Eligibility inquiry required fields complete
Preferred100%
Watch95.0–99.9%
Review< 95.0%
The mechanics, end to end
How to Apply
What happens, in what order, with what documents — from the free eligibility inquiry through your first day in the applicant portal.
Continuous application intake. Applications are accepted year-round. Begin with the no-fee eligibility and scope review; eligible organizations then proceed through agreement, evidence submission, technical review and independent decision using the CHSPS applicant workflow.
CHSPS applicant journeyContinuous intake
Application sequence
1
Eligibility inquiryFree fit-and-scope review before any paid application begins.
2
Scope & agreementCHSPS confirms pathway, scope, timing and the required legal documents.
3
Portal self-studyYour team uploads mapped evidence against CORE-100 and the pathway standards.
4
Review schedulingTechnical review, clarifications and decision routing are then placed on the calendar.
Primary documentsInquiry summary, governance basics, scope statement, contact roster
Response targetWritten fit response targeted within 10 business days after a complete inquiry
Process visual for orientation. Applications are accepted year-round; formal evidence submission begins after eligibility, scope confirmation and execution of the applicant agreement.
The universal CHSPS journey
Seven stages from first inquiry to public verification
Every pathway follows the same sequence. This page covers how to start it.
- 01
Free Eligibility Review
Do we fit a CHSPS pathway? Free, about 5 minutes.
- Free until eligibility is confirmed
- Nothing to pay until an agreement is signed
Step 1 is free. Typical time to decision (planning targets, from application):
- Course Accreditation (COURSE): About 6–12 weeks
- Education Provider Accreditation (EDP): About 3–6 months
- Certification Program Accreditation (CERT): About 4–9 months
- Assessment-Based Certificate & Micro-Credential Accreditation (ABC): About 6–12 weeks
- Other pathways (WBL and specialty accreditation): stated in writing at scope confirmation
- 02
Scope & Agreement
What exactly will CHSPS review and what will it cost?
- 03
Self-Study & Evidence
What do we need to demonstrate?
- 04
Technical Review
Qualified conflict-screened reviewers evaluate evidence.
- 05
Findings & Corrective Action
Address any identified gaps.
- 06
Independent Decision
A separate committee makes the final decision.
- 07
Public Verification & Maintenance
Accreditation becomes publicly verifiable and enters maintenance.
Start with fit, not paperwork
The eligibility inquiry is deliberately short.
The first step is designed to answer one question: does the organization and activity appear to belong in a CHSPS pathway, and is there enough operating maturity to make formal review useful?
1. Tell us what you operate
Identify the legal organization and the certification program, education-provider system, course, assessment-based credential, specialty system, add-on, supplement, scope module or Certified System you want reviewed. For a portfolio, list every scope so CHSPS can recommend a coordinated structure.
2. Describe current operations
Provide a concise picture of governance, operating history, approximate activity volume, the relevant assessment, education, service or technology model, and whether core policies and records already exist.
3. Receive a written fit response
CHSPS returns a preliminary pathway and scope determination, identifies obvious threshold gaps, and explains the next step. The inquiry carries no fee and creates no applicant or accredited status.
What to have ready
A small amount of information is enough for the first review.
- Legal organization name and primary contact
- Program or activity name and intended scope
- Short description of what is certified, taught, administered or operated
- Approximate launch date and operating history
- Delivery model, assessment model or education format
- High-level governance and decision responsibility
- Any special risks such as remote testing, AI, medication safety or high-risk workforce competence
Do not upload sensitive evidence yet
The inquiry is not the evidence portal.
Do not send candidate records, protected health information, secure examination content, item-bank exports, confidential client data or other sensitive evidence through the public inquiry form. Formal evidence is submitted only through the secure applicant workflow after eligibility and scope confirmation.
Continuous formal intake
First four steps before technical review
Scope
Scope confirmation
CHSPS confirms the pathway, accredited scope and any coordinated portfolio structure in writing.
Terms
Agreement & fees
The execution-ready agreement and effective fee schedule are provided before payment or formal evidence submission.
Workspace
Portal activation
The organization receives its application identifier, account permissions, self-assessment structure and evidence workspace.
Control
Conflict screening
Reviewer assignment proceeds only after qualifications and conflicts are screened under the published reviewer rules.
Important: CHSPS education may explain requirements and demonstrate general evidence methods, but it does not pre-approve applicant documents, predict an accreditation outcome or substitute consulting for independent review.
CHSPS reference criteria
Quantitative operating targets for this function
These CHSPS reference criteria define the current operating and interpretation ranges for this function. They support consistent review and quality monitoring without replacing clause-level professional judgment.
Scope confirmed before paid intake
Preferred100%
Watch98.0–99.9%
Review< 98.0%
Applicant agreement executed before evidence upload
Preferred100%
Watch98.0–99.9%
Review< 98.0%
Named applicant coordinator assigned
Preferred100%
Watch98.0–99.9%
Review< 98.0%