Completely free
No account walls, no upsell
Free exam prep for every test — 20,000+ exam pages and 2.4M+ practice questions.
Open free CER prep resources ↗Exam facts & prep options
Certified Endoscope Reprocessor (CER)
Find the current format, timing, scoring, fees, eligibility, and testing options for CER, with direct links to official sources.
Official exam siteJump to prep options ↓
Questions150 multiple-choice questions (125 scored, 25 unscored pretest delivered randomly)
Testing time3 hours (an optional 15-minute tutorial precedes the exam; the test clock does not begin until the tutorial is ended)
ScoringCriterion-referenced pass point set by the Angoff procedure supplemented by the Beuk Relative-Absolute Compromise method; no numeric passing score published; one point per correct scored answer
Exam feeUSD 140 initial exam application (includes application processing and one in-person exam attempt at a Prometric Testing Facility); USD 140 per retake; refunds only within 30 days minus a USD 25 processing fee
Prep options
Study resources for CER
Independent prep
Courses and study resources
Exam overview
What to know before choosing your prep
- Who runs it
- HSPA
- Category
- Sterile Processing & Surgical Technology
- Current version
- CER Exam Content Outline, revised May 2022 (from the 2021–2022 job task analysis); current specification has no other version label
- Where it applies
- United States — national
- Exam languages
- English
- Testing provider
- Prometric
- Format
- Computer-based at Prometric testing facilities; no written/paper version available
- Availability
- Offered throughout the year at Prometric centers; 120-day window from application approval to schedule and sit the exam (applications process in 3–4 weeks)
- Results
- Notified of pass/fail at the test center upon completion; result report available in the online portal and emailed within 2 business days; section-level diagnostic scores (At or Above / Below / Well Below) for failing candidates; certification package mailed within two weeks of passing
- Remote testing
- Not available
Exam structure
150 multiple-choice questions across seven weighted knowledge domains: Microbiology and Infection Control (12%); Endoscope Purpose, Design and Structure (10%); Work Area Design (12%); Endoscope Reprocessing Steps (32%); Endoscope Handling, Transport and Storage (16%); Endoscope Tracking, Repair and System Maintenance (10%); Human Factors That Impact Endoscope Systems (8%)
Where rules vary
U.S.-based association certification grounded in U.S. standards (ANSI/AAMI ST91, CDC, SGNA references). Official handbook also provides for international delivery: 'For information regarding international testing and a list of international locations please visit www.prometric.com/hspa', and the sister CRCST program is described as 'based on US practice and standards ... open to all candidates in the US and abroad'. Exam content is uniform.
Eligibility
Minimum three months of hands-on experience reprocessing endoscopes (paid or volunteer, on a regular basis, in a medical center, hospital, surgery center, or independent endoscope center), completed at the time of application and accumulated within the past three years, documented by a supervisor; CRCST certification is NOT required
Retake policy
Retake by submitting a retake application (provided with the score report) and paying the USD 140 retake fee for each attempt; forfeiting the 120-day window requires a new application and full fee