The CRCST certification program is designed to recognize entry-level and existing technicians who have demonstrated the experience, knowledge and skills necessary to provide competent services as an SP technician. CRCSTs are integral members of the healthcare team who are responsible for decontaminating, inspecting, assembling, disassembling, packaging and sterilizing reusable surgical instruments or devices in a healthcare facility. While the CRCST program is based on US practice and standards, it is in harmony with international ISO standards and open to all candidates in the US and abroad who meet the eligibility requirements.
The CRCST certification is accredited by both the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB), and the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).
In addition to passing the certification exam, 400 hours of hands-on experience are required in order to obtain CRCST status. To apply for the CRCST examination, you must satisfy the requirements of one of the following options:
Firsthand experience is essential to supplement an individual’s understanding of Sterile Processing knowledge and concepts and to illustrate their practical use.
Documentation of the completed hours of hands-on experience must be submitted to HSPA prior to the six-month expiration date. Failure to submit these hours within this designated time frame will result in a forfeiture of your Provisional CRCST certification, and you will need to reapply for the certification exam. Those who submit the satisfactory hours within the required time frame will be provided full CRCST certification.
This course is offered through Purdue University. It is NOT an HSPA product. It is preparation for the exam only, and passing a course does not equate to Certification.
How many hours of hands-on experience are required?
400 hours of experience must be completed in a Sterile Processing department (SPD), on a paid or volunteer basis. These hours can be completed before testing or within six months of passing the exam (see options above). Hands-on experience provides an invaluable resource with which to better understand the standards, knowledge, and practices needed to be successful in an SPD and on the exam. These hours are broken down into the following areas of experience:
Please be aware that HSPA does NOT provide placement services. It is your responsibility to find a department in which to complete your hours.
If you are unsure whether your department is authorized to sign off on your hours, please complete our form request using the button below:
What is the rationale for requiring these hours?
HSPA believes that both training and experience for entry into practice contribute to the delivery of quality patient care. The rationale for the experience requirement of the Sterile Processing (SP) role is consistent with the most recent job analysis conducted, where 80% of the work of the SP is hands-on experience in a hospital setting. The 400 hours requirement affirms the need for a minimum of 10 weeks (400 hours) of experience.
The experience component, which is divided into six areas of hands-on work, is based on industry and Subject Matter Expert surveys and recommendations and demonstrates an applicant’s practical understanding and application of the knowledge assessed on the certification exam. The hands-on experience requirement represents the largest domain in the recent job analysis for SP technicians. The categories of experience, the tasks that comprise them, and the percentage of time required for each were calculated through an industry-wide job task analysis.
How do I submit my hours if I tested for Provisional CRCST?
If you tested as a Provisional CRCST, you may submit your hours of experience using the Provisional Certification Authentication Form below:
PROVISIONAL CERTIFICATION AUTHENTICATION FORM
(!) Failure to submit these hours within this designated time frame will result in a forfeiture of your Provisional CRCST certification and successful completion of a retake exam will be required. A one-time, 2-month extension is available to those who are currently working or volunteering within a SPD and approaching the end of their 6 month provisional period. An extension request must be made prior to the expiration of your provisional status, by the supervisor of the department in which you are completing your hours.
Hands-on experience is required for your examination, and documentation of that experience must be provided on the exam application as indicated. No other documentation is necessary or acceptable.
The sections of your application documenting your experience must be completed by your department’s immediate manager/supervisor. An individual may never document their own experience.
Provided they are in a position above your own then experience hours can be documented by:
Hours cannot be documented by technicians or private instructors. In order to verify experience, all contact information provided for the manager or supervisor documenting your hours must be current or your application will be rejected.
Hands-on hours can be accumulated on a paid or volunteer basis and you need not be currently employed or volunteering with a facility in order to test.
Applications requiring hands-on experience may be subject to verification before processing. Once selected for verification an application cannot be processed further until the manager/supervisor documenting the applicant’s hours of experience can be contacted and the experience confirmed. If the listed manager/supervisor cannot be reached for confirmation the application will be returned, unprocessed. If the manager/supervisor is reached but refutes the information submitted in any way, the application will be sent to the Certification Council for further investigation and review.
Applicants who have submitted a completed application and who are notified that they do not meet the eligibility requirements may appeal this decision by sending a written notice of the appeal to the Certification Council within 30 days of the time stamp on the eligibility decision. Appeals that cannot be resolved to the applicant’s satisfaction will be forwarded by the Certification Manager to the Certification Council for review along with any relevant information from the initial review of the application. Written notice of the final decision will be sent to the applicant within 30 days of the review. The decision of the Certification Council will be final.
Option 1: Online/Distance Learning Course
Purdue University offers an online or by mail course designed to help prepare individuals for the CRCST exam. You can find out more about the course by calling Purdue at 800.830.0269 or visiting their website.(!)
Option 2: Self-Study
You may purchase reference materials and choose to study on your own to prepare for the CRCST exam. For the current exam, you may utilize the SP Technical Manual, 9th Ed (2023). This text, along with ANSI/AAMI’s ST79 (2017), and AORN’s Guidelines for Perioperative Practice (2023), were used for reference in creating the CRCST exam. You can order these publications through myhspa.org and aornstandards.org (!)
Option 3: Work Experience
You may take the exam based on your personal knowledge from experience in the field. It is not required that you take or pass a preparatory course or purchase study materials on your own. Applicants can apply directly to take the exam without purchasing study materials or enrolling in a course.
Note:
Exam Content Outline
The CRCST exam will test your proficiency in the following areas:
Each of the seven knowledge domains listed above is comprised of a series of sub-domains which are explained in further detail in the CRCST Exam Content Outline (updated November, 2023). The Content Outline also describes further detail on the type and amount of content covered in each section, as well as its weight on the certification exam.
Exam Structure
Validate that you meet the eligibility requirements detailed above and in the HSPA CERTIFICATION HANDBOOK and apply today.
Application fees include the application processing and one exam attempt (in-person at a Prometric Testing Facility). Additional fees are required for each exam retake, as shown above. Please allow 3-4 weeks for processing.
*Any requests for cancellations or refunds must be made within 30 days of payment. If made within 30 days, your payment will be refunded in full, minus a $25 non-refundable application fee.
