CST Student Registration in 2027: NBSTSA-Only Sign-Up, the $220 Student Fee, and Gold Bundles

Starting in January 2027, CST students will register for the exam through NBSTSA alone and pay a $220 student fee. NBSTSA's educator FAQs, as checked on October 25, 2026, say the new student registration process is expected to begin January 5, 2027, that AST membership will not be needed for the student rate, and that AST Gold Bundles paid for by December 31, 2026 will be honored. The CST exam, its outline and its passing score are not part of this change.

What NBSTSA has confirmed for CST student registration in 2027

From the educator FAQs, as checked on October 25, 2026:

• Who handles registration. Beginning January 5, 2027, only NBSTSA will manage student registration for the CST exam. The FAQ calls that date the expected start of the new process.
• The student fee. Starting January 2027, the discounted student rate for the CST exam will be $220, against a regular price of $340. NBSTSA also lists a $230 rate for AST members taking the CST.
• AST membership. Students do not need to be AST members to get the student fee. NBSTSA says that, as an independent certifying body, it cannot legally require membership in a professional association.
• Gold Bundles. All AST Gold Bundles paid for on or before December 31, 2026 will be honored, and students with a prepaid exam in an eligible bundle will not lose it because of the transition. NBSTSA and AST will send any extra instructions needed.
• No NBSTSA bundle. NBSTSA will sell the exam and its practice test separately. What goes into AST's own bundles is for AST to answer.
• What stays the same. Students still confirm eligibility and apply through nbstsa.org, and educators still receive exam vouchers for their eligible students. The difference for schools is that they register students and pay fees only with NBSTSA. Detailed instructions, NBSTSA says, will come at launch.

Whichever fee applies to you, the exam you are preparing for is the same one. See what full CST prep will include at launch, organized by the outline's three subject areas.

CST student registration before and after January 5, 2027

The current-column details come from NBSTSA's FAQ, its application page, the 2026 On-Campus Examination Guide and PSI's NBSTSA store, all as checked on October 25, 2026.

Which CST candidates the 2027 change affects

• Your class has Gold Bundles paid by December 31, 2026. NBSTSA says they will be honored. The 2026 on-campus guide also says prepaid bundle applications must be used within one year of purchase and need an AST membership number on the application. The transition FAQ does not say whether that one-year limit changes, so ask your program director or NBSTSA if your test date is close to the anniversary of the purchase.
• You will register as a student in 2027 without a bundle. You register through NBSTSA and, per the FAQ, pay the $220 student rate, with no AST membership needed.
• You are a graduate testing later at a PSI center. The FAQ does not define who counts as a student or how long after graduation the student rate applies. Until NBSTSA's launch instructions say, plan on the regular first-time fees ($340, or $230 for AST members) and confirm with NBSTSA before you pay.
• You are a military student. NBSTSA's main FAQ lists a $160 military student rate, and the educator FAQs point there for military rates.
• You are retaking. NBSTSA lists a $300 retake fee and has not announced a separate student retake rate. The free CST retake planner helps you plan the study time for that attempt.

To compare the costs of preparing, look at the one-time CST access options planned for launch; checkout is not open yet.

What stays the same for on-campus CST testing (WBT)

NBSTSA has not published a 2027 edition of its on-campus guide. The rules in the current educators page, educator guidelines and 2026 guide are:

• WBT is for currently enrolled students, and the whole graduating group tests together.
• The group tests no more than 30 days before or 30 days after graduation.
• Applications, the WBT request form, a typed roster and payment must reach NBSTSA at least 45 days before the test date.
• Proof of graduation must arrive within 60 days of the exam, and NBSTSA uses the official graduation date on the transcript, not the program completion date. Late proof invalidates the result and forfeits the fees.
• Students approved for accommodations test at a PSI center rather than on campus.

A worked example (fictional class, Passy arithmetic). A class graduates on May 15, 2027. Its on-campus window runs from April 15 to June 14, 2027. If the program picks a May 20 test date, everything must reach NBSTSA by April 5, and proof of graduation must arrive by July 19. Check these dates against NBSTSA's 2027 instructions once they are published.

The NBSTSA Exam Prep Hub in the 2027 student setup

The educator FAQs say students can buy the new Exam Prep Hub starting January 2027 for $75, separate from the $220 exam fee. It is a 150-question timed practice exam meant for one three-hour sitting, with explanations, a diagnostic report by content category that students can choose to share with an instructor, and 60 days of access. It is optional, it does not affect eligibility or results, and students with a Gold Bundle can buy it at any time. NBSTSA's prepare page uses the names Practice Exam Hub and Interactive Practice Test Platform for it, and as checked on October 25, 2026 still labels it "Coming soon."

What NBSTSA has not published yet, as of October 25, 2026

• The detailed registration instructions for January 2027, which NBSTSA says will come at launch.
• A definition of who qualifies for the $220 student rate.
• Whether the one-year limit on prepaid bundle applications applies to bundles honored in the transition.
• Any change to the exam itself. NBSTSA lists no new outline or passing score for 2027; the CST 2027 exam guide sets out what is confirmed.

Once your test date is set, the free CST study planner turns it into a weekly outline, and the CST exam overview lists the format and NBSTSA's official sources in one place.