I have recently been lucky enough to be chosen to work with the National Recreation and Park Association’s (NRPA) Certified Playground Safety Inspector Exam Review Committee and NRPA staff member Caroline Smith. I found these people to be caring, hard-working people dedicated to our field and children’s safety. This group agonizes over trying to create and administer a fair test that will ensure that the individuals that pass it are capable of correctly analyzing a playground and can help make positive changes.
But as I travel around the country, I often hear comments such as: The test is too hard; the test is full of trick questions; why aren’t my opinions as valid as the test writers? With these types of statements in mind, I hope to provide the frustrated test takers with some actions that will result in their passing the exam.
1st Hint: Study
Do not show up to class or take the test without taking the time to study. There is far too much information for you to learn during the class. To pass the exam, you must have a deep understanding of the Public Playground Safety Handbook written by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (2010, November), which is available for download at no cost.
Download the Public Playground Safety Handbook
You must know all the information provided by the ASTM F1487, Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Playground Equipment for Public Use, which can be purchased at online. Also available at any time.
Read the Content Outline and study the areas that provide the most points. The Content Outline is available at all times as well.
Read the CPSC Exam Content Outline
Read and understand the manual: Playground Safety is No Accident 6th Edition. There will be test questions from this book. It is available from the International Playground Safety Institute.
Purchase Playground Safety is No Accident 6th Edition
Other playground information is available on the NRPA website.
Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI) Certification Information
2nd Hint: Learn as much as you can about a playground
Go to other workshops on playground safety and read other books on playground safety. The more you know, the better. The NRPA, state recreation organizations, childcare associations, school groups, risk management agencies, the National Program for Playground Safety, and private companies all offer opportunities to help you understand playgrounds better.
3rd Hint: Be prepared on the day of the test
Don’t cram – for the most part, it does not work. Get sleep. Eat a good breakfast. Dress comfortably (this is not the time to dress to impress). If you need to use the restroom, do so. There is plenty of time to finish the exam; you do not need to be uncomfortable. Do not wear a hat – they will make you take it off. Take your time and read each question.
I promise you that no one is trying to trick you in any way. I also promise you that without a dedicated effort on your part you are not likely to pass the exam. I hope that these hints can help you have a better understanding of the exam and assist you in passing.
To register for the CPSI certification, find a course in your area.
Certified Playground Safety Inspector Course Calander
Have you taken the CPSI exam? Share your tips, hints, comments, and criticisms by leaving a comment below.
I was looking for this sort
I was looking for this sort of review and information. Thank you for taking the time to prepare this page with links.
Just took the test and most
Just took the test and most of the test is about auditing and ranking safety hazards. The information from the class was kind of useful. Hands on at the playground was definitively helpful.
Did you pass?
Did you pass?
I have a full time job and
I have a full time job and was sent to Sacramento to the CPSI course in March 2019. I had no time to study and I failed. I have passed Certified Pool Operator 4 times in the past 16yrs ( which is just as hard or harder)and is open book. The CPSI test is ridiculous! Half the questions to me had 2 right answers for each question. THIS SHOULD BE OPEN BOOK!! Every dam Inspector takes their book with them in the field. It makes me question if the NRPA and CPSI is more about $ than actually trying to provide safety for the children!
Ill be taking the test for
Ill be taking the test for the first time in march. Really appreciate your insight as to what the test actually was as opposed to what its not. If anyone else had any ideas about what we could be studying to prepare for this specific test, they could prove invaluable if were not adequately being prepared by the course
Myself and another co worker
Myself and another co worker have been studying for this test for about a month, on and off daily at work for about a couple hours at a time. After paying the $520 for the online ne program and $200 for the test and an additional $80 for the 1487 guide, together we are $800 in to this process. My co worker took the test and felt pretty good about being prepared only to fail the test and now has to pay another $200 to retake the test. He too said that the online course did not cover the questions that were asked on the test. A major portion of the test had nothing to do with all of the dimensions and materials that we went over and over, but instead had to do with auditing and being able to rank in order different levels of safety hazards, ect.
We would agree with the fore mentioned statements. There should be new guidelines created for certification and the cost of this certification is out of control.
Do we need to know all the
Do we need to know all the ASTM sub-sections--example ASTM 1487 Section 6.4.1?? Study material, module 6 is all about this. It is insane!!
I will be taking the exam in
I will be taking the exam in March 2019. A co worker has provided me with his testing material (since I have not received my books yet). I am going to apply myself with flashcards, reading material online test questions etc. I will read what I can, inspect some playgrounds and hope for the best. Wish me luck!
I am taking the test for the
I am taking the test for the second time. I didn't want to take it again but my work made me. It isn't really relevant to my daily work, they just like people to hold certifications (appearances). The format of this class and test is so frustrating that next time my work tries to make me, I will absolutely refuse. If they make me go, I will just fail. This should be about educating people and helping them do their jobs better - not about cramming too many numbers into my head that I do not need to know. I have 4 certifications and this is the worst process. If I fail the test I am ok with that. They really need to redo this entire thing.
Amen to that
Amen to that
I can verify everything just
I can verify everything just said above. I took the test today after sitting through the two days of class, learning all of the standards and tests and numbers etc. Going into the test i felt fairly confident, until I read the first question and it had literally nothing to do with the two days I had just went through. Throughout the test I came across a handful of questions that were related to measurements etc, but the vast majority were related to information and ideas never covered. This test was ridiculously difficult, especially when everything you’ve sat through and studied is nowhere to be found. The recertification process is absolutely a money grab having to retest every 3 years and continuing education essentially meaning nothing, as compared to pesticide licenses as well as medical licenses. Good luck to anyone who takes this and just a little hint, the class is loaded with information thatbyou basically do not need for the exam.
Good luck! :o)
Good luck! :o)
Got the book a week ago now I
Got the book a week ago now I'm taking the test on Thursday 7/19/18. All I can do is read.read.read. wish me luck!!!
I am taking the exam in July,
I am taking the exam in July, I just got my study material last week...My supervisor is out on medical leave so i'm running a park solo, have little time to study at work or home...am i doomed?
I just recently posted a
I just recently posted a comment on here last week. Since then I have taken the class again and am waiting to see if I passed the test. For anyone going to receritify, the entire format of the exam has changed. They don't test you on the material presented in class. In class you're given all this information about how each piece of equipment should be made from the manufacturer. Slide sizes and openings in borders and what not. No professional installer is going to fabricate as the will and not follow the documented install instructions from an engineer. No, no, the exam now tests you on how to apply the material in a manner of such that you can make an opinionated decision on how to rank hazards from a less than perfect non specific description. The majority of the exam has turned into audit and inspection question. Enough information is not given and you as the test taker are expected to rank the hazards. Have I made that clear enough? It was difficult before but they certainly made it more difficult now. Why is the exam so difficult? Here's a hint, I would not bother trying to cram all the numbers. Remember what's most important to avoid. Death by strangulation, death by falls. Understand what to do with standing water and where that ranks. This test has gotten harder for no reason I can see. Unless to many people were passing it. Sheer lunacy. Read their website, they actual compare being this prepared and knowledgeable as that of a doctor.
I am in agreement with almost
I am in agreement with almost all of the comments above. We are professionals with jobs and a family. I am also a college grad. The magnitude of information and the design of the test is a little out of line. The word ludicrous is used and I agree. There is far too much information to cram in roughly 16 hours of class. Besides all of this information can be referenced when you are out in the field conducting inspections. The whole process needs to be look at and modified in my opinion. I also have passed this class twice and my boss refuses to send me to continuing education.
Why not follow Pennsylvania's
Why not follow Pennsylvania's guideline on Pesticide Edu, Application and building credits in a three year period? We take the test one time for each category needed then attend seminars to keep your credits up to date. You do not have to take the tests over again.
CPSI retesting is ridiculous because we have all the literature we need for reference. We could attend a class every three years for updates, etc.
I've taken and passed the
I've taken and passed the test twice. But I can tell you that cramming so much information into two 8 hour classes and then expecting someone to be ready for the exam on the third day is absolutely ludicrous. This class should be held on a Thursday and Friday, let the students have Saturday and Sunday to study, and then administer the exam on Monday.
We're not school students. We're grownups with professional level jobs. We also have families and other responsibilities that need to be taken care of when we get home. But you force us to go home and stress out while studying for 4-5 hours starting at 8pm after the kids have been put to bed, dinner has been made, and lunches are packed for the next day.
Furthermore this should be an open book test. Requiring someone to memorize so much information in such a short period of time is not realistic. It's no wonder why the failure rate is between 20-30%. You're not giving 20-30% of the people enough time to absorb all of the information. It should also be open book because in the real-world that's what we do. We bring our field guides for reference.
I'm a fire code official and had to take 5 3-day classes. Each one finished with an open book test. Why? Because unlike CPSI instructors they know it's not realistic to expect someone to memorize so much information in just three days and then sit for a test.
Where the comment section? Let's start a real dialog. Challenge
Challenge us. How many instructors are actually retired? Enough enough enough. You don't know anymore than the rest of us. Most of us are done with this nonsense. Please end this agony and find something else to do for the sane headed people. Go away...u don't know half of what I do. Stop with the generating scam. Please please please go away
Let's get back to reality
The CPSI course is a revenue generating scam period. After one maybe two exams being passed by the test taker it should be at the most ceu's in a classroom. Those who have passed the test north of five times should be exempt. Really, an exam every three years is ludicrous. Only those who actually and officially inspect "might be subject " to the official inspection process. The rest of us is a waste of time . Stop with the nonsense please!
Practice Questions
Why not include some practice questions?
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