- Does Breining Publish an Exact Passing Score?
- RAS II vs. the ACE: What You Actually Sit For
- Eligibility Routes That Get You to Test Day
- Domain Mastery Is the Real Passing Standard
- Exam Logistics That Affect Your Score
- Fees and What They Buy You
- Building a Domain-by-Domain Study Plan
- After You Pass: Renewal and the RAS II Upgrade
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Breining Institute does not publish a numeric cutoff score for the ACE - readiness is measured by mastery across all 32 domains.
- RAS II is an advanced credential layered onto RAS status; existing RAS holders do not retake the ACE to upgrade.
- The ACE is taken online from your own device, requires a current photo, and must be completed within one month of requesting it.
- Total first-time cost is USD 250 - USD 175 for the ACE plus USD 75 for the RAS application, with no membership dues.
Does Breining Publish an Exact Passing Score?
If you're searching for a single number - "you need 72% to pass" or "the cut score is 480" - that specific figure is not published by Breining Institute for the Addiction Counselor Exam (ACE), the qualifying examination on the RAS career track. This surprises candidates who are used to credentialing bodies that release exact cut scores, scaled score ranges, or percentile breakdowns.
Instead of chasing a phantom number, the smarter approach is to treat "passing" as a function of demonstrated competency across Breining's 32 content-area domains. That's not a dodge - it's how the exam is actually built. The ACE draws its structure directly from Breining's own content-area headings, and your job is to be solidly prepared in each one, not to reverse-engineer a score threshold that isn't publicly disclosed.
RAS II vs. the ACE: What You Actually Sit For
A common point of confusion is assuming "RAS II" refers to a separate, harder exam you take after RAS. It doesn't. RAS II is an advanced credential on the same career track, not a distinct Level II examination. If you already hold RAS status and later qualify for RAS II through additional education and clinical experience, you do not retake the ACE to upgrade.
The ACE itself is the qualifying exam that stands between an applicant and any registration on this ladder. Understanding this relationship matters for how you plan your "passing score" strategy - your entire preparation effort is concentrated on one exam event, the ACE, not a tiered series of increasingly difficult tests. For a deeper explanation of how the credential levels relate to one another, the RAS II Certification overview and What Is RAS II? pages both unpack this structure in plain language.
Key Takeaway
Focus your entire preparation cycle on passing the ACE once, thoroughly. There is no second, harder "Level II exam" waiting after it.
Eligibility Routes That Get You to Test Day
Before a passing score even becomes relevant, you need to qualify to sit for the exam. RAS II eligibility runs through one of three documented routes:
- An AA degree in the healing arts/sciences plus three years of clinical experience
- 450 formal alcohol-and-other-drug education hours plus five years of clinical experience
- Seven years of clinical experience plus at least 155 education hours
All applicants also need an underlying recognized healthcare-professional license or certification, and clinical experience must be documented - this isn't a self-attestation process. Entry-level RAS, by contrast, requires only 155 formal education hours and one year (2,000 hours) of clinical experience, which is why RAS II candidates typically arrive at the exam with considerably more field exposure to draw on when answering scenario-based questions.
If you're still mapping out which route fits your background, the RAS II Requirements 2026 guide walks through each pathway with the documentation you'll need to submit.
Domain Mastery Is the Real Passing Standard
Since there's no published numeric cutoff, your practical "passing score" is even coverage across all 32 domains rather than deep expertise in a few favorites. Breining's content areas span clinical counseling skill, pharmacology, ethics, and specialized population knowledge - and gaps in any one area are exactly what sink otherwise well-prepared candidates.
Domain 10: Physiology and Pharmacology of Addiction / Co-occurring Disorders / PTSD
This domain blends hard science with clinical judgment - expect questions that connect drug mechanisms to counseling decisions.
- Understand how co-occurring disorders and PTSD alter treatment planning
- Be able to distinguish physiological withdrawal patterns across substance classes
Domain 30: Laws, Ethics and Confidentiality
Ethics and confidentiality questions frequently hinge on scenario judgment rather than pure recall.
- Know how confidentiality obligations interact with mandated reporting
- Review boundary and dual-relationship scenarios common in counseling practice
Domain 19: Dual Diagnosis
Dual diagnosis questions test whether you can integrate mental health and substance-use frameworks simultaneously.
- Practice identifying which condition to prioritize in treatment sequencing
- Study how relapse risk changes when a co-occurring disorder is present
These three are illustrative, not exhaustive - the full list runs from Domain 1: History and Overview through Domain 32: Standards for Counselor Competency and Assessment Methods, and every one of them is fair game. A structured walkthrough of all 32 content areas, including how the less-obvious domains like Domain 16: Gambling Disorders or Domain 17: Sexual Addiction tend to show up, is available in the RAS II Exam Domains 2026 guide.
Exam Logistics That Affect Your Score
Passing isn't only about content knowledge - logistics can quietly hurt your performance if you're unprepared for them. The ACE is delivered online from your own device, so a stable setup matters as much as your study notes.
- You must submit a current candidate photo as part of the exam request
- The exam must be taken within one month of requesting it - don't request access before you're genuinely ready
- Rescheduling requires at least 24 hours' notice, so build buffer time into your calendar rather than requesting last-minute
Because the one-month window starts the moment you request the exam, treat that request as the final step of your preparation, not an early formality. Candidates who request too soon often find themselves rushing their review of later domains just to beat the deadline. If you want a sense of how this timing fits into a broader annual planning calendar, check the RAS II Exam Dates 2026 breakdown.
Fees and What They Buy You
Understanding the fee structure helps you plan financially and avoid surprises around what's included.
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ACE exam fee | USD 175 | Covers the qualifying exam itself |
| RAS application fee | USD 75 | Separate from the exam fee |
| Total first-time cost | USD 250 | No membership dues on top |
| On-time renewal (standard) | USD 275 | Every two years |
| On-time renewal (with CE discount) | USD 225 | Requires qualifying continuing-education hours |
A full pricing breakdown, including how the RAS II upgrade fits into renewal cycles with no additional upgrade fee, is available in the RAS II Certification Cost 2026 article.
Building a Domain-by-Domain Study Plan
With 32 domains and no published cut score to reverse-engineer, the most reliable strategy is time-boxing your review so every domain gets dedicated attention before your one-month exam window opens.
Foundational and Clinical Domains
- Domains 1-9: history, programs, family systems, human development, cultural considerations, prevention, intervention, EAPs, and the Twelve Steps
- Read the relevant chapters in The Addiction Professional, fourth edition, alongside TAP 21
Clinical Specialty Domains
- Domains 10-19: pharmacology, illicit drug use, medical/holistic treatment, communicable diseases, nicotine, eating disorders, gambling, sexual addiction, codependency, dual diagnosis
- Cross-reference The MAT Counselor for medication-assisted treatment questions
Counseling Practice Domains
- Domains 20-29: counselor role, individual/group/family/adolescent counseling, personal and professional growth, relapse and burnout, therapeutic approaches, assertiveness
- Work through Breining's tutorial videos, checking the edition-update notes for any changes
Ethics, Standards, and Final Review
- Domains 30-32: laws/ethics/confidentiality, sexual harassment prevention, counselor competency standards
- Run full-length practice sessions on the RAS II practice test platform to simulate the online exam experience before requesting your ACE date
This isn't a generic six-week template - it's sequenced to match the order and grouping of Breining's own 32 domains, so nothing gets left for a last-minute cram. If six weeks doesn't fit your schedule, compress or extend each block proportionally rather than skipping domains outright.
After You Pass: Renewal and the RAS II Upgrade
Passing the ACE and completing your RAS application is only the starting line. Renewal happens every two years and requires 30 continuing-education hours. On-time renewal costs USD 275 standard, or USD 225 if you qualify for the continuing-education discount - a meaningful incentive to actually log your CE hours rather than let them lapse.
If your background later qualifies you for the RAS II upgrade through one of the eligibility routes described earlier, that upgrade carries no additional upgrade fee when processed during a qualifying renewal cycle. This is one of the more overlooked facts about the credential: there's no separate "Level II exam fee" because there's no separate Level II exam - the ACE you passed the first time remains your qualifying exam for the entire RAS career track.
For a broader look at whether the ongoing renewal commitment and career trajectory make the credential worthwhile for your situation, see Is the RAS II Certification Worth It? and the RAS II Salary Guide 2026. If you're evaluating job prospects tied to the credential, the RAS II Jobs overview is a useful companion read.
Frequently Asked Questions
Breining Institute does not publish a specific numeric cut score for the ACE. Preparation should focus on demonstrating consistent competency across all 32 domains rather than targeting a disclosed percentage.
No. RAS II is an advanced credential layered onto the same career track, not a separate Level II examination. Existing RAS holders do not retake the ACE when they qualify for RAS II.
The ACE exam fee is USD 175 and the RAS application fee is USD 75, for a total of USD 250, with no membership dues added on top.
You must take the ACE within one month of requesting it, and any rescheduling requires at least 24 hours' notice. A current candidate photo is also required at the time of the exam request.
Official preparation resources include The Addiction Professional, fourth edition (2022), TAP 21, The MAT Counselor, and Breining's tutorial videos - be sure to review any edition-update notes that accompany the tutorials before test day.
Chasing an unpublished cut score is a distraction from what actually determines success on the ACE: even, verifiable coverage of all 32 Breining domains, familiarity with the online exam format, and disciplined use of the official prep materials. Build your review around that structure, run timed sessions on a full-length RAS II practice test, and you'll walk into your one-month testing window with a real answer to "am I ready" - not a guessed-at score target.