MHP Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling

Understanding the Part II MHP Testing Calendar

Unlike large computer-based testing networks that publish rolling monthly windows at hundreds of test centers, the American Board of Medical Physics (ABMP) runs the Part II Medical Health Physics examination on site through ExamSoft, on a designated computer at a designated venue. That single fact changes how you need to think about "exam dates" for 2026. There is no walk-in scheduling system where you pick any Tuesday that works for your calendar. Instead, ABMP coordinates a specific administration, and candidates must be fully eligible, endorsed, and paid before that date arrives.

This article walks through how the application timeline, fee deadlines, and eligibility documentation interact to determine when you can actually sit for the exam. If you haven't yet reviewed what the test covers in depth, pair this with the MHP Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 9 Content Areas guide before you lock in a target date.

Application Windows and Deadlines

Scheduling for Part II starts long before exam day. Because the credential requires degree verification, supervised clinical experience documentation, and two professional endorsements, candidates who wait until a few weeks before their target date almost always run out of runway. The realistic sequence looks like this:

1. Confirm eligibility documentation. Gather transcripts, clinical experience logs, and confirm you meet the degree- and residency-dependent experience requirement before requesting endorsements.
2. Secure endorsements. You need sign-off from a board-certified physicist and a board-certified physician. These take time to schedule, especially if your endorsers are busy clinicians.
3. Submit the MHP Training and Education Form. This form is a required piece of the application package and should not be treated as an afterthought.
4. Pay the examination fee. Payment finalizes your registration for the administration cycle you're targeting.
5. Confirm venue and ExamSoft compatibility. Since you bring your own computer, you need to verify it meets ABMP's technical specifications ahead of time, not the morning of the exam.

Because ABMP updates its application downloads and information booklet periodically - the current booklet was revised in May 2025 - always cross-check the live application page for the current cycle's specific submission deadlines rather than relying on secondhand summaries. If any of the eligibility mechanics here are unfamiliar, the MHP Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify article breaks down the degree, experience, and endorsement rules in more detail.

2026 Fee Structure and Payment Deadlines

For 2026, the Part II examination fee is $690 if paid by check or $715 if paid through PayPal. That $25 difference is worth noting when you're budgeting, since it can affect whether you pay by mail well ahead of a deadline or process payment electronically closer to a cutoff. Either way, payment is one of the final steps that confirms your seat for a given administration - an incomplete or unpaid application will not hold a spot.

If you're weighing the full financial picture - including study materials, endorsement logistics, and recertification costs down the road - the MHP Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown article lays out the complete cost structure beyond just the exam fee itself.

Eligibility Steps That Affect Your Test Date

Your test date is only as reliable as your eligibility file. ABMP requires a relevant graduate degree, supervised clinical experience that scales with your degree and residency background, and two independent endorsements - one from a board-certified physicist, one from a board-certified physician. All of this feeds into the MHP Training and Education Form, which functions as the documentation backbone of your application.

Most candidates follow the standard sequence: Part I credit (or an approved waiver), then Part II, then Part III. If you're already a Certified Health Physicist, a separate direct-to-oral pathway may apply, which changes how Part II fits into your overall timeline. Understanding where you sit in that sequence before you request a testing date prevents wasted cycles.

Exam Day Format and ExamSoft Logistics

On exam day, Part II runs four hours and is delivered through ExamSoft on your own compatible computer at the designated venue. The written exam mixes several question formats: single-answer multiple choice, matching, choose-all-that-apply, and shared-stem "Type S" questions that present a clinical or technical scenario followed by several related items. This variety means memorization alone won't carry you - you need to reason through scenario-based prompts the way you would on the job.

Permitted materials are limited to nonprogrammable scientific calculators, with scratch paper supplied at the venue. There's no bringing in personal reference sheets or programmable devices, so any formula recall needs to live in your head or be derivable quickly on scratch paper during the exam.

Because pass rates have moved across recent years - 44% in 2023, 60% in 2024, and 57% in 2025 - it's worth understanding what those numbers actually represent before assuming they predict your outcome. The MHP Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows article explains how those figures are calculated and what they do (and don't) tell you about difficulty.

Aligning Your Study Calendar With the Blueprint

Once you have a realistic exam date, work backward using the blueprint's weighting rather than dividing your prep time evenly across all nine domains. Five domains - Standards and Regulations, Structural Shielding, Radiation Oncology, Diagnostic Imaging, and Nuclear Medicine - each carry 15% of the exam and together make up 75% of the blueprint. The remaining four domains (Instrumentation, Laboratory Design, Radiation Biology, and Non-ionizing Radiation) carry smaller shares but still appear on every form of the exam.

This is one area where generic study methods do help - spaced repetition on formula-heavy shielding and dosimetry material, paired with active recall for regulatory citations, tends to outperform passive re-reading. For a fuller domain-by-domain breakdown of what to master in each area, see the MHP Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 9 Content Areas guide, and for a structured multi-week plan, the MHP Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt pairs well with the timeline above.

Choosing the Right Testing Window for You

Because Part II is delivered at a designated venue rather than through a national network of testing centers, your "window" decision is really a readiness decision. Ask yourself three questions before committing to a date:

• Is my eligibility file complete? Degree verification, clinical experience, and both endorsements should be finalized, not "in progress," before you target a specific administration.
• Have I budgeted for the fee correctly? Decide between the $690 check option and the $715 PayPal option based on your timeline, not just convenience.
• Can I realistically cover all nine domains with appropriate weighting before that date? If the five 15%-weighted domains still feel shaky, it may be worth targeting a later administration rather than rushing.

Candidates who are unsure whether they're ready often benefit from an honest difficulty assessment first. The How Hard Is the MHP Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 article walks through what makes Part II demanding beyond raw content volume - including the shared-stem question format and the four-hour testing window itself.

After the Exam: Results and Recertification Timing

Passing Part II is a milestone within a longer certification sequence, and it also starts a new clock. Certification renews every five years, requiring 125 continuing education credits, including at least 65 Category 1 credits and no more than 60 Category 2 credits. That means the date you pass Part II isn't just a testing milestone - it's the anchor point for your recertification planning going forward.

If you're still weighing whether the full certification path is worth the time and cost investment relative to your career goals, the Is the MHP Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 analysis and the MHP Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis article are useful companion reads. And if you want a quick-reference summary of key facts to keep nearby as your date approaches, bookmark the MHP Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts.

Whatever administration you're targeting in 2026, structured practice under realistic timing conditions remains one of the best predictors of exam-day performance. You can build that familiarity using timed domain-weighted practice sets on the main practice test platform well before your scheduled date, then return to the practice test hub for final review passes in the weeks leading up to the exam.

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