CHES Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield CHES facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. A CHES professional is asked to evaluate a completed advocacy campaign. Which outcome measure is MOST directly linked to advocacy success? → Policy change or adoption of a new regulation
2. According to the Health Belief Model, 'perceived barriers' refers to: → An individual's belief about the costs or obstacles to taking a health action
3. Which of the following behavioral changes is most likely to have an effect on health? → smoking cessation
4. Which of the following scenarios represents a program implementation challenge related to resource constraints? → The program site has limited space and no audiovisual equipment
5. The 'diffusion of innovations' framework suggests that the MOST effective way to accelerate adoption of a health innovation is to: → Work with opinion leaders and early adopters to champion the innovation
6. In community organizing, the concept of 'building critical consciousness' is most associated with: → Paulo Freire's empowerment education model
7. A health educator discovers that a program they implemented has caused unintended psychological distress among participants. Ethically, the next step is to: → Immediately assess and address participant harm and modify or halt the program
8. When planning a culturally competent health education program, which step should occur FIRST? → Conducting a cultural assessment of the target community
9. A health educator conducting a focus group with undocumented immigrants should FIRST address: → Confidentiality and how data will be used and protected
10. The principle of 'justice' in health education ethics primarily refers to: → Fair and equitable distribution of health education resources
11. Which planning consideration is MOST critical when developing a program for a low-literacy population? → Providing materials at a 6th-grade reading level or below
12. Which scenario best illustrates the ethical principle of veracity in health education? → Accurately presenting research findings without distorting results
13. Which community organizing strategy emphasizes building power among marginalized populations by developing their own leaders? → Social action
14. Asset-based community development (ABCD) focuses on: → Identifying and mobilizing community strengths and resources
15. When developing a comprehensive advocacy plan, which of the following is a critical first step? → Identifying the root causes of the problem and defining the advocacy goal.
16. In the RE-AIM evaluation framework, which dimension assesses the extent to which a program is delivered with fidelity to its original design? → Implementation
17. Which of the following is a key principle of community health education as defined by NCHEC competencies? → Engaging the community in identifying its own health priorities and solutions
18. In the context of health program sustainability, which funding strategy reduces dependency on a single source? → Revenue diversification across multiple funding streams
19. When using the CDCynergy planning model, which phase involves segmenting the audience and identifying communication channels? → Phase 3: Plan the intervention
20. Which of the following databases is most likely to offer the finest details on school health and kids of school age? → ERIC
21. When a community health program is implemented using a train-the-trainer (TTT) model, the PRIMARY advantage is: → Expanding program reach by building local educator capacity
22. A health educator is pressured by administration to prioritize program enrollment numbers over participant wellbeing. The ethical action is to: → Advocate for participant wellbeing and address the conflict with administration
23. A health educator notices that their target community primarily communicates through oral tradition. The MOST appropriate communication strategy would be: → Use storytelling, community theater, or radio programs aligned with oral culture
24. In evaluating a health disparity intervention, which outcome measure is MOST appropriate for assessing equity impact? → Reduction in the gap between highest and lowest performing groups
25. Which of the following is an example of a 'systems change' advocacy goal? → Revising Medicaid eligibility criteria to expand coverage to more low-income adults
26. A CHES professional is reviewing a grant proposal. Which section should outline how the program's success will be measured? → Evaluation plan
27. The Healthy People framework is BEST used in program planning to: → Set national health objectives that programs can align with
28. A CHES professional observes a significant difference in test scores (p = 0.03). What does this p-value indicate? → There is a 3% probability of obtaining these results if the null hypothesis is true
29. A CHES facilitates a 'focus group' during a community health assessment. This method is best suited for: → Exploring community members' perceptions, attitudes, and experiences in depth
30. When a CHES practitioner partners with a faith community to advocate for mental health services, this strategy PRIMARILY leverages which advocacy asset? → Trusted social institutions and community credibility