Certification
CBSPD Certification: The CSPDT Exam
How Do You Get CBSPD Certification?
CBSPD certification for technicians is the CSPDT (Certified Sterile Processing and Distribution Technician): you qualify through one of four routes, such as passing a sterile processing training course with a grade of 70 or higher, then pass a $135, 150-question computer exam at a PSI testing center. There is no 400-hour rule, which is why 46 programs, many of them short non-credit courses, name the CSPDT. Compare it with HSPA's CRCST certification before you choose.
What CBSPD Certification Is
The Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution (CBSPD) runs the second national credential in the field. Its technician exam earns the CSPDT, short for Certified Sterile Processing and Distribution Technician. When a school page says “CBSPD certification” or “the SPD technician exam,” this is the credential it means.
CBSPD describes the exam as entry-level testing for minimum competency, and it covers work in any setting that reprocesses instruments: hospitals, clinics, dental and physician offices, and ambulatory surgery centers. The board also offers specialty credentials for ambulatory surgery technicians (CASSPT), managers (CSPM), flexible endoscope reprocessing (CFER) and surgical instrument specialists (CSIS).
Of the 212 programs on this site, 46 name the CSPDT, at 46 schools in 18 states. North Carolina has the most with 9, followed by Illinois with 6.
The Four Ways to Qualify for the CSPDT Exam
You need to meet only one of these before the application deadline:
- Sterile processing work: 12 months of full-time work, or the part-time equivalent, doing sterile processing tasks, verified by your manager.
- Allied health plus sterile processing: six months each of clinical allied health work and sterile processing work, verified by your manager.
- A training course: completion of a sterile processing technician training course with a passing grade of 70 or higher, shown by a copy of your certificate or grade from your instructor.
- Sales or service: 12 months of healthcare product sales or service related to sterile processing, verified by your employer.
The course route is what sets the CSPDT apart. Finish a course with a 70 or better and you can sit for the exam with no hospital hours at all. HSPA’s CRCST, by contrast, needs 400 documented hands-on hours either before the exam or within six months after it.
What the Course Route Looks Like in Practice
Because CBSPD doesn’t require 400 hours, CSPDT programs tend to be shorter. Among the 46, the middle length is 16 weeks, and the middle stated clinical time is 120 hours across the 12 programs that state one. Only one, Contra Costa Medical Career College, reaches 400.
| Program | Format | Length and hands-on time | Published cost and what it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coastal Carolina Community College, NC | Non-credit | Spring, summer and fall starts | $180 registration plus $1 insurance; books and exam extra |
| Wake Technical Community College, NC | Non-credit, hybrid | 112 contact hours, about 13 weeks | $200 per section; Propel scholarships can cover it |
| Durham Technical Community College, NC | Non-credit, hybrid, day and evening | 216 contact hours; 30 hours of clinical application at an offsite hospital | $257.25 course fee |
| Kishwaukee College, IL | Non-credit, online | One semester | $1,300, textbooks and supplies included |
| Temple College, TX | Non-credit, evenings | 160 contact hours over 22 weeks; 80-hour clinical | $2,234, textbook and certification exam included |
| Alamo Colleges District, TX | Non-credit, hybrid | 264 hours over 22 weeks, 112-hour supervised clinical | $3,855, exam voucher included |
| SVSTI, CA | Certificate, hybrid, weekends | 9 weeks plus a 240-hour, six-week clinical | $5,250; textbook and workbook extra |
Published costs for CSPDT programs run from $180 to $8,633, with a middle figure of $1,560 across the 23 that list one. The North Carolina community colleges sit at the low end: Coastal Carolina, Wake Tech, Durham Tech and Beaufort County Community College, whose $205.25 evening hybrid course is listed as free for eligible students. See North Carolina’s programs for the rest.
The trade-off is hands-on time. A course without clinical hours gets you to the CSPDT exam, but it won’t give you the 400 hours the CRCST needs, so weigh it against what employers near you ask for. SUNY Corning in New York sits in the middle of the price range: a $1,560 daytime course with the exam voucher included.
The CSPDT Exam: Format, Windows and Scoring
CBSPD’s 2026 candidate bulletin sets out the exam:
- Questions: 150 multiple-choice questions, 125 scored and 25 unscored pretest items.
- Time: three hours.
- Where: on a computer at PSI testing centers, in English in the United States.
- When: four one-week windows a year. For 2027 they are February 1-6, May 3-8, August 2-7 and November 1-6, with application deadlines of January 26, April 27, July 27 and October 26.
- Passing: a scaled score of 70. U.S. candidates get an official pass or fail when they finish; failing candidates also get a report showing weak areas.
The content outline weights eight domains:
| Exam domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| Decontamination and disinfection | 19% |
| Sterilization | 18% |
| Preparation and handling | 16% |
| Roles and responsibilities | 13% |
| Sterile storage, inventory management and distribution | 11% |
| Life science | 9% |
| Ethics | 8% |
| Patient care equipment | 6% |
Unlike HSPA’s CRCST outline, CBSPD gives life science and ethics their own sections, so plan study time for microbiology and professional conduct, not only the decontamination-to-storage workflow.
Programs That Name the CBSPD Exam, by State
46 programs name the CBSPD technician exam or the CSPDT title on their own pages, November 2026. Blank cells: no program in the state publishes a whole-program price.
What CBSPD Certification Costs
The exam fee is $135, paid by money order, work facility check, cashier’s check or credit card. The application is printed and mailed, not filed online. Other fees in the bulletin:
- $20 to transfer once to the next exam window;
- a non-refundable $60 to withdraw;
- $75 for a credit card charge back.
Some school pages still list an older exam fee: Coastal Carolina and Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES show $125, and Dallas College shows $128. Budget for CBSPD’s current $135.
Three CSPDT programs include the exam: SUNY Corning, Alamo Colleges and Temple College. Elsewhere, such as at Niagara County Community College, the $135 fee is listed as extra. The course cost calculator adds the exam to a course fee for you.
Keeping the CSPDT: 100 Points Every Five Years
A CSPDT is valid for five years. To renew, you collect 100 points over those five years and pay $125. Points come from several sources:
- Work in the field: 10 points a year full time, 5 part time and 3 per diem, capped at 50 over the cycle.
- College courses: 1 point per credit hour with a grade of 70 or better, up to 10.
- Approved in-services and webinars: points per contact hour, with approval codes.
CBSPD no longer mails renewal packets; you download them. Miss the expiration date and the certification lapses, and you have to retake the full exam. Extension requests must reach the board at least 14 days before your deadline.
CSPDT vs CRCST: How the Two Compare
| CSPDT (CBSPD) | CRCST (HSPA) | |
|---|---|---|
| Experience to test | One of four routes, including a course passed with 70 or higher | 400 hands-on hours, before the exam or within six months after |
| Exam fee | $135 | $140 |
| Exam | 150 questions (25 unscored), three hours | 150 questions, three hours |
| Testing | PSI centers, four one-week windows a year | Prometric testing facilities |
| Application | Printed and mailed | Online |
| Renewal | 100 points over five years, $125 | 12 CE credits a year, $50 a year |
| Programs naming it on this site | 46 | 120 |
Choose the CSPDT when you’ve finished a course without 400 hours and want a full credential now, or when the programs near you, such as those in North Carolina, are built around it. Choose the CRCST when employers near you name it or your program includes the 400 hours. The CRCST certification guide covers that route in detail.
You don’t have to pick only one. 17 of the 46 CSPDT programs also prepare you for the CRCST. Contra Costa Medical Career College in Antioch, California, pairs both exams with a 400-hour clinical, and Vance-Granville Community College prepares you for the CSPDT in an 11-week evening course for $322.60 total, with the CRCST open once you add 400 hours of work. Santa Fe College in Florida says 20 of 22 graduates in its class of 2025 passed the certification exam, and Nashville State Community College reported a 100% exam pass rate in 2023.
Who CSPDT Certification Suits
You already work in a sterile processing department. Twelve months of full-time work, or the part-time equivalent, qualifies you without a course. If you came from another clinical job, six months of allied health work plus six months in sterile processing also counts. Either way, your manager signs the verification on the mailed application.
You have no healthcare experience. The course route is built for you, but pick a course with real clinical time so you finish with hands-on practice. Lansing Community College in Michigan runs an 8-week certificate with about 128 clinical hours for about $1,480.50 at in-district rates, and Alamo Colleges in San Antonio pairs its course with a 112-hour supervised clinical and an exam voucher.
You work days. Oakland Community College in Michigan teaches its 14-week course in the evening for $2,500 and schedules 96 clinical hours at a metro-Detroit hospital outside class days. Niagara County Community College in New York runs evening classes with clinicals on Saturday mornings or Thursday evenings.
You want college credit. 25 of the CSPDT programs are credit certificates. Bunker Hill Community College in Boston offers a 19-credit evening certificate with three clinical courses, charged at $289 per credit for Massachusetts residents in spring 2027. Credits like these can count toward a later degree; a non-credit course, which 20 CSPDT programs are, can’t.
Before You Choose a CBSPD Program
Check each point on the program’s own page:
- Does finishing the course meet CBSPD’s course route? You need a passing grade of 70 or higher and proof from your instructor.
- Is the exam included? Three CSPDT programs include it; most list the $135 fee separately.
- How many clinical hours? The middle figure among programs that state one is 120. If you may want the CRCST later, a longer clinical helps.
- Does the schedule fit? Nine CSPDT programs offer evenings and two offer weekends, such as SVSTI’s weekend certificate.
- Which credential do local employers name? Check your state’s rules with the state certification checker and the requirements by state guide.
The certification overview compares every credential in the field, and the program finder lists CSPDT programs near you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CSPDT Certification Easier to Get Than CRCST?
It is easier to qualify for. CBSPD accepts a passing grade of 70 or higher in a sterile processing training course as one eligibility route, while HSPA requires 400 documented hands-on hours for full or provisional CRCST. Both exams are 150 questions in three hours.
Can You Apply for the CBSPD Exam Online?
No. CBSPD's technician page says the application cannot be completed online; it must be printed and mailed with payment by money order, work facility check, cashier's check or credit card. Personal checks and purchase orders are not accepted.
When Can You Take the CSPDT Exam in 2027?
CBSPD lists four one-week windows: February 1-6, May 3-8, August 2-7 and November 1-6, 2027. Application deadlines are January 26, April 27, July 27 and October 26, 2027.
What Score Do You Need to Pass the CSPDT?
The passing scaled score is 70. Candidates testing in the U.S. get an official pass or fail when they finish the computer exam. Passing candidates don't receive a numeric score; failing candidates get their score and a report of weak subject areas.
Can You Hold Both the CSPDT and the CRCST?
Yes. They come from separate boards with separate renewals. 17 of the 46 programs that name the CSPDT also prepare you for the CRCST, including Contra Costa Medical Career College, whose certificate includes a 400-hour clinical.
What Happens if Your CSPDT Expires?
CBSPD's bulletin says that if you are not recertified by your expiration date, no extension is granted and the certification expires. You then have to register, pay the exam fee and pass the full exam again. Extension requests must reach the board at least 14 days before the deadline.
Keep Reading
- Sterile Processing CertificationThe two national sterile processing certifications, HSPA's CRCST and CBSPD's CSPDT, who can sit each exam and which programs prepare you for them
- CRCST Certification (HSPA)HSPA's Certified Registered Central Service Technician credential, its 400 hands-on hours, provisional status and the programs that prepare you
- Certification Requirements by StateWhich states require sterile processing technicians to be certified by law, which credentials count and how long new hires have
- How to Become a Sterile Processing TechThe training, hands-on hours, certification exam and hiring requirements that take you from no experience to your first sterile processing job
- How Long Training TakesHow many weeks, instruction hours and clinical hours sterile processing programs take, by credential, from verified program pages
- Course Cost and Financial AidWhat sterile processing courses and certificates cost, from published program prices, what the price leaves out and how to pay for it
- Best Sterile Processing Technician ProgramsEvery verified program, with the finder