Certified Biological Safety Professional (CBSP)

INSTRUCTIONS

Carefully review all instructions before beginning the application process. The documentation you provide forms the basis for the Credentialing Evaluation Board’s (CEB) assessment. Incomplete applications will be returned, which may result in missing the February 1 deadline.

Allow sufficient time for your application, reference questionnaires, and transcripts/evaluation reports to reach the ABSA Office. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure all materials are submitted by the deadline.

CBSP CANDIDATE CRITERIA

Applicants must meet one of the following education and experience pathways:

Bachelor’s Degree (BS/BA)

• At least 6 semester hours (or 9 quarter hours) of microbiology, and
• 72 month-equivalents of post-baccalaureate experience, with at least 51% time in biosafety program management

Master’s Degree (MS)

• At least 20 semester hours (or 30 quarter hours) of microbiology, and
• 54 month-equivalents of biosafety program management experience

Doctoral Degree (PhD)

• At least 30 semester hours (or 45 quarter hours) of microbiology, and
• 36 month-equivalents of biosafety program management experience

All applicants must have completed at least one 3-credit course titled Microbiology or Molecular Biology. The CEB determines the acceptability of all coursework.

TRANSCRIPT REQUIREMENTS

• Official transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing institution (student or personal copies are not accepted).
• E-transcripts may be emailed to credentialing@absa.org and must be submitted in English to be accepted.
• International degrees require a course-by-course evaluation from a NACES-accepted agency. Course-by-course reports take time to obtain, so early requests are strongly encouraged.

NACES (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services) is the nationally recognized association that sets standards for credential evaluation services.

COURSEWORK

List all coursework documented on your transcript that you believe meets the microbiology requirements, including course titles, credit hours, and applicable categories.

Courses with the words microbiology, bacteriology, or microbial in the title are generally acceptable. Credits from ABSA’s Principles and Practices of Biosafety® (PPB) or Biosafety and Biosecurity Training Course® (BBTC) may be applied toward total coursework hours but may not substitute for the required microbiology-titled course.

Broad foundational courses—such as general biology, biochemistry, or anatomy and physiology—have historically not been accepted for microbiology credit.

Do not list:

• Zero-credit courses
• Failed or incomplete courses
• Courses not shown on your transcript

REFERENCE QUESTIONAIRRES

• Provide three (3) professional references:
  • One (1) from your current employer
  • Two (2) from previous biosafety-related positions
• You are responsible for sending the reference questionnaires to your selected contacts.
• Applicants should follow up with their references to ensure the completed forms are submitted directly to ABSA before the deadline.
• Completed forms must be submitted directly by the individuals providing the references.
• Only the individuals listed on your application may submit a reference on your behalf.

BIOSAFETY EXPEREINCE SECTION

Begin with your current position and list your biosafety career history in chronological order.

• Percentage of time devoted to biosafety (must be 51–100%). Applicants may not report “50%,” as the minimum qualifying biosafety effort must be greater than 50%.
• Provide clear descriptions of biosafety-related duties in your own words; do not paste job descriptions or refer to your CV.
• Ensure your narrative aligns with the percentage of biosafety effort you report.
• When listing concurrent positions, allocate time appropriately so that the combined effort does not exceed 100%.
• Break down responsibility-specific efforts, ensuring totals match the overall biosafety percentage reported.
• Do not include non-biosafety duties. Incomplete or unclear descriptions may delay review.
• The Credentialing Evaluation Board (CEB) may adjust reported percentages based on the narrative provided.

RECONSIDERATIONS AND APPEALS

Request for Reconsideration and Appeal Process

Applicants may appeal one (1) time per application. This appeals process applies only to application review decisions and does not cover appeals related to CBSP exam scoring.

Reconsideration

If your CBSP Exam application is denied by the Credentialing Evaluation Board (CEB), you may submit a written request for reconsideration addressing the reasons for denial.

Application Appeal Process

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the reconsideration, you may submit written appeal to the ABSA President within 14 days of the denial letter. Appeals may address only factual or procedural errors related to the review.

The ABSA President will refer the matter to the ABSA Council, which will review only the issues identified in the written appeal:

• If the Council confirms the denial, the decision is final.
• If the Council does not confirm the denial, the appeal will be returned to the CEB with recommendations addressing the identified issues.
• If the CEB again denies the application, the decision is final.

CBSP Examination Appeal Process

Test takers have 30 days from the date the pass/fail notification is emailed to request a review of their exam score. Appeals are limited strictly to scoring concerns.

Because of the high confidentiality of the CBSP Examination, the Exam Development Board (EDB) cannot release or discuss exam questions and appeals related to exam content or subject matter will not be considered.

After each exam cycle, the EDB conducts a routine review with a test performance analyst, and any items that do not meet performance standards are automatically removed from scoring before results are finalized.

SIGNATURE

Be sure to sign before submitting (electronic or otherwise). If the application is not signed, it is considered incomplete, and it will be returned to you. This may result in missing the deadline.

FEES

All fees are non-refundable. Applicants must request an invoice before submitting any payment; online payment options are not available until an invoice has been generated. Payments may be made by credit card or by check drawn on a U.S. bank.

• CBSP Exam Application fee: $100
  • Applicants must request an invoice by emailing credentialing@absa.org.
• CBSP Examination fee: $500
  • Upon approval of the application, the CBSP exam fee of $500 must be paid within the same calendar year.
  • The fee includes three exam attempts under the current application, limited to one attempt per year.
• Annual Maintenance fee: $25 per credentialing
  • Beginning the year after earning an ABSA credential, credential holders are required to pay a $25 annual maintenance fee for each credential held.

SUBMITTING

Applications and supporting documentation may be emailed to credentialing@absa.org or mailed via U.S. Mail to:

ABSA International
Attn: Credentialing
1200 Allanson Road
Mundelein, IL 60060

Application materials do not need to be submitted together; items will be accepted as they are received. However, all required materials—including transcripts, references, and supporting documentation—must be received by February 1 to be considered.

All eligibility criteria must be fully met no later than May 31 to remain eligible for that year’s exam cycle.