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ISA | Exam Schedule

Taking an ISA Certification Exam

Applying for ISA Certification

Applying for certification is easy!

  1. Download the application form by selecting the certification program of choice at www.isa.org/certify and choosing “Apply” from the left navigation bar
  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, carrying 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 testing at the Prometric test center.

Prometric Exam Tutorial

*With the exception of CCST Level II, all certification exams are offered through Prometric testing centers. The 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.

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 U.S. standards and codes. For a reference of possible U.S. standards and codes to review for each exam, see below.

Electronic Exam Testing Windows

The (CAP, CCST) exam is 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.

The candidate eligibility window is 9 months from the date you postmark your application to ISA. Once your application is approved, testing must be completed within two exam testing windows. Your first exam testing date must be scheduled during the first available window after your application is approved. All rescheduling and retesting must be completed within the two consecutive exam testing windows within your 9 month eligibility period.

You may reschedule your exam once, and the rescheduled date must be during your first exam testing window. If you must retest, you must allow 30 days between your initial exam date and your retest date. If you are not able to schedule a retest in the same window you took the initial exam, you can retest in the next available window. A total of two retests are allowed within your two eligible exam testing windows with each retest scheduled at least 30 days apart.

If you do not successfully complete the exam within the two exam testing windows within your 9 month eligibility period, you must reapply submitting another application and fee.

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

Exam Testing Window Exam Application Postmark Deadline
Window 1: 1 March 2009 – 30 April 2009 Thursday, 15 January 2009
Window 2: 1 July 2009 – 31 August 2009 Friday, 15 May 2009
Window 3: 1 November 2009 – 31 December 2009 Tuesday, 15 September 2009

Eligible candidate applications received in 2008 will be able to test in a total of two exam testing windows as outlined in the grid below.

Exam Availability Schedule:

Exam Application Postmark Date Exam Availability
16 September 2008 - 15 January 2009 Window 1: 1 March – 30 April 2009 and
Window 2: 1 July - 31 August 2009
16 January - 15 May 2009 Window 2: 1 July - 31 August 2009 and
Window 3: 1 November - 31 December 2009
16 May - 15 September 2009 Window 3: 1 November - 31 December 2009 and
Window 1: 1 March - 30 April 2010

*Please allow 6 weeks for application review and notification of eligibility.

Special Event Exam Dates

ISA offers CAP and CCST exams in the paper/pencil format at some special events. Click one of these links to see these exam dates.

Private Exam Sites

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

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. If you do not, there will not be materials available for you to test. You must do this at least 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 to the exam.

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 will need to send the application fee to ISA in order 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 the next electronic testing window, as outlined above, may not be open right after the course you have taken.


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

Phone: (919) 549-8411
Fax: (919) 549-8288
E-mail: info@isa.org
ISA OnLine: www.isa.org/certify