How to Fill Out and Submit the CBSPD Certification Exam Application Form

The CBSPD certification exam application is a paper form you download from the CBSPD website, print, complete by hand, and mail with payment and supporting documents to the board’s office in Lebanon, New Jersey. There is no online option. Which form you use depends on which of the five credentials you’re pursuing, and your application has to reach the board on or before the deadline for the testing window you want.

Pick the Right Exam Before You Download Anything

CBSPD administers five separate certifications, and each has its own candidate bulletin and application form:

Certified Sterile Processing and Distribution Technician (CSPDT), the entry-level credential for decontamination, sterilization, and distribution work.
Certified Ambulatory Surgery Sterile Processing Technician (CASSPT), for technicians in ambulatory surgery settings.
Certified Flexible Endoscope Reprocessor (CFER), for GI and endoscopy reprocessing.
Certified Surgical Instrument Specialist (CSIS), an advanced credential that requires an active CSPDT.
Certified in Sterile Processing Management (CSPM), for supervisors and managers.

Download the bulletin for your specific exam from the CBSPD website. The application pages are inside the bulletin, typically the final two pages.¹

Confirm You Meet an Eligibility Pathway

Every CBSPD exam requires you to qualify under at least one pathway, and the board verifies your qualifications through the signatures and documents you submit. Read the bulletin for your exam carefully before filling anything out, because Section Two of the form has to be signed by someone other than you.

For the CSPDT, you qualify by any one of the following: a sterile processing training course completed with a grade of 70 or higher; 12 months of full-time SPD employment (or the part-time equivalent); six months in a related clinical healthcare role combined with six months in SPD; or 12 months of healthcare product sales or service related to SPD.¹ The CASSPT mirrors this structure but requires the experience to be in ambulatory surgery sterile processing.

The CFER combines coursework with hands-on work. One pathway pairs a 16-hour endoscopy technician course (grade 70 or higher) with six months of full-time endoscopy work; an alternative pairs an 8-hour course with six months of flexible endoscope reprocessing. Both routes require both the course and the experience.²

The CSIS is not entry-level. You must already hold a current, valid CSPDT and attach a copy of that certificate. Beyond the prerequisite, you need one of: a surgical instrument processing or surgical technology course (grade 70 or higher) plus 12 months of full-time surgical instrument processing; 24 months of full-time OR surgical instrument processing; or 24 months of surgical instrument sales or service.³

The CSPM has three pathways: 24 months of full-time SPD supervisor or manager experience; 24 months in a related allied health role plus 24 months in SPD, combined with a sterile processing management course; or 36 months as an SPD technician or lead technician plus a management course. Employment verification for the CSPM must be signed by a human resources representative, not your direct supervisor.⁴

Filling Out the Application, Section by Section

Print both pages of the application from your bulletin. Submitting only one page will get the entire application returned to you.⁵

Personal Information

The first section captures your first name, middle initial, last name, home address, city, state, zip code, and both home and work phone numbers. Write these exactly as they appear on your government-issued ID. The information becomes your permanent record with the board and drives every future piece of correspondence, including your exam confirmation and certificate.⁵

Eligibility Verification

This is where most applications fail. You can’t complete Section Two alone. Check the box next to the pathway you’re using, then have the appropriate person sign and complete the verification fields. For work-experience pathways, your manager provides their name, phone number, work address, and an original signature. For course-completion pathways, your instructor provides the same, and you attach a copy of the course certificate or grade report.¹

If Section Two isn’t complete, the application is rejected outright. The form says so in bold. Write employment or course dates clearly, and make sure signatures are original. Photocopied or stamped signatures aren’t accepted. For the CSPM, remember that human resources, not your supervisor, must sign.⁴

Sign the candidate declaration attesting that everything on the form is correct. False information can trigger rejection of the application or revocation of certification later.⁵

Payment

The payment section is where you pick your method and, if paying by credit card, fill in the card details. Complete every required field. Payment has to be included in the same mailing as the application.

Fees and Accepted Payment Methods

CBSPD raised its exam fees for 2026. The CSPDT is $135, and the CSIS is also $135.¹⁵ Fees for CFER, CASSPT, and CSPM were also adjusted for 2026; confirm the current amount in the candidate bulletin for your exam.⁶

The board accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, business checks, and money orders. Personal checks are not accepted, and sending one gets the whole application returned without review. Make money orders and business checks payable to CBSPD.⁷

Where to Mail the Application

The application cannot be submitted online. Print it, complete it, gather your supporting documents (course certificate, copy of any prerequisite CBSPD certification, employment verification with original signatures), enclose your payment, and mail the whole package to:

CBSPD
1392 Hwy 22, Ste 1
Lebanon, NJ 08833¹

Use a trackable service. If the envelope disappears in transit, you have no proof it shipped and no way to recover your payment. You can also call the board at 908-236-0530 (Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern) or email mailbox@sterileprocessing.org with questions before you send.⁸

Deadlines and What Happens After Your Application Is Accepted

Exams run in four one-week windows each year, and each window has a firm application deadline. For 2026:

February 2–7, 2026: deadline January 27, 2026.
May 4–9, 2026: deadline April 28, 2026.
August 3–8, 2026: deadline July 28, 2026.
November 2–7, 2026: deadline October 27, 2026.

Your application and payment must be received by CBSPD on or before the deadline for the window you want. Anything that arrives late won’t be processed for that window.¹

Once the board reviews and accepts your application, you’ll receive an email confirmation with instructions for choosing your exam date, time, and location within the testing window. Exams are administered by PSI, a third-party testing agency using secure offices with computer stations and trained proctors.⁹ You can’t schedule your appointment until that confirmation arrives. If the nearest testing site is full, contact CBSPD and the office will work with PSI to see whether additional seating can open.¹⁰

If You Need to Withdraw

You can request a partial refund up to two weeks before your exam window begins. The request has to be in writing (email, mail, or fax) and reach the CBSPD office before that two-week mark. A $60 non-refundable administrative fee comes out of any refund. Miss the cutoff or fail to show on exam day, and no refund is issued.¹¹

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CBSPD. SPD Technician Certification Exam C.S.P.D.T
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CBSPD. Flexible Endoscope Reprocessor (GI Scope) Certification Exam C.F.E.R
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CBSPD. Surgical Instrument Specialist Certification Exam CSIS
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CBSPD. Certified in Sterile Processing Management Certification Exam C.S.P.M.
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The Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution, Inc. CBSPD Surgical Instrument Specialist Exam Application
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CBSPD. Home – CBSPD
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Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution, Inc. CBSPD Technician Candidate Bulletin – Section: Payment Information
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CBSPD. About CBSPD
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CBSPD. Dates and Test Sites
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CBSPD. FAQs
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Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution, Inc. CBSPD Technician Candidate Bulletin – Section: Refund Policy