Education:

The certification exam applicant must have graduated from an NCCAA-approved educational program for anesthesiologist assistants. Programmatic accreditation, as described in the latest edition of the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education (CAAHEP) publication Standards and Guidelines for the Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Anesthesiologist Assistant, or an equivalent organization accreditation as deemed by the NCCAA, shall be required for NCCAA educational program approval.

Clinical Experience for Primary Certification:

The purpose of the National Commission for Certification of Anesthesiologist Assistants(NCCAA) includes ensuring that Certified Anesthesiologist Assistants (CAAs) have the necessary knowledge and skills to practice safely and effectively. For entry level CAAs, the NCCAA verifies academic qualifications with each academic program for certification eligibility and tests knowledge by using a Certification exam. As a prerequisite for certification eligibility and to maintain and protect the strength of the CAA credential, the NCCAA collects a record of clinical experience from student anesthesiologist assistants (SAAs) to verify entry level clinical standards are met for new CAAs. Clinical hours and experiences are self-reported to the NCCAA via a digital mobile application. The clinical experience record is verified with academic institutions and reviewed to determine certification eligibility. SAAs are required to complete education and clinical training minimums prior to becoming eligible for board certification by examination. For a complete list of clinical experience requirements see the NCCAA Standards for Clinical Experience, available on the NCCAA website or within the NCCAA mobile application.

For a complete list of clinical experience requirements, click here.

Examination Candidacy

The eligibility period for the initial Certifying Examination shall extend for no more than two (2) years from the date of graduation from an NCCAA-approved anesthesiologist assistant educational program and shall begin on the date of the first attempt at the Certifying Examination. During the period of eligibility, the examination candidate shall have a maximum of six (6) opportunities to take the Certifying Examination.