- What "Passing Score" Means for This Credential
- What Is Verified and What Is Not
- What a 70% Criterion Means in Practice
- Question Count, Time Limit, and Format
- Retakes, Access Windows, and Fees
- Where to Aim: The 12 Curriculum Headings
- Passing Again: The Two-Year Renewal Assessment
- A Domain-Ordered Prep Sequence
- Frequently Asked Questions
- HFMA's March 2023 comparison table lists a 70% passing criterion for the CSAF initial assessment.
- That same table lists 75 questions and 90 minutes, but these are historical specs, not confirmed 2026 parameters.
- The 12-14 hour course estimate is a preparation figure, not an exam timer.
- Retakes were historically unlimited and free after a 30-day wait within the one-year access period.
What "Passing Score" Means for This Credential
The Certified Specialist Accounting and Finance (CSAF) credential is issued by the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA), and it works differently from many proctored, scaled-score certifications. HFMA delivers the program through its online, self-directed Learning Center. Candidates work through course modules and then take an end-of-course assessment. Certification is earned by completing both parts.
So when candidates ask for "the passing score," they are really asking about the passing criterion on that end-of-course assessment. The most specific published figure available is a percentage rather than a scaled number. Understanding where that figure comes from, how old it is, and what it does and does not tell you is the most useful thing you can do before you start studying.
What Is Verified and What Is Not
Because several credentials in the marketplace share similar acronyms, it helps to be precise about the source. Everything in this article refers only to the HFMA Certified Specialist Accounting and Finance program. The table below separates what can be stated with confidence from what cannot.
| Item | Status | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Passing criterion | Verified, dated March 2023 | 70% listed in HFMA's Certification Programs Comparison Table |
| Question count | Verified, dated March 2023 | 75 questions listed |
| Time limit | Verified, dated March 2023 | 90 minutes listed |
| Current 2026 question count, time limit, passing criterion | Unverified | Protected course materials were not retrieved |
| Domain weights or percentages | Not published | The 12 headings are an unweighted preparation curriculum |
| Published pass rate | Not available | See our CSAF pass rate analysis for what can and cannot be said |
This distinction matters because HFMA's own materials are not perfectly synchronized. The course outline page displays a December 2021 content revision, while HFMA's current eLearning Course Catalogue labels CSAF as February 2026. No 2026 exam version or blueprint should be inferred from that catalog date. The enrolled course content sits behind a login, so the live assessment parameters cannot be confirmed from public pages.
What a 70% Criterion Means in Practice
If the March 2023 specification still holds, a 70% criterion on a 75-question assessment would translate to roughly 53 correct answers (52.5 rounded up). That arithmetic is a straightforward calculation from the published figures, not a published cut-score, so treat it as an estimate. It also assumes every question carries equal weight, which the sources do not state.
Several practical implications follow:
- You can miss roughly one in four questions. That is a more forgiving margin than a high-stakes proctored exam, but it is not a license to skip any one domain entirely.
- A percentage criterion rewards breadth. With 12 curriculum headings and no published weights, a candidate who is strong in three areas and weak in the rest is exposed.
- There is no published highest-weighted topic. The curriculum does not establish percentage weights, so you cannot safely gamble on a favorite domain.
Key Takeaway
Aim well above 70% in your own practice before you sit the assessment. Because weights are unpublished and the live parameters are unverified, a comfortable buffer on every domain is safer than a narrow margin built on a few strong areas.
Question Count, Time Limit, and Format
The March 2023 reference lists 75 questions in 90 minutes for the initial assessment. That works out to a little over a minute per question, which is a pace that rewards candidates who recognize healthcare-finance concepts quickly rather than reasoning from scratch.
Two cautions keep these numbers in perspective:
- They are historical. The comparison table is dated March 2023. Current question count, time limit, and passing criterion remain unverified for 2026.
- Do not confuse study time with test time. The course page estimates 12-14 hours of coursework and awards 14 CPE credits. The same March 2023 table gives a 14-18 hour study estimate. Both describe preparation, not the length of the assessment, and neither is a renewal-hour requirement.
Because the program is online and self-directed, candidates work inside HFMA's Learning Center rather than booking a seat at a third-party test center. If you are looking for testing windows and scheduling details, our guide to CSAF exam dates and deadlines covers how the self-paced model changes that question.
Retakes, Access Windows, and Fees
The retake policy is where this credential is notably gentler than many professional exams. According to the March 2023 table, candidates may retake the assessment an unlimited number of times at no fee, after a 30-day wait, within a one-year access period. That policy is also dated, so confirm it in your account.
Access length depends on membership status, per HFMA's Certification General Program Information:
| Candidate type | Enrollment cost | Course access |
|---|---|---|
| HFMA member | $0 additional charge | Unlimited access for active members |
| Non-member | $399 | 12 months |
For a full breakdown of what the program costs and how membership changes the math, see our CSAF certification cost guide. For prerequisites, including the recommended familiarity with cost accounting, budgeting, cash management, financial reports, and internal controls, see CSAF requirements and eligibility.
Where to Aim: The 12 Curriculum Headings
HFMA publishes 12 headings in the course outline. These are explicitly an unweighted preparation curriculum, and the count reflects the supplied headings rather than an official exam-domain count. The curriculum does not guarantee exhaustive current assessment coverage. Still, they are the best map available for what to learn. For a deeper tour, read our complete guide to the 12 CSAF content areas.
Cost Analysis and Management
The foundation for much of the rest of the curriculum.
- Cost behavior and cost allocation in a healthcare setting
- How cost data supports pricing, budgeting, and operational decisions
Reimbursement and Managed Care
How payment arrangements shape revenue and risk.
- Payer contract structures and their financial implications
- The link between managed care arrangements and organizational finances
Medicare and Medicaid Reimbursement Systems
Government payer mechanics are a distinct body of knowledge from managed care.
- How the major government payment methodologies work
- Why these systems affect reported revenue and planning
Financial Planning and Budgeting; Capital Planning and Financing
Two adjacent headings that candidates often study together.
- Operating budget construction and monitoring
- Evaluating and funding capital needs
Investments and Cash Management
Liquidity, investment policy, and treasury-style concepts for healthcare organizations.
Accounting Oversight and Internal Control; Fraudulent Acts and Other Compliance Risks
Governance-oriented headings that reward careful reading of scenarios.
- Control design and oversight responsibilities
- Recognizing fraud risk and compliance exposure
The Three Financial Reporting Headings
Liabilities and Long-Term Debt; Relationships and Procedures; and Revenue and Assets. Together they form the largest cluster by heading count, though headings are not weights.
Malpractice Insurance and Risk Management
A healthcare-specific topic that general accounting candidates are least likely to have met before.
Candidates with a general accounting background tend to find the reporting and internal-control headings familiar and the healthcare-specific headings (government reimbursement, managed care, malpractice insurance) less so. For a candid view of where difficulty tends to concentrate, see how hard the CSAF exam is.
Passing Again: The Two-Year Renewal Assessment
The CSAF is not a one-and-done credential. Renewal happens every two years through a separate 50-question online assessment. It costs $0 for members and $100 for non-members per certification. Recertification does not award NASBA CPE, and these are specialist-renewal rules, not the continuing-education requirements that apply to the CHFP.
The key point for anyone searching for a passing score: initial certification and recertification are different assessments. The 70% historical criterion applies to the initial assessment as listed in the March 2023 table. This article does not state a renewal passing criterion because none appears in the verified sources.
A Domain-Ordered Prep Sequence
With 12 unweighted headings and 12-14 hours of estimated coursework, a sequence built around how the topics depend on each other works better than studying in outline order. Here is one way to schedule it across four weeks, building a score buffer above the 70% working target. For the full method, see our CSAF study guide.
Cost and Planning Foundations
- Cost Analysis and Management first, since later headings lean on it
- Financial Planning and Budgeting, then Capital Planning and Financing
Payment Systems
- Reimbursement and Managed Care
- Medicare and Medicaid Reimbursement Systems, which most general accountants find least familiar
Reporting and Control
- The three Financial Reporting headings
- Accounting Oversight and Internal Control, plus Fraudulent Acts and Other Compliance Risks
Gaps and Practice
- Investments and Cash Management; Malpractice Insurance and Risk Management
- Timed practice at roughly one minute per question, then review misses by heading
You can pressure-test your readiness with timed questions on our CSAF practice test site, which is a convenient way to see whether you are clearing the 70% working target with room to spare. A quick-reference review is also available in our CSAF cheat sheet.
If you are weighing whether the effort is worthwhile, our analyses of CSAF earnings and whether the certification is worth it cover the career side without inflating the numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
The most specific published figure is a 70% passing criterion for the initial assessment, listed in HFMA's Certification Programs Comparison Table with information current as of March 2023. It is a verified historical specification and has not been independently confirmed as the 2026 parameter.
The March 2023 table lists 75 questions and a 90-minute time limit. Those are historical specifications. The current question count and time limit remain unverified, so check the course materials after enrolling.
According to the March 2023 table, retakes are unlimited and carry no fee, with a 30-day wait between attempts, within the one-year access period. Members have unlimited access while active; non-members get 12 months. Confirm current terms in your account.
No. The 12-14 hour estimate and the 14 CPE credits describe the course, not the assessment timer. The 14-18 hour figure in the older comparison table is also a preparation estimate.
Initial certification and recertification are different assessments. Renewal is a separate 50-question online assessment every two years, $0 for members and $100 for non-members. No renewal passing criterion is stated in the verified sources, so confirm it through your HFMA account.