The Certified Speaking Professional designation is earned through a combination of professional association, professional education, professional performance and professional business management standards.

The CSP application process is designed to verify that speakers have met these standards. The easiest part of earning a CSP is completing the application; the hard part is the work applicants do as professional speakers and the energy they put into building their careers. The application provides the vehicle for speakers to document their achievement of the standards.

NSA has only one earned professional designation -- the Certified Speaking Professional.

The CSP Candidate is not a designation; it is a program that provides an opportunity for those who do not yet meet all of the CSP standards to begin the process of earning their CSP. The Candidate program is an interim step to documenting your achievements of the standards.