CPH - ALL SAMPLE EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
2026 VERIFIED
Overview
This comprehensive document provides a complete collection of sample questions and
verified answers for the Certified in Public Health (CPH) exam, updated for the 2026
testing cycle. It covers all core public health domains including epidemiology,
biostatistics, environmental health, health policy and management, social and behavioral
sciences, leadership, ethics, and program evaluation. All answers are accurate and
aligned with current CPH certification standards for 2026, making this an essential
resource for exam preparation and self-assessment.
Question 1
Many people do not attempt to decrease unhealthy behaviors such as overeating or
smoking because they lack the confidence that they can successfully change. This is an
example of:
A) Perceived susceptibility
B) Perceived severity
C) Perceived self-efficacy
D) Perceived response efficacy
Rationale: Perceived self-efficacy refers to an individual's confidence in their ability to
successfully perform a behavior. Lack of this confidence is a barrier to change. This concept
is a key construct in the Health Belief Model and Social Cognitive Theory .
Question 2
The construct of normative beliefs is from which model/theory?
A) Transtheoretical model
B) Theory of reasoned action/planned behavior
,C) Social cognitive theory
D) Social ecological model
Rationale: Normative beliefs (beliefs about whether important others approve or
disapprove of a behavior) are a key construct in the Theory of Reasoned Action and Theory
of Planned Behavior. These theories focus on the role of social influence in shaping
behavioral intentions .
Question 3
Which of the following do social cognitive theory and the social ecological model have
in common?
A) Both take into consideration factors that are within the individual and factors
that operate outside the individual
B) Both focus primarily on environmental determinants of behavior that must be
addressed at the policy level
C) Both come out of the value expectancy paradigm that associates behaviors with
valued outcomes
D) Both originally were developed exclusively to explain unhealthy versus healthy
behaviors
Rationale: Both Social Cognitive Theory and the Social Ecological Model recognize that
behavior is influenced by multiple levels of factors, including individual characteristics and
broader social and environmental contexts. This multi-level perspective is essential for
understanding and addressing complex public health issues .
Question 4
A population of rural women experiences a high rate of mortality related to breast
cancer. Researchers at a local university implement a breast cancer screening
intervention. This intervention is an example of:
A) Tertiary prevention
B) Advocacy
C) Secondary prevention
D) Primary prevention
,Rationale: Screening for early detection of disease is secondary prevention, which aims to
identify and treat disease at an early stage before symptoms become severe. Primary
prevention prevents disease before it occurs (e.g., immunizations), while tertiary prevention
reduces disability after disease onset (e.g., rehabilitation) .
Question 5
All intervention messages (printed, computer-delivered, or Internet-based) must:
A) Start with the most important information first
B) Include graphics, pictures, and the like to attract people's attention
C) Be written at a reading level suitable to the target population
D) Be no longer than four sentences so that the reader does not become bored
Rationale: Health communication materials must be accessible to the target audience,
which requires appropriate reading level and health literacy considerations. Materials
should be tailored to the audience's educational background, cultural context, and
language preferences to maximize effectiveness .
Question 6
Which term refers to a collective body of individuals identified by geography, common
interests, concerns, characteristics, or values?
A) Community
B) Population
C) Sample
D) Group
Rationale: A community is defined by shared geography, interests, or characteristics.
Population is a broader statistical term referring to all individuals in a defined group;
sample is a subset of a population; group is a less specific term .
, Question 7
Which of the following is defined as a community's ability to define and solve its own
problems?
A) Social capital
B) Community development
C) Community organization
D) Community capacity
Rationale: Community capacity refers to the ability of community members to identify
issues and develop solutions collaboratively. It encompasses skills, resources, and
commitment needed to address community health problems effectively .
Question 8
Biological, environmental, behavioral, organizational, political, and social factors that
contribute to the health status of individuals, groups and communities are commonly
referred to as:
A) Health behavior causal factors
B) Social ecology factors
C) Needs assessment factors
D) Determinants of health
Rationale: Determinants of health encompass the full range of personal, social, economic,
and environmental factors that influence health status. These include upstream factors
such as policies and systems, as well as downstream factors such as individual behaviors
and biology .
Question 9
An individual's capacity to obtain, interpret, and understand basic health information
and services and the individual's competence to use such information and services in
ways that advance health are called:
A) Medical informatics
B) Health literacy
2026 VERIFIED
Overview
This comprehensive document provides a complete collection of sample questions and
verified answers for the Certified in Public Health (CPH) exam, updated for the 2026
testing cycle. It covers all core public health domains including epidemiology,
biostatistics, environmental health, health policy and management, social and behavioral
sciences, leadership, ethics, and program evaluation. All answers are accurate and
aligned with current CPH certification standards for 2026, making this an essential
resource for exam preparation and self-assessment.
Question 1
Many people do not attempt to decrease unhealthy behaviors such as overeating or
smoking because they lack the confidence that they can successfully change. This is an
example of:
A) Perceived susceptibility
B) Perceived severity
C) Perceived self-efficacy
D) Perceived response efficacy
Rationale: Perceived self-efficacy refers to an individual's confidence in their ability to
successfully perform a behavior. Lack of this confidence is a barrier to change. This concept
is a key construct in the Health Belief Model and Social Cognitive Theory .
Question 2
The construct of normative beliefs is from which model/theory?
A) Transtheoretical model
B) Theory of reasoned action/planned behavior
,C) Social cognitive theory
D) Social ecological model
Rationale: Normative beliefs (beliefs about whether important others approve or
disapprove of a behavior) are a key construct in the Theory of Reasoned Action and Theory
of Planned Behavior. These theories focus on the role of social influence in shaping
behavioral intentions .
Question 3
Which of the following do social cognitive theory and the social ecological model have
in common?
A) Both take into consideration factors that are within the individual and factors
that operate outside the individual
B) Both focus primarily on environmental determinants of behavior that must be
addressed at the policy level
C) Both come out of the value expectancy paradigm that associates behaviors with
valued outcomes
D) Both originally were developed exclusively to explain unhealthy versus healthy
behaviors
Rationale: Both Social Cognitive Theory and the Social Ecological Model recognize that
behavior is influenced by multiple levels of factors, including individual characteristics and
broader social and environmental contexts. This multi-level perspective is essential for
understanding and addressing complex public health issues .
Question 4
A population of rural women experiences a high rate of mortality related to breast
cancer. Researchers at a local university implement a breast cancer screening
intervention. This intervention is an example of:
A) Tertiary prevention
B) Advocacy
C) Secondary prevention
D) Primary prevention
,Rationale: Screening for early detection of disease is secondary prevention, which aims to
identify and treat disease at an early stage before symptoms become severe. Primary
prevention prevents disease before it occurs (e.g., immunizations), while tertiary prevention
reduces disability after disease onset (e.g., rehabilitation) .
Question 5
All intervention messages (printed, computer-delivered, or Internet-based) must:
A) Start with the most important information first
B) Include graphics, pictures, and the like to attract people's attention
C) Be written at a reading level suitable to the target population
D) Be no longer than four sentences so that the reader does not become bored
Rationale: Health communication materials must be accessible to the target audience,
which requires appropriate reading level and health literacy considerations. Materials
should be tailored to the audience's educational background, cultural context, and
language preferences to maximize effectiveness .
Question 6
Which term refers to a collective body of individuals identified by geography, common
interests, concerns, characteristics, or values?
A) Community
B) Population
C) Sample
D) Group
Rationale: A community is defined by shared geography, interests, or characteristics.
Population is a broader statistical term referring to all individuals in a defined group;
sample is a subset of a population; group is a less specific term .
, Question 7
Which of the following is defined as a community's ability to define and solve its own
problems?
A) Social capital
B) Community development
C) Community organization
D) Community capacity
Rationale: Community capacity refers to the ability of community members to identify
issues and develop solutions collaboratively. It encompasses skills, resources, and
commitment needed to address community health problems effectively .
Question 8
Biological, environmental, behavioral, organizational, political, and social factors that
contribute to the health status of individuals, groups and communities are commonly
referred to as:
A) Health behavior causal factors
B) Social ecology factors
C) Needs assessment factors
D) Determinants of health
Rationale: Determinants of health encompass the full range of personal, social, economic,
and environmental factors that influence health status. These include upstream factors
such as policies and systems, as well as downstream factors such as individual behaviors
and biology .
Question 9
An individual's capacity to obtain, interpret, and understand basic health information
and services and the individual's competence to use such information and services in
ways that advance health are called:
A) Medical informatics
B) Health literacy
