Exam Policies - IAHCSMM.org

Examination Policies and Procedures

All IAHCSMM certification exams are administered exclusively through Prometric Testing.

Prometric has a global network of site-based testing facilities, giving convenient access, as well as a wide selection of times and dates for testing, to test takers anywhere in the world. The partnership between IAHCSMM and Prometric offers the only secure, daily examination process within the Sterile Processing field.

Exam appointments cannot be made with the testing company without first submitting an application and payment to IAHCSMM and then receiving your scheduling information. Applications must be mailed or faxed to IAHCSMM Headquarters (applications and payment cannot be submitted by phone.) Once received, your application will be reviewed to determine completion of all eligibility requirements. You will be notified if any documentation or information is missing that requires you to resubmit your application.

Scheduling an Exam

Once your exam application has been received and processed by IAHCSMM you will be sent the information necessary to schedule an exam date with Prometric, either by phone or online.

When you receive your Scheduling Letter/Email verify all information for accuracy. If any changes need to be made to your name they must be done before scheduling an appointment. Your first and last name(s) as listed on your letter/email must match exactly the name presented on your identification at the testing center. Middle names/initials are not important and will not be checked. For example:

If the Name on Your ID is:	Then it Should Appear as:
John A. Doe	John Doe
Jane B. Doe-Smith	Jane Doe-Smith
John C. Doe Jones	John Doe Jones
Jane Ann D. Doe	Jane Ann Doe
John E. Doe Jr	John Doe Jr
J. Francine Doe	J. Francine Doe

You may schedule an appointment to take the examination at your convenience any day the testing center is open (typically at least 6 days a week) within your 90 day testing eligibility. Please be aware that no extensions will be granted, regardless of circumstance.

You must schedule an exam a minimum of 48 hours prior to your desired test time. Seating is available on a first come, first served basis, and it is strongly recommended to schedule all appointments at least 45 days earlier than your eligibility expiration. If you wait to schedule until the end of your eligibility you may face seating limitations and even run the risk of your local center not having any openings, thereby forfeiting your exam fee.

A confirmation letter can be printed or emailed from the Prometric website after you make your appointment. The confirmation letter is for your records and is not required in order to take the examination. Applicants are solely responsible for making and keeping their scheduled examination appointment date. Your exam appointment can be verified via Prometric's website or toll free number.

Rescheduling Your Appointment
An appointment can be rescheduled no later than noon EST, two (2) business days in advance of your test date. (For example: an appointment on Wednesday cannot be rescheduled after 12:00 noon EST on Monday; an appointment on Saturday, Sunday, or Monday cannot be rescheduled after 12:00 noon EST on Thursday.)
Appointments can be rescheduled online (available 24 hours a day) or by phone (available Mon-Fri, 9am to 5pm EST.) In order to reschedule an exam you will need your Prometric confirmation number. Any additional fees are paid directly to Prometric at the time of rescheduling.
Missed Exams
Candidates who fail to show for a scheduled exam will be considered a No-Show and will forfeit their application and payment. A new application and additional exam fee must then be submitted to IAHCSMM before a new appointment can be scheduled.
Candidates who arrive later than their scheduled exam start time are subject to availability, and may not be able to take their exam. They will then be considered a No-Show and required to reapply and repay for a new testing eligibility.
Candidates who appear at the testing center without valid identification will not be permitted to test. Likewise, candidates whose first and last names, as listed on their identification, do not match the information they registered with will not be permitted to test. If you are unable to test due to invalid identification you will then be required to reapply and pay the full fee for another examination period.
Reapplying for Examination
If for any reason you need to retake an exam, you may do so by submitting a retake application (sent with your exam results) and full exam fee.

Falsified & Misleading Application Documentation
All information provided by and about you on the exam application (and any other subsequent forms submitted in relation to the application) must be accurate and correct. If any information provided on an exam application or any other document relating to your certification is determined to be false or purposefully misleading, IAHCSMM can reject your application and disqualify you from future testing. The IAHCSMM Certification Council will review all such instances and determine the appropriate recourse, including the invalidation of test results, the revocation of any certifications which have been granted, and/or the denial of renewal.
Refunds & Forfeiture of Exam Fees
All requests for refunds must be made within 30 days of the start of your testing eligibility and before an exam appointment has been made.
Failure to schedule and take an exam within the allotted 90 day testing eligibility, missing or arriving late for an appointment, or presenting ID that is unacceptable, expired, or does not match your registered name (as provided on your exam application), will prohibit you from testing and effectively end your exam eligibility period. Your exam fee will be forfeited and you will not be eligible for any refund. The application process must be repeated and full payment submitted, when you are ready to have a new test eligibility granted.
Change of Name and/or Address
Any name changes due to marriage, divorce, or other reasons, as well as any spelling corrections needed, must be made with IAHCSMM before scheduling an exam. Legal name changes must be accompanied by a photocopy of a marriage license, divorce decree, or other court order and submitted to IAHCSMM. Failure to change or correct your name prior to testing may result in an inability to test and a forfeiture of all exam fees.
If your address changes or needs corrected from what appears on your scheduling information, please contact IAHCSMM prior to your test date.
All changes must be made directly with IAHCSMM - - name and/or address changes cannot be made at the test center.
Non-Disclosure Agreement
This examination is confidential and proprietary. It is made available to you, the examinee, solely for the purpose of becoming certified in the technical area referenced in the title of this exam. You are expressly prohibited from recording, copying, reproducing, disclosing, publishing, or transmitting this examination, in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, verbal or written, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, without the express written permission of IAHCSMM.
Use of Personal Information
The information provided to IAHCSMM on your exam application, and in regard to your certification exam, will be used in accordance of IAHCSMM's Confidentiality Policy in Appendix A, page 24. If you request and are granted special testing accommodations (see the following Applicants with a Disability section) IAHCSMM will disclose personal information to third parties as necessary to administer your examination. This may include such information as your disability status, medical condition, or any political, religious, or philosophical beliefs which require accommodation.

What to Bring to the Test Center

When arriving to take your exam, the Prometric representative on site will ask for one form of ID showing both your current photo and signature. Any form of ID presented must be current and non-expired, and exactly match the first and last name(s) provided on your application and appearing on your scheduling letter. Any typos/misspellings or change of name(s) due to marriage, divorce, or other reasons must be made with IAHCSMM prior to scheduling an exam.

Make sure to bring at least one form of identification from the following List of Acceptable Identification (all of which must have both a current photo and signature):

• Non-expired Driver's License
• Non-expired State/Federal Government ID Card
• Non-expired Passport
• Non-expired Employee ID Card
• Non-expired Military ID card
• Non-expired Student ID card

All other forms of identification (credit cards, check cashing cards, voter registration cards, social security cards, etc.) are not valid, and if presented will not be accepted. Likewise, the above acceptable identifications will not be accepted if they are expired or do not contain your photo, signature and matching name.

Failure to have the necessary identification on site for scheduled appointments, or if the photo identification shown does not match exactly to the records submitted from your original application (or updates made before an exam was scheduled), will prohibit you from sitting for the exam, forfeiting the application and fees. The application process will then have to be repeated for further certification attempts including the submission of another full exam fee.

Please remember, failure to schedule and take an exam within the allotted 90 day window, missing or arriving late for an appointment, or presenting ID that is unacceptable, expired, or does not match your registered name, will all prohibit you from testing and effectively end your exam eligibility period. Your exam fee will be forfeited and the application process must be repeated.

Personal and Prohibited Items
Wear comfortable, layered clothing as test center temperatures may vary. Any clothing or jewelry items allowed to be worn in the test room must remain on your person at all times. Removed clothing or jewelry items must be stored in your locker. If you are noise sensitive, earplugs or noise-blocking headphones may be available at the testing center (ask the test administrator for a pair.)
No personal belongings are allowed into the testing lab. A private locker will be provided for you in which to store your personal effects including, but not limited to: outerwear, hats, food, drinks, purses, wallets, briefcases, notebooks, pagers, cell phones, keys, coins, recording devices, and photographic equipment. You are not permitted to bring anything but your ID and locker key into the testing lab. Calculators will not be necessary, but writing material will be provided to you for any notes you wish to make while testing. All writing material is collected at the end of your exam and may not be removed from the testing center.
While you are welcome to take as many breaks as you wish while testing, the clock will keep running on your exam and you cannot access any cell phones, notes, or study materials, nor leave the testing facility.
Taking the Test
You must arrive for your test a minimum of 30 minutes prior to your scheduled start time. Candidates who arrive later than their scheduled exam start time, for any reason, are subject to availability and may not be able to take the exam, resulting in a No-Show, thereby forfeiting the exam fee. If someone else is transporting you to the testing center please be aware that persons not scheduled to take a test are not permitted to wait in the test center.
You will be given a list of test center rules and regulations and be asked to check all personal belongings in a private locker (see the Personal & Prohibited Items section above.) You must keep your ID and locker key with you at all times, and nothing else. If you need access to an item stored in your locker during a break, such as food or medicine, you must inform the test proctor before you retrieve the item. You are not allowed to access any prohibited items, such as cell phones, notes, or study materials.
Prior to every entry to the testing lab you will be scanned with a metal detector wand and asked to empty and turn your pockets inside out to confirm that you have no prohibited items. If you refuse, you cannot test. You will be continuously monitored by video, physical walk-throughs, and the observation window during your test. All testing sessions are video and audio recorded.
You may take unscheduled breaks at any time during your exam, but the test clock will continue to run. Repeated or lengthy departures from the test room will be reported by the test center administrator.
Once seated in the testing lab the computer will have a screen asking you to verify that you are the person whose name is listed. Click "Yes" to launch the test, unless you are not the person whose name appears. Clicking "No" will end the exam.
A 15 minute tutorial describing how to take the computer based exam precedes the test and can also be reviewed online, here. Time spent reviewing the tutorial does not affect the allotted time for the actual examination. When finished with the tutorial click "End" to launch your exam.
All questions are multiple choice and can be marked for review and returned to later. You can move forward and backward through the exam using the "Previous" and "Next" buttons. You can select a question to return to later with the "Mark" button and see a full list of questions by pressing "Review". When you are completely finished you can conclude the exam by pressing "End" from the review page. Once you have ended the exam it cannot be re-launched, so please be sure you are finished before doing so.
A brief, optional survey follows the exam after which you will receive a pass/fail notification (both on screen and from the test administrator.)
Cancellation of Examinations Due to Bad Weather or Other Emergencies
Sometimes unforeseen circumstances, such as bad weather, electrical failure, or other emergencies, may require a test center to unexpectedly close. Should this happen, Prometric will make every effort to contact you in advance of your appointment. Prometric will try contacting you by e-mail and by telephone, so please make sure that the contact information you provide during the scheduling and registration process is accurate. You may also check for test site closures by calling Prometric.
Should your test center unexpectedly close for any reason, you will be contacted by the Prometric rescheduling department within 48-72 hours to reschedule your appointment.
If a testing center is open for testing and you choose not to appear for your appointment, your fee will be forfeited. You must then reapply for your examination and pay another full examination fee.
Cheating and Misconduct
If a Prometric test proctor suspects or determines that you have engaged in inappropriate conduct during the examination (such as, but not limited to, giving or obtaining unauthorized information or aid; accessing cell phones, notes, or study materials; unauthorized exiting of the testing facility; attempting to test for someone else; removing or attempting to remove note paper from the testing center; abusive or inappropriate behavior towards a test center employee or fellow test taker; etc) your examination session can be terminated and you will be unable to complete your examination. Any and all suspicious behavior will be reported to IAHCSMM and reviewed by the Certification Council.
Candidates are expressly prohibited from recording, copying, reproducing, disclosing, publishing, or transmitting any IAHCSMM examination, in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, verbal or written, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose. Anyone caught or suspected of violating these guidelines will be reported to IAHCSMM and reviewed by the Certification Council.
The IAHCSMM Certification Council will review all such instances of misconduct, cheating, or alleged cheating. As described in the disciplinary policy, the Certification Council will determine the appropriate recourse, up to and including the invalidation of the results of your examination, the revocation of any certifications which have been granted, and/or your temporary or permanent disqualification from future testing with IAHCSMM.

Examination Results

A Pass/Fail exam result is determined by the total number of questions you answer correctly. Upon completion of your exam you will be notified at the test center whether or not you have passed your test. Upon passing your exam a certification package, containing your new certification documents will be mailed to you within two weeks. If you do not pass your exam then your score report, along with information on retaking the exam, will be mailed to you within a week. For security purposes test scores cannot be given by email or phone.

Upon becoming certified, and with every annual renewal, you will be issued a certificate for each certification you hold. The certificate(s) will detail the scope and dates of your certification(s) and can be used as a primary source document to verify your certification.

CRCST, CER & CHL Score Reports
If you achieve a passing score on the CRCST, CER, or CHL exam you will receive a passing notification, but not an overall exam score. If you do not pass the CRCST, CER, or CHL exam, you will receive an overview of the seven Knowledge Domains which comprise each of the exams. These section scores will pinpoint exactly in which areas you were strongest and weakest by noting if you were "At or Above", "Below", or "Well Below" the passing level for each domain.
CIS & CCSVP Score Reports
If you achieve a passing score on a CIS or CCSVP exam you will receive a passing notification and overall exam score. If you do not pass the exam, you will receive an overall exam score showing the percentage of questions you answered correctly.
Duplicate Score Reports
Current certificants may request a duplicate score report within 7 years of their original test date. Non-certified or lapsed certificants may request a duplicate score report within 3 years of their original test date.
Re-Testing
An applicant who fails any IAHCSMM exam must wait a minimum of 6 weeks before being allowed to retest. The applicant may submit a retake application as soon after testing as they wish, but their eligibility will begin 6 weeks after their last exam date.
The rationale for this waiting period is to ensure that there are a sufficient number of test forms available on an annual basis so that candidates will not be exposed to any given form more than twice before it is retired. IAHCSMM updates examination forms annually.
When you are ready to test again, simply submit a retake application (which was provided with your exam score report), along with the $125 exam fee ($150 USD outside of the US or Canada). If you do not have a retake application, you may also submit the standard application for the exam you wish to take.
Examination Irregularities
If you believe one or more items on the test to be incorrect or in some way invalid, a written/electronic appeal must be submitted within 30 days of taking the examination. You must provide as much detail as you remember about the item(s) in question and your reason for challenging their accuracy.
All item appeals will be reviewed by the IAHCSMM Certification Council. A thorough review of the item(s) in question will be conducted and a written synopsis of the board's findings will be issued. If one or more items are found to be in any way inaccurate they will be corrected or replaced on the certification exam and your score will be adjusted accordingly.
Verification of Computer Examination Results
If you do not achieve a passing score on your exam you may request that your test be re-graded to verify the reported results. However, you should note that every Prometric record is scored twice before releasing the results. Therefore, the likelihood of mis-scoring is remote. Requests must be made within 30 days of taking the examination and accompanied by a $50 processing fee, payable directly to the Prometric testing company.
Appeals of Examination Results
Candidates who fail the exam may file an appeal of exam results based on: examination procedures that fail to comply with the Certification Council's established policies or alleged testing conditions severe enough to cause a major and significant disruption of the examination process.
Appeals must be made in writing within 30 days of the date on the individual's score results. Appeals that are not resolved by the Certification Manager to the candidate's satisfaction will be forward to the Certification Council for review along with any other relevant information. Written notice of the final decision will be sent to the applicant within 30 days of the review. The decision of the Certification Council will be final.
Release of Scores to Program Officials
IAHCSMM will only release exam results directly to you, in written format, at the home address provided on your exam application. Scores are not available orally or electronically, and can take up to two weeks to be delivered. Exam scheduling information, results, and pass/fail notifications will not be provided to 3rd parties without your prior express written consent. Upon request IAHCSMM will verify an individual's current certification status (including their certification effective and expiration dates) to any inquiring party, but will not release further details of your examination(s), including exam scores or the number of exam attempts, without your consent.

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Healthcare Central Service Materiel
Management (IAHCSMM)

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