NCCPA Purpose, Vision & Mission

The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants is dedicated to serving the interest of the public. We do so with a passionate belief that certified physician assistants are essential members of the health care delivery team who provide millions access to more affordable, high quality health care.

Our vision is to transform the delivery of quality healthcare by certifying qualified PAs through programs that improve patient care while exemplifying a commitment to excellence unparalleled among certifying organizations.

Our mission is to serve the public through exemplary programs that evaluate critical PA competencies and that require the pursuit of life-long learning and improvement.

Learn more about NCCPA...

What's New?

Congratulations to the 232 certified PAs who recently became the first to earn Certificates of Added Qualifications (CAQs) from the NCCPA! To view the list of certified PAs who received a CAQ, click here.

Verify PA Certification

Issued by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA), the Physician Assistant-Certified (PA-C) credential is a mark of professional accomplishment, indicating the achievement and maintenance of established levels of knowledge and clinical skills. The PA-C credential is widely recognized within the medical professions and beyond. In fact, all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the American territories have decided to rely on NCCPA certification as one of the criteria for licensure or regulation of physician assistants.

To protect the credibility of the PA-C designation, the NCCPA certification process involves formal collegiate education, examination and ongoing pursuit of continuing medical education.