The exam itself
The CRCST exam
What it is, what it costs, how it is weighted, and the one number nobody can honestly give you.
The short answer
The CRCST exam is 150 multiple choice questions in 3 hours, weighted across 7 content domains, three of which are worth 21% each. It costs $140, and each retake costs $140 again. In 2025, 65.6% of 15,369 candidates passed. HSPA does not publish a passing score. Read from HSPA on August 8, 2026.
The format
| Questions | 150 |
|---|---|
| Time allowed | 3 hours |
| Content domains | 7 |
| Fee, first attempt | $140 |
| Fee, each retake | $140 |
| Hands on hours required | 400 |
What is on it, and how much each part counts
The exam is not evenly split. Three domains are worth 21% each, which is 63% of the whole exam between them. If you are deciding what to study first, that is the answer, and it comes straight off the published outline rather than from anyone's opinion.
| Domain | Weight | Questions, about |
|---|---|---|
| Departmental Considerations | 15% | 23 |
| Cleaning, Decontamination and Disinfection | 21% | 32 |
| Preparation and Packaging | 21% | 32 |
| Sterilization Process | 21% | 32 |
| Sterile Storage, Transport and Inventory Management | 9% | 14 |
| Patient Care Equipment and Distribution | 5% | 8 |
| Professional Development and Human Relation Skills | 8% | 12 |
The passing score, and why nobody can tell you what it is
HSPA does not publish one. If you have seen a site say you need 70%, that number is not coming from HSPA.
The cut score is set through a standard setting study: a panel of subject matter experts rates every item, and the recommended cut comes out of that analysis and is approved by the Certification Council. The method is named on HSPA's own page as Angoff, supplemented by the Beuk compromise. What the candidate receives is a pass or a fail, not a score.
What you do get if you fail
If I do not pass my exam, a result report containing an indication of my performance in each of the content domains will be provided in my online portal
In other words, HSPA does tell you which domains sank you. It just tells you after you have already lost the $140 attempt.
How many people pass
In 2025, 15,369 people sat the CRCST. 10,083 passed and 5,286 did not, which is a pass rate of 65.6%. More than a third of the room does not pass on the day, so if that was you, you are in a very large group.
The experience requirement
You need 400 hours of hands on experience, and they are not one block: they are five separate minimums, and they expire after 5 years.
You can also sit the exam before you have them. Provisional Certification: I will complete the required 400 hours of hands-on experience within 6 months of passing the certification exam.
The full breakdown, including who is allowed to sign your hours off and the paperwork mistake that gets applications rejected outright, is on the 400 hours page.
What the exam is written against
The blueprint is the CRCST Exam Content Outline, revised November 2023, and the reference text is the Sterile Processing Technical Manual, 9th edition (2023). The 8th edition stopped being a current reference for the exam on July 1, 2024.
Common questions
How many questions are on the CRCST exam?
150 multiple choice questions, with 3 hours to complete them.
What score do you need to pass the CRCST exam?
HSPA does not publish one. The cut score is set by a panel of subject matter experts using the Angoff method and approved by the Certification Council, and candidates receive a pass or fail rather than a number. Any site that gives you a specific percentage is guessing.
How much does the CRCST exam cost?
$140 for the first attempt, and $140 again for each retake. There is also a mandatory waiting period between attempts.
How hard is the CRCST exam?
In 2025, 65.6% of the 15,369 people who sat it passed, so 5,286 did not. It is not a formality, and failing it is a common outcome rather than an unusual one.
Can I sit the exam before I have the 400 hours?
Yes, through provisional certification: you sit the exam first and complete the hands on hours within six months of passing. The application form spells this out, and most of the internet answers this question with a flat no.
Is the IAHCSMM exam the same as the CRCST?
Yes. IAHCSMM changed its name to HSPA, the Healthcare Sterile Processing Association. The credential is the same one, and material written for the IAHCSMM CRCST is the same exam under the old organization name.