Sterile Processing Training & Career Readiness

Train for a career in sterile processing.

Build your foundation with structured online lessons, prepare for CRCST or CSPDT certification, and get instructor and career-readiness support as you work toward entering the field. Learn at your own pace with one year of course access.

Optional virtual skills add-on

Practice with a kit of your own.

Add a mailed instrument and practice-supply kit, guided virtual skills practice, and instructor feedback. $497 one time, including U.S. shipping.

Explore virtual skills

Student reviews & results

In their own words. In their next steps.

See all student results

Shared student and customer experiences. Quotes are excerpts; individual results vary.

Your path through the program

Know what you are working toward.

Use these milestones to connect your coursework, certification preparation, and career next steps.

  1. 1
    Get oriented

    Open Start Here, review the course instructions and completion requirements, and plan study time around your schedule.

  2. 2
    Build and apply your knowledge

    Work through lessons, knowledge checks, and homework. Use your scores and course progress to decide what to review, and ask your instructor for help.

  3. 3
    Prepare for certification

    Use practice exams and focused review, check your chosen exam’s eligibility requirements, and organize your application and any required hands-on-hour plan.

  4. 4
    Prepare for career opportunities

    Work on your resume and interview preparation, explore job leads, and use career guidance to plan outreach for employment or qualifying hours.

Student dashboard preview

Preview your first lesson inside 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.

01

Structured online training

Learn the sterile processing workflow through video lessons, study guides, chapter reviews, knowledge checks, and homework. Study on your schedule with one year of course access.

02

Instructor support

Message your instructor from the course when you need help with a lesson, an assignment, or a concept. Keep learning with a place to ask questions.

03

Certification preparation

Prepare for CRCST or CSPDT with Quiz Studio, practice exams, answer explanations, and Flashcards. Review application requirements and plan the next steps for your chosen pathway.

04

Career-readiness guidance

Use Career Readiness for resume support, interview preparation, and guidance on pursuing qualifying hands-on hours. Build a practical plan for your next steps into the field.

05

Student community and job board

Explore non-certified sterile processing job opportunities posted as they become available. Review employer requirements and apply directly. Employers and facilities make hiring and placement decisions.

Support and completion

Self-paced does not mean unsupported.

Open your course to find instructor messaging, your progress, and Career Readiness. Ask for help with a lesson and get guidance on resumes, interviews, and your approach to qualifying hands-on hours.

TSP course dashboard showing course progress, Start Here, Message your instructor, and Career Readiness links
Inside the course: start with the instructions, track your progress, message your instructor, and open Career Readiness. Select the image to enlarge it.
01

Help while you learn and plan

Use Message your instructor for course questions. Open Career Readiness for resume support, interview preparation, and next-step guidance. Your course progress and knowledge-check scores help you see what to work on next.

02

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.

Choose your next step

See the course. Ask questions. Get started.

Explore the lesson preview, review what is included, or contact us about the program. A diagnostic is optional and is not required to preview the course or enroll. Tuition is $497 paid in full, or three monthly payments totaling $697.

Have questions about the training or support? 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.

Good fit

You are new to sterile processing.

You need organized instruction that explains the work from foundations through sterilization, storage, and professional practice.

Good fit

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.

Choose the Study Shop instead

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 bundle

Curriculum

Study the complete sterile processing workflow.

The curriculum is organized to help students connect standards and terminology to the work performed throughout the department.

01

Foundations and safety

Medical terminology, infection prevention, regulations, standards, workplace safety, and the role of sterile processing.

02

Decontamination

Point-of-use care, transport, PPE, cleaning chemistry, equipment, disinfection, and safe workflow.

03

Inspection and assembly

Instrument identification, inspection, testing, set assembly, and following instructions for use.

04

Preparation and packaging

Packaging systems, sterile barriers, labeling, quality checks, and preparation for sterilization.

05

Sterilization

Steam and low-temperature processes, cycle monitoring, indicators, documentation, and load release.

06

Storage and professional practice

Sterile storage, distribution, inventory, quality, communication, ethics, and career readiness.

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.

Quiz Studio

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
Flashcard Studio

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.

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.

View both side by side, or tap a certification for a roomier view.

CRCST and CSPDT comparison
CompareCRCSTHSPACSPDTCBSPD
CredentialCertified Registered Central Service TechnicianCertified Sterile Processing and Distribution Technician
EmploymentYes. Accepted by employers seeking CRCST.Yes. Accepted by employers seeking CSPDT / CBSPD.
Course routeTSP prepares you for the exam. Course completion does not replace hands-on hours.Complete TSP with a course grade of 70% or higher to meet the training-course requirement.
Documents from TSPCertificate of completion and grade documentation.Certificate of completion and grade documentation for your CBSPD application.
Hands-on hours400 qualifying hours required for full certification.No separate 400-hour requirement through the training-course route.
After passingFull certification with approved hours. If provisional, submit 400 hours within six months.CSPDT certification after eligibility approval and a passing exam. No provisional 400-hour period.
When you can testYear-round. No fixed seasonal testing window.Scheduled testing windows. Next: November 2–7, 2026.
Application timingApply when ready. After approval, test within your 90-day eligibility period.Next deadline: October 27, 2026. Application must be received by CBSPD.
Exam format150 questions · 3 hours150 questions · 3 hours
RenewalEvery year: 12 CE credits + renewal fee.Every 5 years: 100 qualifying points + renewal fee.
Next stepHSPA exam detailsCBSPD dates & application

Employers set their own credential and experience requirements. HSPA hours completed before applying must be from the previous five years; provisional candidates must meet the six-month submission deadline to retain certification. Testing appointments depend on availability.

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?

Start with the job

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.

Considering CRCST?

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.

Considering CSPDT?

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)

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.

  1. 1
    Submit the enrollment intake

    Share your goals, contact information, availability, and current experience.

  2. 2
    Submit program payment

    Continue to secure checkout and complete your program payment.

  3. 3
    Receive your access email

    After payment is submitted, check your email for course access and next-step instructions.

  4. 4
    Begin 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 structured online lessons and assignments, instructor support, certification study tools, and career guidance for resumes, interviews, and 400-hour strategy. Start with the enrollment intake after reviewing the details above.

Begin the enrollment intakeReview options first
Clear expectations

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.