Waste Management, & Food Safety 5.5 Product Recalls, Supply Chain Monitoring, & Device Incident Reporting

6 Chapter 6: Cleaning, Disinfection, and Sterilization of Medical Devices

6.1 Spaulding Classification System 6.2 Reprocessing Steps & High-Level Disinfection (HLD) 6.3 Sterilization Methods, Monitoring, & Quality Assurance 6.4 Single-Use Devices, Outsourced Reprocessing, & IFU Review 6.5 Reprocessing Failure Investigation & Patient Notification

7 Chapter 7: Employee and Occupational Health

7.1 Occupational Exposures & Post-Exposure Prophylaxis 7.2 Healthcare Personnel Immunizations & Screening 7.3 Work Restrictions & Fit-for-Duty Evaluations 7.4 Sharps Injury Prevention, Product Sensitivities, & Alternatives

8 Chapter 8: Management, Communication, and Antimicrobial Stewardship

8.1 IPC Program Governance, Policies, & Accreditation 8.2 Interdisciplinary Collaboration & Crisis Communication 8.3 Antimicrobial Stewardship Principles & Interventions 8.4 Chain of Command, Resource Advocacy, & the Business Case

9 Chapter 9: Education, Research, and Performance Improvement

9.1 Adult Learning Principles & Staff Education 9.2 Quality Improvement Models & Implementation Science 9.3 Critical Appraisal of Infection Prevention Literature

1.2 Exam Format, Scoring, & Logistics

Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI

The a-IPC is 100 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours; 85 items are scored and 15 are unscored pretest items, giving a pace of about 72 seconds per question.

Since January 2, 2025 CBIC exams use forward-only navigation: no skipping, no flagging, and no returning to a previous question once an answer is confirmed.

Scoring is criterion-referenced using the modified Angoff method, converted to a 300-900 scale with a cut score of 700; passing candidates receive a Pass message with no numeric score, while failing candidates receive a score between 300 and 699.

The a-IPC application fee is $335 USD and eligibility lasts 90 days from CBIC's confirmation email.

The examination has been built on the 2025 practice analysis content outline for all administrations on and after May 22, 2026.

Last updated: August 2026

1.2 Exam Format, Scoring, & Logistics

Quick Answer: The a-IPC is 100 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours — 85 scored items plus 15 unscored pretest items. The fee is $335 USD . Delivery is via Prometric test centers or ProProctor live remote proctoring. Navigation is forward-only : you cannot skip, flag, or return to a question. Scoring is criterion-referenced ( modified Angoff ) on a 300–900 scale with a 700 cut score .

Exam Architecture

Every candidate receives exactly 100 four-option multiple-choice questions with a single best answer.

85 scored items determine pass/fail.

15 unscored pretest items are seeded throughout to gather statistical performance data for future forms. They are indistinguishable from scored items, so treat every question as if it counts.

The 2.5-hour appointment vs. the 2-hour exam

This is the most common logistics mix-up. CBIC schedules a-IPC appointments in a 2.5-hour window , but the examination itself is 2 hours . The extra 30 minutes is 15 minutes on each end for the tutorial and the post-exam survey. Plan your pacing against 120 minutes , not 150. 120 minutes 100 questions = 1.2 minutes ≈ 72 seconds per question \frac{120\ \text{minutes}}{100\ \text{questions}} = 1.2\ \text{minutes} \approx \mathbf{72\ \text{seconds per question}} 100 questions 120 minutes ​ = 1.2 minutes ≈ 72 seconds per question

A workable checkpoint discipline: be at question 25 by the 30-minute mark, question 50 by 60 minutes, and question 75 by 90 minutes.

Domain Content Breakdown (2025 Practice Analysis)

CBIC conducts a practice analysis every four to five years. The current a-IPC blueprint reflects the 2025 practice analysis and governs every exam administered on and after May 22, 2026 ; the previous 2020 outline expired May 11, 2026, with a testing blackout from May 12–21, 2026. Any prep resource still describing a six-domain a-IPC blueprint is describing an exam that no longer exists.

  • # Content Domain Scored Items Share of Exam
  • 1 Processes to Identify Infectious Diseases 14 16.5%
  • 2 Surveillance and Epidemiologic Investigation 17 20.0%
  • 3 Preventing/Controlling the Transmission of Infectious Agents 14 16.5%
  • 4 Employee/Occupational Health 7 8.2%
  • 5 Management and Communication of the Infection Prevention Program 7 8.2%
  • 6 Education and Research 6 7.1%
  • 7 Environment of Care 10 11.8%
  • 8 Cleaning, Disinfection, Sterilization of Medical Devices and Equipment 10 11.8%
  • Total 85 100%

The three largest domains — Surveillance, Identification, and Transmission Prevention — together carry 45 of 85 scored items (53%) . Note also the verb shift in the 2025 outline: tasks are written as participate, assist, recognize, monitor, collaborate rather than the 2020 outline's develop, lead, design . Expect items that ask what an associate-level practitioner contributes to a process, not what they unilaterally decide.

Forward-Only Navigation (Effective January 2, 2025)

CBIC changed the delivery model for the CIC, a-IPC, and LTC-CIP examinations. Candidates now progress linearly :

You must answer every item in the order presented . Skipping is not possible.

Once you confirm an answer and advance, you cannot go back to review or change it.

The flag-for-review function and the review navigation panel have been removed .

The text highlight and strikeout tools remain available and are now your primary in-item working aids.

Exam Tip: Forward-only delivery changes strategy fundamentally. There is no "come back to it later" pass. Commit to an answer within roughly 72 seconds using strikeout to eliminate distractors, then move on — dwelling on one hard item steals time you cannot recover elsewhere.

  • Delivery Options
  • Prometric test center

Government-issued photo ID, biometric check-in (palm or fingerprint scan), visual inspection, and secured storage of belongings. Prometric supplies erasable note boards or scratch material, which must be surrendered on exit.

ProProctor remote proctoring

Taken from home or a private office at no additional cost. Requirements include a compliant computer with webcam and microphone, reliable internet, and a single monitor . The proctor performs a 360-degree room scan; the workspace must be clear of papers, books, and secondary devices. Physical scratch paper is prohibited — you use the built-in digital whiteboard.

  • Scoring and Score Reporting
  • Modified Angoff standard setting

CBIC does not use a fixed percentage cutoff. A panel of subject-matter experts estimates, item by item, the probability that a minimally competent candidate answers correctly; the sum establishes the raw cut score for that form. Forms are then statistically equated so a slightly harder form does not disadvantage the candidate.

Scaled scores

Raw scores convert to a 300–900 scale with a fixed passing standard of 700 . A scaled score is not a percentage and cannot be converted back to one, and CBIC does not disclose how many items you answered correctly.

  • Outcome What you receive
  • Pass A Pass message with no numeric scaled score

Fail A numeric scaled score between 300 and 699 , plus section-level diagnostic feedback rating each content area Proficient , Marginal , or Deficient to direct further study

Result timing

For standard administrations — everything from the August 28, 2026 reopening onward — a pass/fail notification appears on screen as soon as you finish the examination, and Prometric emails the score report within about an hour . If that email does not arrive, retrieve the report from Prometric's score report portal using your 16-digit exam confirmation number .

The single exception was the May 22 – July 2, 2026 beta administration of the updated outline. A beta form has no established cut score until its item statistics are analyzed, so CBIC held those results and released them roughly 60 days after that testing window closed . Guidance describing a 60-day wait applies only to the beta window; it is not the normal rule, and you should expect an immediate verdict.

Fees, Eligibility Window, and Appointment Changes

  • Item Rule
  • Application/examination fee $335 USD
  • Eligibility window 90 days from CBIC's confirmation email; the exam must be scheduled and taken inside it
  • Reschedule 30+ days out No charge
  • Reschedule 5–29 days out $30 Prometric fee
  • Within 5 days / no-show No reschedule or cancellation permitted; examination fee is forfeited

Cancellation refund Exam fee minus a processing fee of 25% of the exam fee ; requests outside the 90-day window are not refunded

Eligibility extension Request form plus a $75 non-refundable fee; not considered if submitted less than 7 calendar days before the exam date or eligibility end date

If the 90-day window lapses, eligibility is gone: you must reapply as a first-time applicant with a new application and fee. CBIC limits retakes of the a-IPC to no more than twice in any 12-month period and no more than once every six months (CBIC Candidate Handbook, revised June 2025), and every attempt needs a new application and the full fee, so a candidate who does not pass should plan the next attempt around that window rather than relying on third-party summaries.