The National Commission for Certification of Anesthesiologist Assistants (NCCAA) has invalidated all results from the June 2026 administration of the Certification Exam. No certification decisions have been, or will be, based on these results.
What happened
Following the June 2026 administration, NCCAA’s psychometric staff identified statistically anomalous patterns in the score data as part of standard post-exam review. NCCAA subsequently commissioned an independent psychometric and statistical forensic analysis from an outside assessment firm, which examined twenty administration windows. That analysis, combined with separate evidence that a document containing exam content had been circulating among candidates prior to the testing window, established that the June 2026 examination form had been compromised.
This determination concerns the security and validity of the results — not the construction of the exam itself. The exam met NCCAA’s established content, format, and psychometric standards. What NCCAA could no longer support was the assumption that every candidate tested under equivalent, secure conditions. Without that assurance, NCCAA cannot certify that the scores reliably reflect individual candidates’ knowledge, regardless of how any individual candidate performed or whether that candidate had access to compromised content.
What NCCAA has done
- Invalidated all June 2026 Certification Exam results; no certification decisions are based on this administration.
- Offered every affected candidate a no-cost retest, either at the next scheduled administration (September 29–October 3, 2026) or at a later administration of their choosing.
- Opened a formal investigation into the source and distribution of the compromised exam content.
- Begun reviewing exam security policies and procedures to ensure they remain adequate to this evolving threat.
What this means for the CAA credential
This action does not change the certification status of any currently Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant. It applies only to results from the June 2026 initial Certification Exam administration. NCCAA’s decision reflects its ongoing commitment to ensuring that a passing score on the Certification Exam continues to mean what it has always meant: that the candidate has demonstrated the knowledge required for safe, entry-level anesthesiologist assistant practice. NCCAA intends for every certification decision to remain defensible against that standard.
Questions
For questions about this matter, contact NCCAA at contact@nccaa.org.