CTP Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass

Why There Is No Published Passing Number

If you searched for the "CTP passing score" hoping for a clean figure like "you need 70%," here is the honest answer: the American Board for Transplant Certification (ABTC) does not publish a fixed numeric passing mark for the Certified Transplant Preservationist exam. Any website that gives you a specific percentage or scaled score is either guessing or importing a number from a different credential that happens to share the "CTP" acronym.

What ABTC does state is that passing is based on your overall performance against an expert-established examination standard. In other words, a panel of subject-matter experts determines what level of knowledge a minimally competent transplant preservationist should demonstrate, and your result is measured against that standard. Two practical consequences follow:

• There are no separate domain passes. You do not need to "pass" Organ Recovery and "pass" Specimen Collection individually. Performance is evaluated overall, which means strength in heavily weighted areas can offset weakness elsewhere.
• There is no trick to gaming a percentage. Because the standard is competence-based, the most reliable strategy is broad, accurate command of the content outline rather than targeting a number.

What the Scoring Is Built On: Exam Format

Understanding how the test is assembled helps you interpret what "passing" means in practice. According to the ABTC Candidate Handbook (file dated August 13, 2026; Examination Content Outline for the CTP, PDF pages 39-40), the format is:

The ten pretest items deserve a note. ABTC uses them to evaluate new questions for future exams, and they do not count toward your result. You cannot tell which ten they are, so treat every question as if it counts. A question that seems oddly worded or unusually obscure may be a pretest item, which is a good reason not to let one confusing question rattle you. Mark it, choose your best answer, and move on.

"One best answer" is also worth internalizing. Several options may be partially defensible; your job is to select the one that best fits standard preservation practice and the scenario as written. For more on how the question style shapes difficulty, read How Hard Is the CTP Exam?

Where the 100 Scored Items Live

The five domain names below are the official headings from the ABTC examination outline. Summing the recall, application, and analysis columns in that outline gives the following scored-item allocations. These are counts of scored items, not percentage weights published by ABTC, so treat them as a planning guide rather than a promise about any single exam form.

Because there is no domain-by-domain passing requirement, these allocations tell you where the points are, not where you must be perfect. Organ Recovery and Organ Preservation together account for 55 of the 100 scored items. Candidates who neglect the smaller domains, though, hand away 45 items' worth of opportunity, and with an unpublished cut score there is no safe margin to give up.

For a full walkthrough of what each area covers, see the CTP exam domains guide.

Reading the 52% Historical Pass Rate Correctly

ABTC's March 2025 statistical report records a 52% pass rate among 86 candidates for 2024. This number gets misquoted constantly, so let's be precise about what it is and is not.

• It is a historical figure. It describes 2024 candidates, not 2026 test-takers.
• It is not a passing score. A 52% pass rate means roughly half of candidates passed; it does not mean the cut score is 52%.
• It is not documented as first-attempt-only. The report does not break out first-time versus repeat candidates, so you cannot assume it reflects first-attempt performance.
• The sample is small. Eighty-six candidates is a modest group, and year-to-year swings are plausible.

The 110 vs. 120 Question Conflict

If you have been researching the exam, you may have noticed conflicting question counts. Here is the source of the confusion and how to resolve it.

• The current ABTC Candidate Handbook (August 13, 2026 file) describes 110 questions: 100 scored and 10 unscored.
• PSI's public store listing for the official Self-Assessment Examination still describes a 120-question certification exam.

The handbook controls the live exam count. The PSI listing appears to carry outdated descriptive text. The practical takeaway: plan your pacing around 110 questions in two hours, which works out to a little under 66 seconds per question on average. If your own candidate authorization materials show something different, confirm with ABTC or PSI rather than assuming.

The PSI Self-Assessment Examination itself is an official practice product: $60, 30 questions, 60-day access, and one scored attempt. We reviewed only the public listing, not the paid question bank, so we cannot speak to its question quality. A 30-question sample is useful as a calibration check, but it is too short to predict your result on a 100-scored-item exam. Pair it with broader practice, such as the CTP practice tests on our main site, and keep in mind that no practice product, ours included, reproduces protected exam items.

Attempt Economics: Fees, Retakes, and Reapplication

Because the passing standard is unpublished, the cost of falling short is the most concrete way to appreciate what is at stake. Each attempt costs $645: a $495 examination fee plus a $150 application fee. Candidates testing internationally face an additional $225 administration surcharge. Fees are nonrefundable and apply again to reapplications.

Eligibility requires 12 months of organ-preservation work experience, which need not be your full-time responsibility, along with a supervisor employee attestation. Once authorized, ABTC provides a 90-day examination-eligibility window. One caution: public instructions differ on whether that window starts at payment, application approval, or eligibility confirmation. Do not assume those triggers are interchangeable; follow the dates on your own authorization and resolve any discrepancy directly with ABTC or PSI before you book. Details on scheduling live in CTP Exam Dates, and eligibility specifics are in CTP Requirements. A full cost picture is at CTP Certification Cost.

Aiming at Competence, Not a Magic Number

With no published cut score, the smartest target is broad, reliable competence weighted by where the scored items sit. One short, CTP-specific sequencing approach:

This sequencing follows the item counts. If you want a fuller plan, the CTP study guide and the one-page CTP cheat sheet cover review structure in more depth.

Original Practice Questions

The following are original practice items written for educational review. They are not actual exam questions, and they are not represented as such. They illustrate the "one best answer" style across domains.

For more original, domain-organized practice, use the question sets on our main practice test site. Remember that all practice material is educational; verify current clinical policies at your own facility before applying anything in the field.

After You Pass: Validity and Renewal

The credential is valid for three years. Renewal requires either successful re-examination or 60 CEPTCs, including at least 20 Category 1 and 10 Category 2 points. The single-certification renewal fee is $395. Sources are ABTC's recertification page and the Recertification Requirements document (reviewed August 2025). Begin tracking CEPTCs early in the cycle rather than scrambling in year three.

As for career impact, be careful about assuming a guaranteed pay premium. Compensation depends on employer, role, and region, and certification does not automatically raise it. If you are weighing the investment, read Is the CTP Certification Worth It? and the CTP salary guide for a measured view, and CTP jobs for where the credential is used.

Frequently Asked Questions