One organization can operate several different systems. CHSPS assigns accreditation by the defined program, course, service or operating system in scope, then publishes the exact scope if accreditation is granted.
These five general accreditation pathways answer different questions and should not be used interchangeably.
Choose this when: A defined certification program, or a clearly governed family of certification programs when CHSPS approves a combined scope.
Not for: The organization as a whole, a training course, or individual certificants.
Choose this when: A defined education-provider system and the activities delivered under that system within the approved scope.
Not for: Every unrelated activity of the organization, an individual instructor, or an activity outside the approved provider scope.
Choose this when: One named course or defined educational program, including the approved delivery modes and material versions in scope.
Not for: The education provider as a whole, unrelated courses, or individual learners.
Choose this when: A defined credential system awards a certificate or micro-credential after assessment of stated learning outcomes.
Not for: Professional certification, the provider as a whole, unrelated courses or individual recipients.
Choose this when: A defined structured work-based learning, apprenticeship, residency-style, supervised-practice or competency-development program uses workplace performance as part of a completion or competency decision.
Not for: Individual learners or workers, professional licensure, unrelated employer operations, or programs outside the approved scope.
Specialty pathways review a specific system or service. They do not automatically accredit every activity of the organization.
Choose this when: A defined high-stakes assessment system, service or operating unit and the examination functions explicitly included in scope.
Not for: The underlying profession, the candidate, or assessment functions outside the approved scope.
Choose this when: A defined remote-examination administration service and the examination environments, technologies and operating functions approved in scope.
Not for: The examination content itself unless separately in scope, the candidate, or unrelated testing services.
Choose this when: A defined medication-use safety system, care setting, service line or organizational operating unit approved in scope.
Not for: A medication product, individual clinician, pharmacy license, or clinical service outside the approved scope.
Choose this when: A defined workforce competency assurance system for named roles, sites, services or organizational units approved in scope.
Not for: Individual workers, professional licenses, or workforce functions outside the approved scope.
Choose this when: A defined clinical education system, program family or operating unit and the activities explicitly included in scope.
Not for: Individual learners, unrelated organizational education, or activities outside the approved scope.
Choose this when: A defined organization or business unit, applicable role profile, covered AI systems or use categories, sites or services, and explicit exclusions.
Not for: An individual practitioner, every AI product or use automatically, or activity outside the approved scope.
| If you are deciding between... | Use this distinction |
|---|---|
| CERT vs HSAI | CERT accredits the full certification-program system that decides who is certified. HSAI accredits a defined high-stakes assessment-integrity system or service, which may be operated by a certification body, testing provider, employer or other organization. |
| HSAI vs REA | HSAI is broader assessment integrity. REA is specifically the remote-examination administration service: identity, proctoring, technology, interruptions, accommodations, escalation and records. |
| EDP vs COURSE | EDP accredits the provider-level education system used across activities. COURSE accredits one named course or defined educational program. |
| EDP vs CEQ | EDP is provider-level professional learning governance. CEQ is a specialty pathway for a defined clinical-education quality system or program family intended to improve competence, performance, quality or safety. |
| WBL vs WCA | WBL accredits a structured workplace learning or competency-development program with defined learning, supervision, assessment and completion decisions. WCA accredits an organization’s workforce qualification, competency and authorization-to-practice assurance system for workers already operating within the approved workforce scope. |
| WCA vs CERT | WCA accredits an employer or organization's workforce qualification, competency and authorization-to-practice assurance system. CERT accredits a professional certification program that awards a credential to individuals. |
| MSS vs AIG | MSS accredits a medication-use safety system. AIG accredits organizational AI governance and assurance. An organization using consequential AI inside medication-use workflows may have relevant controls under both, but each accreditation has its own approved scope. |
| CERT vs ABC | CERT accredits a professional certification program that evaluates occupational or professional competence. ABC accredits an assessment-based certificate or micro-credential system tied to stated learning outcomes. |
| COURSE vs ABC | COURSE accredits the educational offering. ABC accredits the credential system in which a defined assessment earns the certificate or micro-credential. |
Yes, when it operates distinct programs or systems that fall under different standards. Accreditation is attached to the approved scope, not granted as a blanket label for everything the organization does.
A certification body could hold CERT for its credential and HSAI or REA for a separately defined assessment service if each scope is independently reviewed.
An education provider may seek EDP for its provider system and separate COURSE accreditation where a particular course requires its own public scope.
A health organization may operate medication-safety, workforce-competency, clinical-education and AI-governance systems. Each pathway identifies exactly what CHSPS reviewed.
Each program page now explains scope, exclusions, preparation and its dedicated eligibility inquiry. CHSPS confirms the final pathway and scope in writing before formal application.
Choose by the thing CHSPS is evaluating. These programs are open now; the standards are effective August 19, 2026.
| If you need assurance for… | Program | What CHSPS evaluates | Start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Organization-wide AI governance | AIG CHSPS-AIG-610 | Governance, lifecycle risk, accountability and organizational AI assurance. | AIG |
| AI used inside high-stakes testing | HSAI-AI add-on CHSPS-HSAI-215 | AI item development, scoring support, proctoring/risk flags, candidate rights and human review. | Eligibility |
| AI proctoring / assessment technology itself | APS CHSPS-APS-710 | A named system/version: identity, flagging performance, human adjudication, privacy, accessibility and change control. | Eligibility |
| AI tutors, chatbots, feedback or learning AI | ALT-320 / ALT-720 CHSPS-ALT-320 / 720 | ALT-320 reviews a provider implementation supplement; ALT-720 reviews a named platform as a Certified System. Both address accuracy, human escalation, learner privacy and assessment-boundary controls within the approved scope. | Choose route |
ABC is for assessment-based certificates and micro-credentials. COURSE evaluates a course; CERT evaluates professional certification; ABC evaluates the credential system in which a defined assessment earns the certificate or micro-credential.
Tell us what you certify, teach, administer or operate. CHSPS targets a written fit-and-scope outcome within 10 business days after a complete inquiry — no fee, no obligation.
