- What the Fall 2025 CAPE Results Actually Show
- First-Time vs. Repeat Candidate Performance
- Why CAPE Pass Rates Shift Between Administrations
- Which Domains Drive the Difference Between Passing and Failing
- Eligibility, the 40-Case Requirement, and How Preparation Affects Outcomes
- Building a Study Schedule Around the Data
- How the 400 Passing Score Relates to Pass-Rate Data
- What the Pass-Rate Data Means for Hiring
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Fall 2025 CAPE results: 85.8% overall (236/275), 88.6% first-time (225/254), 52.4% repeat (11/21).
- These figures are administration-specific, not an annual or lifetime CAPE pass rate.
- First-time candidates outperform repeat candidates by a wide margin, tied directly to preparation quality.
- CAPE requires a scaled score of 400 on a 120-480 criterion-referenced scale across 11 knowledge domains.
What the Fall 2025 CAPE Results Actually Show
The American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion (ABCP) publishes administration-level results for the Clinical Applications in Perfusion Examination (CAPE), the Part II exam required for Certified Clinical Perfusionist (CCP) credentialing. For the fall 2025 administration, ABCP reported an overall pass rate of 85.8% (236 of 275 candidates), a first-time candidate pass rate of 88.6% (225 of 254 candidates), and a repeat-candidate pass rate of 52.4% (11 of 21 candidates).
These numbers describe one testing window, not a rolling annual average or a lifetime pass rate for the credential. ABCP does not publish a single "2026 CAPE pass rate" because each administration is scored and reported independently using criterion-referenced standard setting rather than a fixed curve. Anyone searching for a 2026-specific figure should understand that the most recent verified data point available is the fall 2025 administration, and future administrations - including the fall 2026 window - will generate their own separate results once scored.
| Candidate Group | Passed / Total | Pass Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Overall (Fall 2025) | 236 / 275 | 85.8% |
| First-Time Candidates | 225 / 254 | 88.6% |
| Repeat Candidates | 11 / 21 | 52.4% |
First-Time vs. Repeat Candidate Performance
The gap between first-time and repeat performance in the fall 2025 data is the most instructive part of the release. First-time candidates passed at 88.6%, while repeat candidates passed at 52.4% - a difference of more than 36 percentage points. That gap didn't happen because repeat candidates are less qualified clinicians; it happened because a failed attempt often signals a gap in preparation depth for one or more of CAPE's 11 knowledge-base sections rather than a gap in bedside competence.
CAPE contains 200-230 scenario-based multiple-choice questions administered across 4 testing hours, with the exact count depending on how many clinical scenarios appear on a given form. Scenario-based questions test applied judgment, not recall, which means a candidate who "knows the material" in isolation can still struggle if they haven't practiced translating physiology and pharmacology into sequenced clinical decisions under a scenario stem. Retakes are unlimited, so a failed attempt is never a dead end - but the fall 2025 numbers suggest that retaking without changing the preparation approach carries real risk.
Key Takeaway
If you're retaking CAPE, don't simply re-read the same materials. Rebuild your review around scenario-style practice and targeted weak-domain drilling - the CAPE Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt walks through how to restructure a second attempt.
Why CAPE Pass Rates Shift Between Administrations
Several structural factors explain why pass-rate figures move from one CAPE administration to the next, independent of any change in exam "difficulty":
- Criterion-referenced scoring: CAPE uses a fixed passing score of 400 on a 120-480 scale rather than grading candidates against each other, so results reflect absolute mastery of content, not a bell curve forced onto each cohort.
- Variable question counts: Because the exam contains 200-230 questions depending on the clinical scenarios included, the difficulty mix can shift slightly between forms even when the underlying blueprint stays constant.
- Candidate pool composition: A single administration's pool includes both first-time candidates fresh out of accredited perfusion programs and repeat candidates working around a prior fail, and the ratio between those groups changes the overall blended rate.
- Documentation and eligibility timing: Candidates who rush the 40-case documentation process or schedule before their clinical-competency evidence is fully verified sometimes test before they're truly ready.
Because of these factors, the smarter question isn't "what will the 2026 pass rate be," but "what do the available first-time vs. repeat numbers tell me about how to prepare." For a broader look at what makes the exam challenging in the first place, see How Hard Is the CAPE Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.
Which Domains Drive the Difference Between Passing and Failing
The 2026 Examination Guidebook (version 1.5) organizes CAPE around 11 official knowledge-base sections. Candidates preparing for the fall 2026 window should treat each domain as a distinct study unit rather than one undifferentiated "perfusion exam."
Clinical Management
This domain tests real-time decision sequencing during bypass, weaning, and post-op transition - exactly the kind of applied judgment that scenario-based questions are built to probe.
- Prioritizing interventions when multiple physiologic parameters shift simultaneously
- Sequencing pump adjustments alongside anesthesia and surgical communication
Catastrophic Events & Device Failure
Low-frequency, high-stakes scenarios in this domain are disproportionately represented in failed attempts because they're easy to under-study relative to how often they appear on the exam.
- Air embolism, massive de-airing failures, and oxygenator failure protocols
- Correct sequencing of emergency response steps under time pressure
Special Patient Groups
Pediatric and complex-comorbidity cases require different circuit, flow, and temperature strategies than standard adult bypass, and questions here often combine two or three domains at once.
- Pediatric CPB circuit and priming differences
- ECMO and VAD management considerations for higher-risk populations
The remaining domains - Anatomy & Physiology, Pharmacology, Pathology, Laboratory Analysis, Quality Assurance, Devices & Equipment, Special Procedures/Special Techniques, and Monitoring - round out the blueprint and interlock heavily with the three above. A full domain-by-domain breakdown, including how each section tends to appear in scenario stems, is covered in CAPE Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 11 Content Areas.
Eligibility, the 40-Case Requirement, and How Preparation Affects Outcomes
Pass-rate data doesn't exist in a vacuum from eligibility mechanics. To sit for CAPE, candidates must graduate from an accredited perfusion program, submit required PBSE documentation and clinical-competency evidence, and log 40 independent qualifying primary clinical perfusion activities after graduation. The underlying educational clinical requirements include 70 primary cardiopulmonary bypass cases and 5 ECMO/VAD activities, plus 10 pediatric cardiopulmonary bypass cases that may be performed or observed - though only performed pediatric cases count toward the 40-case minimum.
A CAPE Promissory allows a candidate to apply before their 40-case record is fully complete, but it does not authorize test-center scheduling until all required documentation has been verified. Candidates who misunderstand this distinction sometimes assume they can lock in a test date before their case log and clinical evidence are finalized, which can create last-minute scheduling stress that undercuts final-week preparation. A clear picture of every eligibility component - including how the Promissory interacts with scheduling - is laid out in CAPE Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Building a Study Schedule Around the Data
The first-time vs. repeat gap in the fall 2025 numbers points to a practical conclusion: structured, domain-sequenced preparation outperforms unstructured review. A study plan built around CAPE's own blueprint - rather than a generic exam-prep template - should weight time toward the domains most likely to appear in multi-step scenario stems.
Foundational Domains
- Anatomy & Physiology, Pharmacology, and Pathology - the base layer every scenario question builds on
- Build quick-recall sheets for drug interactions and physiologic thresholds
Applied Clinical Domains
- Clinical Management, Devices & Equipment, and Monitoring, practiced through scenario-style questions rather than flashcards
- Time yourself against the 4-hour, 200-230 question format to build pacing awareness
High-Stakes and Special-Case Domains
- Catastrophic Events & Device Failure and Special Patient Groups - the domains most often under-reviewed before a repeat attempt
- Quality Assurance and Special Procedures/Special Techniques for full-blueprint coverage
Full-Length Simulation
- Run full-length timed practice sets under CAPE Exam Prep's practice test platform to rehearse the exact pacing and scenario format you'll face
- Review missed items by domain, not just by question number, to spot patterns before test day
How the 400 Passing Score Relates to Pass-Rate Data
CAPE uses criterion-referenced standard setting: candidates need a scaled score of 400 on a 120-480 range, regardless of how anyone else in the room performs. That's an important distinction from norm-referenced testing, because it means the fall 2025 pass rate wasn't set to produce a target percentage - it's simply how many candidates in that pool happened to clear the fixed 400 threshold given the content they encountered.
At the test center, candidates receive preliminary pass/fail results immediately, with official verified results following within six weeks. Beginning fall 2026, submitted question blocks cannot be reopened, so candidates need to complete their review of each block before submitting rather than planning to circle back later - a procedural change worth building into timed practice runs. On-screen calculator and whiteboard tools remain available throughout the exam. For a full breakdown of how the scaled score works and what a "passing" performance actually requires domain by domain, see CAPE Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
Key Takeaway
Because scoring is criterion-referenced, there's no fixed quota of passing candidates. Every point of preparation that gets you above 400 counts - pass-rate data reflects candidate readiness, not a curve you're competing against.
What the Pass-Rate Data Means for Hiring
Hospitals, cardiac surgery centers, and perfusion service groups that hire Certified Clinical Perfusionists treat CCP status - earned only after passing both PBSE and CAPE - as a baseline credentialing requirement for independent clinical practice. A visible first-time pass rate near 88.6% signals that most candidates entering the exam with completed accredited training and a verified 40-case record are well-positioned to succeed on the first attempt, which is part of why programs emphasize thorough case documentation before scheduling.
The repeat-candidate rate also matters to hiring timelines: a candidate awaiting a retake after a fall administration has a real gap before their next opportunity, which can affect start dates for perfusionist roles that require active CCP status. Understanding this dynamic - and how the exam fits into the broader cost and career picture - is covered in CAPE Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown and in the exam-date planning guide at CAPE Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling. Practicing under realistic, timed conditions ahead of your scheduled window remains one of the most direct ways to land in the first-time pass group rather than the repeat group - you can start that practice now at CAPE Exam Prep.
Frequently Asked Questions
The fall 2025 CAPE administration had an overall pass rate of 85.8% (236 of 275 candidates), with first-time candidates at 88.6% (225 of 254) and repeat candidates at 52.4% (11 of 21).
No single annual figure exists. ABCP reports results by administration, so the fall 2026 exam window (October 21-24) will generate its own pass-rate data once scored, separate from prior administrations.
Fall 2025 data shows a large gap between first-time (88.6%) and repeat (52.4%) pass rates, which typically reflects preparation gaps in specific knowledge-base domains rather than clinical skill differences.
Retakes are unlimited. Each attempt requires the standard $360 exam fee (plus any applicable late surcharge), so candidates should plan financially and strategically before scheduling a retake.
Not necessarily. CAPE uses criterion-referenced scoring against a fixed 400-point threshold, so administration-to
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