- The Short Answer: What SSP Means Here
- Why the Acronym Causes Confusion
- Who Runs the Credential and Who It Is For
- The Three Lenses: People, Planet, Profits
- The Four Exam Domains in Plain Language
- Exam Format and Testing Conditions
- Fees, Registration, and Eligibility
- Keeping the Specialty Active: CEU Math
- Where the Credential Gets Used
- Sequencing Your Preparation by Domain
- Frequently Asked Questions
- SSP here means Certified Crop Adviser - Sustainability Specialty, an add-on to the CCA credential from the American Society of Agronomy.
- You must already hold an active CCA in good standing, and be at least 18, to sit the exam.
- The exam fee is USD $170, delivered as a computer-based, multiple-choice test with live remote proctoring.
- Four agronomy domains are tested, each viewed through People and Society, Planet and Environment, and Profits and Economics lenses.
The Short Answer: What SSP Means Here
On this site, SSP refers to one thing only: the Certified Crop Adviser - Sustainability Specialty. It is a specialty credential layered on top of the base Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) designation, administered through the International Certified Crop Adviser (ICCA) program of the American Society of Agronomy (ASA). ASA itself styles the abbreviation as "SSp," but "SSP" is the form most people type into a search bar, so that is what you will see here.
In practical terms, the credential tells clients, employers, and growers that a crop adviser can evaluate field-level recommendations against sustainability outcomes in the United States agricultural context. It was developed with the United Soybean Board, and it is built around agronomy decisions, not corporate reporting frameworks or workplace safety programs.
If you want other angles on the same question, our companion articles cover what SSP is, what SSP stands for, and the broader meaning of the term. This article focuses on what the letters commit you to if you decide to pursue the credential.
Why the Acronym Causes Confusion
"SSP" is a crowded abbreviation. Several unrelated professional credentials and programs use the same three letters, and an internet search for the acronym alone will surface material from fields that have nothing to do with agronomy. That is the reason this article is explicit about the identity of the credential before anything else.
A quick way to avoid mix-ups is to check four things on any page that claims to explain "SSP":
- The certifying body. For this credential, it is the American Society of Agronomy's International Certified Crop Adviser program, not a safety council, a corporate sustainability association, or a technology vendor.
- The prerequisite. You need an active CCA credential in good standing. If a page says nothing about the CCA, it is describing something else.
- The subject matter. Nutrient losses, soil and water quality, pest control, cropping systems, and farm economics.
- The exam fee. USD $170 for this specialty examination. Any other figure belongs to a different program.
Who Runs the Credential and Who It Is For
The ASA's ICCA program is the home of the CCA designation, and the Sustainability Specialty is one of its add-on credentials. The exam uses Certification Management Services for examination delivery with live remote proctoring. That structure matters because it explains how the credential behaves: it is not a standalone entry-level certification, and it is not open to the general public.
The intended candidate is a working crop adviser who already advises growers on agronomic decisions and wants a documented, exam-verified credential showing they can integrate sustainability into those recommendations. Candidates must be at least 18 years old and must hold an active CCA credential in good standing. If your CCA has lapsed, resolving that comes before anything else. Our SSP requirements guide walks through eligibility and prerequisites in more detail.
What the Credential Signals
Because it sits on top of the CCA, the specialty signals depth rather than breadth. A CCA already demonstrates broad competence across agronomy. The SSP says the adviser can take those same decisions about fertility, soil, pests, and crop systems and evaluate them against environmental, social, and economic outcomes at the same time.
The Three Lenses: People, Planet, Profits
The most distinctive feature of this credential is how its content is organized. The performance objectives (the current set is the second generation, effective October 2022) consider each agronomy domain through three competency lenses:
- People and Society: community impacts, social acceptance, and the effect of agronomic practices on people beyond the farm gate.
- Planet and Environment: water quality, soil health, nutrient losses, and other environmental outcomes.
- Profits and Economics: farm-level economics, cost and return, and the financial viability of a practice.
This is why preparation for the SSP feels different from preparing for a conventional agronomy exam. A recommendation that is agronomically sound but ignores economics or societal impact is, by this credential's standards, incomplete.
The Four Exam Domains in Plain Language
The exam covers four official domains. Each one mirrors a core agronomy area with "Sustainability and" placed in front of it, which tells you the question style: the underlying agronomy is assumed, and the exam probes how you apply it with sustainability outcomes in mind. For a deeper walkthrough, see the complete guide to all four SSP exam domains.
Domain 1: Sustainability and Nutrient Management
Decisions about applying fertility inputs, and what happens to those nutrients afterward.
- Nutrient losses from fields and how practice choices change them
- Weighing input cost against environmental and societal consequences
- Recognizing when a recommendation is agronomically defensible but sustainability-poor
Domain 2: Sustainability and Soil and Water Management
How management affects the soil resource and the water leaving or passing through a field.
- Soil and water quality as outcomes, not just inputs to production
- Practices that protect or degrade the resource over time
- Connecting field decisions to off-site effects
Domain 3: Sustainability and Pest Management
Pest control choices evaluated for effectiveness, cost, and wider impact.
- Integrating control tactics rather than defaulting to a single approach
- Considering environmental and societal effects of control decisions
- Economics of control versus tolerance of pest pressure
Domain 4: Sustainability and Crop Management
System-level thinking about cropping decisions and how they fit together.
- Cropping systems and their long-term sustainability tradeoffs
- Linking crop choices to soil, water, pest, and nutrient outcomes
- Farm economics and societal impacts of system-level change
What Question Style to Expect
The exam is multiple choice. Because the credential is built around adviser judgment, expect scenario-driven items in which several answers are partly right and you must choose the one that best balances agronomy, environment, community, and economics. Memorizing a single optimal practice will not carry you; understanding why a practice wins in one setting and loses in another will.
Exam Format and Testing Conditions
The SSP is a computer-based, multiple-choice specialty examination taken under live remote proctoring. The examinee handbook identifies MonitorEDU, while current instructions specify Google Meet with two cameras, so check the latest registration materials before exam day rather than relying on older descriptions.
| Condition | What to Expect |
|---|---|
| Delivery | Computer-based, multiple choice, live remote proctoring |
| Reference materials | Closed book |
| Calculator | On-screen calculator provided |
| Scratch work | One blank sheet of scratch paper |
| Breaks | None |
| Equipment | Supported computer, webcam, microphone, mobile-device second camera |
| Identification | Government-issued ID matching your registration |
| Environment | Private workspace |
Two practical points deserve emphasis. First, the no-breaks rule means you should plan your hydration, comfort, and timing in advance. Second, the name on your identification must match your registration exactly, and the second-camera setup is easy to underestimate. Test your equipment before the exam window opens, not on the morning of your attempt.
Passing is determined through the program's Modified Angoff standard-setting process rather than by a simple fixed percentage you can count on. For what that means in practice, see our explanation of the SSP passing score, and for realistic expectations about difficulty, read how hard the SSP exam is.
Fees, Registration, and Eligibility
The examination fee is USD $170. You register for the specialty exam and sit within the published specialty examination windows, which means you cannot simply book it on any day of the year. Build your timeline backward from the window you intend to use, and confirm deadlines early. Our SSP exam dates guide explains the scheduling mechanics, and the SSP certification cost breakdown shows how the exam fee fits alongside ongoing certification costs.
Eligibility Checklist
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Hold an active CCA credential in good standing.
- Register within the published specialty examination window.
- Pay the USD $170 examination fee.
- Prepare a supported computer, webcam, microphone, mobile-device second camera, matching government ID, and a private workspace.
Key Takeaway
The SSP is an add-on, so your CCA status is the gate. Before you spend time studying, confirm your CCA is active and in good standing, then locate the next specialty exam window and work backward.
Keeping the Specialty Active: CEU Math
Earning the SSP is not the end of the obligation. You must maintain the underlying CCA certification and pay annual certification fees. The March 2026 ICCA policy manual sets the continuing education structure, and this is where candidates most often miscount.
| Requirement | Amount per Two-Year Cycle |
|---|---|
| Total CEUs | 40 |
| Sustainability Specialty CEUs (within the total) | 5 |
| CEUs in each of the four standard agronomy categories | At least 5 each |
| Ethics CEUs | 1 |
| Board-approved CEUs | At least 20 |
Where the Credential Gets Used
The SSP is most useful to people whose daily work involves recommending or evaluating agronomic practices with an eye on environmental and economic outcomes. That generally includes independent and retail crop advisers, agronomists working with growers on nutrient and soil programs, and professionals whose roles touch sustainability programs tied to row-crop production. It is a signal of competence within agronomy advising, not a general-purpose sustainability credential for corporate reporting roles.
Whether the credential changes your compensation or opens specific roles depends heavily on your employer, region, and client base, and it would be misleading to promise a particular outcome. For a grounded discussion, see SSP jobs, the SSP salary guide, and our analysis of whether the SSP is worth it.
Sequencing Your Preparation by Domain
Because the four domains build on one another, the order you study them matters more than the hours you log. A sensible progression runs from the inputs and resources toward the whole-system view, so that the final domain lets you integrate everything before the exam.
Domain 1: Nutrient Management
- Review nutrient loss pathways and the practices that change them
- Practice weighing environmental loss against cost and societal concern
Domain 2: Soil and Water
- Connect soil and water quality outcomes to field management choices
- Revisit Domain 1 scenarios that affect water quality
Domain 3: Pest Management
- Compare control tactics through all three lenses
- Work economic tradeoffs between control and tolerance
Domain 4: Crop Management and Integration
- Treat cropping systems as the place where all prior domains converge
- Take timed practice questions mixing all four domains
For a fuller plan, see the SSP study guide and the SSP cheat sheet for a condensed fact review. When you are ready to test yourself under realistic conditions, try the SSP practice tests and focus your review on the scenario questions you miss.
Frequently Asked Questions
SSP refers to the Certified Crop Adviser - Sustainability Specialty, an add-on credential from the American Society of Agronomy's International Certified Crop Adviser program. ASA styles the abbreviation as SSp.
Yes. Candidates must be at least 18 and hold an active CCA credential in good standing. The SSP is a specialty added to the CCA, not a standalone entry point.
The examination fee is USD $170. You must also maintain your underlying CCA certification and pay annual certification fees. See our cost breakdown for the full picture.
No. The exam has four agronomy domains. People and Society, Planet and Environment, and Profits and Economics are competency lenses applied within those domains, not replacements for them.
Under the March 2026 ICCA policy manual, the CCA cycle requires 40 total CEUs per two years, including 5 Sustainability Specialty CEUs. Those 5 count within the 40, not on top of it.
If you are weighing whether to pursue the credential, start with the overview of SSP certification, confirm your CCA status, and then use the practice test site to gauge how ready you are for the scenario-style questions this exam favors.