The Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) has relaunched its Seating and Mobility Specialist (SMS) certification exam.
The exam has been on hiatus since November 2023, while RESNA updated its content.
In a March 8 announcement, RESNA said the update included aligning the exam “with the latest industry standards and technological advancements. A panel of subject matter experts revised the exam to cover the full spectrum of seating and mobility delivery as well as professional conduct.”
To qualify to sit for the SMS exam, candidates must be Assistive Technology Professionals (ATPs) in good standing, the announcement added. Candidates must also have 1,000 or more hours of seating- and mobility-related service with consumers, as well as two types of professional activities in the past five years. The list of qualifying activities includes continuing education, client service delivery, advocacy, mentoring/supervision, presentations/formal instruction, publication or leadership.
“For a limited time, approved candidates will receive $50 off the exam fee of $250,” said RESNA Executive Director Andrea Van Hook in the announcement. “This is because candidates will need to wait until May for their score reports, in order to allow standard setting to take place for the updated exam form.”
The SMS exam was originally launched in 2010. The SMS is a specialty certification for seating and mobility professionals; the exam focuses on seating, positioning and mobility, versus the broader-based ATP certification, which covers all major areas of assistive technology.
RESNA said there are currently more than 230 ATP/SMS professionals in the United States and Canada.
