Effective November 7, 2025, anyone applying for a new Virginia DBHDS Priority (Level) 1 or 2 service must complete the Initial Applicant Orientation and pass a proctored Comprehensive Knowledge Exam with a score of 85% or higher — before beginning the license application. Skip it, and your application is not reviewed on the priority timeline; it moves to the non-priority waitlist until DBHDS receives proof that you finished.
In plain terms: this exam is the gate between a new provider and the fast lane. And because it is offered only monthly with limited seats, a failed attempt can cost weeks of lost time before you can even submit your application.
Questions
25 (multiple choice + true/false)
Passing score
85% (at least 22 of 25)
Time
90 minutes, one sitting
Proctoring
Virtual, via Microsoft Teams (camera on)
Frequency
Monthly, limited seats, retake allowed
Delivered on
State TRAIN LMS (train.org/virginia)
New to the whole process? See our step-by-step guide to becoming a DD Waiver provider in Virginia.
The exam draws from the full DBHDS Office of Licensing domain. You do not need to memorize regulation numbers, but you should know the core ideas in each area:
At 25 questions with an 85% cutoff, you can miss only three. The applicants who pass on the first try do two things: they actually work through all 16 orientation modules (not the night before), and they practice under real conditions — a full-length run of questions in the same format the state uses.
Our independent prep course mirrors the real exam: a full-length 25-question practice exam, a 40-question drill bank across all 16 domains, and a plain-English rationale on every answer — so your one scheduled sitting is the only one you need. Start a free trial to see it.
DSPlife™ TrainingHub is an independent study aid and is not affiliated with, authorized by, or endorsed by DBHDS. Always confirm current requirements at dbhds.virginia.gov.
It is a proctored exam that new applicants for a Virginia DBHDS Priority (Level) 1 or 2 service must pass as part of the Initial Applicant Orientation. Effective November 7, 2025, you must complete the orientation and pass this exam before your license application is reviewed on the priority timeline.
You need 85% or higher. The exam is 25 questions (multiple choice and true/false), taken in a single 90-minute sitting, and it is scored automatically at completion.
Any new applicant for a Priority (Level) 1 or 2 service. At least one participant from the applying organization must be the Owner and/or the Main Authorized Contact (MAC).
You can register to retake it at a later date. Because the exam is offered monthly with limited seats, a retake can delay your application by weeks, so first-try preparation matters.
An application submitted for a Priority 1 or 2 service without completing the orientation and exam is not reviewed on the priority timeline. It is placed on the waitlist with non-priority services until proof of completion is received.
The 16 orientation modules are delivered on the state TRAIN Learning Management System (train.org/virginia). The exam is proctored virtually through Microsoft Teams, with your camera on and no outside materials.
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