What is NCCA accreditation?

NCCA stands for National Commission for Certifying Agencies.

NCCA is one of two entities in the world (yes world) that “accredit” certifications.

NCCA accreditation is mostly used by the government for the many certifications offered across diverse areas of expertise.

There are only a few financial and/or insurance certifications that have gone through the NCCA accreditation process. CFP® is NCCA accredited, but, for example, CLU and ChFC are NOT.

The Wealth Preservation Institute is familiar with this process because we took the CMP™ (Certified Medicaid Planner™) through the NCCA approval process and it took nearly two years to get it approved (although due to some new rules from NCCA we have to resubmit the CMP™ for re-certification).

It’s all about the exam!

NCCA accreditation is all about the exam. The entity that issues the certification can NOT:

1) Issue a training manual to study for the exam
2) Teach a course to help people pass the exam

NCCA is certifying that the entity offering the certification/designation is ONLY offering the exam and nothing more (without required reading/training material or live or recorded training).

We will be taking the Certified Roth Conversion Specialist™ (CRCS™) designation through the NCCA accreditation process. We anticipate this will take over a year, but we believe strongly about the designation and will put in the effort to take it through the NCCA process.

Here is more from the NCCA website:

NCCA accreditation requires certification programs to meet rigorous standards across governance, resources, exam development (job analysis, psychometrics, fairness, validity), operations (policies, candidate handbook, appeals, recertification), and quality assurance, demonstrating they are well-run, fair, and provide credible credentials, with ongoing compliance through annual reports and a 5-year renewal cycle. Key elements include an independent oversight board, audited financials, robust test security, detailed candidate info, and sound psychometric procedures. 

Key Areas of Requirements

• Governance & Resources: Independent board, clear responsibilities, financial stability (audits), and adequate human resources.
• Stakeholder Responsibilities: Fairness to candidates, unbiased panel recruitment, clear communication, and appeal processes.
• Assessment Instruments:
  • Job Analysis: Defining essential job-related tasks/knowledge for the credential.
  • Development: Professionally developed exams, clear scoring, and cut-score studies.
  • Fairness: Ensuring different test forms/methods are equitable.
• Recertification: Clear policies for maintaining certification (continuing education).
• Quality Assurance & Operations: Documented policies for test development, administration, security, retakes, and regular quality checks.
• Eligibility: Programs must typically run for a year and serve 500+ candidates before applying.