The APSP Service Education and Certification Program

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Creating the Perfect Pool Environment - Doing it Right!

APSP has been offering technical education in residential pool and spa maintenance, service and repair since 1989. This technical education and testing has previously been offered in three sequential levels: Tech I, Tech II, and CSP Certified Service Professional®. In an effort to make our first two levels (Tech I and Tech II) more aligned to actual job responsibilities in the field, these courses have been phased out in favor of two new programs that now offer certifications. The new certification programs are entitled CMS Certified Maintenance Specialist and CST Certified Service Technician. (There has been no change to the CSP Certified Service Professional® program.) These programs have been offered since January 2010. There are no pre-requisites for these programs – you take the program that best matches your job and experience…and move up to take the next level whenever it’s appropriate in your work. The length of each certification is 3 years, and each certificate is renewable through the completion of 24 hours of continuing education during that 3 year period.

If you currently hold the Tech I or Tech II designation, that’s fine! You can keep that designation until your normal expiration date. When you apply for recertification and meet those requirements, we’ll switch you over to the new certification; Tech I will become Certified Maintenance Specialist and Tech II will become Certified Service Technician. If you prefer to make the change now, just contact the Career Institute staff and a new certificate will be issued right away. ALSO, If you’re a Tech I now and planned to move up to a Tech II, you’ll just register for the CST Certified Service Technician program instead of Tech II….the courses are actually very similar. If you’re a Tech II and want to test for CSP Certified Service Professional, you can certainly do so as soon as you meet the experience and continuing education requirements outlined on the CSP application form.

Now, let’s walk through the process to get certified!

Five Simple Steps to Certification

1. Determine your qualification level: CMS, CST or CSP?

CMS Certified Maintenance Specialist

If you’re new to the pool/spa service industry, you’ll want to pursue the APSP CMS Certified Maintenance Specialist certification. There are no pre-requisites for seeking this certification, so new and seasonal employees are welcome, and the curriculum is covered in approximately 16 hours of instruction (2-1/2 day live program). Individuals who work a pool maintenance route may also want to pursue this certification. The curriculum and open-book, multiple choice exam focuses on 4 key areas - Safety, Pool Circulation and Filtration, Pool Maintenance, and Water Quality – but the course also covers important topics such as electrical systems, pool structures and finishes, heaters and controls, and customer service. This program is also offered as a correspondence course if you're not able to attend a live seminar.

Click here to read the CMS Program FAQ page with more details about the program.  

Click here to go to the APSP Store to purchase the CMS correspondence course.

CST Certified Service Technician

The APSP CST Certified Service Technician program does not require that you meet work experience pre-requisites, but, please understand, this course is much more in-depth than the Certified Maintenance Specialist program. You should have at least 1-2 years of experience in pool/spa service and repair to expect to be successful on the certification exam. The course is approximately 4-1/2 days in length and the exam requires the ability to apply your technical knowledge to situations encountered in the field. As such, this program demands a level of technical knowledge that only comes with on-the-job experience. You do not need to have completed the CMS certification in order to attend this course and sit for the CST exam, but you will be expected to have acquired the core knowledge covered in that course..

Click here to go to the CST FAQ page to read more about the program and take the CST Pre-Test to gauge your readiness for this level.  

CSP Certified Service Professional®   You're a Pro!  Here's your chance to prove it.

If you have 5 years or more of advanced level technical service repair and troubleshooting experience, as well as 24 hours of continuing education courses*, the CSP Certified Service Professional® is the appropriate level for certification testing for you. You can sit for the exam anytime throughout the year at a testing location near you, or you may want to plan to attend our Exam Prep Course and sit for the exam at one of the upcoming pool/spa shows. In either case, passing the exam will earn you the pool industry’s premier professional designation for Service pros.  

Click here to go to the CSP FAQ page to read more about this program and your eligibility for it.  

(*Contact APSP Career Institute staff if you need assistance documenting your continuing education credit. Manufacturer and distributor training courses, regional and chapter education meetings, online education, and trade show education programs could all qualify.)

Click here to see a list of current CSP's.  Please note that only those who work for an APSP member company are permitted to use the designation and are listed here.  You may click here to download the CSP application form.

2. Apply for the Program of Your Choice

If you’re interested in pursuing the APSP CMS Certified Maintenance Specialist or APSP CST Certified Service Technician, you will want to register to attend a APSP-approved course to complete the education component and take the exam. Follow the instructions outlined in Step 4.

If you're unable to attend a live course and wish to purchase the correspondence version of the CMS course,click here to go to the APSP store to purchase it. The CMS correspondence course package includes the Service Tech Manual, CMS Workbook, CMS exam fee, and 3 years of certification upon passing the exam. Participants go through the course at their own pace, as quickly or slowly as their schedule permits, using the Workbook to guide their study. Upon completing the Workbook, the participant sends it back to APSP for grading and to receive authorization for taking the certification exam. This is a great option for those wishing to get certified during the Spring and Summer when APSP- approved courses aren't generally scheduled, or for those who live a distance from any course location. (Note: The CST program is offered only as a live program at this time - it is not available as a correspondence course.)

If you’re interested in pursuing the CSP Certified Service Professional® designation, you will need to apply to qualify to take the exam. You may click here to download the CSP application form. Please complete the form and return it to APSP for consideration.
 

3.    Get Your Copy of the APSP Service Tech Manual

The education component of each of the courses is rooted in the APSP Service Tech Manual, and is a required purchase if you intend to take one of the certification exams. If you’re attending an APSP-approved course your registration fee for that course may include the purchase of the Service Tech Manual and companion workbook - check with the sponsoring group before you buy it here. If you register in advance it will be mailed to you upon registration.

If you’re attending a CSP Exam Prep Course (see No. 4 below for more information), your Manual is included in the registration fee. If you’re just testing for the CSP (without the Prep Course), you can purchase the Manual through the APSP Online Store or by contacting Member Services at memberservices@APSP.org or 703.838.0083, ext. 301. The cost of the Manual, Prep Course and exam is $495, payable at the time of registration.

Of course, the Service Tech Manual is a great resource and is available for purchase by anyone at any time, even if certification testing is not anticipated by the purchaser.  Please check here periodically for updates to your version of the Manual.

4. Attend an approved CMS/CST course or CSP Exam Prep Course

CMS and CST - The education you need to prepare you to take the certification exams is provided for CMS Certified Maintenance Specialist candidates and CST Certified Service Technician candidates at APSP- approved classes run our regions and chapters, and by APSP-approved independent instructors. The CMS course is also available via correspondence course. These live classes are typically held between October and March at locations around the country. An overview of upcoming course locations is listed below. Exact dates and registration links will be added as they become available. If there are no classes currently listed please check back periodically for updates to the schedule. Programs are not generally held during the busy summer months.

CSP - If you meet the eligibility requirements to sit for the CSP exam, start your preparation as soon as possible by applying for the exam and paying the registration fee so that you can receive the Service Tech Manual as soon as possible. The CSP exam is offered around the country at group testing events during the Fall-Winter education season - primarily in conjunction with the major pool and spa shows. Exam dates and locations will be added to the website as they are confirmed, though you can expect that the prep courses will not be held between May-September. A CSP Exam Prep Course will be offered at each of these locations (generally) on the day prior to testing and you are encouraged to participate in this 5-6 hour final review before the exam. During the Prep Course, you’ll be provided with a comprehensive overview of the material from an industry expert, provided sample test questions, as well as given an opportunity to ask questions or get clarification on any aspect of the Manual or Standards. It's a great final review before the exam.

  NEW! Take the CSP Exam Prep Course at Your Home or Office!

A webinar-based version of the Exam Prep Course is now available as an alternative to the live sessions for those unable to get to those programs. The course consists of 5, approximately 1-hour recorded webinars, presented by an industry expert, that can be accessed at any time wherever you have internet access. This is the same course content that is given at the live courses - but, in this venue, you can go back and listen again! Once you've completed the webinars, testing is generally done at your local community college test center by appointment. A small additional proctor fee may be required at some community colleges. The webinars are only available to individuals who have applied for and been approved to take the CSP exam....so you won't find them listed for purchase with our other webinars. Just select "webinar" on the registration form when you apply to take the test and you'll be sent the activation links with your exam acceptance letter.

EDUCATION CALENDAR 

CSP EXAM

The pool and spa industry “education season” runs from November through March and so most live CSP Prep Courses and exams will be held during those months at industry conferences or in conjunction with an APSP Chapter/Region training school. The next live prep course and group exam event will be held:

The links above are mostly to the show sites - information about the prep course and exam can be found in the application package, which you can download by clicking here.

 Need to stick closer to home? You can take the online webinar CSP prep course - and then test anytime, close-to-home, year-round.

The instructor-led CMS and CST courses are held in the Fall and Winter months.  The upcoming schedule of courses can be found below.  Check back regularly through the Fall and Winter since new dates and locations are added all the time. 

**testing can be arranged the day after the course - contact instructor for details

Instructor-led CMS and CST courses are generally held during the winter months.  The CMS course is available in a correspondence course format year-round.  Click here to order the CMS correspondence course.  Check back regularly for additional classes.

 5. Take the certification exam 

 If you’re planning to attend a live course for the CMS or CST programs, register as early as possible so you can receive your Service Tech Manual and companion workbook in advance of the course. You’ll receive all the program details from the program leader or instructor as well as your reading assignments that should be completed before the course starts. You will sit for the exam on the final day of the program. If you use the CMS correspondence course for the education component, testing can be done at any APSP group testing event or at your local community college. There may be an additional small proctor fee if you elect to test at the community college. Re-tests, if needed, may also be taken at the community college.

If you’re pursuing the CSP designation, print out and complete the CSP application and the exam registration forms to become eligible for the exam and schedule a testing date. You must submit these forms and fees to the APSP Career Institute directly. Once approved for the exam, you will be registered and scheduled for the exam. Testing can take place at the APSP-sponsored group testing events, or at your local community college, by appointment. There may be an additional small proctor fee if you elect to test at the community college.

Official notification of your exam results will be mailed to you within 4 weeks of the exam date, though course sponsors will have preliminary results for the CMS and CST exams within 1 week of the return of exams for scoring. A passing score on each of the exams is 75% correct. As is the norm with certification testing, the results are given simply as pass or fail, with no actual scores provided. If you pass your exam you will receive the associated certification and be entitled to use the designation as long as your company remains an APSP member. If you do not pass the exam you may re-test within 1 year without retaking the education component. Failure to pass the CMS or CST exam on the second attempt will require retaking the education component before another exam registration will be processed. If you do not pass the CSP exam on the second attempt, you will be required to wait for 3 months prior to re-testing.

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If you have questions not covered there or would like to request more information, please contact Jennifer Heinz at the APSP Career Institute at jheinz@apsp.org or 703-838-0083, ext. 274.