Certified Health Care Environmental Services Professional (CHESP)

Eligibility for the examination requires ONE of the following:

• Baccalaureate degree or higher from an accredited college or university plus three (3) years of environmental services experience*in a healthcare setting** of which two (2) of those years must have been in a management/supervisory/administrative role.
• Associate degree or equivalent from an accredited college plus four (4) years of environmental services experience* in a healthcare setting** of which three (3) of those years must have been in a management/supervisory/administrative role.
• High school diploma or equivalent plus five (5) years of environmental services experience* in a management/supervisory/administrative role in a healthcare setting**.

* Environmental services experience refers to work experience in operations related to environmental sanitation, waste management and textile management.

** Includes experience with a provider of environmental services or products to a healthcare facility (e.g., Consultants, Manufacturers, Vendors, Contract Services Providers, etc.)

• Review the AHE resource page to see a list of materials and classes offered
• Take the SAE-Self Assessment Exam, which is a 100- item online test that parallels the actual certification exam.

Locate a Testing Center.

Monday – Saturday twice a day, 9:30am and 1:30pm. This excludes some holidays.

Due to the high stakes nature of the exam there is no online option.

• $275 for members
• $425 for non-members

If you are a member of one of the AHA Professional Membership Groups then you qualify for member pricing. If you don’t know if you are a member call (312) 422-3702 to confirm.

View the CHESP Exam Pass Rate.

• Apply online.
  Note: Must use your AHA login credentials or create a new account.

To request a receipt for your exam, please contact the AHA Certification Center at certification@aha.org.

You can reschedule your exam by logging into your Online Certification Management Portal.

The processing time for new certificates is two to four weeks.

• Option 1: Track and renew your CE credits by logging into your Certification Portal and documenting 45 contact hours over the 3 - year certification period
• Option 2: Successfully passing the CHESP exam

View the "Qualifying Activities for Continuing Education".

You are not required to submit documentation. However, if you are audited the Certification Center will contact you asking for supporting documentation.

You may submit your renewal one year before the current expiration date. However, if you submit your application early, that will not change the expiration date or extend the next renewal cycle. Your 45 contact hours must fall within your 3-year certification dates.

You can submit your certification renewal up to 30 days after your expiration date with a $50 late fee. However, you cannot submit CEUs you earned during this 30-day extended grace period. If you do not submit your renewal by the end of the 30-days, you will have to retake and successfully pass the exam to reinstate your credential.

The AHA-Certification Center (AHA-CC) may grant an extension of time to a certificant to complete the number of Continuing Education Credits (CECs) required for a recertification cycle.

If you are unable to complete your required number of credits or hours (45 credits or contact hours) before your certification expiration date due to COVID-19, you may send a request for an extension to the AHA-CC at certification@aha.org.

An extension of time shall not relieve the applicant of the responsibility for completion of the recertification requirements for the cycle in which the extension period falls. A certificant with a credential in Revoked status is NOT eligible to request an extension.

Unfortunately, the retired status for certificants is not yet available. Please check our web site regularly for updates.

• $135 for members
• $225 for non-members

Additional $50 if renewing within 30 days after your expiration date.