CTSA™ Practical Exam Rubric

The practical exam is the second half of CTSA certification. It is a recorded one-on-one Zoom session with an evaluator, and it is scored against the published rubric below. The passing mark is 90%.

This rubric is the standard your practical exam is judged against. Study the descriptors so you know exactly what a strong reading looks like across each of the five dimensions.

1. Parameters

Total points: 100. Pass: 90.

Reading length: 40 minutes.

Format: one-on-one Zoom, recorded.

Chart: provided by the evaluator at the start; unseen by the candidate.

Scope: a natal reading and a predictive reading of the same chart.

2. Protocol

1. The evaluator opens the recorded Zoom session and provides the chart.

2. The candidate delivers the reading as though the evaluator were the client: a natal reading, then a predictive reading, in 40 minutes.

3. The evaluator may ask brief follow-up questions to probe reasoning, but does not coach.

4. At the end of the session, the evaluator scores from the reading, marking each dimension against the descriptors, summing to a percentage, and saving the score.

3. Scoring dimensions

Each dimension is scored against its descriptors and contributes its share of the 100 points.

Chart accuracy: 25 pts

Reads the chart correctly: placements by sign and house, the angles, the chart ruler, the aspects, and, for prediction, the progressions and current transits. Only genuine errors count; any valid house system or rulership is accepted.

Strong (23–25): consistently accurate; no material errors.

Competent (20–22): accurate, with at most a minor slip.

Developing (16–19): several errors, or one that distorts the reading.

Insufficient (0–15): frequent errors; the chart is misread.

Natal synthesis: 25 pts

Builds a coherent picture of the person: the Sun, Moon, Ascendant, and chart ruler first, then the main placements and aspects, drawn together into themes rather than a list, and says why, from the chart.

Strong (23–25): a clear, integrated portrait grounded in the chart.

Competent (20–22): sound synthesis; themes are supported.

Developing (16–19): mostly a list; weak integration or thin support.

Insufficient (0–15): no real synthesis, or claims not grounded in the chart.

Predictive reading: 25 pts

Reads the progressed Sun and Moon and the progressed lunar phase, transiting Jupiter and Saturn, and the significant current transits to the natal chart; ties them to the person and conveys a sensible sense of timing and theme.

Strong (23–25): accurate, relevant, well-prioritized prediction tied to the natal chart.

Competent (20–22): sound predictive work covering the main factors.

Developing (16–19): partial; misses major factors or misreads timing.

Insufficient (0–15): little or no valid predictive work.

Reading craft and communication: 15 pts

Follows a sound reading flow, speaks in clear, client-appropriate language, and stays organized. The feel of a real session, not a data dump.

Strong (14–15): fluent, well-structured, client-ready.

Competent (12–13): organized and clear.

Developing (9–11): disorganized, or heavy on jargon.

Insufficient (0–8): hard to follow; not a usable reading.

Ethics in practice: 10 pts

Stays within scope (no medical, legal, financial, or death prediction), frames hard placements as tendencies and potential rather than fixed fate, honors the client's free will, and handles sensitive material with care.

Strong (9–10): consistently ethical and caring in delivery.

Competent (8): sound; a minor lapse in framing.

Developing (6–7): noticeable fatalism or scope drift.

Insufficient (0–5): repeated or serious ethics problems.