CRSP Exam Eligibility

362827_custom_site_themes_id_47Uix6X3Sf2mx8Vkq5pW_Thinking about CRSP

CRSP Exam Eligibility

How To Get Certified CRSP?

Let’s take a look at the Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP) certification and review the CRSP eligibility guidelines, pathways to certification, exam process, costs, and more! All the information we review is available on BCRSP website under the “CRSP eligibility” link, so make sure to check it out for the most up to date and accurate details. 

Is The CRSP Suited For You? 

The best place to begin is by figuring out “what is the CRSP?” and “who is the CRSP certification most suited for?”. Here is a quote from the BCRSP website that briefly answers these questions:

“OHS Professionals are designers of strategy relating to the organization and management of OHS within the wider context of business processes and external regulatory, market and societal influences. They are influential with senior management and are involved in problem solving and organizational review and change as advisers and consultants.”
Be sure to check out the BCRSP’s official website for a more in depth summary. 

 

CRSP Certification Overview

The following sections will provide a good understanding of what candidates need to do to prepare for the CRSP examination. Let’s begin by going through this timeline diagram which outlines the CRSP certification process.

As you can see on the left hand side, all prospective candidates begin by going through the CRSP eligibility process. Once they have been accepted, they continue with the application and registration processes. Throughout this time, candidates should be studying and reviewing the required materials. Approximately five to nine months after beginning their journey, they will be able to write the CRSP exam. Then it will take between one to two months to receive their exam results, after which any membership and processing fees will be required. Let’s break down each step and take a closer look.

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Are You Eligible To Apply For The CRSP Exam?

To begin, looking at the eligibility criteria, at minimum candidates should have successfully completed a bachelor’s degree in any field or a 2-year diploma or certificate with a minimum of 900 hours or 60 credits in occupational health and safety or equivalent from a recognized academic institution, for example; Ryerson University. 

It should be noted that for candidates who apply with a bachelor’s degree, they must demonstrate sufficient professional development in OHS to qualify.

This includes 48 months of professional level OHS experience obtained within the last 72 months, which also means a minimum of 900 hours/calendar year of practice in OHS. 

 

Applying To Become A CRSP

 

Once candidates have determined whether they are eligible, they should fill out and submit their application to the BCRSP. They will review the candidate’s profile and conduct any necessary due diligence.

For applicants whose first language is neither English nor French, they will be required to submit documentation verifying proof of language proficiency.

International applicants may also provide additional documentation, such as academic credentials that have been translated to English or French and can be verified by an official translator. International credentials must be submitted to a Canadian Credentialing Agency prior to application submission.

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Documents For CRSP Certification Application

 

Once eligibility has been determined and the required documentation has been prepared, candidates are ready to apply for the certification! Applicants must complete an application form and submit it along with all supporting documentation. They will be required to pay a non-refundable application fee to the BCRSP for processing (refer to the official BCRSP website for exact details).
 
 The application form requires details concerning formal education, professional development, and related experience. Additionally, a reference questionnaire and practice questionnaire must be completed by individuals who have a sound knowledge of the applicant’s work performance, such as a direct employer or manager. It’s important to ensure that all information submitted in the application along with any required documentation is accurate without any errors. Make sure to review the eligibility requirements before submitting an application as the application fee is non-refundable. Following these steps will minimize processing time and avoid unnecessary delays.

CRSP Eligibility Peer Interview

 

In the meantime, after submitting the application, candidates may have their file selected for an interview. These are usually hosted by Regional Screening Committee volunteer(s) who are certified CRSPs. A volunteer certified CRSP will contact you to mutually arrange a time and location for the interview, depending on where both parties are located.

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CRSP Certification Timeline

 

From the time of submission, it will take roughly three to five months to hear back from the BCRSP. During this period, the BCRSP offices will go through all of the submitted documentation and perform the necessary due diligence required. A common question our team receives is “why does the process take so long?”. To put it simply, there’s several steps which the BCRSP has to go through to verify the documents, confirm references, and process the information. Therefore, to reiterate this one more time, in order to streamline the experience, ensure that all aspects of the application are complete before submitting! Once a candidate has been approved to take the examination, they will be sent an examination authorization email with the exam scheduling information.

CRSP Examination Timeline

 

After being approved to sit the CRSP examination, applicants have twelve months to make their first attempt. However, following the first attempt, they will only have another 12 months for the second and third attempts in case they do not achieve a passing grade. This is very important to consider when planning for the exam, but don’t worry we will review examples in the follow slides.

 Remember that the dates for writing the CRSP exam can vary. There are usually 3 testing periods throughout the year as listed on the slide, but make sure to check the BCRSP’s official schedule for accurate times.

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Number of Attempts to Write the CRSP Test

 

Candidates may decide to write the exam either immediately or at the end of the 12 month window. In terms of when would be the best time to sit the exams, it all comes down to preparation, scheduling, and exam centre availabilities.

Now, let’s take a look at how the attempt timeframes work in more detail.

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The CRSP Exam Timeline

 

Overall it could be said that candidates have 24 months and 3 attempts to write the CRSP exam. However, this is only possible if candidates write the first exam at the end of the first year. The reason for this is because, following the first attempt, they will have 12 months to use the other 2 attempts. Let’s take a look at some examples.

Two Years Timeline Might Change!

This diagram demonstrates the optimal case that would make the best use of the time frame. In this example, candidates should write the exam towards the end of the first 12 months. This way, they will have another 12 months for the remaining 2 attempts if needed.

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The Two Year Timeline Could be Shorter!

Assume that a candidate writes the exam 3 months after their application has been approved and they were not successful in meeting the grade requirement, they will still only have another 12 months from that point to make their 2nd and 3rd attempts.
 
 Therefore, in this example, the overall time frame would be 15 months for all three attempts. Keep in mind that a $175 fee is required for every attempt made.

How Much Time is Needed to Prepare for the CRSP Exam? 

Moving on to exam preparation, it’s important to understand why the timing and planning aspects are important. If a candidate has a strong academic/knowledge background and has already prepared well for the examination, they could sit the exam almost immediately after their application is approved. On the other hand, if they haven’t studied or aren’t comfortable with the material yet, it would be better to take the exam later on in the 2 year window to maximize study time.
 
 As shown in the example below, a preparation window of 2 to 4 months between having the application approved and sitting the exam is being used.

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Writing the CRSP Exam

Going back to the procedures, all the examinations are written via Computer Based Testing (CBT) and approved candidates can select a date and time for their examination based on exam centre availabilities.

Waiting for CRSP Test Results

Following the exam, it usually takes 2 to 3 months for candidates to receive their results. Therefore, they should make sure to factor these gaps in their plans.

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CRSP Certification Costs

In this slide, I would like to focus on the expenses. The eligibility application is about $525, unless the applicant has other similar designations such as CSB or NEBOSH from other countries, in which case they will pay only $75.00.

 Each exam attempt will cost $175 for registration as well as approximately $170 for exam centre fees. After passing the exam, candidates will be required to pay $250 for certification fees and processing, and this fee will renew annually at the beginning of each year after the first year.

To conclude, the overall CRSP examination process costs on average $1,120.