Seeking to earn the CSA designation? Then you've come to the right place!
The Certified Senior Advisor (CSA) designation is the leading professional credential for persons seeking to work more effectively with their senior clients. The CSA designation signifies that designees have acquired broad-based knowledge of the health, social and financial issues that are important to the majority of seniors, and recognize how the dynamics of these factors work in seniors' lives.
Professionals from many walks of life have added the CSA designation to their credentials. They’ve learned how incredibly gratifying it is to help seniors achieve their goals, and the seniors they’ve helped have learned how important it is to work with someone who truly understands their age-related circumstances. The result is successful professionals, and satisfied seniors.
Paths to CSA Designation
Candidates may choose one of two paths to CSA designation, depending on their education/experience qualifications:
Option 1 Complete one of the CSA Course methods below (Classroom Course, Self-study, or Self-study with Fast Start) and successfully pass the CSA Exam.
Option 2 CSA Exam Only - Candidates who are seeking the CSA designation, and believe they already meet the education and/or experience requirements to designate (listed below), may choose to purchase the CSA Exam Only. Candidates may take the CSA Exam before completing this education/experience requirement.
Course Structure
Highly-engaging, educational and interesting, the CSA Course covers a wide range of topics on aging. The course is offered in two versions:
Independent Self-study with Exam
A 3-day Classroom Review of the CSA course material, followed by the Exam on the fourth day
The self-study format offers an optional Fast Start feature - a one-day classroom seminar orientation conducted by a CSA faculty member.
The 3-day CSA review class provides candidates the opportunity to review the course material they studied independently prior to attending class, in final preparation for the CSA exam. (Individuals whose current education/experience qualifies them may take the CSA Exam only. Individuals who are not seeking the designation may take the CSA Course only.)
Examination Requirements
The CSA exam is a 3-hour, 150 multiple-choice question exam; a passing score is 70% required. The exam is closed book and proctored, administered differently for the two methods of study:
Classroom Review candidates:
Take the CSA Exam in class on the fourth day of class
Receive their test results via email within 7-10 business days
Self-Study candidates:
Take the CSA Exam at a professional Computer-Based Test (CBT) center in their state (Locations)
Receive their test results immediately
Candidates may take the exam before or after meeting the other designation requirements.
Re-Tests - candidates have two re-test opportunities. Re-tests are given at a Computer-Based Test (CBT) center. There is an additional fee of $85 for each re-test. Candidates must wait at least 6 weeks before re-taking the test, starting with one's original CSA exam date.
Additional Designation Requirements
Candidates must adhere to an application process for the CSA Designation Program:
Complete the CSA Information Profile and Disclosure Questionnaire. The Questionnaire is both a screening tool and an acknowledgement of an applicant’s agreement to comply with the CSA Code of Professional Responsibility and SCSA Membership Rules once the designation is earned.
Pass a background check
Pass the CSA Code of Professional Responsibility online module and sign the CSA Code and SCSA Membership Rules
Fulfill the education/experience requirements:
Option 1: Complete the CSA course or its education/training equivalent AND have one year of paid work experience working with seniors OR 50 hours of volunteering with seniors in the last three years
Option 2: Have two years of paid work experience working with seniors OR 100 hours of volunteer experience with seniors within the last three years
Option 3: Have a certificate or degree in a field related to working with seniors from an accredited college or university
Designation Maintenance Requirements
Candidates who successfully complete all designation requirements, make satisfactory payment arrangements with SCSA, and are notified by SCSA that they have been designated, become CSAs and members of Society of Certified Senior Advisors™ (SCSA). There are three requirements for annually renewing the CSA designation:
Complete the CSA Membership Renewal Statement
Submit the annual renewal fee of $195
Fulfill the CSA Continuing Education (CSA CE) recertification requirement of 18 CSA CE credits, every three years
Recommended Courses & Available Training Options
ABTrainingCenter.com offers multiple courses and training formats for earning the CSA designation. For instance, we offer the Classroom, Self-study and Fast Start formats for your training, so you can select the format that best fits how you learn.
Simply select one of the recommended courses below or search under "Licensing/Designations" in the search box thereafter for "CSA - Certified Senior Advisor".
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