ALHC Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling

Why "ALHC Exam Dates" Isn't a Fixed-Calendar Question

If you're picturing a printed calendar with quarterly ALHC testing windows, spring and fall sittings, or registration deadlines counting down to a single test day, set that image aside. The Associate, Life and Health Claims (ALHC) designation is administered by the International Claim Association (ICA), and the courses that make up the designation - including C1, Medical Aspects of Claims, which is the focus of this site - are delivered online through McCann Associates via the Adaptera platform. There is no shared national test day. Instead, each candidate enrolls, works through the required study materials on their own schedule, and takes the exam once it unlocks.

That doesn't mean scheduling doesn't matter. It matters a great deal - just differently than for a proctored, date-driven exam. Your "exam date" is really a deadline you set for yourself inside a fixed enrollment window. Understanding exactly how that window works is the difference between finishing comfortably and scrambling in the final weeks before access expires.

How ICA C1 Enrollment and Fees Actually Work

C1 is sold as a single course-and-exam package rather than an exam you register for separately. When you purchase access through Adaptera, you're buying:

• Full access to the C1 study materials covering Medical Aspects of Claims
• One scheduled attempt at the 75-question, 150-minute exam
• One retake, if needed, included at no extra cost

Pricing is straightforward: US$325 for ICA members and US$550 for nonmembers. Because the exam and retake are bundled into the enrollment fee, there's no separate "exam registration" step or additional scheduling fee layered on top - your purchase date effectively starts your personal testing clock. For a full breakdown of how this fits into the broader cost of earning the designation, see the ALHC Certification Cost 2026 breakdown.

The 180-Day Clock: Building Your Own Testing Window

Here's the piece that functions like an "exam date" for ALHC candidates: your enrollment, exam, and retake all need to happen within 180 days of purchase. If that window closes before you've passed, your access expires and you'll need to repurchase the course to try again. There's no partial credit carried forward and no automatic extension.

That 180-day span is really three phases stacked together:

1. Study phase - working through the required materials, which must be fully completed before the exam unlocks at all.
2. First attempt - the 150-minute, 75-question exam, closed book, no outside references or computer assistance.
3. Retake window (if needed) - your included second attempt, still inside the same 180 days.

Because the study materials gate the exam, candidates who wait too long to start studying compress their own timeline. A common mistake is treating the 180 days as "plenty of time" and then discovering there isn't enough runway left for a retake if the first attempt falls short. Build your personal deadline with a retake buffer already factored in, not as an afterthought.

What You're Actually Tested On: Medical Aspects of Claims

Scheduling only matters if you're prepared for what's on the exam. C1 focuses on the medical knowledge claims professionals need to evaluate life, health, and disability claims accurately - terminology, conditions, documentation standards, and how medical information intersects with claim adjudication. Since this exam is closed book with no computer assistance, recall and applied understanding matter more than the ability to look things up quickly.

For a full walkthrough of everything the exam can draw from, including how content is structured across the broader ALHC curriculum, see the ALHC Exam Domains 2026 guide. Pairing that with a structured plan from the ALHC Study Guide 2026 will help you sequence your 180-day window instead of studying reactively.

Mapping the Full ALHC Path Timeline

C1 is one of six components required for the full ALHC designation: two approved introductory courses plus ICA's C1 through C4. The approved introductory routes are LOMA 280 or 281 paired with LOMA 290 or 291, or alternatively AHIP Parts A and B. Because these introductory courses are completed through separate providers, you'll need to submit your completion records to ICA yourself - they aren't automatically linked to your C1-C4 enrollment.

This matters for scheduling because each course you take - whether an intro course or C1 through C4 - runs on its own enrollment clock. There isn't a single ALHC "exam day" that covers everything at once; there are multiple smaller windows you're managing in sequence or in parallel. Before you plan your 2026 timeline, confirm exactly which pieces you still need with the ALHC Requirements 2026 guide.

Scheduling Study Weeks Around the Unlock Requirement

Because the exam won't unlock until you've completed the study materials, your prep schedule should be built backward from your target attempt date, not forward from "whenever I feel ready." A simple way to structure this inside your 180-day window:

This spacing leaves a substantial buffer before the 180-day cutoff - intentionally. If you're still deciding whether the material feels manageable at this pace, the How Hard Is the ALHC Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 breaks down where candidates typically spend extra time.

Proctoring, Employer Rules, and Exam-Day Logistics

ICA itself does not require proctoring for the C1 exam. However, your employer might - some claims departments require staff to sit for designation exams under supervision as part of internal policy. Before you lock in your own "exam date," check with your training or HR contact about whether a proctor needs to be arranged, since that can add a scheduling step ICA's system doesn't require on its own.

Once you begin the exam, remember it's a single continuous 150-minute session: closed book, no outside references, no computer assistance, and exiting the exam submits it for scoring immediately. There's no pausing and resuming later, so pick a block of uninterrupted time rather than squeezing it between other obligations.

Using Your Retake Wisely Within the Window

Your enrollment fee already includes one retake, which means the smartest scheduling move is protecting enough time inside your 180 days to actually use it if needed. Passing requires 70% on 75 questions - a clear, known bar rather than a moving target, which is discussed in more detail in the ALHC Passing Score 2026 guide. If your first attempt falls short, don't wait until the final days of your window to schedule the retake; give yourself time to review specific weak areas rather than repeating the same preparation that didn't work the first time.

Candidates weighing whether the designation is worth this level of scheduling discipline in the first place may find it useful to read Is the ALHC Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 before committing to a purchase date. And if you want a broader look at how outcomes trend for candidates going through C1 and the rest of the designation, the ALHC Pass Rate 2026 data breakdown is a useful companion piece.

Whichever stage of the 180-day cycle you're in, running timed practice questions under exam-like conditions is one of the few ways to rehearse the actual scheduling pressure of a single 150-minute sitting. You can build that habit using practice questions on the main ALHC practice test site well before your official attempt date, and return to the practice platform again during your retake preparation if your first score lands close to but under 70%.

FAQ: ALHC Exam Dates and Scheduling