Service Education

The Association of Pool and Spa Professionals offers technical training in pool/spa and hot tub service. The technical training is offered in three stages: TECH I, TECH II, and CERTIFIED. APSP members who successfully complete the CERTIFIED level of the Service Technician Certification Program will be granted the credential of CSP Certified Service Professional®, subject to re-certification requirements every five years.

APSP Service Technician Certification Program – TECH I

TECH I is the first level of the Service Technician Certification Program. It is open to anyone in the industry. The course curriculum is provided for individuals with zero to five years of experience in the industry. The program is based on the APSP Service Tech Manual and TECH I instructional materials. This book is a requirement for all students in the TECH I schools. To place an order for the APSP Service Tech Manual, contact APSP Member Services (memberservices@APSP.org or 703.838.0083, ext. 301), or visit the APSP Store by clicking here.

The TECH I level provides basic information on pool and spa technology and focuses on the identification of topics and procedures. The course runs for 40 hours and requires students to pass a 90-minute, open-book written exam with a grade of 75% or better.

If you have five or more years of experience in the pool/spa industry, you may apply to take the standardized, written, closed-book APSP proficiency exam.

Individuals who pass the proficiency exam become eligible to skip TECH I and enroll in a TECH II program.

Important Facts to Know

• APSP member students who receive a passing score on the TECH I exam (75% or higher) receive a completion certificate, TECH I identification card, and TECH I patch.
• Non-member students who receive a passing score on the TECH I exam receive a completion certificate and a letter from APSP National with their score. Non-member students are not permitted to use any of APSP's trademarks or service marks to promote their TECH I registration.
• Students who attend a 40-hour TECH I school, but who do not pass the TECH I exam may retake the exam once within a one-year period after the first attempt.
• Students who do not pass the TECH I exam on their second attempt must retake the entire TECH I course in order to earn another opportunity to take the TECH I exam.
• The TECH I registration generally expires five years after the issuance of the TECH I certificate.

APSP TECH I Correspondence Course

Now service technicians can have the flexibility and convenience of studying at home. Students can progress at their own pace as their training schedule permits. In the APSP TECH I Correspondence Course, students will be required to complete workbook questions within one year or less and mail them to APSP National to be eligible to sit for the TECH I exam. TECH I exams will be administered in your APSP region.

Important Facts to Know

• APSP member students who receive a passing score on the TECH I exam (75% or higher) receive a completion certificate, TECH I identification card, and TECH I patch.
• Non-member students who receive a passing score on the TECH I exam receive a completion certificate and a letter from APSP National with their score.
• The TECH I registration generally expires five years after the issuance of the TECH I certificate.

Click here to download the Tech I Correspondence Course Form.

APSP Service Technician Certification Program – TECH II

TECH II is the second level of the Service Technician Certification Program. The TECH II level is open to all graduates of the TECH I schools and the TECH I Correspondence Course. It is also open to individuals who have received a passing grade of 75% or better on the APSP Service Proficiency Exam. Like TECH I, the TECH II level has a 40-hour curriculum and is based on the APSP Service Tech Manual. The TECH II course also requires students to pass a 90-minute, open-book written exam with a grade of 75% or better. The TECH II level of the program requires students to apply the information they have learned and move into problem-solving and troubleshooting applications.

Important Facts to Know

• APSP member students who pass the TECH II exam (with a grade of 75% or higher) receive a completion certificate, TECH II identification card, and TECH II patch. They also receive a letter from APSP National notifying them of their score.
• Non-member students who receive a passing score on the TECH II exam receive a completion certificate and a letter from APSP National with their score. Non-member students are not permitted to use any of APSP's trademarks or service marks to promote their TECH II registration.
• Students who attend a 40 -our TECH II school and who do not pass the TECH II exam may retake the exam once within a one-year period.
• Students who do not pass the TECH II exam on their second attempt must retake the entire TECH II course in order to earn another opportunity to sit for the TECH II exam.
• The TECH II registration generally expires five years after the issuance of the TECH II certificate.
• Students who have successfully completed TECH II are eligible to advance to the CERTIFIED level of the program.

Service Proficiency Exam

The Service Proficiency Exam option allows qualified individuals the opportunity to skip the TECH I level and enroll at the TECH II level. The Service Proficiency Exam option is available to members and non-members of APSP who have five or more years of experience in the industry.

Important Facts to Know
 
• There is a fee to take the Service Proficiency Exam. When your request is received, you will be sent information outlining the procedures and fees associated with taking the Service Proficiency Exam.
• Those who receive a passing grade on the Service Proficiency Exam become eligible to enroll at the TECH II level, but they do not receive a TECH I certificate, TECH I identification card, or TECH I patch. They are not registered with APSP National as TECH I graduates.
• The Service Proficiency Exam is closed book. It is one hour long and requires a passing grade of 75% or better. It is based on the APSP Service Tech Manual.
• Those who do not pass the Service Proficiency Exam on the first attempt cannot retake the exam. Only one attempt is allowed per candidate. If the candidate does not pass the Service Proficiency Exam, the candidate must enroll at the TECH I level in order to enter the program.
• The Service Proficiency Exam option only offers an opportunity to skip the TECH I level. No Proficiency Exam is available to skip the TECH II level.

Click here to download the Service Proficiency Exam Application Form. 

APSP Service Technician Certification Program – CERTIFIED

The CERTIFIED level of the Service Technician Certification Program is the third and highest level of the program. The CERTIFIED level is open to graduates of the TECH II schools.

Earning a CERTIFIED designation requires completion of 40 technical elective credit hours and a passing grade on the CERTIFIED exam. Forty technical elective credit hours can be accumulated by attending APSP-accredited manufacturers' and distributors' courses/seminars, as well as APSP-approved National, Regional, and Chapter education programs.

The CERTIFIED level is loosely formatted and allows students to accumulate the credit hours at their own pace and in the areas that are of specific interest to them. The 40 technical elective credit hours that are required prior to an individual's first attempt at the CERTIFIED exam must be earned no more than five years prior to the date that APSP receives the $30 CERTIFIED exam registration fee.

The CERTIFIED exam is based on the APSP Service Tech Manual, as well as on information the individual is expected to know through achieving this level of the program. The CERTIFIED exam is a two-part, three-hour, open-book written exam. Students need a grade of 75% or better to pass the exam. APSP members who receive a passing grade on the CERTIFIED exam and meet all requirements of the CERTIFIED level will be granted the credential of CSP Certified Service Professional®, subject to re-certification requirements once every five years.

To sit for the CERTIFIED exam, contact Bird Dawson of APSP by email (bdawson@APSP.org) or voice mail (703.838.0083, ext. 152).