Which AHIMA exams can you take online from home?
Three: the CHDA (Certified Health Data Analyst), CHPS (Certified in Healthcare Privacy and Security), and CDIP (Certified Documentation Integrity Practitioner). Pearson VUE's AHIMA program page states these three are available in person at a Pearson test center or online with OnVUE in the comfort of your home for candidates located in the United States. The RHIA, RHIT, CCA, CCS, and CCS-P exams are available in person at a Pearson test center only.
The Full AHIMA Delivery Map
AHIMA's certification family covers health information management, coding, data analytics, privacy and security, and documentation integrity. The delivery route is set per credential, not per candidate preference - you cannot choose OnVUE for a credential that does not offer it, and you do not need a test-center booking for one that does. The table below maps all eight credentials against the two published routes.
Notice the split: the three specialty credentials - analytics, privacy and security, and documentation integrity - carry the online option, while the two flagship degree-linked credentials (RHIA, RHIT) and the three coding credentials (CCA, CCS, CCS-P) remain test-center-only.
| Exam | Credential | Online from home (OnVUE) | Pearson test center |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHDA | Certified Health Data Analyst | Yes - US-located candidates | Yes |
| CHPS | Certified in Healthcare Privacy and Security | Yes - US-located candidates | Yes |
| CDIP | Certified Documentation Integrity Practitioner | Yes - US-located candidates | Yes |
| RHIA | Registered Health Information Administrator | No | Yes |
| RHIT | Registered Health Information Technician | No | Yes |
| CCA | Certified Coding Associate | No | Yes |
| CCS | Certified Coding Specialist | No | Yes |
| CCS-P | Certified Coding Specialist - Physician-based | No | Yes |
Scroll horizontally to view all columns.
Why Does the Online Option Say 'United States Only'?
Pearson VUE's program page ties the OnVUE option to your location, not your citizenship: the at-home route exists for candidates located in the United States, and due to in-country regulations the online proctoring option is not offered to test takers located in Japan, China, South Korea, Slovenia, and OFAC countries (Iran, Cuba, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria).
In practice that means a US-based candidate can book any of CHDA, CHPS, or CDIP to sit at home, while a candidate located in one of the excluded countries uses a Pearson test center - even for the three online-eligible exams. Each of the three exam pages carries the same banner confirming the choice: online proctored exam now available, at a Pearson VUE authorized test center or online with OnVUE in the comfort of your home, for candidates located in the United States.
What Does the At-Home Route Require?
The at-home sitting runs on Pearson's published OnVUE minimums for AHIMA: a computer running Windows 10 or macOS 14 or higher, a working webcam, microphone, and speaker with no headphones or headsets, one display screen only, a stable internet connection of at least 6 Mbps down and 2 Mbps up, and the ability to close every application except OnVUE. Virtual machines, VPNs, corporate or public networks, secondary or touchscreen displays, phones, tablets, watches, and smart or AI devices are all prohibited.
Check-in opens 30 minutes before the appointment and includes technology checks, photos of yourself and your government-issued ID, and a 360-degree room scan of a private, distraction-free space. The exam session is recorded. A digital whiteboard is provided inside the exam - physical notes, paper, and writing materials are prohibited at the desk. Pearson warns that failing the minimums on exam day can mean immediate cancellation and forfeiture of the exam fee, so run the system test on the same device and network you will use.
How Do You Book an Online AHIMA Exam?
The booking flow is identical for home and center sittings. You apply through a MyAHIMA account with your transcripts and fees, AHIMA reviews eligibility, and you receive an Authorization to Test letter by email - Pearson VUE requires that letter, with its eligibility number, before scheduling. You then schedule with Pearson VUE within 120 days of eligibility.
The deadline with teeth: Pearson VUE's program page states that candidates who do not schedule and sit the exam before the four-month eligibility end date forfeit the exam fee. Rescheduling is free up to 15 business days before the appointment, carries a fee inside that window, and is not permitted inside 24 hours. For the three online-eligible exams, the scheduling flow simply shows the OnVUE option alongside test centers once your ATT is active - pick the route that fits your location and setup.
What About the Five Test-Center-Only Exams?
If your target is RHIA, RHIT, CCA, CCS, or CCS-P, plan around a Pearson test center from the start. AHIMA's pages for the RHIA and RHIT state the exams are given in a computer-based format and must be scheduled at a Pearson VUE testing center, and Pearson VUE's program page lists all five as in-person only. The same application machinery applies - MyAHIMA account, transcripts, fees, Authorization to Test - with seat availability checked on Pearson VUE's scheduler.
Two practical notes for the center route. First, the exams run on the same scaled 300-to-pass scoring system, and the retake rules are per credential - 30 days for RHIA and RHIT, and the published wait for the coding credentials. Second, the test-center sitting is not a fallback to treat lightly: it is the only published route for five of the eight credentials, so your preparation, ID, and timing all converge on one appointment at one center.
How Should You Choose Between Home and Center?
For the three online-eligible exams, the choice is practical. Pick OnVUE at home if you are located in the United States, have a compliant Windows or macOS machine on a private network, and want the sitting in a familiar room. Pick a Pearson test center if you are outside the United States, in an excluded country, on a corporate or restricted network, or simply do not want to run the technical checklist yourself.
Either way, the exam, the fee, and the credential are identical - AHIMA publishes one fee and one passing score per credential, and the delivery route changes none of it. The route only changes where you sit and what you must clear to start.
The Bottom Line
CHDA, CHPS, and CDIP are the three AHIMA exams you can take online from home with OnVUE - if you are located in the United States. Everything else in the AHIMA family runs at a Pearson test center. Check your credential against the official delivery map before you plan anything else, because the route shapes your booking, your setup, and your deadline.
If you want one of the three online-eligible sittings handled end to end, Exam Assist handles the exam sitting end to end, and the service fee is due only after the agreed result posts. Start with the take my CHDA exam, take my CHPS exam, or take my CDIP exam pages.