100+ Free CSPI Practice Questions

The CSPI (Certified Specialist in Poison Information) is the national certification for poison control center specialists, administered by America's Poison Centers (formerly AAPCC). It validates that healthcare professionals have the knowledge, skills, and experience to provide expert poison information to the public and healthcare providers. CSPIs are the frontline staff at the 55 US poison control centers, answering calls via the national hotline 1-800-222-1222.

To sit for the CSPI exam, candidates must: (1) have a healthcare background as a nurse, pharmacist, or physician; (2) have completed at least 2,000 hours working in a poison control center; and (3) have handled at least 2,000 human exposure cases. AAPCC requires all SPIs at certified poison control centers to achieve CSPI certification within 2-3 years of eligibility.

The CSPI exam contains 160-168 multiple-choice questions, but only 125 of these are scored. The remaining 35-43 questions are unscored pretest items being evaluated for future exams. You have 4 hours to complete the entire exam. The passing score is determined by AAPCC using a criterion-referenced standard.

The CSPI exam is administered at Pearson VUE testing centers across the United States. After your application is verified by America's Poison Centers, you schedule your exam through Pearson VUE by phone. Testing dates are offered annually during a specific testing window (typically April-May).

CSPI certification must be renewed every 7 years by re-examination. There is no continuing education alternative to re-examination. Some sources reference a 5-year renewal cycle, but the AAPCC standard for recertification by re-examination is every 7 years per current accreditation criteria.

The CSPI exam covers: pharmacology and toxicology principles, medications and drugs of abuse (acetaminophen, opioids, cardiovascular drugs, etc.), household products and chemicals, plants and mushrooms, envenomations, clinical assessment and triage, GI decontamination, antidotes, pediatric poisoning, communication skills, documentation/data collection (NPDS), and poison prevention education.

Preparation should focus on clinical toxicology knowledge combined with poison center operational skills. Key resources include: Poisindex (the clinical decision support tool used in all poison centers), Goldfrank's Toxicologic Emergencies, AAPCC treatment guidelines, and hands-on experience managing diverse exposure calls. Most poison centers provide dedicated study sessions for SPI staff preparing for the exam.

SPIs are healthcare professionals — primarily registered nurses (53%), pharmacists (40%), and physicians (3.5%). They must have clinical training and then complete poison center-specific training (approximately 40 hours of didactic study plus 6 months of supervised clinical training). After meeting the 2,000 hours and 2,000 cases requirements, they become eligible for CSPI certification.

SPI (Specialist in Poison Information) is the job title for poison control center staff who answer calls and manage cases. CSPI (Certified Specialist in Poison Information) is the national certification earned by passing the AAPCC exam. All SPIs must achieve CSPI certification within 2-3 years of meeting eligibility requirements to work at AAPCC-certified poison centers.