- What CATIS Stands For and Who Administers It
- Registration, Fees, and Total Cost Breakdown
- Eligibility Pathways at a Glance
- The 350-Hour Internship Requirement
- The Four Body of Knowledge Domains
- Exam Scheduling Mechanics
- Practice Exam vs. the Real Exam
- Recertification Cheat Sheet
- One-Week-Per-Domain Review Plan
- Quick Reference Table
- FAQ
- CATIS is issued by ACVREP; registration runs through ACVREP and Webassessor together.
- Total initial cost is $755: $140 eligibility review, $490 exam (covers 2 administrations), $125 certification.
- All three eligibility categories require a 350-hour internship, with 280 hours of direct service.
- The Body of Knowledge has 4 domains: Assessment, Instruction, Configuration, Exploration.
What CATIS Stands For and Who Administers It
CATIS stands for Certified Assistive Technology Instructional Specialist for Individuals with Visual Impairments. It is administered by the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP), with actual exam registration handled jointly through ACVREP and Webassessor. ACVREP also coordinates approved proctoring arrangements and examination accommodations, so any accessibility request or offsite testing question routes through ACVREP rather than a third-party testing vendor alone.
You'll sometimes see the credential referenced with slightly different phrasing - the certification heading itself uses "Individuals with Visual Impairments," while ACVREP's site navigation elsewhere uses "People with Visual Impairments." Both refer to the same CATIS credential; it is not a naming split between two different certifications. If you want the full backstory on the acronym and how the title is used across ACVREP's materials, see CATIS Meaning and What Does CATIS Stand For?.
Registration, Fees, and Total Cost Breakdown
The CATIS fee structure has three separate charges that stack into one total before you spend anything on prep materials:
- $140 - eligibility review (confirms your pathway and documentation before you're cleared to sit for the exam)
- $490 - the examination fee, which covers up to 2 administrations (meaning one retake is already included in this price)
- $125 - initial certification fee, charged after you pass
Add those together and the initial investment is $755 before any optional study materials or the separately sold practice exam. Because a retake is bundled into the $490 exam fee, a single unsuccessful attempt does not automatically require an entirely new payment cycle - but it's still smarter to walk in prepared once. For a full line-item breakdown including how the practice exam and renewal fees factor into multi-year cost, see CATIS Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
Key Takeaway
Budget for $755 total up front, and remember your $490 exam fee already includes one retake - don't pay twice by assuming otherwise.
Eligibility Pathways at a Glance
ACVREP recognizes three routes into CATIS eligibility:
- University preparation pathway - completion of university coursework specifically in assistive technology for blindness/visual impairment.
- Education plus documented-experience pathway (Category 2) - requirements here scale depending on your existing educational background, so the exact coursework-versus-experience mix differs by applicant.
- Comprehensive postsecondary technical program pathway (Category 3) - a technical training program lasting at least 1 year, combined with 1,500 hours of direct work experience accumulated within the most recent 3 years. The supervised internship can count toward those 1,500 hours.
Every pathway-specific application also requires clinical-competency documentation, core-domain checklists mapped to the Body of Knowledge, and employment verification. Because the paperwork differs meaningfully by category, it's worth mapping your own background against the full requirements before you pay the $140 eligibility review fee - see CATIS Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify for a category-by-category walkthrough.
The 350-Hour Internship Requirement
Regardless of which of the three eligibility categories you enter through, everyone completes the same supervised internship structure:
- 350 total internship hours, supervised by a current CATIS
- Of those, 280 hours must be direct service (hands-on work with clients, not administrative or observation time)
- If any portion of supervision happens offsite, ACVREP must approve that arrangement before the internship begins - approval cannot be requested retroactively
For Category 3 candidates, the internship hours can overlap with the 1,500-hour work-experience requirement, which is a useful efficiency if you're planning your timeline around a training program. Get the offsite-supervision approval sequencing wrong, though, and hours you've already logged may not count - plan that approval step early, not as an afterthought.
The Four Body of Knowledge Domains
The current official CATIS Body of Knowledge is organized into four domains. Understanding what each one actually tests - not just its name - is the difference between generic exam prep and CATIS-specific prep.
Domain 1: Assessment
Covers how a candidate evaluates a client's functional vision, existing technology skills, environment, and goals before any device or software is recommended.
- Interpreting functional vision and low-vision assessment data as it relates to AT selection
- Identifying a client's current technology literacy and learning style
- Matching assessment findings to appropriate device categories
Domain 2: Instruction
Covers how to teach the use of assistive technology once it's selected - sequencing lessons, adapting instructional methods, and measuring progress.
- Structuring lesson progression for screen readers, magnification, and other AT
- Adapting teaching techniques for different ages, learning needs, and prior tech exposure
- Documenting instructional progress and adjusting the plan
Domain 3: Configuration
Covers the technical setup, customization, and troubleshooting side of assistive technology - the hands-on device and software knowledge.
- Configuring speech, braille display, and magnification settings for individual client needs
- Troubleshooting common hardware/software conflicts
- Adjusting settings as a client's vision or skill level changes over time
Domain 4: Exploration
Covers helping clients discover, evaluate, and adopt new or emerging technology options beyond their initial toolset.
- Introducing new device categories as needs evolve
- Evaluating emerging AT products for appropriateness
- Supporting client independence in trying and adopting new tools
For a deeper breakdown of how each domain tends to show up in question format and how to weight your study time across all four, read CATIS Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 4 Content Areas.
Exam Scheduling Mechanics
Once your eligibility is approved, scheduling has one rule candidates consistently underestimate: there is a 30-calendar-day waiting period before you can sit for the exam after registration, and if you reschedule, that 30-day clock restarts. This means a last-minute date change isn't a minor inconvenience - it can push your test date back a full month from the day you reschedule, not from your original target date.
For the full calendar mechanics, including how the waiting period interacts with eligibility approval timing, see CATIS Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.
Practice Exam vs. the Real Exam
ACVREP sells an official practice examination separately for $65, consisting of 100 questions with a 3-hour time limit. It's important to treat these as practice-product specifications only - they describe the practice tool, not necessarily the exact format of the certification exam itself. Don't assume the official exam mirrors the practice product's question count or time limit; use the practice exam as a content-familiarity tool, not as a stand-in for the real exam's structure.
Key Takeaway
Use the $65 official practice exam to test your domain knowledge, not to predict your exact exam-day timing or question count.
If you're trying to gauge overall difficulty and how candidates typically experience the exam relative to their preparation, How Hard Is the CATIS Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 and CATIS Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows walk through what's actually known versus assumed.
Recertification Cheat Sheet
CATIS certification isn't permanent - it runs on a 2-year renewal cycle. To renew, you need:
- 40 total recertification points within the cycle
- At least 10 of those points specifically from assistive-technology-focused continuing education (general CE alone won't satisfy this minimum)
- A $158 renewal fee paid alongside your documentation
Point conversion is straightforward: 1 continuing-education contact hour equals 1 point, and 1 CEU equals 10 points. If you're mixing conference hours with formal CEU-bearing courses, track both units carefully so you don't miscalculate your 40-point total near the renewal deadline.
One-Week-Per-Domain Review Plan
If you're structuring a final review pass before your exam date, aligning study weeks to the four Body of Knowledge domains keeps your prep proportional and avoids over-studying the domain you already know best.
Assessment
- Review functional vision assessment interpretation
- Practice matching client profiles to AT categories
Instruction
- Study lesson sequencing and adaptive teaching methods
- Work through progress-documentation scenarios
Configuration
- Drill device and software setup/troubleshooting details
- Compare settings across screen readers, braille displays, magnification tools
Exploration
- Review emerging AT evaluation criteria
- Take the official practice exam and revisit weak domains
This four-week structure is a starting framework, not a rigid rule - candidates with strong Configuration experience from fieldwork, for example, may compress that week and add time to Assessment instead. For a complete week-by-week study methodology built specifically around CATIS content, see CATIS Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt, and get comfortable with realistic exam conditions using the practice questions at CATIS Exam Prep.
Quick Reference Table
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Certifying body | ACVREP (registration via ACVREP + Webassessor) |
| Eligibility review fee | $140 |
| Exam fee (covers 2 administrations) | $490 |
| Initial certification fee | $125 |
| Total initial cost | $755 |
| Body of Knowledge domains | Assessment, Instruction, Configuration, Exploration |
| Internship requirement | 350 hours total / 280 direct service |
| Category 3 experience requirement | 1,500 hours in most recent 3 years |
| Scheduling waiting period | 30 calendar days (resets on reschedule) |
| Official practice exam | $65 / 100 questions / 3-hour limit |
| Recertification cycle | 2 years / 40 points / $158 fee |
Want the plain-language version of what this credential actually is and who typically pursues it? Start with What Is CATIS? and What Is A CATIS?, then explore where the credential leads career-wise in CATIS Jobs and CATIS Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions
Certified Assistive Technology Instructional Specialist for Individuals with Visual Impairments, a credential issued by ACVREP.
Initial costs total $755: $140 for eligibility review, $490 for the exam (which includes one retake within its 2 administrations), and $125 for initial certification, before any optional prep materials.
Assessment, Instruction, Configuration, and Exploration make up the current official Body of Knowledge.
All three eligibility categories require a 350-hour internship supervised by a current CATIS, including at least 280 hours of direct service.
Every 2 years, requiring 40 recertification points (at least 10 from assistive-technology-specific continuing education) and a $158 renewal fee.