- The 70% Rule: What the Passing Score Actually Is
- Four Sections, Four Separate Pass/Fail Decisions
- What Each Section Tests and Where Points Are Won
- Attempts, Retakes, and the 365-Day Window
- Testing Conditions: Proctorio Remote Proctoring
- Gates Before the Score: Approval and Qualification Points
- Planning Your Preparation Around a 70% Bar
- After You Pass: Maintenance Requirements
- Frequently Asked Questions
- You must score at least 70% in each of the 4 separately scored CHAE sections.
- A strong section cannot rescue a weak one; each section is judged on its own.
- The US$1,075 bundle includes 2 examination attempts per section.
- Enrollment access lasts 365 days, and application approval unlocks the section examinations.
The 70% Rule: What the Passing Score Actually Is
The Certified Hospitality Accountant Executive (CHAE) credential, offered by Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) through HFTP Academy, uses a clear and simple benchmark: candidates must score at least 70% in each of the 4 separately scored sections. That is the whole passing standard. There is no curve to guess at, no composite number to chase, and no secret cut score that shifts by testing window.
The simplicity is deceptive, though. Many candidates read "70%" and assume it works like a typical certification where a total score across the whole exam determines the result. It does not. The CHAE is structured so that every section stands alone, and each one needs to clear the bar on its own merits. If you are still sorting out what the credential is before worrying about scores, start with What Is CHAE Certification? and come back.
Four Sections, Four Separate Pass/Fail Decisions
The current HFTP Academy program organizes the CHAE examination into four sections, and each one carries the same 70% minimum. The labels below are the current Academy section names, which is worth noting because older study materials may describe the content with slightly different wording.
| Section | Passing Requirement | Scored Separately? |
|---|---|---|
| Financial Accounting | At least 70% | Yes |
| Managerial Accounting | At least 70% | Yes |
| Ethics, Fraud, & Internal Controls | At least 70% | Yes |
| General & CHAE | At least 70% | Yes |
Because the sections are independent, you can think of the credential as four mini-certifications that together earn the designation. This also means progress is trackable: once a section is passed, you know exactly what remains. For a full breakdown of what each content area covers, see CHAE Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 4 Content Areas.
What Each Section Tests and Where Points Are Won
A 70% bar is only meaningful when you know what the questions are drawn from. The CHAE is a hospitality accounting credential, so the scenarios and vocabulary skew toward hotels, restaurants, clubs, and related operations rather than generic corporate accounting. Here is where candidates tend to earn or lose points in each section.
Financial Accounting
This section is the foundation. Expect questions grounded in how hospitality businesses record and report their results.
- Financial statements: how the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement are built and interpreted
- Revenue recognition issues specific to lodging, food and beverage, and ancillary departments
- Accounting for deposits, advance bookings, and other timing-sensitive items common in hospitality
- Reading statements critically, not just preparing them
Managerial Accounting
This is where hospitality accounting decisions come alive. The emphasis is on using numbers to run the business.
- Budgeting and forecasting for departments and for the property as a whole
- Variance analysis: identifying why actual results differ from plan and what to do about it
- Revenue management concepts and how pricing and demand interact with profitability
- Cost behavior and departmental performance evaluation
Ethics, Fraud, & Internal Controls
Candidates often underestimate this section because it feels less numerical, yet it is scored to the same 70% standard as everything else.
- Fraud prevention in cash-heavy, high-turnover hospitality environments
- Internal control design: segregation of duties, authorization, reconciliation, and oversight
- Professional ethics and how an accounting executive should respond to dilemmas
- Recognizing red flags and weaknesses in control environments
General & CHAE
This section includes credential policies and procedures alongside broader topics. Use the current Academy section materials to plan coverage here, because policy-oriented content is easy to skim and then miss.
- Program policies and procedures tied to the CHAE credential
- General business and hospitality accounting knowledge that supports the other three sections
- Material you should confirm directly against the current Academy section outline
A useful pattern emerges when you look at this list: the sections reward applied judgment. Memorizing definitions will carry you only part of the way to 70%. The questions expect you to interpret a situation, such as a variance, a control gap, or a financial statement relationship, and choose the sound course of action. If you want to calibrate how demanding that feels, read How Hard Is the CHAE Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.
Attempts, Retakes, and the 365-Day Window
Understanding the passing score also means understanding how many chances you get to reach it. The publicly listed four-course certification bundle costs US$1,075 and covers the four examination sections, preparation materials, and 2 examination attempts per section. That structure matters for strategy.
- Two attempts per section, not two total. Each of the four sections carries its own pair of attempts, so a miss in one section does not consume attempts belonging to another.
- The 365-day clock. Program completion access runs 365 days after enrollment. This is the enrollment window, not the length of any single exam sitting, so it governs how long you have to finish all four sections.
- Preparation materials are included. The bundle pairs the exams with study content, which is the primary resource for aligning your preparation to the current Academy section structure.
For the complete pricing picture beyond the bundle, including what maintenance later costs, see CHAE Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
Testing Conditions: Proctorio Remote Proctoring
The current CHAE program is delivered through HFTP Academy with automated Proctorio remote proctoring. In practical terms, you sit the examination from your own location rather than at a testing center, with the proctoring software monitoring the session. This affects your score indirectly, because a technical or environmental problem can cost you focus, time, or confidence even when your knowledge is solid.
Consider these preparation habits before any section sitting:
- Test your computer, browser, camera, and internet connection well ahead of time rather than minutes before.
- Clear your workspace and settle on a quiet location where you will not be interrupted.
- Read the current Proctorio and Academy instructions so there are no surprises about what is and is not permitted.
- Plan your sitting for a time of day when you are mentally sharpest, since you can schedule around your own life rather than a test center's calendar.
Scheduling flexibility is a real advantage of remote delivery, but it is worth confirming current availability and timing details. Our guide to CHAE Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling walks through the practical side.
Gates Before the Score: Approval and Qualification Points
You cannot earn a passing score until you are allowed to sit the exams, and that access is gated. Application approval is required to unlock the section examinations. The application is not a formality; it is a documentation review tied to HFTP's eligibility standard.
Eligibility requires 100 qualification points under HFTP's calculator and application review, supported by education and experience documentation. Two documentation details trip people up:
- Academic transcripts must be submitted by the institution, not uploaded by you. Request them early, since institutions can be slow.
- A Certificate of Experience is required for each employer listed on the application. If your history spans several employers, collecting these takes real lead time.
Key Takeaway
Start the application and documentation process before you begin heavy studying. The 365-day enrollment window is running, and waiting on a transcript or an employer's Certificate of Experience can stall your access to the exams while the clock keeps ticking.
The full eligibility picture, including how qualification points are built, is covered in CHAE Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Planning Your Preparation Around a 70% Bar
Since each section is scored separately at 70%, your schedule should be built section by section rather than as one long run at "the exam." One short, CHAE-specific sequencing idea is enough; the rest of your effort belongs in the content itself.
Financial Accounting first
- Rebuild fluency with the three core financial statements in a hospitality context
- Work revenue and timing issues until you can explain them aloud
Managerial Accounting
- Practice budgets, forecasts, and variance analysis on realistic departmental data
- Connect revenue management logic to profitability outcomes
Ethics, Fraud, & Internal Controls
- Study control design against cash-handling and procurement scenarios
- Rehearse ethical dilemma reasoning, not just definitions
General & CHAE and review
- Cover credential policies and procedures from the current Academy materials
- Revisit your weakest section before any attempt
The reasoning behind that order: Financial Accounting builds the vocabulary and statement logic the managerial section assumes, while ethics and controls reward calm, late-stage reasoning once the numbers feel automatic. Adjust the timing to your own background, since a practicing controller may breeze through the early weeks and need longer on policy details. For a fuller plan, see CHAE Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt.
Practice questions that mirror the scenario-based style are the best way to find out whether you are genuinely clearing 70% in each area. You can work through realistic items on the CHAE practice test site and use your results to decide which section needs another pass before you sit the real thing.
Interpreting your own readiness
Because the standard is a per-section percentage, your own practice results are most useful when you track them per domain. A single blended practice score hides exactly the weakness that fails you. If one area keeps landing near or below 70% in practice, treat that as the signal to shift time toward it, even if your other areas feel comfortable. Aim for a comfortable margin above 70% in practice rather than hovering at the line, since exam-day conditions and unfamiliar scenarios tend to cost a few points.
After You Pass: Maintenance Requirements
Earning the passing score is not the end of the credential's requirements. Certification maintenance follows a 2-year cycle requiring 60 continuing-education credits, including at least 4 in ethics. Maintenance fees are US$150 for HFTP members or US$300 for nonmembers, with a US$60 late fee, and your membership status at the August 1 billing determines which fee tier applies.
That membership timing detail is easy to overlook and can double the fee, so it is worth deciding on HFTP membership well before the billing date. To weigh the long-term value of keeping the designation current, read Is the CHAE Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026, and for the earnings side of that equation, CHAE Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions
You must score at least 70% in each of the 4 separately scored sections: Financial Accounting; Managerial Accounting; Ethics, Fraud, & Internal Controls; and General & CHAE. The standard applies to every section individually.
No. Each section is scored separately and must reach 70% on its own. A strong result in one area does not offset a shortfall in another, so balanced preparation across all four sections is essential.
The publicly listed US$1,075 four-course bundle includes 2 examination attempts per section, along with the four examination sections and preparation materials. Program completion access lasts 365 days after enrollment.
The current program is delivered through HFTP Academy with automated Proctorio remote proctoring, so candidates test remotely rather than at a physical center. Confirm current technical and environmental requirements before your sitting.
Application approval is required to unlock the section examinations. Eligibility requires 100 qualification points, supported by education and experience documentation, including institution-submitted transcripts and a Certificate of Experience for each employer listed.
For a broader look at how candidates fare against this standard, see CHAE Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows, and for a quick refresher on the essentials, the CHAE Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts is a handy companion as your sitting approaches. When you are ready to test yourself against the 70% bar, start with the CHAE practice questions and track your results section by section.