Board & professional certification programs
Boards, specialty certification programs and independent credentialing organizations.
Flagship accreditation pathway · CHSPS-CERT
Certification Program Accreditation
At a glance
- Total to get accredited
- $6,500first certification program, all-in; includes the $1,500 application fee
- Every year after
- $1,800annual accreditation fee
- Typical time to decision
- About 4–9 monthsplanning target, application to decision
- Accreditation term
- 5 years
Eligibility review is free. You pay nothing until eligibility is confirmed and an agreement is signed.
Independent evaluation of certification programs against published CHSPS requirements, providing evidence of conformity for governance, assessment, renewal and related controls within the approved scope.
CERT requirements, explained in plain language →
501(c)(3) nonprofit · Standards published · Independent decision · Publicly verifiable
Total cost
Standard: CORE-100 + CERT-200 · Term: 5 years · Fee Schedule 2026.1What a typical applicant pays$6,500initial review for one certification program, all-in$6,500 total · staged: includes the $1,500 application fee. No other fee is required to reach a decision.
How long it takes≈ 4–9 monthsPlanning target, application to decision. Your scope and how quickly findings are answered set the actual pace.
- To get accredited
- Eligibility reviewFreeBefore anything else
- Application fee$1,500When you sign the applicant agreement; counts toward the $6,500
- Review balance$5,000When you submit your evidence for technical review
- To keep it
- Annual accreditation fee$1,800Each anniversary, only if accreditation is awarded
- Re-accreditation review$4,500Every 5 years
- Only if it applies
- Each additional certification program$2,500Same organization
- On-site visit travelAt costOnly if a visit is required; virtual review is the default
Optional, not required: Independent Accreditation Readiness Review, $1,500, and CHSPS readiness education. Neither is needed to apply, and neither affects the decision.
Eligibility review is free. You pay nothing until eligibility is confirmed and an agreement is signed.Full CERT fee table →
Fit and next steps
Who it’s for, and how it works
A good fit
- Certification bodies and boards that award professional or specialty certifications
- Organizations responsible for the exams, item banks, scoring and standard setting behind a credential
- Credentials already operating with real candidates
Not the right fit
- One course or training offering — see Course Accreditation
- A certificate earned by passing one defined assessment of learning outcomes — see ABC
- A credential that is still a launch plan — eligibility needs operating evidence, not plans
- Free eligibility reviewAbout 5 minutes to submit. CHSPS sends a written outcome, targeted within 10 business days after a complete inquiry.
- Scope & agreementCHSPS confirms the scope in writing. You sign the applicant agreement and pay the $1,500 application fee, credited toward the $6,500 total.
- Evidence & technical reviewYou submit evidence and the $5,000 review balance. Conflict-screened reviewers evaluate it, and you can answer any findings.
- Independent decisionA separate committee makes the decision, and accredited scope becomes publicly verifiable. Planning target: about 4–9 months from application to decision.
Step 1 · Confirm fit
Programs that certify people, not just teach them
For organizations that build and operate professional certification programs across healthcare and other critical sectors. CHSPS accredits the system that governs and delivers the credential — not the individuals who hold it.
If a credential is awarded primarily for completing education rather than demonstrating competence, see Course Accreditation.
Step 2 · Define the scope
Know exactly what CERT accreditation covers.
Professional certification programs that assess and make decisions about individual competence.
The defined certification program
The governance, assessment, candidate-rights, security, certification-decision and continuing-competence system for the defined certification program.
No blanket organizational claim
The organization as a whole, a training course, or individual certificants.
Scope is explicit and verifiable
A defined certification program, or a clearly governed family of certification programs when CHSPS approves a combined scope.
Published Standard 2026.1
Effective August 19, 2026. Continuous eligibility intake. Formal application is available after written eligibility and scope confirmation. Term: 5 years.
Standard stack: CHSPS-CORE-100 + CHSPS-CERT-200. Inquiry, application, preparation, payment or review activity is not accredited status. Only a final CHSPS decision and current official verification record establish accredited status.
Step 3 · Understand the review
What reviewers evaluate
CHSPS-CORE-100 and all fifteen CERT-200 domains apply at full depth. These six areas summarize the evidence most central to a defensible certification program.
Governance & independence
Who controls the credential, how conflicts are managed, and whether certification decisions are insulated from sales.
Job/practice analysis
Whether exam content traces to a current, documented analysis of what competent practice actually requires.
Assessment defensibility
Item development, standard setting, scoring, reliability and comparability across forms and administrations.
Security & identity
Content protection, identity verification proportionate to stakes, and documented breach response.
Candidate rights
Transparent eligibility, accommodations, retakes, appeals and honest public claims about the credential.
Recertification
Whether renewal genuinely maintains competence — not just collects fees.
See if your program qualifies.The eligibility review is free and takes about 5 minutes. You pay nothing until eligibility is confirmed and an agreement is signed.
Check eligibility — freeStep 4 · Check readiness
Eligibility before fees
- A legally established organization operates the program
- The credential is operating with real candidates — full accreditation is decided on operational evidence, not launch plans
- A documented assessment of competence exists — not attendance alone
- Policies exist for eligibility, security, appeals and renewal (drafts acceptable at eligibility stage)
- Leadership commits to hosting the review and remedying findings
Full thresholds and written eligibility outcomes: Eligibility Policy.
Unsure on any point? That is exactly what the free eligibility inquiry resolves. You do not need to decide whether to pay for a formal review before CHSPS confirms the pathway and scope in writing.
CERT fee sequence
Start free. Pay only as the review progresses.
- Eligibility review
- $0Start here · no obligation
- Application fee
- $1,500After scope confirmation and a signed applicant agreement
- Review balance
- $5,000When evidence is submitted for technical review
- Total initial review
- $6,500The $1,500 application fee is included in this total
Annual accreditation fee: $1,800, beginning only if accreditation is awarded. View the complete CERT fee table →
Planning target & term
Approximately 4–9 months from application to decision, depending on scope, findings and applicant response time. Accreditation term: 5 years, with annual reporting and material-change notification.
Step 5 · Know the workflow
Your CERT accreditation journey
One transparent seven-stage sequence from free eligibility through public verification. No accreditation decision is made by the same people who provide applicant support.
- 01
Free eligibility review
CHSPS confirms whether CERT is the right pathway and identifies the proposed scope.
- 02
Scope & agreement
You receive written scope confirmation, execute the applicant agreement and pay the application fee if you proceed.
- 03
Self-study & evidence
Your team prepares the evidence index and submits current operational records through the secure workflow.
- 04
Technical review
Conflict-screened reviewers evaluate evidence against CHSPS-CORE-100 and CHSPS-CERT-200.
- 05
Findings & corrective action
If findings are issued, you respond with clarification, corrective action or additional evidence.
- 06
Independent decision
A separate decision body reviews the completed record and determines accreditation status.
- 07
Public verification & maintenance
If accredited, scope and status are published. Annual reporting, material-change review and renewal keep the record current.
Step 6 · Understand the value
What accreditation gives your organization
Stakeholder confidence
Independent evidence that employers, boards, partners and other stakeholders can evaluate for themselves.
Public verification
A public record with accredited scope, dates and status that anyone can check directly.
The accredited mark
License to display the CHSPS Accredited seal on approved materials, subject to the mark policy.
A stronger program
Structured review can surface gaps in governance, security, assessment and candidate experience before they become larger risks.
Step 7 · Make the decision
Do your due diligence and build internal support.
Use the public record to verify CHSPS, then give your board or leadership team the cost, timeline and risk information they need.
Preparing an internal approval? The executive guide covers cost, timeline, risk and the questions your board will ask. Executive Guide for Accreditation Buyers →
Public accountability resources: governance and decision bodies · verify any accreditation by number · standards free to read in full · free reconsideration & appeals.
After accreditation
Maintenance procedureMaintaining CERT accreditation
Accreditation is a continuing relationship. ACC-109 governs the common maintenance cycle; CHSPS-CORE-100 + CHSPS-CERT-200 continues to govern the accredited scope throughout the term.
Keep the record current
The consolidated annual report confirms continuing operation and highlights changes that may affect conformity. Scope-specific prompts may focus on:
- candidate and examination activity volumes
- pass/completion or score-reporting information where applicable
- complaints, appeals, irregularities and material security incidents
- material changes to practice analysis, blueprint, assessment, standard setting or delivery
- recertification, vendor, AI and quality-system changes
Report material changes
Notify CHSPS before implementing a change that could affect conformity. Examples for this accreditation can include:
- certification scope or eligibility
- practice/job analysis or assessment blueprint
- assessment delivery, identity, security or scoring controls
- passing-standard / standard-setting methodology
- recertification requirements
- material assessment vendors or consequential AI use
Revalidate the living system
Renewal is not a blank restart. Current records can carry forward when still valid; the organization revalidates the current standards, implementation and performance, including:
- current practice/job analysis and blueprint linkage
- assessment validity, reliability and security evidence
- current standard-setting and score-reporting controls
- candidate due process and recertification
- vendor/AI controls and continuous quality evidence
Planning guidance, not extra requirements.The examples above organize likely maintenance questions around the published standard domains. ACC-109 and the applicable controlled standards remain the authoritative requirements.
Optional preparation resources
Prepare on your terms.
CHSPS education is optional, separately operated and has no influence on accreditation findings or decisions.
Free
Free webinars
CHSPS webinars on the standards, the review and how to plan readiness. Registration is free.
See webinarsWorkshop
Readiness Workshop
A clause-by-clause working session with general methods and worked examples.
View workshopTechnical Reference CriteriaFor quality leaders and technical teams who want to examine CHSPS interpretation ranges in greater depth.
Quantitative reference profile
Quantitative expectations for a mature certification system
These CHSPS reference criteria make the pathway operationally concrete. They are controlled technical interpretation ranges rather than empirical market benchmarks or automatic pass/fail cut scores.
Practice/job analysis currency
Preferred≤ 5 years
Watch5.1–7 years
Review> 7 years
Assessment reliability indicator
Preferred≥ 0.85
Watch0.80–0.849
Review< 0.80
Blueprint-to-content mapping
Preferred100%
Watch98.0–99.9%
Review< 98.0%
Material security incidents
Preferred≤ 0.5 / 1,000
Watch0.51–1.50 / 1,000
Review> 1.50 / 1,000
Accommodation delivery conformance
Preferred≥ 98.5%
Watch96.0–98.4%
Review< 96.0%
On-time recertification decisions
Preferred≥ 95%
Watch90.0–94.9%
Review< 90.0%
Before you apply
Questions buyers ask first
What does it cost, all-in?
$6,500 for the first certification program: the $1,500 application fee when you sign the applicant agreement, then the $5,000 review balance when you submit evidence. After that, $1,800 a year and a $4,500 renewal review every 5 years. Each additional certification program in the same organization is $2,500. The eligibility review is free.
How long does it take?
The free eligibility review targets a written outcome within 10 business days after a complete inquiry. From application to decision, the planning target is about 4–9 months; your scope and how quickly findings are answered set the actual pace.
What do we need to start, and what evidence comes later?
Nothing to upload. Step 1 asks only for your name, email and organization; the rest of the form covers scope, operating status and readiness, in about 5 minutes. Formal evidence comes after the agreement is signed: governance and independence, job or practice analysis, assessment defensibility, security and identity, candidate rights and recertification.
Can organizations outside the United States apply?
Yes. CHSPS is a United States–based 501(c)(3) nonprofit; organizations in any country may apply.
What if we are not eligible?
Every eligibility review ends in a written outcome: Eligible, Potentially Eligible — Additional Information Required, or Not Eligible, with the specific thresholds not yet met. There is no charge for the review, and if a different CHSPS pathway fits better, the review says so.