The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) accredits providers of the Accredited Sleep Technologist Education Program (A-STEP) Introductory Course.

This course gives students the foundational understanding and practical skills that are essential for a successful career in the profession of sleep technology.

This overview provides more details about the course:

AASM A-STEP Introductory Course

Who takes the course?

• New entrants to the profession who need a basic understanding of sleep, sleep disorders and sleep technology

How does it work?

• The student contacts an AASM A-STEP Introductory Course provider to enroll in the course and then completes the 80 hours of instruction.
• The A-STEP program director signs a completed notification form and sends it to the AASM by fax or mail to verify that the student has completed the course.
• The AASM e-mails important registration instructions to the student.
• To register for the examination that concludes the A-STEP Introductory Course, the student pays a non-refundable $50 fee by credit card when he or she accesses the online exam for the first time. Effective August 1, 2010, the $50.00 registration fee for the A-STEP Introductory Course final exam will include only one administration of the exam. Students who require additional attempts to pass the exam will have the opportunity to purchase a maximum of up to two more administrations of the exam for a price of $50.00 per exam attempt. If you have completed the A-STEP Introductory Course and have not passed your exam, the AASM encourages you to do so before the August 1, 2010 change of policy. Reimbursement for the cost of the exam is determined by the student’s A-STEP provider.
• After registering with the AASM, the student has 30 calendar days to earn a score of 70 percent or higher on the online exam, which consists of 106 multiple-choice questions. The length of the exam is three hours, and the A-STEP provider determines whether or not it is an open-book exam. The student has three chances to pass the exam.
• If the student fails the exam three times, then he or she must repeat the 80-hour course and pay the $50 exam fee again.
• The student who passes the exam becomes a sleep technology trainee and proceeds to take the AASM A-STEP Self-Study Modules.

Sample Syllabus
Download a sample syllabus for an AASM A-STEP Introductory Course.

Directory of A-STEP Providers
Find a local provider of the AASM A-STEP Introductory Course.

Contact the AASM national office for more information about the AASM A-STEP Introductory Course.