Certification Program Accreditation: Processes & Resources
Everything an applicant needs for this pathway in one place — how to start, what is reviewed, the cycle, the decisions, and every resource CHSPS publishes.
What the pathway package covers
Four steps before you apply
Self-assess
Work through every applicable clause in the Self-Assessment & Evidence Workbook (Word) or the interactive tool. For your own planning — never submitted, never scored.
Read the standards
Review CHSPS-CORE-100 plus your program standards (Edition 2026.1, published as a controlled standard). The application asks for a written explanation and supporting evidence for each clause.
Learn free
Watch a free CHSPS webinar or browse the education catalog. Optional, and never a factor in decisions.
Confirm eligibility
Request the free eligibility inquiry for a written determination of pathway and scope before any fee.
Who this pathway reviews
Organizations granting board, professional or specialty certification on demonstrated competence — evaluated across scheme governance, practice analysis, assessment development, psychometric quality, standard setting, administration, security, identity, decisions, recertification and AI governance.
Requirements: CHSPS-CORE-100 (all 12 Core domains) plus CHSPS-CERT-200. Eligibility thresholds and the three written eligibility outcomes are published on the Eligibility Policy page.
Evidence this pathway is designed to examine
- Certification scheme documents: scope, eligibility, decision rules, renewal requirements
- Current job/practice analysis with re-validation cycle
- Assessment blueprint and item-development procedures (no secure items in the application)
- Standard-setting study and psychometric monitoring records
- Examination security plan, identity-verification controls, incident logs
- Certification decision records and separation-from-sales controls
- Recertification requirements and verification records
- Where AI/automated systems are used: validation, oversight and bias-review documentation
Formats, naming, redaction and confidentiality rules: Evidence & Documentation Requirements and CHSPS-ACC-104.
Application cycle & service standards
| Milestone | Schedule |
|---|---|
| Application intake | Open year-round. Complete applications enter review as received after eligibility and scope confirmation. |
| Administrative completeness check | Target: within 5 business days of submission |
| Technical review | Planning range: 3–6 weeks of active review after administrative completeness, depending on scope, evidence readiness and corrective-action needs; this is not a guaranteed completion date |
| Decision Committee sessions | Monthly; target: decision issued within 15 business days after completed technical review |
| Eligibility inquiries (available now) | Rolling and free; CHSPS targets a written outcome within 10 business days after a complete inquiry |
Formal applications are accepted continuously following eligibility and scope confirmation. Applicant agreements, evidence submission and technical review proceed through the CHSPS applicant workflow under the applicable controlled standards and policies.
Review & accreditation decisions
Conflict-screened reviewers assess each clause using the published findings taxonomy; the independent Decision Committee then issues one of four published decisions: Accredited, Accredited — Compliance Report Required, Deferred, or Denied — each with written reasons and reconsideration and appeal rights. Accreditation on this pathway runs a 5-year term.
Maintaining & renewing
Accredited organizations file the applicable annual report, notify CHSPS of material changes before implementation when practicable, and renew against the standards current at renewal. CHSPS recommends beginning about 6 months before expiration; a complete renewal submission and required fee received at least 90 calendar days before expiration is timely. Full rules: Maintaining Accreditation.
Flagship pathway note: full accreditation on this pathway is decided on operational evidence — candidate activity, decisions and controlled records. Pre-operational programs should start with the free eligibility inquiry for a written gap determination.