Most test-takers describe it as challenging but very passable with deliberate preparation — not a test people clear by walking in cold. The difficulty is breadth: 132 questions in 150 minutes spanning every area of the field, from articulation and fluency to swallowing, ethics, and research design. Candidates who’ve finished their coursework and clinical practicum and who study strategically tend to do well; those who struggle usually underestimate the exam or lean too heavily on memorization instead of clinical reasoning.

The exam is reported on a scaled score range of 100 to 200, and ASHA requires a scaled score of 162 to qualify for the CCC-SLP credential. As of recent years, states requiring the exam have generally aligned at 162 or higher. Note that 162 replaced an older threshold of 170 used under previous test versions, so be cautious about outdated study guides citing the higher number. Always confirm your state’s exact requirement, since passing scores are set by states and agencies, not by ETS.

Your raw score — the number of questions answered correctly — is converted to a scaled score through a statistical process that adjusts for slight differences in difficulty across test forms. That’s why the number correct doesn’t translate directly into your reported score. There’s no penalty for guessing and all questions carry equal weight, so answer every one. Some questions don’t count toward your score, but they aren’t identified, so treat each as if it does.

Because the three content categories are weighted equally at about one-third each, divide your study time evenly rather than front-loading one area. Start with the official ETS Study Companion to learn the format, then build a consistent routine over roughly 8 to 12 weeks, mixing content review with regular practice questions. Widely used resources include the Roseberry-McKibbin and Hegde Advanced Review of Speech-Language Pathology, along with the interactive practice tests on this website. Organize your review around ASHA’s “Big 9,” since the questions draw on those areas across all three categories.

Three equally weighted categories: Foundations and Professional Practice; Screening, Assessment, Evaluation, and Diagnosis; and Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation of Treatment. Cutting across all three are ASHA’s “Big 9” clinical areas: articulation, fluency, voice and resonance, receptive and expressive language, hearing, swallowing, cognition, social communication, and communication modalities including AAC. You’ll also see ethics, laws, and research design woven throughout.

Most are standard multiple choice with four answer choices and one correct answer, but the exam has added some matching questions, and you may encounter other selected-response formats. There’s no essay or constructed-response section.

Because the exam is entirely selected-response, you’ll typically see a preliminary score at the testing center right after you finish, with your official score report following a few weeks later.

Yes — you can retake it, and you’ll pay the fee again for each attempt. There is a required waiting period between attempts, reported by different sources as either 21 or 28 days, so confirm the current window on the ETS website before you rebook. Use the category-level breakdown on your score report to focus your retake prep on your weakest area.