What is EBPHI?
EBPHI is the Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors, the group that writes and maintains the National Home Inspector Examination (NHIE). It is run by a volunteer board, it is not a membership association, and it does not train inspectors.
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What EBPHI does
EBPHI says its one purpose is to develop and maintain high stakes exams for the real estate inspection profession, and to push for high standards in it. The NHIE is its exam. EBPHI sets the content outline, writes the questions, and sets the passing point for each version.
EBPHI says it is accredited as a producer of exams, and that the NHIE itself is accredited.
Why it is not a membership group
EBPHI argues that an association with dues-paying members, or a company selling training, has a conflict of interest in writing a test meant to protect the public. That is why it takes no members. It is also why the NHIE is not written to any one association's standards of practice. Each association has its own.
What EBPHI offers candidates
| Item | What it is |
|---|---|
| The NHIE | 200 questions in 4 hours, $225 in most states |
| Two manuals | The NHIE Home Inspection Manual |
| Practice quizzes | Sold one take per purchase: a 50 question Whole House quiz and 25 question quizzes |
| Inspector database | A listing for people who passed the NHIE |
| Scholarships | An application on its website |
EBPHI no longer offers a free online sample test. For free practice by topic, see NHIE practice questions.
Where EBPHI's exam counts
EBPHI's FAQ says the NHIE is used in 35 states. Our own table, checked against each state's law, finds 33 states where the NHIE counts toward the license: 26 that require it and 7 that accept it among other exams. Laws change, so the count moves. See license requirements by state.
- NHIE required
- NHIE accepted
- State exam only
- License, no exam
- No state license
- Adds a state section
Each square opens that state's page.
Some associations also ask for the NHIE, ASHI's top title among them. See which associations require the NHIE. EBPHI's own site is nationalhomeinspectorexam.org.
Questions people ask
Is EBPHI the same as ASHI or InterNACHI?
No. ASHI and InterNACHI are membership associations. EBPHI says it is not a membership organization and that it exists to develop and maintain exams for the inspection profession.
Does EBPHI give the exam itself?
EBPHI writes it. A test vendor gives it: PSI in most states, and a state's own contracted vendor in a few, such as Florida, Illinois, and Washington.
Does EBPHI approve any prep course?
No. EBPHI says it does not review or endorse training programs, and it tells candidates to compare any course to the NHIE content outline.
How do I contact EBPHI?
Its candidate packet gives info@homeinspectionexam.org for problems at the exam, and its website lists a Tallahassee, Florida office.
See where you stand
Take a free 200 question practice exam, weighted like the NHIE, with your score by task.
Not ready for that yet? Get the free NHIE study guide, a printable checklist of all 19 outline tasks, by email.
More NHIE guides
- What is the NHIE pass rate?
- How hard is the NHIE?
- What score do you need to pass the NHIE?
- NHIE domain weights and content outline
- How to study for the NHIE
- How do you study HVAC, electrical, and plumbing for the NHIE?
- How to pass the NHIE
- What to do after you fail the NHIE
- Why do people score high on NHIE practice tests and still fail?
- NHIE exam prep options compared
- Free NHIE practice tests compared
- Free NHIE study guide
- Free NHIE practice test PDF
- How to register for the NHIE
- NHIE exam day: cost, scheduling, and what to bring
- Can you get extra time or other accommodations on the NHIE?
- Is there a state exam for home inspectors?
- The NHIE Home Inspection Manual
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