CER Certification: HSPA's Certified Endoscope Reprocessor

What the CER is

The Certified Endoscope Reprocessor (CER) is HSPA's specialty credential for the people who keep flexible endoscopes safe to reuse. It recognizes individuals who have demonstrated the knowledge and skills to pre-clean, test, decontaminate, inspect, disinfect and/or sterilize, transport, and store endoscopes in line with industry standards, guidelines, regulations, and manufacturers' instructions for use. HSPA describes CERs as crucial members of the healthcare team because endoscope preparation is directly tied to patient safety: a contaminated scope can carry infection from one patient to the next.

The fact that surprises most people: the CER is a standalone certification. HSPA states explicitly that CRCST certification is NOT required to apply or test. That makes the CER an option for GI technicians and endoscopy-unit staff whose daily work centers on scopes rather than the full SPD workflow.

Eligibility: three months of hands-on experience

To earn the CER, you must complete three months of hands-on experience reprocessing endoscopes before you apply. HSPA stresses first-hand experience because endoscopes are uniquely complex devices: long narrow lumens, delicate optics, and channels that demand meticulous cleaning. Your experience must cover the full reprocessing workflow: pre-cleaning, testing, decontaminating, inspecting, disinfecting and/or sterilizing, transporting, and storing endoscopes. You document these hours on the exam application, which is available at myHSPA.org, and HSPA allows about 3 to 4 weeks for application processing. The fee includes one exam attempt at a Prometric testing facility.

The exam: format, domains, and fee

The CER exam is 150 multiple-choice questions: 125 scored and 25 unscored pretest questions that are delivered randomly and cannot be distinguished from the scored ones, so answer every question. You get 3 hours at a computer-based Prometric test center. The initial exam fee is $140, and a retake is also $140.

The exam tests seven knowledge domains: microbiology and infection control; endoscope purpose, design, and structure; work area design; endoscope reprocessing steps; endoscope handling, transport, and storage; endoscope tracking, repair, and system maintenance; and human factors that impact endoscope systems. HSPA built the exam from its Endoscope Reprocessing Manual (2nd edition, 2022), ANSI/AAMI ST91 (2022), the CDC's Essential Elements of a Reprocessing Program for Flexible Endoscopes (2017), and SGNA infection prevention standards. Those references double as your study list.

Recertification: annual, with endoscope-focused CE

Like all HSPA certifications, the CER is time-limited to one year. Renewal requires 6 continuing education credits per year, and the credits must focus on information and advancements relevant to endoscopes and be technical in nature. For comparison, CRCST renewal requires 12 CE credits per year, and the CIS (Certified Instrument Specialist) requires current CRCST status plus 6 additional CE credits per year. If you hold multiple HSPA credentials, they renew in the same anniversary month, with additional CE credits but no additional fees.

CER vs CRCST: which comes first?

Think generalist versus specialist. The CRCST is the broad SPD credential: 400 hands-on hours across decontamination, preparation and packaging, sterilization, and distribution, plus a 150-question exam covering the whole department. The CER goes deep on one high-stakes device family. If you want a hospital SPD job, start with CRCST; it is the credential most postings ask for. If you already work in a GI or endoscopy unit, the CER can be your first (and sometimes only) certification. The most common stack is CRCST first, then CER: the generalist credential gets you hired, and the specialty credential makes you the go-to person wherever scopes are reprocessed.

How CER compares: CIS and the CBSPD track

HSPA and CBSPD are the two certifying bodies in sterile processing, and each offers an entry-level credential plus specialty exams. Here is how the options line up:

Two structural differences matter when you choose a track. HSPA credentials renew every year with continuing education; CBSPD certifications run on a five-year cycle, with one fee covering certification or recertification for the full five years. CBSPD's Technician, GI Scope (endoscope), and Management exams are accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). One more note for instrument lovers: CBSPD discontinued its instrument-specialist exam (CSIS) in 2021, so the instrument specialty credential now lives on the HSPA side as the CIS. Either track is widely recognized; many techs pick based on which credential their local employers list in job postings. Our CRCST vs CBSPD guide compares the two entry-level exams head to head.

Who should get the CER

The CER makes the most sense for GI technicians, endoscopy-unit staff, and SPD techs at facilities with heavy endoscopy volume. It signals to employers that you can own the most failure-prone workflow in the department: endoscope reprocessing has more steps, more ways to go wrong, and tighter documentation demands than most SPD work. If your facility is expanding its endoscopy services, the CER is also a promotion argument: certified scope specialists are harder to replace than generalists.

And if you already hold CRCST, adding the CER is one of the cheapest specialty upgrades in the field: $140, no additional classroom requirement beyond the three months of hands-on experience, and only 6 endoscope-focused CE credits a year to maintain. Pair it with our flexible endoscope reprocessing guide to start learning the workflow the exam tests.