Benefits

• Convenient, self-paced format allows customized study
  
  
• Up to six months to complete the CSA course
  
  
• The same high quality instructors as the CSA classroom, recorded in audiocassette tapes as they lectured real-time during CSA classes
  
  
• Confidence in studying the most important topics by using the participant workbook, Becoming a CSA

The Professional Interview and Summary Report
As part of the correspondence course requirements, students must interview a professional outside their discipline who works directly with seniors. They write and submit a one-page summary report of their interview to the Society, detailing the professional’s viewpoint on the priority issues facing seniors.

Course Completion Time
Candidates must complete the correspondence course in six months (on average, participants complete the self-study course in 60 days). Those taking longer than six months to complete the course are required to purchase updated course materials.

Course Materials Provided

• Working With Seniors: Health, Financial and Social Issues
  This in-depth textbook (approximately 700 pages) contains more than 22 chapters of detailed content on the key issues that affect seniors’ lives. Each chapter contains a list of resources for seniors. A special section focuses on building the CSA’s practice, including ethics and marketing to seniors. The textbook is the foundation for the CSA curriculum and serves as a reference after the designation is earned.
  
  
• Becoming a CSA Participant Workbook
  The participant workbook (approximately 95 pages) helps students focus on key learning points and prepare for the CSA exam, chapter-by-chapter, with lists of key terms and concepts, fill-in-the-blank exercises and review questions.
  
  
• Audiocassette Tapes of Class Presentations
  The Society’s expert faculty was recorded in a set of audiocassette tapes as they lectured real-time during CSA classes. The set covers more than 22 topics that correspond to the CSA textbook. Each tape is 50 minutes/side.

CSA Designation Exam

The CSA exam is on-line and contains 150 multiple-choice questions, which students have up to three hours to complete. Students must arrange for a disinterested third party to physically monitor them during the entire testing period. Results are provided to each candidate the week following the test date.
Pass/Fail Grading: The exam is Pass/Fail. A passing score is 70% or more correct answers (105 questions).

Recommended Study Process:

• Listen to an audiocassette tape
• Read the corresponding chapter in the Working With Seniors textbook
• Complete the exercises in the Becoming a CSA participant workbook for each chapter (this may be done at the same time the student reads the chapter)