Applicants
Welcome to Certification Services – Applicants and Candidates
Getting Started:
Interested in NCCAOM® certification? Many of your questions are answered in the General – Frequently Asked Questions and you can see a quick reference in the new NCCAOM® Certification Brochure. Also helpful is the NCCAOM® Certification Handbook (or Interactive Certification E-Handbook) which is the official source of information for applicants seeking certification(s) with NCCAOM. It contains details about meeting eligibility requirements and testing, as well as an explanation of the difference between State Licensure vs. NCCAOM Certification. The NCCAOM application form for certification is found at the back of the NCCAOM® Certification Handbook. The certification application is valid for four (4) years from the date NCCAOM receives the application.
NCCAOM offers the following certification designations:
Glossary of Terms ▼ (Click to Read)
Application Processing Terminology:
Applicant – A person who has submitted an application for certification and is requesting acceptance of eligibility to sit for the appropriate NCCAOM examination.
Candidate – An Applicant whose application payment has been processed allowing their application to be submitted to certification services for review. When tracking your status on the NCCAOM website the status will appear as “Candidate”.
Approved Candidate - A Candidate who is “authorized to test” and is able to register with Pearson VUE to take the designated examination. When tracking your status on the NCCAOM website the status will appear as “Approved”.
Pass-All - A candidate who has passed all the required examinations in the certification for which they have applied but has not yet submitted all the required documents.
Pre-Cert - A candidate who has passed all the required examinations in the certification for which they have applied, has submitted all the required documents and who is awaiting the finalization of the NCCAOM quality control review.
Certification Statuses:
Active and Non-Active Statuses:
Diplomate – A candidate who successfully passed the required examination(s) and has received approval of the final transcript submitted to the NCCAOM directly from the school. If the candidate has applied for the Acupuncture or Oriental Medicine Program, they have also completed and requested submission to NCCAOM of their validated Clean Needle Technique (CNT) Certificate from an approved provider. The Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (CCAOM) offers an NCCAOM approved CNT course.
1. Certified Diplomate (Active) – A certified Diplomate. Holding the NCCAOM Diplomate credential assures patients, employers, certifying agencies, and others of a Diplomate’s commitment to upholding certification standards. Active Diplomates are entitled to all of the benefits of certification.
2. Recertified Diplomate (Active) – Diplomates who recertify every four years are considered to be certified (active) which demonstrates competency maintenance in the profession.
3. Inactive Diplomate (Non-Active) – A Diplomates who is not practicing as an AOM professional due to life circumstances may apply for inactive status. Individuals holding inactive status may not use the NCCAOM credential(s) or the NCCAOM service mark(s) and are not entitled to any of the benefits of certification except receipt of the Diplomate newsletter.
4. Retired Diplomate (Non-Active) – A Diplomate who is permanently retired as a practitioner from the AOM profession, a recognized subspecialty or any other health profession. The 2014 NCCAOM® Retired Designation Handbook details the eligibility requirements and entitled benefits.
Expired (Non-Certified) Statuses – Any Diplomate who does not recertify is expired and is not considered certified by the NCCAOM and is not entitled to any of the benefits of certification. An individual whose NCCAOM certification is expired may not use the NCCAOM credential(s) or the NCCAOM service mark(s). Below are the two types of expired statuses:
1. Lapsed (Non-Certified) – NCCAOM certification is considered lapsed after the expiration date on the certificate. An active Recertification Application or an Inactive Application must be received and processed prior to the certification expiration date to avoid lapsed status. Former Diplomates who are lapsed and do not have a recertification application submitted with all PDA requirements fulfilled are not entitled to any of the benefits of an active Diplomate.
2. Terminated (Non-Certified) – After three years of continuous lapsed status, the certification is no longer valid. A former Diplomate whose certification is terminated must apply for NCCAOM® Reinstatement to Active Diplomate. The handbook and application can be found on the NCCAOM website under “Forms”.
Your Roadmap to Successful Certification ▼
The certification process can be a daunting experience for those with little experience in the application process. The first and most important step is to read the NCCAOM® Certification Handbook. For a visual overview of the certification processes see Your Roadmap to Successful Certification and the new NCCAOM® Certification Brochure. To see step by step instructions go to Stepping through the Certification Process.
Completing the Online Application ▼
New! The NCCAOM now offers the opportunity to complete and submit the certification application on-line.
The first step to applying on-line is to create an account and enter your profile information. This is made easy with step-by-step instructions for On-Line Account Maintenance which can be viewed or printed for your convenience.
Next, is the actual completion of the on-line application. Again, NCCAOM has provided instructions for completing the On-Line NCCAOM® Application Form for Certification.
Contact NCCAOM at (904) 598-1005 or by email at “Contact Us“for general inquiries and questions about the on-line process.