- Identity Check: Which CMCPS This Sheet Covers
- Eligibility Snapshot
- Money and Mechanics: Fees, Vouchers and Proctoring
- The Seven Preparation Domains at a Glance
- Module-by-Module Fact Sheet
- What Is Not Published (and Why It Matters)
- Medical Cost Projection vs. Life Care Plan
- Renewal and Recertification Quick Reference
- A CMCPS-Specific Study Sequence
- Frequently Asked Questions
- CMCPS means Certified Medical Cost Projection Specialist, awarded by the International Commission on Health Care Certification (ICHCC).
- The application/exam fee is $495, plus a separate $30 proctoring fee paid to Prov; the retest fee is $150.
- Eligibility requires 45 hours of approved training and a sample medical cost projection with peer-review critique.
- The seven "domains" are public training-module titles, not official weighted exam domains.
Identity Check: Which CMCPS This Sheet Covers
Several unrelated credentials share the acronym, so start by confirming you are studying the right one. This cheat sheet covers the Certified Medical Cost Projection Specialist credential issued by the International Commission on Health Care Certification (ICHCC). It is an examination-based certification for professionals who prepare medical cost projections, the documents that estimate the future cost of medical care for an injured person, typically in claims and litigation contexts.
If you are still orienting yourself, these background reads cover the basics: What Is CMCPS?, What Does CMCPS Stand For? and CMCPS Certification. For a candid look at difficulty, see How Hard Is the CMCPS Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.
Eligibility Snapshot
ICHCC requires candidates to clear four categories of requirements before they can sit for the examination. For the full walk-through, see CMCPS Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
| Requirement | What the Issuer Specifies |
|---|---|
| Education | An associate degree, or the specified exceptions for diploma registered nurses, licensed insurance adjusters/agents and certificated paralegals |
| Work experience | At least 12 months of qualifying full-time work during the preceding three years |
| Training | Approved 45-hour training program |
| Sample report | A sample medical cost projection with its peer-review critique |
| CLCP/CCLCP holders | May bypass Modules 1-6, but must complete Module 7's report and still take the examination |
Money and Mechanics: Fees, Vouchers and Proctoring
The fee stack
- Application/examination fee: $495, paid to ICHCC.
- Proctoring fee: $30, charged separately and paid directly to Prov, the proctoring provider named in the current application packet.
- Retest fee: $150 through ICHCC.
- Approved training (AAACEUs pathway): $899 for Modules 1-6 and $399 for the separate Module 7 sample-report module.
Adding the training modules and the exam fee gives a calculated subtotal of $1,793 ($899 + $399 + $495). That subtotal is before proctoring, so do not treat it as an all-in number. A CLCP/CCLCP holder who bypasses Modules 1-6 would not need the $899 module bundle. For the broader financial picture, see CMCPS Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
The administrative sequence
- Complete the education, experience, training and sample-report prerequisites.
- Submit the application and the $495 fee to ICHCC. Allow at least seven business days for processing.
- After approval, ICHCC supplies a candidate ID and an examination voucher.
- Schedule your exam with Prov and pay the separate $30 proctoring fee.
- Test on a home or office computer. Results are available within 24-36 hours.
Because there is a processing window before the voucher arrives, build that buffer into any target date. Scheduling specifics are covered in CMCPS Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.
The Seven Preparation Domains at a Glance
The seven domain headings used across this site mirror the seven public module titles in the pre-approved AAACEUs training pathway. They describe preparation scope. They are unweighted headings, not an official ICHCC blueprint, and Module 7 is a separate sample-report and peer-review requirement rather than a seventh verified scored exam domain.
| # | Domain / Module Title | Core Preparation Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Basics of the Medical Cost Projection | Definition, stakeholders, industry uses, ethical standards, components |
| 2 | The Basis & Methodology for the Medical Cost Projection | Rules and methods, contextual framework, specialist procedures for an assignment |
| 3 | The Referral Form & The Report Format | Referral process, referral form, report format, smooth-processing tips |
| 4 | Injury Types, Review & Assessment (Part 1) | Frequent injuries and injury-specific review considerations |
| 5 | Injury Types, Review & Assessment (Part 2) | Continuation of injury types; Modules 4-5 together cover six injury types |
| 6 | The Medical Cost Projection: Coding & Pricing | Identifying proper codes and prices, pricing options, price sources |
| 7 | A Sample Medical Cost Projection Report | Sanitized sample report; path to completing your own report for peer review |
For a deeper treatment of each content area, read CMCPS Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 7 Content Areas.
Module-by-Module Fact Sheet
Domain 1: The Basics of the Medical Cost Projection
The foundation module. Know what a medical cost projection is and who touches it.
- A working definition of a medical cost projection
- The stakeholders involved in the projection process
- How projections are used in the industry
- The ethical standards that apply
- An introduction to the components of a projection
Domain 2: The Basis & Methodology for the Medical Cost Projection
The "how and why" module. Expect the vocabulary of method here.
- Basic rules and methods used in completing a projection
- The "contextual framework" for the projection
- The methodologies employed by the discipline, reviewed in detail
- The procedures a specialist follows to complete a referral or assignment
Domain 3: The Referral Form & The Report Format
The workflow module, from intake to finished document.
- The referral process for medical cost projections
- A detailed explanation of the referral form
- The commonly used medical cost report format
- Practical hints for smooth processing
Domains 4 and 5: Injury Types, Review & Assessment (Parts 1 and 2)
These two modules work as a pair. The provider describes them as covering six different injury types most commonly encountered by CMCP specialists, with considerations, review and assessment specific to each.
- The provider notes it is not possible to outline every injury a specialist may meet; the most frequent are highlighted
- Learn the review and assessment considerations per injury type, not just the injury names
- The public descriptions do not name all six injury types, so rely on your licensed course materials for the specific list
Domain 6: The Medical Cost Projection: Coding & Pricing
The most mechanical module, and the one that rewards precision.
- The process of identifying a proper code and price for each item in a projection
- The pricing options available for a medical cost projection
- Where to obtain those prices
Domain 7: A Sample Medical Cost Projection Report
The applied module. You receive a sanitized version of an actual projection plus resources to consolidate Modules 1-6.
- After completing it, you can request the documentation needed to build your own projection
- Your own report goes to peer review, and the critique is part of the eligibility package
For a sequenced learning plan built around these modules, see CMCPS Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt and the overview at CMCPS Training.
What Is Not Published (and Why It Matters)
A reliable cheat sheet is as clear about gaps as it is about facts. The current public ICHCC and training-provider sources do not specify any of the following for the CMCPS certification examination:
- The number of questions
- A numerical time limit
- The item format
- The scored versus unscored split
- The pass threshold
- A candidate pass rate
Be cautious with any source claiming specific values for these. Competing pages that quote them are either guessing or describing a different credential. Our pages on CMCPS Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass and CMCPS Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows treat these unknowns the same way: no invented numbers.
Medical Cost Projection vs. Life Care Plan
A common point of confusion is the relationship between the CMCPS and life care planning credentials such as the CLCP. They are related but distinct work products. A medical cost projection is a focused estimate of future medical costs; it is not a comprehensive life care plan.
One practical wrinkle: the training provider's overview contains a stray final reference to developing a "sample life care plan." The issuer requirement and the surrounding Module 7 description are unambiguous that the required document is a sample medical cost projection and its peer-review critique. Prepare the CMCPS deliverable, not a CLCP substitute.
| Item | CMCPS Pathway |
|---|---|
| Required practical document | Sample medical cost projection with peer-review critique |
| CLCP/CCLCP holders | Skip Modules 1-6, complete Module 7 report, then take the exam |
| Is the report the exam? | No. The report and the certification examination are separate requirements |
Renewal and Recertification Quick Reference
- Cycle: every three years.
- Credits: 15 CEUs, including at least five ethics CEUs.
- Fee with preapproved CEUs: $300.
- Fee when non-preapproved CEUs are submitted: $350.
- Renewal by examination: $795, available only before expiration.
The renewal credit totals and three-year period are recertification rules. They are not initial-exam weights or timer values. Check that your CEUs are preapproved before you submit them, since that choice is the difference between the $300 and $350 tiers.
A CMCPS-Specific Study Sequence
Because the exam blueprint is unpublished, the safest approach is to follow the structure of the approved training and give extra attention to the modules that require judgment rather than recall. One possible six-week pacing:
Foundations and Ethics
- Domain 1: definition, stakeholders, uses, components
- Memorize the ethical standards that apply to projections
Method and Workflow
- Domain 2: contextual framework and specialist procedures
- Domain 3: referral form and report format
Injury Types
- Domains 4 and 5 together: build one review-and-assessment summary per injury type
- Take the most time here, since the content is broad
Coding and Pricing
- Domain 6: how codes are identified, pricing options, and where prices come from
Sample Report and Review
- Domain 7: study the sanitized sample against Modules 1-6
- Take timed practice questions on the CMCPS practice test site and review weak areas
The reasoning behind the order: ethics and definitions come first because later modules assume them, injury types get the longest block because they are the broadest content, and the sample report comes last because it ties everything together. Any practice-question allocation across these areas is editorial, not an official weighting, so use the practice questions to find your own weak spots rather than to predict exam proportions.
Frequently Asked Questions
It stands for Certified Medical Cost Projection Specialist, a credential from the International Commission on Health Care Certification (ICHCC). See What Does CMCPS Mean? for more.
The application/examination fee is $495, plus a separate $30 proctoring fee paid to Prov. The ICHCC retest fee is $150. Approved training is extra: $899 for Modules 1-6 and $399 for Module 7, giving a $1,793 subtotal with the exam fee, before proctoring.
The current public issuer and training sources do not publish the question count, time limit, item format, pass threshold or pass rate. Treat any specific figures from other sources with caution.
No. CLCP and CCLCP holders in good standing may bypass Modules 1-6, but they must complete Module 7's sample report with review and still sit for the CMCPS examination.
Results are available within 24-36 hours of testing. The credential renews every three years with 15 CEUs, including at least five ethics CEUs, at $300 (preapproved CEUs) or $350 (non-preapproved CEUs). Renewal by examination costs $795 and must be done before expiration.
Weighing whether the investment fits your career plans? Read Is the CMCPS Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026, and when you are ready to test your recall against the domains above, start a session on the CMCPS Exam Prep practice test site.