CHST certification: requirements and how to get it

The experience rule in plain words

• Three years. BCSP asks for three years of experience.
• In construction safety. BCSP's sheet names construction safety, so describe your safety work on construction projects.
• At least 35% of duties. More than a third of your duties, across the job, had to need technical SH&E skill and knowledge.

BCSP decides what meets the rule when it reviews your application, and you should read BCSP's current requirements on its CHST page before you apply. We do not guess at what BCSP will accept.

Check your own record first

Before you pay the application fee, write down each role in the last several years:

1. Employer, dates and the type of construction work.
2. The duties that were safety work: inspections, hazard analysis, training, incident investigation, plans, emergency response.
3. A rough share of the job those duties took.

If a role clearly clears 35%, count it. If it is borderline, take the safer course and read BCSP's page or contact BCSP rather than assuming. If the three years are not there yet, keep building them. In the meantime you can study: the blueprint is the same whenever you apply.

How to get CHST certification

These are the steps on BCSP's CHST page, read 29 Oct 2026.

1. Check your experience against the three-year, 35% rule above.
2. Apply online. Create an account in BCSP's My Profile portal, open "Applications" and pay the $140 application fee. BCSP reviews the application once it is submitted and paid. You must also disclose any criminal conviction or any professional license or credential that was suspended, revoked or placed on probation.
3. Buy the exam. The CHST exam is $300. You can buy it with the application or later through "Purchase Exam". Once BCSP approves you, you have one year to take and pass it.
4. Schedule and sit the exam. Book through My Profile with Pearson, which delivers the exam on computer at its test centers. You get 4 hours, and your result shows as soon as you submit. A retake must be at least six weeks after your last attempt.
5. Keep it current. Pay BCSP's annual renewal fee ($150 on its sheet) and earn 20 recertification points every five years, including 0.5 from ethics.

Fees and your window

The application fee is $140 and the exam fee is $300, per BCSP's sheet, which also lists a combined price of $426. After BCSP approves your application, you have one year to schedule and pass. See the cost and scheduling guide for the full table and the $100 extension.

If you are weighing other BCSP exams

The ASP and CSP use education and experience rules instead of a construction safety rule. See the CSP exam and ASP exam requirements next to the CHST's.

BCSP's OHST uses the same three-year, 35% duties test for occupational hygiene and safety work. The CHST vs OHST guide compares the two. If you lead a crew and safety is one duty among several, BCSP's STSC may fit better than the CHST.

While you wait, study

You do not need BCSP to accept your application before you start learning the content. The CHST study guide builds a six-week plan, and the exam outline shows the four domains and their weights. Take the free 10-question check to see your score by domain, with no signup.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by BCSP.

FAQ

What is CHST certification?

It is BCSP's Construction Health and Safety Technician credential, for people who run and check safety on construction work, all or part of the time. You earn it with three years in construction safety, where at least 35% of your duties needed technical SH&E skill, and a pass on the 4-hour CHST exam.

How do you become a Construction Health and Safety Technician?

Build three years of construction safety experience that meets the 35% duties rule, apply online through BCSP's My Profile portal, buy the $300 exam, then sit it at a Pearson test center within one year of approval. Pass, and BCSP awards the CHST.

What are the CHST certification requirements?

Three years of experience in construction safety, where at least 35% of your job duties required technical SH&E skills and knowledge, and a passing CHST exam. BCSP's sheet lists no minimum education, so you do not need a degree.

How much does CHST certification cost?

At BCSP's list prices, the application fee is $140 and the exam fee is $300, or $426 if you buy them together. Keeping the credential costs a $150 renewal fee. BCSP says fees can change without notice, so check its sheet before you pay.

Can you get CHST certification online?

You apply and buy the exam online, through BCSP's My Profile portal. The exam itself is on computer at a Pearson test center: BCSP's CHST page, read 29 Oct 2026, names test centers only.

How long does CHST certification last?

It stays active while you pay BCSP's annual renewal fee and earn 20 recertification points in each five-year cycle, including 0.5 points from ethics.

Sources

Show the list

• BCSP credentials at a glance, Board of Certified Safety Professionals: experience requirement, education, fees, the one-year window and recertification. Read 24 Oct 2026.
• Construction Health and Safety Technician, Board of Certified Safety Professionals: the application, exam purchase, Pearson scheduling, results, retake wait, annual fee and five-year recertification. Read 29 Oct 2026.