Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
about Certification
Please use the form at bottom to pose questions not answered in the FAQ section.
What is the deadline for sitting for the exam?
Typically two to three months before the exam date. The 2008 exam will be held on October 24th, in Secaucus, New Jersey - a few miles outside of Manhattan, NY – see the Handbook for specifics.
What are the requirements to sit for the exam?
Your eligibility is dependent upon your level of education completed and number of hours of experience. For example, most psychometrists have a 4-year college degree. In such cases, the degree from a regionally accredited institution AND a minimum of 3000 hours of testing, scoring and associated administrative experience under the supervision of a licensed psychologist or neuropsychologist is required.
Candidates who meet any one of the following criteria are eligible to sit for the Certified Specialist in PsychometrySM examination.
- A Bachelors degree from a regionally accredited college or university and a minimum of 3000 hours of testing, scoring and associated administrative experience earned under the supervision of licensed psychologist or neuropsychologist.
-OR-
- A Masters or Doctoral degree from a regionally accredited college or university with documented course work in a related field and a minimum of 2000 hours of testing, scoring and associated administrative experience earned under the supervision of licensed psychologist or neuropsychologist.
A total of 2000 hours is equivalent to one-year of “full-time work experience.” To qualify, work experience must include substantial time spent in testing, scoring and associated administrative activities performed under the supervision of a licensed psychologist or neuropsychologist. Periods of work that include significant time devoted to tasks unrelated to psychometry do not qualify. The required hours of qualifying work experience may have been earned at any time during the five (5) year period immediately prior to the date of application.
How long does the exam take?Each candidate will have up to 150-minutes to work on the exam.
What is the exam format?
120 multiple-choice items.
What is the passing score for the examination?
The passing score is 70%. The exam is not scored on a "curve," therefore the candidate pool does not determine the passing score.
Are there any other requirements to maintain my certification?
Yes. You need to obtain a minimum of 12-hours of Continuing Education Units (CEUs), in a psychological, neuropsychological or any mental health related field, with at least 2 CEU’s in ethics, every 2 years.
For example, if you attend one NAP annual conference you would accrue up to 12-hours of CEUs.
If you took the certification exam in 2007, you will not be required to fulfill the CEUs till the end of 2009. (Please note, there will be random audits of CSPs.)
I work only with children; I don’t think I should have to be examined on the adult tests.
All examinees take the same exam. The information on the exam is specific to psychometry, regardless of the population you work with in your setting.
How long before I hear if I passed?
In 6-8 weeks you will be notified via US Mail (no information will be provided by phone, email or fax).
Can Canadians take this exam?
Yes, providing all the same requirements are met. This is true for any English-speaking applicant regardless of where they practice. Your supervision in Canada must be by a certified psychologist or neuropsychologist. (Please note, questions with regard to ethics may include questions involving HIPAA.)
What is the cost to sit for the exam?
In 2008, the fee to sit for the certification exam will depend on if you register early, regular or as a non-NAP member. The early registration is $150, the regular is $175, and $225 for non-NAP members. Please see the Handbook for specifics.
Where will the next (2008) examination be held?
The 2008 exam will be held on October 24th, in Secaucus, New Jersey - a few miles outside of Manhattan, NY – see the Handbook for specifics.
Are there other exam locations?
At this time there is ONLY one exam location (and time) offered.
Is the exam available online?
No. Security is very important and therefore all examinees are required to take the exam in person and in the same physical location.
Is there a study guide to prepare for the exam?
Sorry, at this time there is no prep guide or course available. This is a long-term project currently under consideration, but it will probably be several years before it will become available. Use the Handbook.
I have not tested very much in the last year or so but I used to work full-time as a psychometrist. With that past experience can I use those years to qualify to sit for the exam?
Yes - please refer to the Handbook for specifics: "Periods of work that include significant time devoted to tasks unrelated to psychometry do not qualify. The required hours of qualifying work experience may have been earned at any time during the five (5) year period immediately prior to the date of application."
Is the certification recognized by organizations such as APA, NAN and INS?
The CSP credential is in the process of being recognized by NAN - details to follow when they become available.
The psychometry certification examination has been created to meet the strict national standards of certifying professional occupations. APA does not approve any examinations. APA does sponsor a few of its own certification examinations through its own subsidiary organization called the College of Professional Psychology. The psychometrist certification examination conforms to the Standards for Educational and Psychological Tests published jointly by the American Educational Research Association, the National Council for Measurement in Education and APA. It has been designed and constructed to be consistent with and in compliance with the joint standards.
Are we responsible for administration/scoring issues only, or will there be any questions regarding interpretation of tests?
No. Test interpretation is not within the scope of psychometry. However, you should know what tests purport to measure.
How much neuroanatomy are we going to be expected to know?
The basics of gross neuroanatomy.
I have worked as a psychometrist for over 20-years including training psychology interns, post-doctoral fellows and other staff on assessment issues. I have published several articles as the principle author in peer-reviewed journals. I would like to know if I can be grandfathered-in as an experienced psychometrists?
No. Everyone is required to meet the same criteria. There have been several seasoned psychometrists with over 30-yrs experience who also were required to meet the current certification criteria. There is no grandfathering regardless of years of experience, supervision/training of others, education, publications, etc.
I am supervised by two psychologists. My immediate supervising psychologist is not licensed but their supervisor is, which one should I use in my Attestation document?
The requirement in the Handbook states it has to be a "licensed" psychologist ("certified" in Canada).
I have been a psychometrist for several years. How many years of experience do you recommend to sit for the exam and how much studying should I commit?
Each psychometrist has to decide how much to study for the exam. We have heard the range varies a great deal, from none to 6 months. We cannot say with any certainty what is appropriate for you. Based on the feedback we have collected from previous years, and a 67% passing rate in 2006 and 2007 (with an exam reliability of about .80), those who passed the exam reported studying anywhere from 0-50+ hours.
There are several who barely had the minimum number of years experience and passed the exam. As for years of experience of those who passed the CSP exam, the 2005 CSPs had an average of 9.9 years psychometry experience; the 2006 CSPs had 7.2 years; and the 2007 CSPs had 9.1 years.
Educational backgrounds also varied. The table below is comprised of those who passed the CSP exam.
2005-2007 CSP Educational Ratio:
CSP Educational Level | Raw | Ratio |
Graduate Degree* | 26 | (39.5%) |
Bachelors Degree | 36 | (54.5%) |
Associates Degree** | 1 | (1.5%) |
High School Diploma** | 3 | (4.5%) |
N = 66 | ||
** - Effective 2007, the minimum educational requirement to sit for the CSP Exam is a 4-yr degree from an accredited college or university.
Of those who did not pass, in 2005 the average years of experience was 7.5; in 2006 it was 2.5; and in 2007 it was 5.2. The moral is that studying is important.
Updated 6/12/08
If you have Psychometry questions - Click here.
If you have a general administration/scoring questions please post your question on the NAP Listserv - open ONLY to current NAP members: 
Please use the form below to pose your Certification Question - other questions will not be reviewed.