A structured pathway for APSS members. Four core modules, a mentor one level above you, a small peer group, and the APSS events where you meet both. One module a year is enough to start.
Not sure where to begin? New here? Take the My Season check first. It takes two minutes and tells you which module to start with.
Most people who try to make a living from speaking struggle with the parts nobody teaches: naming what they are expert in, pricing, proposals, follow up, and knowing whether their work is good enough.
APSS Professional Development gives you a clear next step, a CSP to assess your work, a mentor and a peer group. It works whether you are still in a corporate job or already getting booked.
Certification is two of the six parts: learning the skill and having it validated. The other four parts are how you grow. You get all six when you join.
PD lets you test the idea before resigning. Build a talk, get feedback, price a job and prepare a proposal.
Experience shows you what works but rarely why. The four skill areas give you the language to repeat your results on purpose. Most members find their gap in business or content, not delivery.
Passing all 4 Core Modules is one of the three conditions for Professional Membership. PD also covers the other two: attending events and earning from speaking.
The 4 Core Modules use the same four areas CSP is built on. Starting now tells you early which area is your weakest.
You do not need to be a working speaker to start. Many members were not.
Work through the PD microsite. It tells you whether PD suits you now and which module to take first.
Check if PD is for youPD is not a single course. It is six parts, called components. Two are assessed. The other four are what help you pass, and keep growing as you do the core modules and assessment.
4 Core Modules. Each one full day, taught by a CSP.
A different CSP assesses your work against criteria you see before you enrol. Pass all 4 Core Modules and you are certified permanently.
Free. A small peer group that gives you accountability, feedback and a place to work through the pathway with others.
Free. Six months of mentoring with someone one level above you. An Associate Member is mentored by a Professional Member. A Professional Member is mentored by a CSP.
To be matched, you need 90 days of membership, 3 APSS events since January 2026, and one Core Module enrolled and paid. Registration opens in October 2026 for the January to June 2027 cycle.
Monthly meetings, the Convention, Special Interest Groups and Kampongs. This is where you meet your mentor, your peers and your referrals.
The private work on what is holding you back. The other five parts give this work structure, feedback and witnesses.
Everything in PD sits in one of four skill areas, called the Four Es. Each E has one required, assessed module: expertise, delivered eloquently, within an enterprise, conducted ethically.
| Module | Skill area | The question | Assessment | Trainer / Assessor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AM08 Developing Your Expert Content |
Expertise | Do you have substance and depth? | Niche matrix, proclamation, content library, LinkedIn presence | Andrea Edwards, CSP / Nick Jonsson, CSP |
| AM01 Foundational Stage Delivery (Voice & Presence) |
Eloquence | Can you hold the stage and audience? | 20-minute speech on video before a small audience | Deborah Patel, CSP / Cynthia Zhai, CSP |
| AM07 Speaker Brand Assets |
Enterprise | Are you credible and ready for business? | Brand portfolio: bios, One Sheet, website, highlight reel | Eugene Seah, CSP / Andrew Chow, CSP |
| AM13 Ethics & Professional Standards |
Ethics | Do you conduct yourself honourably? | Ethics knowledge check and scenario response | Su-Yen Wong, CSP / Ron Kaufman, CSP |
If you cannot clearly explain your expertise: start with AM08.
If you know your topic but struggle to hold an audience: start with AM01.
The 26 electives are optional and not assessed. Take them to learn a specific skill, such as pricing, proposals, facilitation or virtual delivery. The handbook describes every one.
Attend at least 3 APSS events in the 12 months before applying. Component 5 builds this habit.
Earn at least S$50,000 from at least 10 paid presentations, each with an audience of at least 6 people and a speaking fee and/or same-day presentation-related revenue of at least S$1,000; OR meet the salaried-employee route where speaking is a significant part of the job/remuneration. Enterprise teaches sales, pricing, proposals and business planning.
Complete and pass all 4 Core Modules: AM01, AM07, AM08 and AM13.
CSP is the profession’s highest earned international designation, with fewer than 700 worldwide. See the APSS CSP Criteria and Requirements for full criteria.
| Core Module | 2026 dates |
|---|---|
| AM01 | 24 Oct and 21 Nov |
| AM07 | 11 Nov and 7 Dec |
| AM08 | 14 Nov and 12 Dec |
| AM13 | 27 Nov and 30 Nov |
All sessions are live on Zoom, Singapore time.
Take the My Season check on the PD microsite. It tells you where you are and which module to take first.
Find your season →S$180 for members in year one. Assessment is included. Your first resit is free.
Seven hours, live on Zoom, taught by a CSP. You practise and get feedback while there is still time to use it.
Join or form a mastermind group, register for mentoring (January to June 2027), and come to APSS events. Mentoring and your mastermind group are free.
A different CSP assesses it against the published standard. A pass is permanent. Each pass records 5 CPD points. Repeat once a year until all four are done.
One module a year is the minimum pace. At that pace, you can be certified in four years. Many members go faster.
| Member Year 1 | Member Year 2 | Non-member Year 1 | Non-member Year 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One Core Module | S$180 | S$280 | S$360 | S$560 |
| All 4 Core Modules | S$540 | S$840 | S$1,080 | S$1,680 |
Non members are welcome on any module at the non member price. Certification and the free mentoring are for members.
Year one prices hold until July 2027.
The handbook and the My Season check are on this page and on the PD microsite.
All prices are nett. Electives cost the same as a Core Module because you get the same full day of teaching. Fees and dates are confirmed at enrolment.
The method, the criteria and the pass standard are published before you pay.
Each Core Module is taught by one CSP and marked by another. Your mentor never marks you either.
Each criterion is assessed against the published standard. You are not being compared with other members.
“Not Yet Competent” applies to one piece of work, not to you. You get written feedback on every criterion, a free first resit, full CPD points on a re-pass, and the right to appeal.
We would rather you join with clear expectations.
No work is handed to you for finishing the programme. You still have to sell.
The stage hours are still yours to put in.
Certification is one of three conditions for Professional Membership.
It will give you better information to decide with.
Say yes or no to each:
Three or more? You are ready. Pick your first module and enrol. Fewer than three? Come to events, find your season and join a mastermind group, then enrol when the timing is right.
Check your suitability66 pages in plain English. Read parts 1, 4 and 9 first. That takes about twenty minutes.
Find your season, choose your first Core Module, and enrol.
PD Pillar Chair: Andrew Chow, CSP
Term: July 2026 – July 2027
Mentorship Lead: Avi Liran, CSP
APSS: (+65) 9199 9075 | asiaspeakers.org
APSS Professional Development is still rolling out. Details awaiting ExCo confirmation include CPD points for electives, the fee for a second resit, the formal appeal process and mastermind logistics. Fees, dates, content and faculty are confirmed at enrolment.
A module does not promise certification, Professional Membership, CSP, bookings or income. Where this page differs from PD Pillar documents or the APSS Constitution, those documents prevail.
