Check your target employers.
Review local job postings for CRCST, CSPDT, HSPA, or CBSPD. Some accept either; others name a specific credential. Match your choice to those requirements.
Self-Paced Sterile Processing Program
Build the knowledge behind the certification.
A complete sterile processing training path for students who need more than practice questions. Learn the department workflow, prepare for the CRCST or CBSPD technician (CSPDT) exam, use Quiz Studio and Flashcards, and build a professional plan for entering the field.
Certification pathways
Compare CRCST and CSPDT.
Both certifications can lead to employment in sterile processing. The main differences are eligibility, hands-on requirements, and renewal. Start with the requirements of the employers where you want to work.
HSPA and CBSPD are the certifying organizations. CRCST and CSPDT are the credentials you earn.
Yes, this program meets CBSPD’s course-completion requirement.
Successfully complete The Sterile Process’s Self-Paced Sterile Processing Program with a passing course grade of 70% or higher to satisfy CBSPD’s training-course eligibility route for the CSPDT exam. The Sterile Process will provide your certificate of completion and grade documentation for your CBSPD exam application.
Submit that documentation with your CBSPD application by its deadline. CBSPD reviews eligibility and awards certification after you pass its exam. The Exam Prep Bundle alone does not provide this course-completion credential.
Which certification should you pursue?
Plan your 400 hours.
This route may fit when employers request CRCST and you can arrange qualifying experience. Secure a realistic hours plan before taking the provisional exam.
Use your completed training.
This route may fit when you want to qualify through course completion and your target employers accept CBSPD. You can pursue certification while continuing to build hands-on experience.
Two credentials. A shared career goal.
Both pathways can support applications for sterile processing jobs. For example, a Kaiser Permanente sterile processing posting accepts certification through either organization. Hiring also depends on experience, demonstrated skills, and the facility’s requirements. Neither credential guarantees a job.
Our program supports preparation for both exams, plus resumes, interviews, and a plan for hands-on experience. Your course-completion certificate documents your education; HSPA or CBSPD awards your professional certification. Exam applications and fees are separate from program enrollment.
See an employer example (requirements and availability may change)Student dashboard preview
Your course lives inside TSP Study Hub.
Launch the real Study Hub below and explore the Intro to SP module with a free, verified account. Your seven-day preview includes selected course activities and study tools, with the rest of the program locked until enrollment.
Explore the actual course
Try your first module.
Watch lessons, use the study materials, and complete activities inside the real TSP Study Hub. Your work saves to your own account.
Free account and confirmed email required. Seven days of limited access. No credit card.
Your preview includes
- Introduction to SPVideo lessons, study materials, activities, homework, and knowledge check
- Practice and recallFoundations: Core Practice quiz with rationales and 40 related flashcards
- Community & JobsA limited view of the community and job board
Additional course modules, full study libraries, and enrolled-student services require the appropriate paid access.
What is included
Education, practice, support, and career preparation in one path.
Student community and job board
Enrolled students can explore non-certified sterile processing job opportunities posted as they become available. Review each employer’s requirements and apply directly. Job availability varies; placement is not guaranteed.
Structured self-paced learning
Move through video lessons and chapter reviews without a required live-class schedule.
Quiz Studio and Flashcards
Use Quiz Studio, exam-style practice, timed knowledge checks, and Flashcards to strengthen understanding and recall.
Chapter reviews and video lectures
Review the sterile processing workflow through structured chapter review and video lecture support.
Student support
Get support for lessons, interview preparation, 400-hour strategy, and career next steps.
Included study tools
Quiz Studio shows what needs work. Flashcard Studio helps it stick.
Students do not have to piece together separate study tools. The self-paced program includes both practice and recall so students can test, review, rebuild, and return with a stronger plan.
Practice exam-style decision making.
Quiz Studio gives students CRCST and CBSPD practice pathways, immediate scoring, answer rationales, saved progress, and a clear view of the topics that need another pass.
- Timed and untimed practice
- Answer rationales after scoring
- Flagged questions and saved progress
- Needs Review bank for missed questions
- Readiness tracking by content area
Build the recall behind the questions.
Flashcard Studio helps students repeat the terms, standards, workflows, instruments, packaging, and sterilization concepts that need to become familiar before exam day.
- Domain filtering and search
- Question-first active recall
- Still Learning and Known sorting
- Focused review from weak areas
- Session progress saved to the student account
The study loop inside the program
Take a Quiz Studio set, review the score and rationale, move weak areas into Flashcard Studio, then return to exam-style practice with fewer blind spots.
Support and completion
Self-paced does not mean unsupported.
There is no required class schedule, but students can still receive support for questions about a module, lesson, exam preparation, interview preparation, 400-hour strategy, or when they are ready to start pursuing sterile processing opportunities.
Certification readiness support
Student support is designed to help students understand the material, stay organized, prepare for the CRCST or CBSPD technician (CSPDT) exam, and plan next steps toward hands-on experience.
Completion documents
After successful program completion with a course grade of 70% or higher, The Sterile Process will provide your certificate of completion and grade documentation for CBSPD’s training-course eligibility route. Compare certification pathways. Well-qualified students may also be considered for a recommendation letter based on participation, professionalism, readiness, and completed coursework.
Before requesting more info
Use the 30-question diagnostic to choose your next step.
The current training path is online, self-paced, and includes one year of access to course materials, Quiz Studio, Flashcards, chapter reviews, video lectures, and student support. Standard tuition is $697, the pay-in-full offer is $497, and the payment plan is three monthly payments totaling $697. If you are unsure which offer fits, the diagnostic is designed to point you toward a clear decision before a call is needed.
I am ready to beginStart enrollmentUse this when you reviewed the program details and are ready to select your payment option.I am unsureTake the 30-question diagnosticUse this when you need help deciding whether full training, exam practice, or career support is the right next step.I only need exam practiceExplore the exam prep bundleUse this when you already learned the material and mainly need the complete exam preparation bundle.I need 400-hour or job helpExplore Career LaunchUse this when your priority is resume, interview, outreach, employment, or hands-on-hour strategy.
Prospective students who are still unsure after reviewing the program details and diagnostic can call 800-733-2258 or email admin@thesterileprocess.com, Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM PST. Email response time is 48 hours.
Who this is for
Choose the full program when you need the full foundation.
You are new to sterile processing.
You need organized instruction that explains the work from foundations through sterilization, storage, and professional practice.
You studied before but still feel lost.
You want structure, chapter review, practice, and support instead of trying to assemble a study plan from disconnected resources.
You already know the material.
If you already learned the fundamentals, the exam preparation bundle brings practice questions, flashcards, and job-board access together.
Explore the exam prep bundleCurriculum
Study the complete sterile processing workflow.
The curriculum is organized to help students connect standards and terminology to the work performed throughout the department.
Foundations and safety
Medical terminology, infection prevention, regulations, standards, workplace safety, and the role of sterile processing.
Decontamination
Point-of-use care, transport, PPE, cleaning chemistry, equipment, disinfection, and safe workflow.
Inspection and assembly
Instrument identification, inspection, testing, set assembly, and following instructions for use.
Preparation and packaging
Packaging systems, sterile barriers, labeling, quality checks, and preparation for sterilization.
Sterilization
Steam and low-temperature processes, cycle monitoring, indicators, documentation, and load release.
Storage and professional practice
Sterile storage, distribution, inventory, quality, communication, ethics, and career readiness.
Certification and 400 hours
Training is one part of the CRCST path.
The program provides sterile processing education, CRCST exam preparation, and support for understanding the hands-on experience requirement. Most students pursue qualifying hours through employment or approved volunteer opportunities.
The Sterile Process helps students prepare resumes, interviews, outreach, and next-step strategies. HSPA determines certification eligibility and acceptance of qualifying hours. Employers and facilities make hiring and placement decisions.
Enrollment process
Know what happens when you enroll.
- 1Submit the enrollment intake
Share your goals, contact information, availability, and current experience.
- 2Submit program payment
Continue to secure checkout and complete your program payment.
- 3Receive your access email
After payment is submitted, check your email for course access and next-step instructions.
- 4Begin your course
Follow the structured lessons, reviews, practice, and assignments on your schedule.
Program tuition
$697 standard tuition. $497 pay-in-full offer.
Klarna, Afterpay, and a three-month installment plan are available. The three-month plan totals $697. Tuition includes Quiz Studio, Flashcards, chapter reviews, video lectures, and student support for interview preparation and 400-hour strategy. Start with the enrollment intake after reviewing the details above.
The Sterile Process is an independent education and career-readiness organization. Enrollment does not guarantee certification, acceptance of hands-on hours, employment, placement, or a passing exam score.