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People applying for Certified Professional Soil Scientist (CPSS) accreditation are required to have a tertiary qualification including a minimum of four university units/courses in soil science fundamentals at the undergraduate or postgraduate level. Applicants who hold a tertiary qualification but lack the four soil science units/courses may use a successful result in the Soil Fundamentals Exam to satisfy the academic requirements for CPSS accreditation.
The Soil Fundamentals Exam is jointly developed and owned by Soil Science Australia and the Soil Science Society of America and consists of 150 multiple choice questions on the topics listed in the Soil Fundamentals Performance Objectives. The Soil Fundamentals Performance Objectives represent the minimum professional competencies required by soil scientists working on environmental and agricultural problems in Australia.
The cost of sitting the Soil Fundamentals Exam is set on an annual basis. As a guide, the cost of sitting the exam is approximately US$200. Because the Soil Fundamentals Exam is currently offered online, an additional US$60 is charged for the exam proctoring service. Registration for the Soil Science Australia Soil Fundamentals Exam is currently via the Soil Science Society of America website, however we strongly recommend prospective applicants contact the CPSS Officer for Soil Science Australia prior to registering.
Link to Soil Science Society of America’s information site: Soil Science Australia’s Soil Fundamentals Exam Information
For more information on CPSS accreditation, please visit the CPSS page on the Soil Science Australia website. *Important Note* The Soil Science Australia website is undergoing transformation and not all the CPSS-related content is current. Please contact the CPSS Officer if you have any queries about the CPSS pages, or CPSS-related downloadable documents on the SSA website.
Soil Science Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land and we pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future.
Soil Science Australia is the national soil science body and a not-for-profit professional incorporated association for soil scientists and people interested in the responsible management of Australia’s soil resources.