The Cold Standard Certified Candidate Handbook.

01 The credentials

Cold Standard Certified is a set of vendor-neutral credentials issued by The Cold Standard, an independent cold plunge and sauna service company. This handbook applies to all of them. Where a rule differs by credential, it says so.

A valid credential means the holder has passed the course's module quizzes, the monitored final exam and — for CSCT and CSST — a practical capstone signed off by a human assessor, and that the credential has not expired or been revoked.

Credentials are stackable. A person who holds more than one (for example CSCT and CSST) sees all of them on a single public verification page.

If you enrolled through an employer's or organization's team link, the rules in this handbook apply to you exactly the same way, and the credential you earn is yours. The organization can see your course progress and certificate status (§15).

02 Eligibility

The credentials are open. You don't need an employer, a sponsor, a prior certification or a relationship with The Cold Standard.

• Age: you must be at least 18 years old.
• Location: anyone may enroll. The course is written for practice in the United States and teaches national frameworks plus how to find and apply your state and local code.
• Prerequisites: none for any credential.
• One person, one account. Your enrollment, quiz results, capstone and exam must be your own. Accounts can't be shared or transferred.
• Your name: the name on your account is the name printed on your certificate and verification page. Use your real name; contact us to correct it before your certificate is issued.

03 How a credential is earned

No single test you can cram for. The credential issues only when every required pillar is complete.

The final exam unlocks once every required module quiz is passed and, for CSCT and CSST, every required capstone task has been approved. Submit your capstone early — review takes time, and the CSCT water log alone runs 7 days. Your dashboard shows which pillars remain.

Testing out of a module

Already know the material? You can take any required module's quiz before reading its lessons. If you score 80% or more on your first attempt at that quiz, the module is marked complete and the next one unlocks. If you don't, nothing is lost: work through the lessons and retake the quiz as many times as you need. Only the first attempt can count as a test-out. Testing out never waives the final exam or the capstone.

Optional CSCT modules

CSCT includes two optional modules: the Brand Reference Library (Module 4) and Running the Business (Module 7, bonus). They have no quiz gate, aren't required to unlock the exam, and aren't on the final exam. Use them as reference whenever they help.

04 Exam blueprints

Each attempt is drawn from a question bank to the weights below, so no two attempts are identical. Questions are single-best-answer multiple choice, many of them scenario-based ("a unit presents like this — what do you check first?").

CSFA — Facility attendant

CSCT — Cold plunge technician

CSST — Sauna technician

CSFO — Facility operator

Format, for every exam

• One question at a time, with a running countdown and automatic submission when time runs out.
• Server-graded. The answer key never reaches your device, so the exam can't be self-scored.
• Your score and a domain-by-domain breakdown are shown when you submit, unless the attempt is held for integrity review (§8).
• Where a manufacturer's published spec differs from a general guideline, questions follow the rule taught in the course: match the manufacturer.

05 Passing standards

The bar is fixed, published, and the same for everyone. There is no curve.

• Module quizzes: ≥ 80% on each required module. Retake immediately, as many times as you need. Explanations are shown after each attempt. A first-attempt pass taken before the lessons counts as testing out (§3).
• Final exam: ≥ 80% of the questions for your credential (CSFA 20 of 25 · CSFO 32 of 40 · CSST 40 of 50 · CSCT 80 of 100). A fixed cut score, not a percentile.
• Capstone (CSCT, CSST): every required task approved by a Cold Standard assessor.

06 Attempts, fees & cooldown

The same rules apply to every credential, except that CSFA has a shorter cooldown and a lower retake fee. Your first two attempts are included in tuition (or your team seat); only the third and final attempt has a fee. The cooldown exists so a retake means more studying, not more guessing.

• Maximum 3 attempts per enrollment. If all three are unsuccessful, the enrollment closes. You may enroll again at the then-current price and start fresh.
• Bundle: if you enrolled in the CSCT + CSST bundle, each credential has its own exam with its own three attempts (two included).
• Cooldown between attempts, counted from submission of the previous attempt: 7 days for CSFO, CSST and CSCT; 1 day for CSFA.
• The retake fee for attempt 3 is paid before that attempt unlocks and are non-refundable once that attempt has started.
• An attempt counts as used once it starts, including if it's auto-submitted at time-out or you leave before finishing. If a technical failure on our side interrupts an attempt, see §8.
• Each attempt draws a fresh question set to the same blueprint.

07 Capstone (CSCT and CSST)

CSFA and CSFO have no capstone.

Knowledge without proof of work isn't competence. The capstone is documented evidence of your own hands on real equipment. No video or live observation is required.

• CSCT: four practical tasks drawn from real plunge service — for example a documented diagnostic including refrigerant identification from the nameplate, a 7-day water-chemistry log, worked dosing calculations, or a documented maintenance task. The current task list and rubric are in your course. Plan for at least a week to complete the log.
• CSST: two photo-documented practical tasks on a real sauna, as described in your course.

How it's reviewed

1. You submit photos and notes for each task in the course platform.
2. For CSCT, each submission is first scored against the published rubric with AI assistance (§15).
3. A Cold Standard assessor reviews every submission and either approves it or returns it with notes. AI scoring never approves a capstone on its own.
4. Returned tasks can be revised and resubmitted.

Rules for evidence

• It must be your own work, on equipment you actually serviced. Submitting anyone else's photos, logs or calculations is an integrity violation.
• Get the equipment owner's permission before photographing their property, and keep customer information out of frame — no faces, addresses, license plates or documents with personal details.
• Stay within your scope and the law while doing capstone work. A task never requires you to open a sealed refrigerant circuit or do electrical work you aren't licensed for.

08 Exam rules & integrity

The final is a monitored online exam: the integrity controls are technical and logged. There is no webcam, ID scan or room scan.

Rules

• Take the exam alone, in one sitting. The timer doesn't pause.
• The exam is closed-book: no course materials, notes, websites, AI assistants or chatbots, or help from another person while it's open. The course's AI tutor is not available during the exam.
• Don't copy, photograph, record, share or discuss exam questions, before or after your attempt.

What is monitored

• Leaving the exam tab or window (tab switches, window blur, visibility changes) is timestamped and recorded in your attempt log.
• Questions are issued one at a time from a per-attempt set; the full exam and answer key are never in your browser.
• Attempts with unusual activity may be held for human review before the result is final.

Outcomes

• Confirmed misconduct can void the attempt (it still counts as used), forfeit remaining attempts, bar re-enrollment, or lead to revocation of any credential already issued. You'll be told the reason and can appeal (§13).
• Technical problems: if an outage or error on our side interrupts your attempt, email us within 24 hours. We'll review the logs and, where the problem was ours, restore the attempt at no charge.

09 Accommodations

If a disability or other documented need affects how you take quizzes or the exam, we'll work with you on a reasonable accommodation.

1. Ask before your first exam attempt. Email service@coldstandardservice.com with the subject "Exam accommodation request", your name, your credential, and what you need.
2. Examples: extended exam time, scheduled breaks, compatibility with a screen reader or other assistive technology.
3. We may ask for brief supporting documentation. We keep it confidential, use it only to decide your request, and don't note accommodations on your certificate or verification page.
4. We aim to reply within 5 business days. If we can't grant exactly what you asked for, we'll explain why and offer an alternative where possible.

10 Code of ethics

Holding a credential is a continuing promise to every customer, employer and facility that trusts it. Every holder agrees to:

1. Put safety first. De-energize before you open equipment, identify the refrigerant before any refrigeration work, and never do refrigerant, electrical or plumbing work you aren't separately certified or licensed to do.
2. Diagnose honestly. Recommend only the work the equipment actually needs. Never invent faults or upsell against the customer's interest.
3. Protect people's health. Disclose health-relevant findings — unsafe water, biofilm, failed safety devices, compliance gaps — plainly, even when inconvenient.
4. Follow the manufacturer and the law. Manufacturer specs override generic guidance; local code and your authority having jurisdiction have the final word.
5. Stay in scope. Know the limits of your credential and refer out to a licensed trade or the manufacturer when a job exceeds them.
6. Represent the credential truthfully. Claim only the credentials you currently hold. Never imply employment by, or endorsement from, The Cold Standard or any manufacturer.
7. Protect exam integrity. Never share or solicit exam content and never submit work that isn't your own.
8. Respect customers' privacy and property. Leave equipment and premises as you found them or better, and handle customer information with care.

11 Credential & logo use

When you pass, you receive a digital certificate and a digital badge. Here's how you can use them.

You may

• Display your badge and credential code (e.g. "CSCT") on your website, business cards, vehicle, invoices and social profiles while the credential is current.
• Link to or share your public verification page or QR code.
• Describe yourself as, for example, "Cold Standard Certified Sauna Technician (CSST)".

You may not

• Use the badge or name after your credential expires, is suspended or is revoked.
• Alter, recolor, crop or combine the badge with other marks, or use The Cold Standard's company logo.
• Imply that you or your business are employed by, a franchise of, or endorsed by The Cold Standard, or that you're a manufacturer-authorized service provider because of this credential.
• Apply the credential to employees or subcontractors who don't personally hold it.
• Use the credential for services it doesn't cover.

Full terms are in the Certification Terms.

12 Validity & recertification

Equipment, refrigerants and codes change. Credentials expire so that a current credential reflects current knowledge.

• To renew: complete the recertification update for your credential — a focused review of what's changed — and pass its assessment before your expiry date.
• We'll email you a reminder ahead of your expiry date. Keeping your email address current is your responsibility.
• After expiry, your verification page shows the credential as expired and you must stop using the badge until you renew. Renewal after a long lapse may require re-enrolling in the full course.

13 Revocation & appeals

We can suspend or revoke a credential for cause. You'll always be told why and have a chance to respond.

Grounds

• Exam or capstone misconduct, including submitting work that isn't your own.
• Misrepresenting the credential or misusing the badge.
• Unsafe practice or serious ethics violations that put people or property at risk.
• Fraud, including payment fraud or false enrollment information.

Process

1. We email you a notice describing the concern and the evidence.
2. You have 14 days to respond in writing. While we review, we may mark the credential as suspended.
3. We decide and tell you the outcome in writing. A revoked credential is shown as revoked on its verification page.

Appeals

• You may appeal any exam result held for integrity review, capstone denial, suspension or revocation within 30 days of the decision by emailing service@coldstandardservice.com with the subject "Certification appeal".
• Where practical, the appeal is reviewed by someone who wasn't involved in the original decision. We aim to decide within 30 days, and the appeal decision is final.
• Appeals don't cover the passing standard itself or the content of individual exam questions, but you can report a question you believe is wrong and we'll review it.

14 Scope & limits of the credential

An honest credential is clear about what it is not.

• Not a license. These credentials aren't government licenses and don't authorize work that requires one.
• Not a substitute for EPA Section 608. Federal law requires 608 certification for anyone who opens a sealed refrigerant circuit. CSCT teaches where that line is; it does not grant 608.
• Not a substitute for pool/spa operator certifications (such as CPO) where your jurisdiction requires them, or for electrical, plumbing or contractor licensing.
• Not accredited. The credentials are issued by The Cold Standard and aren't accredited by a third-party accreditation body.
• Not a manufacturer authorization. Vendor-neutral; not affiliated with or endorsed by any manufacturer. Warranty-service authorization comes only from the manufacturer.
• Not employment or a job guarantee. Certified technicians may apply separately to The Cold Standard's service network; that is optional, not guaranteed, and never a condition of the credential.

15 Privacy, data & AI

What we keep, why, and who processes it.

• What we store: your account details, course progress, quiz and exam results, exam activity logs (including tab-switch events), capstone photos and notes, and certificate records.
• AI: the in-lesson AI tutor and AI-assisted capstone scoring use Anthropic's Claude. The text of your questions and capstone submissions is sent to Anthropic to generate responses and scores. Human assessors make every capstone approval decision.
• Payments are processed by Stripe; we don't store full card numbers.
• Public: only your name, credential(s), dates and status appear on your verification page. Exam scores, logs and capstone material are never public.
• Team enrollments: if you joined through an employer's or organization's team link, that organization's manager can see your name, email, course progress and certificate status, and send you reminders. If you enrolled with a manufacturer or partner code, that partner may receive enrollment and certification status for enrollments made with its code.
• We keep certification records for as long as needed to verify credentials and meet legal obligations. You can request access to or deletion of your data, subject to what we must keep to verify a credential that's been issued.

Details are in the learner data section of our Privacy Policy.

16 Contact

Questions about this handbook, accommodations, appeals or your enrollment: service@coldstandardservice.com · (619) 273-3809.

The Cold Standard LLC · San Diego, California. This handbook works together with the Certification Terms & Refund Policy. If they conflict, the Certification Terms control. We may update this handbook; changes apply from the date they're posted, and never retroactively change the result of an attempt you've already taken.