Registering for the CDCES: application, booking and cost

1. Check that you meet the eligibility rules and have proof of your hours and CE at hand; any application can be selected for audit.
2. Apply and pay in your online account with the board. Applications are taken all year.
3. Once approved, pick your PSI appointment within the testing window.
4. If you need a different date, change it online in good time: a move inside the window is free, and the table gives the cutoff and the transfer fee.

Missing the appointment, arriving late or asking to reschedule a second time costs you the registration and the fee, so treat the date as fixed once the free change has been used.

You choose between roughly 300 PSI centers, open Monday to Saturday, or an online session watched by a live remote proctor. The questions and the fee are the same either way; a center outside the United States adds a surcharge.

Two things to weigh before picking remote: a remote sitting allows no breaks across the full 4 hours, and first-time remote candidates passed at a lower rate in the latest figures (see exam facts). Centers close over Thanksgiving and Christmas, which matters if your window ends in late November or December.

• Application and exam. Each application costs $350. Applicants approved through the Unique Qualifications pathway pay less on their first application; the table has the amount.
• A new window. Transferring to a later window has its own fee and can be done once.
• Location and paperwork. An international center, a score verification and a rejected application each carry a fee of their own, listed in the table.
• A retake. Every further attempt means applying again and paying the whole fee; the UQ discount applies to the first application only.
• Renewal. Renewing costs $250–$500 depending on how early you file; renewing with the exam sits at the low end and still needs your practice hours or your CE alongside it.