For the full details, see the Certification Exam Handbook.
Exam Dates.
The Certification Exam is currently offered three (3) times per year and may be taken after the candidate has been deemed eligible by the NCCAA and has scheduled an appointment with Pearson to take the exam. The exam dates for the upcoming calendar year may be found at the bottom of the website at www.nccaa.org, in the candidate’s individual profile following secure log in to the NCCAA mobile app.
Candidates may schedule an appointment to take the Certification exam on any date within the examination window at a Pearson test center of their choice. A list of centers may be found at https://www.pearsonvue.com/us/en/nccaa.html. Particular attention should be paid to the fact that not all test centers are open seven (7) days a week or operate on the same daily schedule. Further, availability of accommodations varies among test centers.
Upcoming Certification Exam dates
All dates- Scheduling periodNov 9, 2026 – Feb 6, 2027Register and book the February 9–13, 2027 Certification and CDQ Exams →
- Scheduling periodMar 1 – Jun 2, 2027Register and book the June 1–5, 2027 Certification and CDQ Exams →
- Scheduling periodJul 5 – Oct 6, 2027Register and book the October 5–9, 2027 Certification Exam →
- Certification ExamOct 5 – 9, 2027Register and book your exam Jul 5 – Oct 6, 2027 →
Registration Process.
Prior to each exam administration, the NCCAA will request a status update from the candidate’s Program Director to verify that the candidate is progressing on pace toward the expected graduation date. This verification is required for the NCCAA to confirm examination eligibility and to authorize the candidate to register for the Certification Exam. (See Examination Eligibility Process for details.) Upon confirmation of exam eligibility, exam candidates will register for the Certification Exam through their individual, secure NCCAA accounts via the mobile application. To access registration:
- Log into your NCCAA account on the mobile application.
- Click the Certification Exam link, then select the exam administration.
- Registration is open during select timeframes, as listed within the Certification Exam link.
- Once selected, follow the steps to sign the NDA form, complete the required fields and submit payment via credit card.
- The receipt for exam fees will not be sent via email; rather it is permanently stored and available via the ‘Receipts and Results’ page on the app.
It is the exam candidate’s responsibility to proofread the contact information as entered to ensure receipt of all Pearson and NCCAA communication regarding the exam.
To initiate the process of scheduling exam, click on the “Book Testing Center Now” button. The system will then connect you directly to Pearson’s scheduling platform.
Scheduling Exam via Pearson’s Scheduling Platform.
Once candidate is connected to Pearson’s scheduling platform:
- Select “Schedule an exam” on the main page, then click on Cert: Certification Exam.
- On the next page, review the NCCAA Policies and “Agree”. A list of testing centers will populate at the bottom of the page based upon your zip code. Use the search function to change populated testing center locations.
- Click on the preferred testing center to see available appointments and select a date and time. Click “Submit” at the bottom of the page to secure your appointment. If candidate does not finalize the process by clicking “Submit”, the appointment will not be reserved.
- An automated confirmation email containing the exam appointment details will be generated and sent to the candidate’s email.
To reschedule or cancel an exam, the candidate will log into their NCCAA account and scroll to the bottom to click on the “View Details” button, which will display a synopsis of the current appointment. Select the “Reschedule” button, at which time the system will connect to Pearson’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.
All aspects of what to expect in a Pearson test Center can be found at: https://www.pearsonvue.com/us/en/test-takers/pearson-professional-center-tour.html.
Name & Contact.
The name entered by the candidate in their individual secure NCCAA profile is the name that is submitted to Pearson on the eligibility file.
When a candidate appears at the Pearson test center, the first and last name, as they appear on the original NCCAA eligibility notification received by Pearson, and one government-issued photo identification must match.
Candidates will not be allowed to take the exam if their photo identification does not bear the same first and last names as their eligibility file shows at the Pearson test center.
Name or address changes are not accepted at the Pearson test center. If a candidate changes his or her name and/or address after the registration for an NCCAA exam has been received, the NCCAA should be notified of the change immediately by email at [email protected].
Cancellation.
There are no refunds issued for any of the following reasons:
- Not scheduling the exam with the Pearson test center following registration with the NCCAA
- Canceling a scheduled examination less than 72 hours in advance of the date and time of the scheduled appointment
- Arriving more than 15 minutes after the scheduled starting time for the exam
- Failing to appear for the scheduled exam
The previous registration fee cannot be applied to another examination.
If the candidate experiences an emergency, they must provide the NCCAA with a written description and documentation of the emergency for review by email at [email protected]. Requests must be submitted within 24 hours of the scheduled exam date. Refunds are subject to a $100 administration fee.
Examples: Failing to bring the required current, valid photo identification is not considered an emergency. Failing to accurately record correct date, time or location for the scheduled exam appointment is not considered an emergency.
Issues at Test Center.
Candidates will have access to a test center administrator. As a general policy, if a problem occurs with the computer and a candidate must restart their exam on the scheduled test day, the exam will be resumed at the point of interruption as the items and answers are saved to a backup continuously. However, if the exam cannot be resumed on the same day and the candidate must reschedule their exam, a new Certification Examination will be administered. There will be no charge to the candidate for rescheduling an exam if the problem was caused by circumstances at the Pearson test center.
Issues related to admission or administration of the Certification Exam, including any issues related to conditions at a Pearson test center, should be reported immediately at the test center before leaving, and as soon as possible, but no later than three (3) business days after the examination, by email to the NCCAA office at [email protected].
Reports to the NCCAA should include the candidate’s full name, test center location and address, as well as a description of the conditions that caused the issue(s) at the test center. After reviewing a report of a problem at a test center, the NCCAA may, at its discretion, determine whether a new Certification Exam should be administered, or another action should be taken. NCCAA will not consider notice of exam administration issues received more than three (3) business days after the examination date.