What Is MHP?

What Is MHP?

MHP stands for Medical Health Physics, and in the context this site covers, it refers specifically to the Part II written specialty examination administered by the American Board of Medical Physics (ABMP). This is a distinct credentialing step from the Part I General Medical Physics exam and from the Part III oral examination - the two other legs of the full ABMP certification sequence. This article, and the rest of MHP Exam Prep, focuses squarely on Part II: what it tests, how it's scored, and what it takes to qualify and pass.

If you've landed here after searching a different "MHP" acronym, note that this credential is unrelated to other professional designations that happen to share the same three letters. Everything below applies only to the ABMP Medical Health Physics specialty certification.

Who Administers the MHP Exam

The American Board of Medical Physics administers the Part II Medical Health Physics examination on-site through ExamSoft, meaning candidates bring their own compatible computer to a designated testing venue rather than sitting at a third-party testing center kiosk. This on-site, candidate-device model is a logistical detail worth planning around well before test day - compatibility checks and software installation typically need to happen in advance.

For a full walkthrough of registration windows and venue logistics, see MHP Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling. For a broader orientation to the whole certification process, MHP Certification lays out how Part II fits with Parts I and III.

Exam Format and Question Types

The Part II exam runs four hours and mixes several question styles rather than relying on a single multiple-choice format. Candidates should expect:

• Single-answer multiple choice questions
• Matching items
• Choose-all-that-apply questions
• Shared-stem "Type S" question sets, where several questions reference one clinical or technical scenario

This variety means memorization alone won't carry you through - shared-stem items in particular require you to hold a scenario's details in mind across multiple related questions. Only nonprogrammable scientific calculators and scratch paper supplied at the venue are permitted; you cannot bring your own notes or programmable devices.

The Nine MHP Exam Domains

The current online blueprint (in the information booklet revised May 2025) organizes Part II content into nine weighted areas. Five of these - each worth 15% - account for 75% of the entire exam, so your preparation time should be allocated accordingly.

The remaining four domains carry lighter but still meaningful weight: Instrumentation (10%), and Laboratory Design, Radiation Biology, and Non-ionizing Radiation at 5% each. Skipping these lower-weighted domains is a common mistake - together they still represent a quarter of the exam. For a domain-by-domain breakdown with study priorities, see MHP Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 9 Content Areas.

Eligibility and Pathway to Sit

You cannot register for Part II on a whim - ABMP eligibility is built on several concrete requirements:

• A relevant graduate degree
• Supervised clinical experience, with the amount depending on your specific degree and residency background
• An endorsement from a board-certified physicist
• An endorsement from a board-certified physician
• Completion of the MHP Training and Education Form

Most candidates follow the standard sequence: earn Part I credit (or an approved waiver), sit Part II, and later complete Part III. Qualified Certified Health Physicists have a separate direct-to-oral pathway that bypasses part of this sequence. Because these requirements are degree- and residency-dependent, it's worth reviewing them closely before you assume you're ready to apply - the full breakdown is in MHP Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.

Fees, Scheduling, and Logistics

For 2026, the Part II fee is $690 if paid by check or $715 if paid through PayPal - a small premium applies to the electronic payment option. Beyond the fee itself, candidates need to plan around ExamSoft compatibility on their own device and confirm their designated testing venue ahead of the four-hour session. A complete cost breakdown, including how this fee fits into the overall path to certification, is available in MHP Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.

Scheduling specifics, application deadlines, and how far in advance you should register are covered in MHP Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.

Pass Rates and Passing Standard

ABMP sets the passing standard using a Modified Angoff process, meaning the cut score is derived from expert judgment about item difficulty rather than a fixed percentage like "70% correct." This is a critical distinction: your target isn't a round number, it's whatever the standard-setting panel determines reflects minimum competence for that form of the exam.

Official Part II pass rates, calculated as candidates passing divided by all candidates taking the exam that year (not a first-time-only rate), were:

The year-to-year movement suggests the exam is neither trivially easy nor a fixed hurdle - preparation quality clearly affects outcomes. For a deeper analysis of what these numbers mean for your own study plan, read MHP Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows and MHP Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass. If you're still gauging the overall difficulty relative to your background, How Hard Is the MHP Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 walks through the Modified Angoff approach and format demands in more detail.

Who Pursues MHP Certification

Candidates for Part II are typically medical physicists already working toward or within roles that intersect radiation safety across clinical settings - radiation oncology departments, diagnostic imaging services, and nuclear medicine programs all rely on staff with this specialty knowledge. Because the domains map directly onto these clinical areas, certification signals to employers that a physicist can handle shielding evaluations, regulatory compliance, and radiation-safety oversight across multiple modalities, not just one.

If you're weighing whether pursuing this credential fits your career trajectory, Is the MHP Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and MHP Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis examine the return relative to the time and fee investment. For a look at where certified professionals actually work, see MHP Jobs.

Preparing for the Domains That Matter Most

Given that five domains combine for 75% of the blueprint, an efficient study sequence front-loads Standards and Regulations, Structural Shielding, Radiation Oncology, Diagnostic Imaging, and Nuclear Medicine before circling back to the lighter-weighted Instrumentation, Laboratory Design, Radiation Biology, and Non-ionizing Radiation sections.

Spacing repeated review sessions across these weeks, rather than cramming each domain once, helps retention hold up through exam day. For a printable summary of must-know facts across all nine domains, keep the MHP Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts handy during your final review week, and use realistic practice questions on our practice test platform to simulate the shared-stem format before test day.

Recertification After You Pass

Passing Part II isn't the end of the obligation - MHP certification renews every five years, requiring 125 continuing education credits during that cycle. Of those, at least 65 must be Category 1 credits, and no more than 60 can come from Category 2. Planning your CE activities early in the five-year window, rather than scrambling near renewal, keeps you comfortably within the Category 1 minimum.

Frequently Asked Questions