In 1977, in cooperation with the federal government, the National Commission for Health Certifying Agencies (NCHCA) was formed to develop standards of excellence for voluntary certification programs in healthcare. In 1989 the name was changed to the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) to accommodate all professions and industries.
The NCCA’s Standards for the Accreditation of Certification Programs were the first standards developed by the credentialing industry for professional certification programs. The NCCA Standards were developed to help ensure the health, welfare, and safety of the public. They highlight the essential elements of a high-quality program. The 2021 NCCA Standards are implemented for the accreditation of certification programs.
The NCCA standards are consistent with The Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (AERA, APA, & NCME, 1999) and are applicable to all professions and industries. NCCA accredited programs certify individuals in a wide range of professions and occupations including nurses, automotive professionals, respiratory therapists, counselors, emergency technicians, crane operators and more. To date, NCCA has accredited more than 315 programs from more than 130 organizations.
Accreditation for professional or personnel certification programs provides impartial, third-party validation that your program has met recognized national and international credentialing industry standards for development, implementation, and maintenance of certification programs.
NCCA's Vision & Mission
The NCCA will be an administratively independent resource recognized as the authority on accreditation standards for professional certification programs. Based on sound principles, NCCA standards will be optimal and comprehensive criteria for organizational process and performance. They will be broadly recognized, objective, and current benchmarks for certifying bodies to achieve and by which they operate. The NCCA helps to ensure the health, welfare, and safety of the public through the accreditation of a variety of individual certification programs that assess professional competency. The NCCA uses a peer review process to:
- Establish accreditation standards;
- Evaluate compliance with these standards;
- Recognize programs that demonstrate compliance;
- Monitor and enforce continued compliance; and,
- Serve as a resource on quality certification.