If you are not a US citizen and have completed training in anesthesia outside the United States, you are not eligible to sit for the Certification exam to become a Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant (CAA) without graduating from an accredited university.

Regardless of your prior training or experience in another country, all candidates—both non-US citizens and US citizens—must meet this requirement. The NCCAA maintains this standard to ensure all candidates have received education and training that meets the specific criteria established by Cahep for anesthesia education programs in the United States.

If you do not pass the Certification exam:

• You are allowed up to six attempts to pass the exam within a two-year period from your initial attempt.
• You are not required to take the next consecutive exam administration immediately after an unsuccessful attempt. You may choose when to retake the exam within the allowed two-year window.
• It is important to utilize this flexibility to adequately prepare for your next attempt to maximize your chances of passing.

If you do not pass the Continuing Demonstration of Qualifications (CDQ) exam:

• You are allowed a total of three attempts to pass the CDQ exam before decertification occurs.
• You are required to register for the next consecutive exam administration following an unsuccessful attempt.
• If you do not register for the next consecutive exam administration, you will become decertified. It is crucial to adhere to the registration timelines to maintain your certification status.

If you encounter an issue at the exam site:

• You will have access to a Test Center Administrator (TCA) on the scheduled test day. If there is a problem with the computer during your exam, the exam will be resumed from the point of interruption, as your answers are continuously saved to a backup. If the exam cannot be resumed on the same day and must be rescheduled, a new Examination will be administered at no additional cost to you, provided the issue was caused by circumstances at the test center.
• Report any issues related to admission or administration of the Exam, including conditions at the test center, immediately at the test center before leaving. Additionally, you must report these issues to the NCCAA by email at contact@nccaa.org within three (3) business days of the examination date.
• Your report should include your full name, test center location and address, and a detailed description of the conditions that caused the issue(s). The NCCAA will review your report and may decide to administer a new Exam or take other appropriate action. The NCCAA will not consider issues reported more than three (3) business days after the exam date.

What if I have to cancel or reschedule my exam?

To cancel or reschedule your exam:

• Log into their NCCAA account and scroll to the bottom to click on the “View Details” button, which will display asynopsis of the current appointment. Select the “Reschedule” button, at which time the system will connect to Pearson VUE’s scheduling platform wherein availability may be viewed before proceeding to reschedule the current appointment. The new appointment will not be finalized until “Submit” is selected at the bottom of the page.
• Additional information regarding Pearson testing center may be found by clicking here.

Cancellation Policies:

• No refunds will be issued for the following reasons:
  • Failing to schedule the exam with the PSI test center.
  • Canceling a scheduled examination less than 24 hours in advance.
  • Arriving more than 15 minutes late for the scheduled exam.
  • Failing to appear for the scheduled exam.
• If an emergency occurs, you must provide a written description and documentation to the NCCAA via email at contact@nccaa.org within 24 hours of the scheduled exam date. Refunds due to emergencies are subject to a $100 administration fee.

Note: Failing to bring the required photo identification or incorrectly recording the exam date, time, or location is not considered an emergency.

Here are the steps to change your address or name in the app:

1. Log in to your NCCAA account.


2. Select My Profile.


3. Update your address or name as needed and click Save to confirm the changes.

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