Specialty Certificates of Added Qualifications (CAQs)

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 PAs who received a CAQ, click here.

Achieve recognition for your specialty experience, skills and knowledge through NCCPA’s new certificate of added qualifications (CAQ) program! Believing passionately that certified PAs are critical to the delivery of high quality, accessible, affordable health care, through this program NCCPA is offering the credentials you need to effectively document your specialty experience and expertise.

Want to learn more about Specialty CAQs such as eligibility requirements and how they can help you? Watch the following informative, engaging video.

To qualify for a specialty CAQ, PAs must first satisfy two basic pre-requisites: (1) current PA-C certification and (2) possession of a valid, unrestricted license to practice as a PA in at least one jurisdiction in the United States or its territories, or unrestricted privileges to practice as a PA for a government agency. (Note: If a PA holds licenses in multiple states, all of the licenses must be unrestricted.)

For PAs meeting those basic prerequisites, the CAQ process includes four core requirements: (1) Category I specialty CME, (2) one to two years of experience, (3) procedures and patient case experience appropriate for the specialty, and (4) a specialty exam.

The first three core requirements may be completed in any order. Once those are complete, PAs are eligible for the exam.

The cost of this program is just $350, including a $100 administrative fee and a $250 exam registration fee.

The two-hour CAQ exams include 120 multiple-choice questions administered in two blocks of 60 questions with 60 minutes to complete each block. There is no allotted break time. You will have 15 minutes to complete the CAQ tutorial. The exam date for all Specialty CAQ exams is Sept. 10, 2012. Keep in mind that PAs who submit a completed application by June 29, 2012, and schedule their exam with Pearson VUE by July 9, 2012, will be guaranteed exam administration availability on September 10. However, NCCPA does not guarantee availability at the PAs choice of testing centers.

The final deadline for submitting the exam application is September 7, 2012. However, NCCPA cannot guarantee availability of testing centers for physician assistants who attempt to schedule CAQ exams after July 9, 2012.

Once awarded, a CAQ will be valid for a period of six years (provided that licensure status and PA-C certification are maintained).

For more details, select a CAQ program from the list on the left, and read more there.

Before registering for a Specialty CAQ, you'll want to become familiar with all of the CAQ policies and procedures.