CPI exam — do pool inspections done during full home inspections count toward experience hours?
I'm working toward my Certified Pool and Spa Inspector credential and I'm confused about the experience requirements. I've done about 40 pool/spa inspections over the past 14 months as part of general home inspections, but I'm not sure whether those count toward the CPI-specific experience hours or if I need inspections where pool/spa was the primary focus. The InterNACHI requirements page isn't totally clear on this.
On the exam content, I'm scoring 74% on practice assessments, which feels decent. The questions I miss are mostly on commercial pool compliance versus residential, and the specific chemical balance ranges that trigger different remediation requirements. I've been inspecting residential properties almost exclusively so the commercial side is genuinely new to me.
I'm planning to sit for the exam in about 6 weeks. Is 74% a good enough baseline or do CPI candidates typically need to be scoring higher? And has anyone dealt with the experience documentation process — do you need signed client reports or is a job log sufficient?
74% is comfortable to sit at 6 weeks out — I passed at 77% starting baseline after about 5 weeks of prep. The commercial vs residential chemical compliance questions are worth a focused study session. There are only about 6–8 specific threshold values you really need to nail down.
The chemical balance questions got me on my first attempt (failed with 69%). I made flashcards for every chemical parameter — pH, chlorine, cyanuric acid, total alkalinity — with the acceptable range and the corresponding remediation step. Passed the second time with 81%.
Passed CPI last year. InterNACHI told me via email that pool/spa inspections done as part of full home inspections do count toward the experience requirement as long as they're documented. I kept a simple spreadsheet with date, address, and client name and that was accepted.
For documentation, InterNACHI accepted my electronic inspection reports with timestamps. I didn't need client signatures specifically — just proof the inspections happened. Keep your own records because their verification process can take a few weeks.
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