RHIA
Offered by American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)
The Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) is AHIMA's credential for health information management at the baccalaureate or master's level. It covers information governance, privacy and release of information, data analytics, revenue management, and leadership of HIM operations.
EXAM AT A GLANCE
Questions
150
130 scored
Testing time
205
minutes
Sections
5
Passing score
300
Cost
$229 / $299
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What the exam covers
Information Governance
19%
Compliance with Uses and Disclosures of PHI
26%
Data Analytics and Informatics
24%
Revenue Management
16%
Management and Leadership
15%
About the RHIA certification
The exam has 150 questions (130 scored and 20 unscored pretest items). Testing time is 3 hours 25 minutes after a 5-minute confidentiality agreement, for a 3-hour-30-minute appointment. The passing score is 300. AHIMA currently accepts CAHIIM-accredited HIM programs for this exam; a health-informatics degree alone does not qualify.
Who it’s for
Students and graduates of CAHIIM-accredited baccalaureate, master's, or approved post-baccalaureate HIM programs, including students in their final term.
- Testing time
- 205 minutes of exam time, inside a 210-minute appointment
- Delivery
- Pearson VUE, after AHIMA approves your application and sends an Authorization to Test
- Cost
- Retakes use the same fee
- Validity
- 2-year recertification cycle with 30 CEUs and the recertification fee
- Prerequisites
- Completion of a CAHIIM-accredited baccalaureate or master's HIM program, a CAHIIM-approved post-baccalaureate HIM certificate, or a foreign HIM program under an AHIMA reciprocity agreement. Final-term students may test early and must submit an official transcript within one year of passing
Official exam page· Details verified November 2026
Exam details can change. Always confirm current requirements, fees, and exam policies with the certification provider before registering.
How to prepare
01
Download the current RHIA exam content outline and study by domain weight. Privacy and disclosure plus analytics are nearly half the exam.
02
Practice release-of-information and breach scenarios against the tasks in Domain 2, not a generic HIPAA summary.
03
Work coding-accuracy, CDI, and claims items as revenue-integrity problems, not as a full CCS exam.
04
If you are in your last term, submit the early-tester form with your program director and plan the transcript deadline.
05
Schedule inside the 120-day eligibility window on your Authorization to Test letter.
FAQ
Can a health informatics degree qualify me for the RHIA?
Not by itself. AHIMA currently requires a CAHIIM-accredited HIM program (baccalaureate, master's, or approved post-baccalaureate certificate) or a qualifying foreign HIM program.
How is RHIA different from RHIT?
RHIT follows an associate-level CAHIIM HIM program and uses a six-domain technician outline. RHIA follows a baccalaureate or higher HIM program and emphasizes administration, governance, and leadership.
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