RPSGT and CCSH Recertification Guidelines

Recertification Fee Schedule

An Important Announcement:  The Recertification fee for both RPSGT and CCSH will increase to $250.00 effective July 1st, 2023

The Objective of Recertification

Recertification is a cornerstone of best practices in a certification program and the BRPT has a responsibility to the profession – and the public – to assure all RPSGTs and CCSHs continue their education. The BRPT adheres to best practices for credentialing programs and works to ensure that the RPSGT and CCSH certification continues to be recognized as the leading certification for polysomnographic technologists by the medical community, allied health professions, legislative bodies and other regulatory decision makers, and the public. The continuing education requirement ensures that all RPSGTs and CCSHs remain up to date in the dynamic and rapidly changing field of sleep medicine. In addition, the recertification process is an opportunity to reinforce the value of the RPSGT and CCSH certification and a chance for RPSGTs and CCSHs to recommit to the delivery of excellent patient care.

Polysomnography State Licensure Requirements

Statutory requirements for sleep technologists can vary greatly from state to state.  Some states require licensure for sleep technologists, while other states don’t address education or training for sleep technologists at all in their statutes.  The AAST offers a comprehensive directory that outlines the statutory requirements in each state for sleep technologists.  Stay up to date on the necessary requirements in your state to obtain and/or maintain licensure here.

Recertification Requirements

All RPSGT and CCSH certification holders must recertify every five years in order to retain the use of their credential. To recertify, you must either earn 50 continuing education credits during their 5 year credential window or retake and pass the corresponding certification exam. Certification holders are responsible for knowing their certification expiration dates and recertification deadlines. Expiration dates are in US formatting (MM/DD/YYYY), and  can be verified by searching our Credential Holder Directory. Due to our 15 business day processing time, the BRPT strongly encourages you to apply for recertification at least 3 business weeks in advance of your expiration date (but no earlier than 6 months), so that in the event that there are any issues, you will have ample time to rectify them without falling into the reinstatement window.

Recertification Process

The certification holder must apply for recertification on or before the certification expiration date. Their application must include a CPR/BLS certification. The certification holder can apply for recertification anytime within six months prior to the certification expiration date. All recertification requirements must be fulfilled before the application will be considered for approval.  Submitting an application using our online Self Service Portal should be done using a computer and not a mobile device – as some browsers on mobile devices are not fully optimized for our digital applications.

Recertification and Expiration Notices

Recertification notices are a courtesy and are sent electronically to the email address on file once you become eligible to renew. It is the certification holder’s responsibility to maintain current contact information in the profile and to make timely updates to the BRPT database. Again, notices are a courtesy, and it is the sole responsibility of the credential holder to be aware of when their credential is due to expire, and recertify ahead of time.

Option 5 – Recertification Deadline Extension of Credits

If the certification holder needs to earn credits after their credential has expired to be used towards the reinstatement of their credential, then they may apply for a one-time Extension of Credits for a fee of $200 (in addition to the applicable recertification fee/reinstatement fee). If you are applying through Option 2, the Extension of Credits Fee is only good for 90 days exactly from the date of your expiration.  If applying through Option 2, the certification does not remain active during the 90 day extension period. Failure to reinstate by the end of the 90 day extension period will result in applicant having to sit for and pass the exam in order to reinstate their credential.   **Please note that it’s exactly 90 days, not 3 months.  For example, if you expired on 7/25/2018, your deadline to submit your reinstatement application would be 10/23/2018.  Please calculate carefully!**

The BRPT will review and consider extensions longer than 90 days due to chronic illness, family emergency, or other extenuating circumstances on a case by case basis and with supporting documentation if received prior to credential lapsing.

Option 1: Recertifying with 50 Continuing Education Credits (Active Status/Certification NOT Expired)

Recertifying Online

To complete the recertification process using the online tool, the certification holder must:

• Complete the online application form
• Enter all necessary continuing education credit information
• Reaffirm a commitment to the BRPT Code of Conduct
• Submit a copy of a valid Basic Life Support (BLS) certification (or equivalent for international residents)
• Pay the recertification fee of $250.00
• Please note, if you are attempting to apply for your Recertification online and are having technical difficulties, please download and complete our printable application and fax or email it to us to ensure that you get your application submitted on time to avoid having to pay additional reinstatement fees.

Recertifying via Fax or Certified Mail – BRPT to enter credits manually

Certification holders can apply for recertification using hard copy documents submitted via fax, email or US mail for us to enter into the system. The certification holder must:

• Complete the associated application found here
• Submit proof of 50 continuing education credits earned within the 5 year window in which they last held their credential
• Reaffirm a commitment to the BRPT Code of Conduct
• Submit a copy of a valid Basic Life Support (BLS) certification (or equivalent for international residents)
• Pay the recertification fee of $250.00 + the $200.00 processing fee
• Fax the application to (703) 940-7227 or email it to [email protected] (OR)​
• Send the application via regular mail making sure it has tracking and is postmarked prior to your expiration date to:
  BRPT Recertification Application Processing
  4201 Wilson Blvd
  3rd Floor
  Arlington, VA 22203

Effective 11/1/2021 the recertification fee for applying via fax or US mail requiring the BRPT to manually enter your credits includes a $200 surcharge.. The surcharge defers costs associated with handling, processing, and storing the hard copy documentation.  We will not charge the fee if when we receive your paper application we determine that you have already entered the necessary credits within the Self Service Portal.

**Please note that if the BRPT is entering your credits for you, this may delay the processing of your application 7 – 10 business days over our standard turn-around time (which is 15 business days).  Please note that our new Expedited Application Processing Fee is not an option if you are paying the surcharge to have the BRPT enter your credits for you**

Certification holders with both the RPSGT and CCSH credentials can apply the same continuing education credits toward multiple renewals as long as the continuing education content is applicable and occurs within the required time period for recertification. Continuing education recertification requirements for multiple certifications are tracked separately.

Continuing Education Credits

The BRPT strongly urges all certification holders to maintain and improve their knowledge and skills through continuing education. We will accept any credits that are directly sleep focused. The BRPT does not accept life support credits for your renewal. The BRPT will accept AARC CRCE credits as long as they are directly sleep focused.  The BRPT will accept AARC Conference credits as long as they were pre-approved for BRPT-CSTE credits, or by the AAST. The BRPT will accept the following EEG credits: ASET 100-111 if earned prior to 12/31/2016, and ASET 209 if earned after 1/1/2017. All other EEG credits will be rejected. Any credits that do not comply with the aforementioned will be rejected, unless they have been pre-approved by the BRPT for CSTE units or pre-approved by the AAST. Duplicate online journals, quizzes and courses will not be accepted during the same 5 year credentialing window. AAST A2Zzz Journals must include original certificate documentation uploaded within the Portal, or if applying through a paper application, must include a hard copy of each journal’s respective certificate of continuing education.  The BRPT will not accept credits earned by taking or retaking any of our approved STAR programs after you have earned your credential.  All continuing education credits are subject to BRPT review and approval. Some education providers and titles are pre-approved by the BRPT and credits earned from those providers are immediately approved by the Portal once the certificate holder enters them into the on-line recertification tool. Please note that at the time of your renewal, these pre-approved credits are still subject to approval and may be retroactively rejected if they are duplicate courses, not directly sleep or sleep-respiratory , if they are not accompanied by accredited continuing education units, or if they were entered improperly. If you wish to appeal a rejected CEC, please email copies of the corresponding certificates to [email protected] and they will be re-reviewed. Please allow 15 business days for your application to be reviewed, they are processed on a first come, first serve basis.   We strongly urge you to not wait until the last minute to apply for recertification. You are eligible to apply for recertification once you are 6 months or less away from your expiration date, the earlier you submit your application, the more time you have to correct any issues we may find with your application or CEC’s before having to pay a reinstatement fee.  Effective 11/1/2021 we will offer an Expedited Application Processing fee of  $150 which will prompt staff to review your application within 1-3 business days.  Please note this does not guarantee finalization of renewal.

Reporting Continuing Education Credits

The certification holder is responsible for maintaining a record of the continuing education credits accrued during the five year recertification cycle and reporting them either electronically through the Self Service Portal/Manage CEC’s tab or via the hard copy recertification application. If the BRPT is required to enter any of your CEC information into the portal on your behalf, there is a $200.00 processing fee. **Please note that we do not upload your certificates.  They are shredded after being entered into the database.  Please retain copies for yourself in the event you are selected for an audit.  Never at any time are continuing education credits shared over to the BRPT by another provider on your behalf, it is the responsibility of the credential holder to enter their credits into the Portal, even if they are earned through the BRPT. All continuing education credits are subject to BRPT review at the time of your renewal. Certification holders must retain CEC certificates or other documentation of their continuing education credits for at least one year after the recertification date in the event that you are randomly selected for a Recertification Audit, however you are not required to upload your documents for recertification unless you are submitting AAST A2Zzz Journals.  Certificate holders can enter continuing education credits into the Portal at any time prior to certification expiration. They do not need to wait until the 6 month recertification window opens. Please refrain from using the BRPT Portal to keep track of your credits for other certification boards/purposes other than to renew your RPSGT or CCSH. We strongly urge you to never discard your actual certificates and to maintain your own spreadsheet to keep track of your credits should you need them for future reasons other than to recertify your BRPT credential. We will not be able to provide more than a basic transcript of your credits should you request documentation of them.

Continuing Education Credits Documentation

Continuing education credit documentation in the on-line Self Service Portal includes:

• Date earned
• Accrediting organization (the organization that accredited the course or approved it for credit)
• Course title
• Course ID/# (if your credit does not have a course #, please enter the title again)
• Number of credits earned

If you earn more than 50 credits during your active 5 year cycle, the overage does not carry over to your new 5 year cycle once you recertify.

Pre-Approved Continuing Education Credits

Continuing education credits must be directly sleep or sleep-respiratory focused and fit within the RPSGT and CCSH core knowledge. BRPT maintains a list of pre-approved continuing education credit providers.

Currently the list includes:

• BRPT
• American Association of Sleep Technologists
• Canadian Sleep Society
• Australasian Sleep Technologists Association
• American Academy of Sleep Medicine

There are many other continuing education credit-granting organizations such as the American Medical Association (AMA), American Association of Respiratory Care (AARC), the Neurodiagnostic Society, the British Sleep Society, the European Sleep Research Association, and the Asian Sleep Research Society that award sleep-focused continuing education credits, however, credits earned from these providers go into a pending status until they can be reviewed and approved by BRPT. As long as the program is professional and the content deemed directly sleep or sleep-respiratory focused and within the scope of the certification holder, these credits will be approved for recertification after review.  An exception to this is vendor/device-specific education credits, as these are not approved under BRPT CEC/CSTE guidelines.

All pre-approved credits are subject to approval at the time of your Recertification Application. If any pre-approved credits are not directly sleep/respiratory-focused or if they are vendor/device-specific, they will be retroactively rejected. This includes life support credits.

Pending Continuing Education Credits Review and Approval Process

Sleep-focused continuing education credits awarded by organizations that are not in the pre-approved list are reviewed by BRPT after entry into the on-line recertification tool. They appear as pending credits in the education detail and are not included in the continuing education credit tally that tracks progress toward recertification. Certification holders are advised to enter continuing education credits well in advance of their recertification deadline to be sure they are approved before the date of certification expiration. Certification holders with recertification tallies below 50 on the date of certification expiration, regardless of the number of pending credits awaiting approval, will have their certification status moved to inactive and will be required to pay a reinstatement fee in order to complete recertification. All continuing education credits not pre-approved will be “pending” and not recognized for recertification until officially approved. Allow 24-48 business hours for pending credit review and approval.

Where to Earn Continuing Education Credits

Meetings, Conferences & Courses

Meetings or conferences that award continuing education credit such as national, regional, state, or local organizations whose content is sleep-focused can count toward recertification. If only a portion of the conference or lectures therein are sleep-focused, only those portions will be approved for recertification. This category also includes courses sponsored by private companies as long as they are educational, sleep-focused, and not biased towards the company sponsoring the course.

Case Study and In-Service Training

Includes case conferences or in-service training where the education provider has applied for and received continuing education credit approval from a credit-granting organization.

Journals, Articles, DVD’s, Webcasts and Other On-line Training

Certification holders may apply continuing education credits they earn from reading medical journals, articles, and by completing DVD’s or webinars toward recertification as long as the content is deemed to be sleep-focused. In order to be used for recertification, the product must award the participant with continuing education credit upon completion.

Instructors, Presenters, Authors, & Speakers

Instructors, presenters, authors, and/or speakers whose materials have received approval for continuing education credits by an accrediting organization may count the continuing education credits of a given presentation only once toward recertification annually. Example: If a program is approved for three hours of continuing education credits and is presented at two regional meetings during the same year, the presenter may only count three continuing education credits toward recertification. If presented again the following year, three additional hours may be counted that year.

University, College, and Post-Secondary Education

Credit courses through universities, colleges, or other post-secondary educational institutions are not eligible for continuing education credit and may not be used toward continuing education recertification requirements.

Audits

Certification holders may be subject to random audits as part of the recertification process to validate education activities and ensure compliance with program standards for professionalism, ethics, and fairness. If selected for an audit, the certification holder will receive an email notice requesting supporting documentation within 30 days for all education activities not reported by uploading documentation into the Portal at the time of their recertification. Mailing certificates even if you’ve entered your credits into the Portal, or paying the processing fee to have the BRPT enter your credits into the Portal for you does not excuse you from the audit, as the BRPT does *not* upload your documentation.  These documents must be submitted within the 30 day timeframe outlined in their audit notification email. Failure to comply within the 30 days will result in a up to 2 reminder emails.  Failure to comply during the reminder emails will then result in a telephone call.  Failure to comply after the BRPT attempts to reach the credential holder via telephone will result in temporary suspension of credential status.  Cases in which false or misleading information appears to have been submitted for purposes of recertification will be referred to the BRPT Professional Review Committee. Such cases may result in sanctions, up to and including revocation of certification.  Cases in which he/she being audited earned the audited credits but are not able to provide the BRPT with the necessary documentation will result in their credential being temporarily suspended until they can a) provide us with the missing documentation or b) replace the missing documentation with new credits that follow our Recertification Guidelines, along with paying the $250 reinstatement fee.

Reinstatement Processes for Expired Certifications

An expired certification is officially inactive. It can be reinstated based upon certain requirements that differ depending on how long the certification has been inactive. Once a certification is reinstated it moves back to active status.

Option 2: 1-90 Days Past Expiration (Reinstating with Continuing Education Credits)

A certification up to 90 days past its expiration date may be reinstated by an individual reporting 50 continuing education credits and paying both the recertification fee and a reinstatement fee. Upon approval of the recertification application, the certification will be reinstated to active status with the same certification number. After 90 days past the certification expiration date, the only way to reinstate the certification is to retake and pass the corresponding exam.  **Please note that it’s exactly 90 days, not 3 months.  For example, if you expired on 7/25/2018, your deadline to submit your reinstatement application would be 10/23/2018.  Please calculate carefully!**

To complete the process the individual must:

• Complete the recertification application (online or via printed .pdf)
• Submit proof of 50 continuing education credits earned within the 5 year window in which your last credential was held. If you wish to earn the required CEC’s after your credential expiration date, you must pay the $200 Extension of Credits fee to do so.
• Reaffirm a commitment to the BRPT Code of Conduct
• Submit a copy of a valid Basic Life Support (BLS) certification (or equivalent for international residents)
• Pay the recertification fee of $250.00
• Pay the reinstatement fee of $250.00
• Pay the Extension of Credits fee if any credits were earned after your expiration date.
• Please note, if you are attempting to apply for your Reinstatement online and are having technical difficulties, please download and complete our printable application and fax or email it to us to ensure that you get your application submitted on time to avoid having to retest.

Option 3: 3–12 Months Past Expiration

A certification inactive more than 90 days, but less than a year, can only be reinstated by sitting for and passing the corresponding exam. A recertification and reinstatement fee apply in addition to the current exam fee. Once the individual passes the exam, the certification will be reinstated using the same certification number, and the expiration date will be 5 years from when the exam was passed for the second time.

To complete the process the individual must:

• Complete the recertification application (online or via printed .pdf)
• Reaffirm a commitment to the BRPT Code of Conduct
• Submit a copy of a valid Basic Life Support (BLS) certification (or equivalent for international residents)
• Pay the recertification fee of $250.00
• Pay the reinstatement fee of $250.00
• Pay the exam fee of $550.00

Once the application is received and approved, the applicant will receive a notice and instructions on how to schedule and retake the exam at their nearest Pearson VUE Testing Center. The application will be processed within 10 business days of receipt.

Option 4: Recertifying by Retaking the Exam (Active Status/Certification NOT Expired)

The certification holder can choose to retake the certification examination in lieu of earning 50 continuing education credits. The certification holder must apply/reapply for, sit and pass the exam within the six-month eligibility window in advance of the certification expiration date. Certification holders who lapse before they attempt or pass the exam, will become inactive and automatically progress to the next reinstatement option available to them.

Option 5 – Recertification Deadline Extension of Credits

If the certification holder needs to earn credits after their credential has expired, to be used towards the reinstatement of their credential, then they may apply for a one-time Extension of Credits for a fee of $200 (in addition to the applicable recertification fee/reinstatement fee). If applying through Option 2, the Extension of Credits Fee is only good for 90 exact days from the date of your expiration.  If applying through Option 2, the certification does not remain active during the 90 day extension period. Failure to reinstate by the end of the 90 extension period will result in applicant having to sit for and pass the exam in order to reinstate their credential.

BRPT will review and consider extensions longer than 90 days due to chronic illness, family emergency, or other extenuating circumstances on a case by case basis and with supporting documentation if received prior to the credential lapsing.

Option 6: 1-5 Years Past Expiration

A certification inactive for more than one year, but less than five years, can be reinstated by the individual providing 50 CEC’s as well as retaking and passing the  examination through eligibility Pathway/Option 6. This allows the inactive credential holder to retain the same credential number.

To complete the process you must:

• Complete the recertification using Option 6 if using the Online Portal
• Complete a New Candidate Application using Pathway 6 if sending paper application
• Submit proof of 50 continuing education credits earned within the 5 year window in which your last credential was held. If you wish to use credits earned after after your credential expiration date, you must pay the $200 Extension of Credits fee to do so.
• Reaffirm a commitment to the BRPT Code of Conduct
• Submit a copy of a valid Basic Life Support (BLS) certification (or equivalent for international residents)
• Pay the exam fee of $550.00

Once the application is received and approved, the applicant will receive a notice and instructions on how to schedule and retake the exam at their nearest Pearson VUE Testing Center. The application will be processed within 10 business days of receipt.

More than 5 Years Past Expiration

After 5 years, an inactive certification cannot be reinstated. The individual must the obtain certification again by applying as a New Candidate, meeting exam eligibility requirements in place at the time, paying all fees, and successfully passing the exam. The certification holder will be issued a new certification number and will not be able to use the previous certification number.

REFUNDS

Renewal and Reinstatement Applicants may cancel an application and receive a full refund of the recertification/reinstatement fees within 1 year of submitting payment.  Refunds cannot be issued after more than 1 year from original payment date has lapsed.

Contact Information
Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists
4201 Wilson Boulevard
3rd Floor
Arlington, VA 22203
Office: (800) 935-8115
Fax: (703) 940-7227

Website: www.brpt.org @: [email protected]