The 7 official HSPA exam domains, ranked by weight, with a suggested study order and 8-week timeline — based on the official HSPA Certification Handbook.
150
Total questions
125 scored + 25 unscored pretest
3 hours
Time limit
Computer-based, at a Prometric center
400 hours
Hands-on experience
Required for full or provisional certification
$140
Exam fee
Paid directly to HSPA
Ranked from highest to lowest exam weight — focus your time where it counts most first.
Cleaning, Decontamination & Disinfection
21%PPE, decontamination workflow, Spaulding classification and disinfection methods.
Preparation & Packaging
21%Instrument inspection, packaging methods, labeling and chemical indicators.
Sterilization Process
21%Steam & low-temp sterilization, biological indicators, cycle parameters and monitoring.
Departmental Considerations
15%Environmental controls, personnel standards, regulations and quality assurance.
Sterile Storage, Transport & Inventory
9%FIFO, event-related sterility, inventory systems and transport guidelines.
Professional Development & Human Relations
8%HIPAA, DEI, professional communication and continuing education.
Patient Care Equipment & Distribution
5%PM tags, equipment inspection, Biomedical Engineering and distribution.
A pace that works for most candidates studying 1-2 hours a day. Adjust based on your own experience level.
Cleaning, Decontamination & Disinfection + Sterilization Process
The two highest-weighted domains (21% each) — start here.
Preparation & Packaging
Another 21%-weighted domain — inspection, packaging methods, chemical indicators.
Departmental Considerations
15% of the exam — environmental controls, personnel standards, regulations.
Professional Development & Human Relations + Sterile Storage/Transport/Inventory
8% and 9% respectively — HIPAA, communication, FIFO, and inventory systems.
Patient Care Equipment & Distribution
The lowest-weighted domain (5%) — PM tags, equipment inspection.
Full-length timed mock exams
Simulate real exam conditions — 150 questions, 3-hour limit.
Review weak areas + light review only
Use the Weak Areas Drill to target exactly what you keep missing. Avoid cramming new material.
HSPA does not publish a fixed passing percentage. Pass/fail is determined using a psychometric standard-setting method (the Angoff procedure), where content experts estimate the difficulty of each question to establish a criterion-referenced passing score for that specific exam form.
Your result report shows domain-level performance as “At or Above,” “Below,” or “Well Below” expectations — not a percentage score. Focus on consistently strong performance across every domain rather than chasing a specific number.
Of the 150 questions on your exam, 125 are scored and 25 are unscored pretest questions used to evaluate future exam content. They're mixed in randomly and indistinguishable from scored questions — treat every question as if it counts.
2,500+ free practice questions across all 4 certifications.