- Passing score is 664 on a 300-900 scale - not a percentage of 100 questions.
- Behavior (18-22%) and Communication (15-20%) together make up over a third of the exam.
- Exam-only fee is $175; adding the optional Caregiver Course brings the total to $675.
- Remote proctoring works on computers and Chromebooks only - no phones or tablets.
Quick Facts Snapshot
If you only have five minutes before your Certified Alzheimer Caregiver (CAC) exam, this is the page to bookmark. It condenses every hard number and structural detail from the official National Certification Board for Alzheimer Care (NCBAC) materials into a single reference. For a deeper walkthrough of any single fact, the linked guides below go further - this page is meant for rapid review, not first-time learning. If you're still building your foundation, start with the CAC Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt before using this cheat sheet as a final pass.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Certifying body | National Certification Board for Alzheimer Care (NCBAC) |
| Exam fee | $175 |
| Optional Caregiver Course | +$500 ($675 total) |
| Question count | 100 multiple-choice |
| Time limit | 2 hours 30 minutes |
| Passing score | 664 (scale of 300-900) |
| Content areas | 8 domains |
| Delivery method | Browser-based remote proctoring, no software install |
| Renewal | Annual, $35, 6 CE hours |
Registration & Fee Mechanics
The CAC's fee structure is simpler than most credentials, but candidates still get tripped up by the optional course. There are exactly two paths:
- Exam only - $175. You must already meet the experience and training hours described in the eligibility section.
- Caregiver Course + Exam - $675 total. The $500 course purchase includes access for 90 days or until you take the exam, whichever happens first. This matters: if you buy the course but delay testing past 90 days, access ends regardless of whether you sat the exam.
For a line-by-line comparison of what each dollar buys, see CAC Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown. Because scheduling ties directly into that 90-day access window, it's worth checking CAC Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling before you pay for the course, not after.
Exam Format at a Glance
The CAC exam is 100 multiple-choice questions administered in a single 2 hour 30 minute block. There's no essay, no simulation, and no separately timed sections - it's one continuous testing window covering all eight domains in mixed order. Scoring is scaled, not raw: your result is reported somewhere on a 300-900 scale, and 664 is the cutoff to pass. That means missing a handful of questions in your strongest domain and a handful in your weakest domain doesn't automatically average out the way percentage-based exams do.
A full explanation of how the scaled score is calculated and what buffer to build in is covered in CAC Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass. If you're trying to gauge overall difficulty before committing to the course or the exam fee, How Hard Is the CAC Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 breaks down where most candidates lose points.
Key Takeaway
Treat the 2.5-hour window as roughly 1.5 minutes per question on average - but budget extra time for Behavior and Communication items, which tend to include longer scenario-based stems.
The 8 Domains, Ranked by Weight
Every CAC question maps to one of eight official content areas. Knowing the weight of each domain tells you exactly where your review hours should go. Ranked from highest to lowest percentage:
Domain 4: Behavior (18-22%)
The single largest domain. Expect scenario questions about responding to agitation, wandering, sundowning, and repetitive behaviors common in dementia care.
- Highest point value on the exam - prioritize this first
Domain 2: Communication (15-20%)
Covers verbal and nonverbal techniques for interacting with someone experiencing memory loss, including redirection language and family communication.
- Second-largest domain; pairs closely with Behavior scenarios
Domain 1: Knowledge of Disease (12-16%)
Foundational facts about dementia types, disease progression stages, and how symptoms evolve over time.
- Best studied early since other domains build on it
Domain 5: Activities (10-14%)
Focuses on structuring meaningful, appropriately-paced activities for people at different cognitive stages.
Domain 6: Health (5-10%)
General health maintenance topics relevant to dementia patients, including nutrition and comorbid condition awareness.
Domain 3: Patient Rights (5-8%)
Covers dignity, autonomy, and legal/ethical considerations in caregiving relationships.
Domain 8: Safety (4-6%)
Environmental safety, fall prevention, and emergency response in the caregiving setting.
Domain 7: Caregiver Needs (2-5%)
Smallest domain; addresses caregiver burnout, support resources, and self-care awareness.
For scenario examples and study tactics specific to each of these eight areas, the full breakdown is in CAC Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 8 Content Areas.
Eligibility Paths
NCBAC offers two distinct ways to qualify for the exam. Confirm which one applies to you before registering.
- Standard path: Age 18+, plus direct dementia-care experience of at least 15 hours per week for one full year (reduced to six months if you're a CNA, LPN, or RN), plus at least 25 hours of dementia-care training completed within the previous two years.
- Alternative path: Age 18+ plus participation in a Dementia Training/Apprenticeship Program - no separate hours-worked requirement listed.
The nursing-credential exception cutting the experience timeline in half is easy to miss on a first read of the handbook. Full detail on documentation and edge cases is available in CAC Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Remote Proctoring Checklist
NCBAC's current delivery model uses browser-based remote proctoring - no third-party software to install. Before test day, confirm each of these:
- Government-issued photo ID ready for verification
- Working camera (built-in or external)
- Reliable, stable internet connection
- Testing on a computer or Chromebook - phones and tablets are not supported
- Quiet, private space for the full 2.5-hour session
Because the format is browser-based rather than an installed application, most compatibility issues come from unsupported devices rather than software conflicts. Double-check your device category well before your scheduled window - switching hardware the morning of your exam is not a good position to be in.
Renewal & Continuing Education
Passing the exam isn't the end of the obligation. CAC certification renews annually for a $35 fee, and renewal requires six continuing-education hours completed within the certification period. Set a calendar reminder well ahead of your renewal date - lapses can complicate maintaining active certification status with employers who require it. Speaking of employers, if you're weighing whether the credential translates into hiring advantage or pay difference, review CAC Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis and Is the CAC Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 for the fuller picture, and CAC Jobs for where this credential shows up in job postings.
One-Week Review Plan
If you already studied the material and just need a final structured pass, this compact schedule allocates time by domain weight rather than treating all eight areas equally.
Behavior + Communication
- Drill scenario questions on agitation, wandering, and redirection language - these two domains alone can approach 40% of the exam
Knowledge of Disease + Activities
- Review dementia stages and progression, then pair with age/stage-appropriate activity planning
Health, Patient Rights, Safety
- Rapid-fire review of the three mid-weight domains together since each is under 10%
Caregiver Needs + Full Review
- Cover the smallest domain, then do one complete pass through all eight areas
Logistics + Rest
- Confirm ID, camera, internet, and device compatibility for remote proctoring; avoid new material
This is intentionally a compact review cycle, not a full study plan. If you're building your preparation from scratch, the CAC Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt lays out a longer-term approach, and running timed questions on our practice test platform is the fastest way to see which of the eight domains still need work before exam day.
Key Takeaway
Spend roughly proportional time to domain weight - Behavior and Communication combined deserve close to double the review time of Safety and Caregiver Needs combined.
FAQ
664 on a 300-900 scaled score range - it is not expressed as a percentage of the 100 questions.
The exam alone is $175. Adding the optional Caregiver Course brings the total to $675, with course access lasting 90 days or until you test, whichever comes first.
Behavior, at 18-22% of the exam, followed by Communication at 15-20%.
No. The remote-proctoring process supports computers and Chromebooks only; phones and tablets are not supported.
No, the course is optional. You can register for the $175 exam alone if you already meet the standard or alternative eligibility requirements.
For related terminology clarifications - including how this credential differs from other acronyms sharing the letters "CAC" - see What Is CAC?, CAC Meaning, and What Does CAC Stand For?. And once you're ready to test your recall against real exam-style questions, our practice tests mirror the domain weighting covered in this cheat sheet.