- The exam has 100 scored multiple-choice questions plus up to 10 unscored field-test items, with a published cutoff of 79.
- Fees to memorize: $495 initial application, $150 retest, and $375 when a sample-plan review applies.
- Eligibility requires 120 approved training hours, including 16 on methodology, orientation and standards, plus a peer-reviewed sample life care plan.
- Domain weights are not publicly disclosed, so no single area can be called the heaviest. Beware sources claiming otherwise.
The One-Page Snapshot
A Certified Life Care Planner designs comprehensive, evidence-based projections of the future care needs and associated costs for people with catastrophic injuries or chronic conditions. The credential is administered by the International Commission on Health Care Certification (ICHCC). This cheat sheet condenses the figures and structure you need to recognize at a glance. It is a reference, not a substitute for study. For a full preparation path, see the CLCP study guide.
One caution up front: some details in circulation conflict or could not be verified against current official sources. Where that is true, this sheet says so plainly rather than guessing. Confirm anything time-sensitive with ICHCC before you pay or schedule.
| Item | Documented fact |
|---|---|
| Certifying body | ICHCC |
| Scored questions | 100 multiple-choice |
| Unscored field-test items | Up to 10 |
| Published cutoff | 79 |
| Online time allowance | 3 hours 20 minutes (a conflicting 3-hour group instruction also appears) |
| Current pass rate | Not publicly disclosed |
| Recertification cycle | Every five years |
Fees and Money Mechanics
The fee structure that could be documented is short. Memorize these three numbers and treat anything else as unconfirmed until ICHCC says otherwise.
- Initial application: $495.
- Retest: $150.
- Sample-plan review: $375, when applicable to your pathway.
Practical note on retakes: the $150 retest fee is far lower than the initial $495, which changes the economics of a first attempt. It does not change the value of passing the first time, since a retest still costs time and momentum. The CLCP pass rate article explains why no verified percentage should be quoted.
Eligibility Checklist
Eligibility is multi-part. Use this as a checklist and confirm each element against the current ICHCC handbook before applying.
- Qualifying healthcare education or credentials. Your background must fit the accepted categories.
- Three years of relevant experience within the prior five years. The recency window matters as much as the total.
- 120 approved training hours. Of these, 16 must cover methodology, orientation and standards.
- A peer-reviewed sample life care plan. This is a work product, not an exam question, and it takes real lead time.
For a fuller walk-through of qualification pathways, read the CLCP requirements guide. If you are still deciding on coursework, the CLCP training overview covers how approved hours fit in.
Exam Format and Scoring Facts
Question count and item types
Plan for 100 scored multiple-choice questions. Up to 10 additional unscored field-test items may appear mixed in, and you cannot tell which is which, so answer every question with full effort. The field-test items do not count toward your result.
Timing
The documented online allowance is 3 hours 20 minutes. A conflicting source gives a 3-hour group instruction. Treat 3 hours as the conservative planning number when practicing, and confirm the real allowance for your booking.
The cutoff
The published cutoff is 79. The documentation reviewed does not say whether that figure is a raw count of correct answers or a scaled score, and ICHCC has not published a pass rate. Do not assume a conversion. Details are in the CLCP passing score guide.
Delivery and rules
The working handbook identifies Prov/ProExam as the delivery vendor, but current 2026 booking instructions could not be verified. Likewise unconfirmed: whether the exam is open-book, whether a calculator is allowed, and the current remote-room requirements. Never assume any of these. Read the candidate instructions before exam day, and see the CLCP exam dates and scheduling article for what is known about windows and deadlines.
Key Takeaway
Prepare as if the exam is closed-book with no calculator, then adjust if official instructions say otherwise. Over-preparing costs you little; under-preparing for a rule you assumed away costs a $150 retest.
The 17 Listed Content Areas
The 17 areas below come from the older official working handbook and represent 16 knowledge factors plus agency knowledge. No weights have been published, so the order below carries no weighting meaning. The 2026 handbook could not be accessed, so confirm the current outline before building a study plan. A deeper treatment is in the CLCP exam domains guide.
| # | Content area | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | International Commission on Health Care Certification Agency | Not publicly disclosed |
| 2 | Care Plan Development | Not publicly disclosed |
| 3 | Needs Assessment | Not publicly disclosed |
| 4 | Vocational Consideration | Not publicly disclosed |
| 5 | Litigation Support | Not publicly disclosed |
| 6 | Knowledge Applications | Not publicly disclosed |
| 7 | Marketing | Not publicly disclosed |
| 8 | Information Sharing | Not publicly disclosed |
| 9 | Data Collection | Not publicly disclosed |
| 10 | Report Preparation | Not publicly disclosed |
| 11 | Records Request | Not publicly disclosed |
| 12 | Professional Development | Not publicly disclosed |
| 13 | Report Writing | Not publicly disclosed |
| 14 | Financial Resources | Not publicly disclosed |
| 15 | File Development | Not publicly disclosed |
| 16 | Collaboration | Not publicly disclosed |
| 17 | Records Review | Not publicly disclosed |
How the areas cluster in practice
Since weights are unknown, the most useful move is to understand how the areas relate to the actual work of a life care planner. Grouping them by workflow stage helps recall.
Intake and Evidence Gathering
Areas that cover how a case starts and what material you collect.
- Records Request: knowing what to ask for and from whom.
- Records Review: reading medical and related documentation critically.
- File Development: organizing the case file so conclusions are traceable.
- Data Collection: gathering information beyond the records themselves.
Analysis and Plan Construction
The core of the discipline: turning evidence into a defensible plan.
- Needs Assessment: identifying what future care the individual requires.
- Care Plan Development: structuring those needs into a coherent plan.
- Vocational Consideration: how work capacity and employment factors interact with the plan.
- Financial Resources: how costs and funding are examined and documented.
- Knowledge Applications: applying clinical and methodological knowledge to the case.
Communication and Output
How findings are documented and shared.
- Report Preparation and Report Writing: two separate listed areas, so expect the exam to separate planning a report from drafting one.
- Information Sharing: disclosure, confidentiality and who receives what.
- Collaboration: working with other professionals on the case.
Professional Context
The setting and standards around the work.
- Litigation Support: the legal setting in which many plans are used.
- International Commission on Health Care Certification Agency: the agency knowledge area, covering the certifying body and its standards.
- Professional Development and Marketing: practice-management topics that candidates often underestimate.
What Is Still Unverified
An honest cheat sheet separates what is known from what is not. These items should not appear on any flashcard as facts.
- Domain weights. None are published. Any source naming a "largest" or "most heavily tested" area is not working from official data.
- Question counts per area. Likewise unpublished.
- Pass rate. Not publicly disclosed.
- Current outline. The 2026 handbook was inaccessible, so the 17 areas reflect the older working handbook.
- Open-book status, calculator policy, remote-room rules. Unverified.
- Proctor-fee inclusion and any member discount. Unconfirmed.
Renewal Cheat Block
Certification is not permanent. Recertification runs on a five-year cycle and requires 80 education credits or hours, including 8 in ethics. Ethics is a mandatory component, not something you can offset with extra hours elsewhere.
| Renewal route | Listed price |
|---|---|
| Preapproved education | $400 |
| Non-preapproved education | $450 |
| Renewal by exam | $895 |
The renewal prices come from a shop listing rather than a full official fee schedule, so verify them before budgeting. The practical takeaway: preapproved education is the cheapest route, and choosing coursework that is already preapproved saves $50 compared with the non-preapproved option. Start logging ethics hours early so you are not scrambling in year five.
Where Certified Life Care Planners Work
Life care planning sits at the intersection of healthcare, rehabilitation and law. Common settings include independent consulting practices, rehabilitation and case-management firms, and practices that support attorneys on both sides of injury and disability matters. Because Litigation Support, Report Writing and Information Sharing are all listed content areas, expect the credential to carry weight where plans are scrutinized by opposing experts and courts.
No verified salary figure is cited here, since none was documented. For qualitative context on earnings and demand, see the CLCP salary guide and the CLCP jobs overview, and weigh costs against benefits in Is the CLCP certification worth it?
Sequencing Your Review
Generic study advice is plentiful, so this section covers only the CLCP-specific question: in what order should the 17 areas be reviewed? Because weights are unknown, sequence by dependency rather than by assumed importance.
Foundation and Evidence
- Agency knowledge and standards, since later areas depend on them.
- Records Request, Records Review, File Development, Data Collection.
Plan Construction
- Needs Assessment, then Care Plan Development, then Financial Resources.
- Vocational Consideration and Knowledge Applications.
Output and Context
- Report Preparation versus Report Writing: practice distinguishing them.
- Information Sharing, Collaboration, Litigation Support.
Practice-Management and Full Review
- Marketing and Professional Development, then timed mixed sets.
- Rehearse against a 3-hour clock to stay safe on timing.
Why this order: you cannot assess needs without understanding the records, and you cannot write a defensible report without a plan to report on. Place the practice-management areas late, but do not skip them. With no published weights, a skipped area is a gamble. For deeper technique, the CLCP difficulty guide discusses where candidates tend to struggle, and the practice question bank lets you drill by area.
Key Takeaway
Spend extra time distinguishing near-duplicate areas: Report Preparation versus Report Writing, and Records Request versus Records Review. Expect questions that test whether you know which step comes when.
Frequently Asked Questions
The documented format is 100 scored multiple-choice questions plus up to 10 unscored field-test items. You cannot identify the unscored items, so treat every question as counting.
The published cutoff is 79. Whether that is a raw or scaled figure is not specified in the documentation reviewed, and no pass rate is publicly disclosed. See the CLCP passing score guide for more.
No weights have been published, so no area can be identified as the largest. The 17 listed areas are presented without percentages, and any source claiming a specific breakdown is not drawing on official data.
The documented fees are $495 for the initial application, $150 for a retest, and $375 for a sample-plan review when applicable. No member discount was found, and full proctor-fee inclusion is unconfirmed.
Certification renews every five years with 80 education credits or hours, including 8 in ethics. Listed renewal prices are $400 preapproved, $450 non-preapproved, or $895 to renew by exam; verify these with ICHCC before budgeting.