CSP exam outline: seven domains and weights
The Certified Safety Professional (CSP) exam is the Board of Certified Safety Professionals' (BCSP) 5.5-hour, computer-based exam, taken at a Pearson test center for a $350 exam fee. It follows BCSP's CSP11 blueprint, which has seven domains, each with a weight. Study the heavy domains first, and use your free check to see where your own score trails the weight.
- Time
- 330 minutes
- Exam fee (paid to BCSP, not us)
- $350 exam + $160 application
- Where
- Pearson test centers (computer-based)
The seven domains
- Advanced application of safety principles (25%) and program management (25%): half the exam between them.
- Risk management (15%).
- Occupational health and applied science (10%) and training (10%).
- Emergency management (9%).
- Environmental management (6%).
To test yourself on these domains, work the free CSP practice exam.
The exam in brief
- Time: 5.5 hours, computer-based at a Pearson test center.
- Cost: a $160 application fee and a $350 exam fee at BCSP's published prices, which can change without advance notice.
- Retakes: no sooner than six weeks after the last attempt.
- Question count: BCSP's pages give no question count, so we do not state one. Pace yourself by time.
Try one question
Question 1 of the free 10-question check on CSP. No signup. Then ask Kick, the AI study assistant, why the answer is right and the others are wrong.
Emergency Management
An unheated warehouse in a cold climate needs automatic sprinklers. Which system type fits best?
Press A-D or 1-4 to choose an answer while this question is on screen.
Choose an answer to begin
Who can apply
BCSP asks for a bachelor's degree in any field, four years of safety, health and environmental experience, and a qualifying credential such as the ASP or another on BCSP's list. Once approved, you have one year to schedule and pass. Weighing the CSP against the ASP or the CHST? Read CHST vs CSP vs ASP.
If you are sitting the ASP first, the ASP exam outline lists its nine domains and the free ASP check scores you on them.
Ask Kick before you buy AI your AI study assistant
See what's on the CSP exam, test yourself with 5 quick questions, or find the plan that fits you.
The CSP course
Available now · instant accessLearn each CSP blueprint domain, then prove it on a full-length timed practice exam.
- 7modules of lessonsEvery task on the outline
- 2timed practice exams175 questions in 330 minutes, full length at our estimate
- 300practice questionsEach one explained
- 1week-by-week study planSet to your exam date
Turn a practice answer into a study step. In untimed practice, ask Kick AI about any question you answer, follow up, then see your weakest topics and what to drill next.
Instant access. Terms and refunds · Secure checkout by Stripe · Billed by Nori Software
Every answer comes with a full explanation.
Start with the free 10-question check
See which of the seven domains to work on first. Take the free 10-question CSP check. It is weighted to the blueprint, needs no signup, and explains every answer.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by BCSP.
Sources
Show the list
- CSP11 Examination Blueprint, V.2024.04.24, Board of Certified Safety Professionals, read 7 November 2026.
- BCSP credentials at a glance, Board of Certified Safety Professionals.
- Certified Safety Professional, Board of Certified Safety Professionals.
Exam facts
| Questions | 175 multiple-choice questions (UNCONFIRMED: not stated on the bcsp.org pages read 7 Nov 2026; BCSP's Complete Guide is a flipbook that could not be read as text. Do not state a count as BCSP's until confirmed) |
| Time | 330 minutes |
| Book | closed (unconfirmed: assumed from test-center delivery, not read on a bcsp.org page) |
| Passing | Pass or fail on a minimum passing score; BCSP does not publish the cut score on the pages read |
| Where you test | Pearson test centers (computer-based) |
| Exam fee (paid to BCSP, not us) | $350 exam + $160 application |
| Retakes | No sooner than six weeks after the last attempt (CSP page) |
| Eligibility | A bachelor's degree in any field; four years of SH&E experience, at least 50% of it preventive, professional-level work with breadth and depth of safety duties; and a BCSP qualified credential (the ASP, GSP or TSP, or another credential on BCSP's list such as the CIH, CMIOSH, CRSP or NEBOSH Diploma). Applicants have one year after approval to schedule and pass. |
| Renewal | 25 recertification points per 5-year cycle, including 0.5 for ethics; renewal $185 (At-A-Glance) |
Fee details
$350
What the exam covers
| Advanced Application of Safety Principles | 25% |
| Program Management | 25% |
| Risk Management | 15% |
| Emergency Management | 9% |
| Environmental Management | 6% |
| Occupational Health and Applied Science | 10% |
| Training | 10% |
Facts come from BCSP's own documents (sources above); the latest source retrieval was . If something has changed, tell us and we will correct it within 2 business days.
Your next step
Ready to see where you stand on CSP?
Free, untimed and scored by domain. No signup.
Start the free 10-question checkCSP course. Lessons, timed practice exams and a plan around your exam date. Get CSP course · $199 See the plans or read the free sample lesson.Terms and refunds
Prefer paper? Free printables
- Print a class quiz (free PDF). 10 practice questions with an answer key on page 2.
- Print the flashcards as cut-out cards (free PDF). The free flashcard sample, ready to cut and carry.