Taking an ISA Certification Exam

• Applying for ISA Certification
• Electronic Exam Testing Windows
• Private Exam Sites
• Special Event Exam Dates

Applying for ISA Certification

Applying for certification is easy!

1. Review the CAP^® application or CCST^® application options and complete the application.
2. Submit your completed application and fees to ISA.
3. When your application is approved, you will be mailed a testing eligibility code.
4. Go to www.prometric.com/ISA to locate a Prometric electronic testing center near you, enter your testing eligibility code, and schedule your exam date and location.*
5. You will receive an email from Prometric confirming your test date and location.
6. Report to the testing center at the scheduled time with a valid, government-issued form of identification with a photo and signature, and the confirmation email you received from Prometric.
7. You will receive your pass/fail results immediately after completing the exam at the Prometric testing center.

Prometric Exam Tutorial

*With the exception of the current CCST Level II exam, all certification exams are offered through Prometric testing centers. The current CCST Level II simulation exam is offered through CASTLE Worldwide^® testing centers. The application steps are the same as above except you will register through the CASTLE Worldwide testing centers. Your CASTLE ID and password will be mailed to you. For CCST Level II exam locations, click here. Starting 1 July 2013, when the CCST exams change, all levels of the CCST exam, including Level II, will be offered through Prometric.

All ISA certification exams are closed book. No reference material may be brought in to the test site. For CCST Levels I and III, Units Conversion Tables will be provided to candidates in either paper format for paper/pencil exams or as part of a PDF file for electronic exams for reference during the examination. Click here to review the Units Conversion Tables.

For international applicants, please note that the validation study for the exams was done in the United States so there may be questions on the exam that reference US standards and codes. For a reference of possible US standards and codes to review for each exam, see below:

• CCST: Certified Control Systems Technician^® (CCST^®) Reference to Standards and Codes
• CAP: Certified Automation Professional^® (CAP^®) Reference to Standards and Codes

Electronic Exam Testing Windows

Each year, the CAP and CCST exams are available electronically during three testing windows. Each exam testing window will have a deadline for applications to be considered for testing in that window. Eligible candidates will only be able to test during the testing windows.

As of 1 January 2011, the candidate eligibility window, or testing window, has been extended to twelve (12) consecutive months. Once your application is approved, testing must be completed within your assigned twelve-month testing window which is based on your application submission/postmark date. Please allow six (6) weeks for application review and notification of eligibility to test and testing window assignment.

In order to schedule an exam, you will need to send your completed application by the specified application deadline for your preferred exam testing window. The application deadlines and testing windows are as follows:

Your first exam testing date and all rescheduling and retesting must be scheduled during the testing window for which you are approved to test. 

You may reschedule your exam once, and the rescheduled date must be during your approved testing window.

You may schedule up to two (2) retests during your approved twelve-month testing window. Each retest must be scheduled a minimum of 30 days after your last exam date (this includes your initial exam date).

If you do not successfully pass the CAP or CCST exam within your twelve-month testing window, you must reapply for the exam by submitting a new application and fee. Once approved you will be given a new twelve-month testing window based on your application submission/postmark date. 

Special Event Exam Dates

ISA offers our certification exams in a paper/pencil format at some special events. Click the certification program below to see these special paper/pencil exam dates:

• CAP 
• CCST

Private Exam Sites

ISA certification exams can be scheduled for private sites/companies in the United States and will be administered as paper/pencil exams. Click the following link to review information on scheduling a private test site in the United States.

ATTENTION: Private exams will no longer be scheduled outside the United States.

If you apply for electronic testing and determine that you will take the ISA CAP or CCST review course that has a paper/pencil exam the day after the course, you must contact ISA to change your exam format and exam date. If you do not, there will not be materials available for you to test during the paper/pencil exam. You must notify ISA of this change at least thirty (30) days in advance of the paper/pencil exam date. You will then receive a confirmation letter, rather than an eligibility letter, which you must bring with you to be admitted in to the paper/pencil exam room.

If you have applied for a paper/pencil exam with a review course where the fee for the exam was waived (by completing both the exam application and the separate course registration), and you wish to change to electronic testing, you must notify ISA and send the application fee to ISA to change your exam format. You will then receive an eligibility letter, rather than a confirmation letter, which you will need to schedule your electronic exam. Please be advised that you will be assigned a twelve-month testing window based on the postmark/submission date of your application fee. This means, the next testing window, as outlined above, may not be open immediately after you have completed the review course.

To order a Study Guide for the CAP or CCST exams, contact ISA:

Phone: +1 919-549-8411
Fax: +1 919-549-8288
Email: info@isa.org

Order Online:

• CAP
• CCST Level I
• CCST Level II
• CCST Level III