To be eligible to join the CSS Certification Program you must be employed by CSS for at least one year prior to enrolling in any assessment. You must also have your approving supervisor’s permission to join the CSS Certification Program.

Step 1

Complete the CSS Certification Program Application

• All sections on the application must be completed
• Sign and date the application
• Submit the application to your Managing Attorney to sign off on their approval for you to participate in the program
• Submit the completed application to the CSS Certification office (click on the submit button on the application)

Step 2

Enroll in the CORE assessments.

The CORE assessments are offered in March, April, May, July, August, October, and November each year. Check the CSS Certification Assessment Schedule to see what dates these will be offered.

An email will be sent out to everyone in CSS when the assessments are opened in LMS.

There are four CORE assessments:

1. Case Fundamentals
2. Communications
3. Ethics
4. Medical

You may enroll in however many CORE assessments that you wish each time they are offered.

A certificate of completion is received for each CORE assessment passed successfully but there is no financial reward for completing the CORE area assessments.

Step 3

After completing of all CORE assessments, the next step is to enroll in and complete one or more of the FUNCTIONAL assessments. (You may not enroll in any FUNCTIONAL assessment until all CORE assessments are successfully completed.)

FUNCTIONAL assessments are offered once each quarter in March, June, September, and December.

An email will be sent out to everyone in CSS when the assessments are opened in LMS.

There are four FUNCTIONAL assessments:

1. Establishment
2. Enforcement
3. Intergovernmental
4. Finance

Only one FUNCTIONAL assessment may be taken each quarter. Participants are awarded a one-time skill-based pay of $688.00 for each successfully completed FUNCTIONAL assessment. You should send the completed CSS Certification Program Functional Area Skill-Based Pay Application to the CSS Certification Program Office to request the skill-based pay.

Step 4

After successful completion of all CORE assessments and all FUNCTIONAL assessments, participants may apply for Full Certification which includes a monthly pay differential. The monthly differential is $200.00 and last for two years. To apply for the monthly differential, send the CSS Certification Program Monthly Differential and Recertification Application to the CSS Certification Program office.

For those that wish to remain full certified and keep getting the $200 monthly differential a RECERTIFICATION assessment must be completed every two years. In addition to successfully completing the RECERTIFICATION assessment 20 credit service hours must be completed.

If you have any questions please email the CSS Certification Program Manager, Deborah Hudson.