Board Examination Process
Applicants who are interested in taking the NCCAOM board exams must submit an application for certification. The application is necessary to review your eligibility, issue an authorization to test letter and to achieve Diplomate status. Applications are valid for four years.
The NCCAOM® Certification Handbook is the official source of information for applicants who wish to sit for the national board exams and achieve certification(s) with NCCAOM. Please see step by step process below for further details:
School Transcript
Submit School Transcript
All applicants must request an official School Transcript be sent directly from the school to NCCAOM to obtain approval for the National Board exams.
Applicants who have not yet graduated but are attending a formal education program that is accredited or in candidacy status by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM) may apply to take the examination(s) on a pre-graduation basis. To qualify to sit for an NCCAOM examination as a pre-graduation applicant, an official school transcript and a completed Pre-graduation Form must be sent directly from the school to NCCAOM. All pre-graduation applicants must have completed the minimum number of hours required for each exam at the time of application in order to meet the pre-graduation eligibility requirements.
The NCCAOM holds all properly identified documentation that arrives before the actual application and payment is received for only three months.
Contact Ph: (904) 598- 1005. email: info@thenccaom.org
Clean Needle Technique Certificate
Clean Needle Technique Certificate
An NCCAOM approved Clean Needle Technique (CNT) in person practical course is required for all applicants of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. The Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine’s (CCAOM) Clean Needle Technique (CNT) course is NCCAOM approved.
The CNT course completed date, as noted on the CNT certificate, must be completed within six years prior to the award of NCCAOM certification. Completion of the CNT course is not required to take the examinations; however, NCCAOM certification cannot be awarded until verification of the completed CNT course is received directly from CCAOM.
Please visit the CCAOM website at www.ccaom.org for more information on scheduling to take the CNT course or to have verification of the CNT certificate sent directly to NCCAOM.
Authorization to Test Letter
NCCAOM® Authorization to Test Letter
Applicants should allow six to eight weeks for NCCAOM staff to review the application, transcript(s) and generate the NCCAOM® Authorization to Test Letter (ATTL). NCCAOM serves a large population of applicants, candidates, and Diplomates and cannot process all requests immediately. Actual processing time may vary significantly in individual cases.
When the applicant is cleared to sit for the examinations, NCCAOM mails an NCCAOM® Authorization to Test Letter (ATTL)via the United States Postal Service. This letter contains all the information needed to schedule, reschedule, and/or cancel the examination(s) appointment.
Contact Ph: (904) 598- 1005. email: info@thenccaom.org
Final Graduation Transcript
Final Graduation Transcript
Applicants using Route 1(Formal Education: Graduate or Pre-graduate from an ACAOM Accredited Program – United States Applicants Only) must have graduated with an ACAOM accredited or candidate program with a Masters level degree, diploma or certificate, to complete initial certification with the NCCAOM, as follows:
- Certification in Acupuncture: Master’s degree program in Acupuncture or Oriental Medicine
- Certification in Oriental Medicine: Master’s degree program in Oriental Medicine
- Certification in Chinese Herbology: Master’s Degree program in Acupuncture and completion of a post graduate Chinese Herbal certificate program.
An official graduation transcript must be received by the NCCAOM from the academic institution before National Board Certification can be awarded.
Complete NCCAOM Certification
Complete NCCAOM Certification
Candidates are not certified until all required documents are accepted and the candidate has received the official NCCAOM congratulatory letter along with a wallet- size identification card by USPS mail. Candidates may not represent or advertise NCCAOM certification until this official notification is received (approximately six (6) weeks after all requirements are met). Candidates may expect to receive an NCCAOM certificate, suitable for framing, approximately six (6) weeks from the date certified. At this time 25 states require NCCAOM certification for state licensure.
Once all requirements are satisfied please visit the NCCAOM website to learn about:
- How to use the NCCAOM credential and service marks
- Diplomate benefits
- Current Requirements for recertification
- How to find NCCAOM approved courses
State Licensure vs. NCCAOM® Certification
The NCCAOM® is a certification organization. It awards certification in Acupuncture, Chinese Herbology and Oriental Medicine. NCCAOM certification does not award licensure nor does it guarantee the ability to acquire a license to practice acupuncture or other forms of Oriental medicine. In the United States, licensure laws vary among the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and United States territories and possessions.
Each state requires providing direct verification of applicant’s NCCAOM credentials to the state Licensure Agency. In order to provide direct verification of NCCAOM Credentials to the state Licensure Agency, the applicant must submit the NCCAOM® Exam Results and Certification Order Form to NCCAOM.
For more information on state licensing requirements click here.
