Get Certified!
Become a CAP: A Certified Astrological Professional
Certification Overview
Ensuring Astrological Excellence Worldwide
CAPISAR is known worldwide for its certification program and exemplifies the highest standards in our profession. Since its inception in 2003, the CAP (Certified Astrological Professional) program has been continuously developed and updated into the premiere program it is today.
The requirements for CAP status include continual adherence to the ethical and professional standards outlined in the ISAR Code of Ethics and the successful completion of:
• Ethics Awareness Training & Exam
• Consulting Skills Training
• Competency Exam
• 3 Elective Courses
You may take these trainings, exams and elective courses in any order.
The Competency Exam is rigorous and demanding with a low pass-rate on the first attempt. To prepare for the CAP Competency Exam and to complete the 3 elective courses requirement, we strongly recommend you enroll in courses at ISAR-Affiliated Schools, which is a requirement for achieving a CAP with Honors. These institutions’ well-rounded curriculums have been reviewed by ISAR and will provide the foundation you need to succeed.
FAQ
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How do you earn CAP with Honors?
As of May 2025, you earn CAP with Honors by achieving the following:
• Be actively enrolled in or graduated from an ISAR-Affiliated School.
• Successfully complete at least three elective astrology courses.
• Successfully participate in and complete the Ethics Awareness Training and pass the Ethics Awareness Exam with a grade of 80% or higher.
• Successfully participate in and complete the Consulting Skills Training.
• Pass the Competency Exam with a grade of 70% or higher.
You remain a CAP by continually adhering to the ethical and professional standards outlined in the ISAR Code of Ethics.
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Is going to an ISAR Affiliated School a CAP requirement?
Candidates who pass the CAPISAR exams and trainings and complete 3 elective courses without going to an ISAR Affiliated School will not be eligible for the "CAP with Honors" distinction but will still be eligible for general CAP status.
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Is there a study hours requirement to be a CAP?
No formal study hour requirement exists, only that which is required for you to pass the exams and to fulfill the 3 elective courses requirement. Becoming a CAP requires mastering a substantial body of astrological knowledge, and successful candidates typically invest hundreds of hours studying, reading, attending classes, and completing coursework to successfully pass the necessary trainings and exams. The ISAR-Affiliated Schools provide this.
Ethics in Astrology
As an astrologer, how do you know whether your actions are genuinely beneficial?
A system of ethical principles will help you answer that question and guide you when complex considerations arise. Whether you are a counseling astrologer, a researcher, a content producer, or an enthusiast, understanding ethics enables you to practice astrology responsibly.
The Ethics Awareness program is the cornerstone of CAPISAR’s certification program. Based on ISAR's Ethical Standards and Guidelines, it prepares you to practice astrology with a solid understanding of your ethical obligations and aligns our field’s standards with those of other professions.
Consulting Skills
This experiential training teaches a repertoire of skills that makes working with astrology clients personal and more effective.
Due to the nature of the consulting relationship, we are placed in the position of giving information and insight regarding the client’s concerns. Listening can become a secondary activity when there is so much astrological information to convey. This training puts the client in the center of the consulting relationship, allowing the session to tune into the client’s thoughts and feelings. A client-centered approach and an information-centered approach are stylistically different modes that can coexist in an astrological consultation. Both are valid approaches and styles, and the goal of this training is to give you the techniques to recognize and alternate between the two.
Competency Exam
Those seeking to be a CAP (Certified Astrological Professional) must demonstrate competence in astrology by passing a rigorous exam.
It is an open-book test and you can use whatever texts or materials you think you will need, but it is timed. Questions are a combination of true/false, multiple choice, short-answer and in-depth essay. The exam covers many areas: history of astrology, an understanding of the various applications of astrology, basic astronomy as applied to astrology, symbolism, knowledge of chart calculations, forecasting skills including secondary progressions, return charts, transits, eclipses and lunations, synastry and relationships including chart comparison, family patterns, miscellaneous relationships and group dynamics.
