| Q: |
What is accreditation? |
| A: |
Accreditation is third party approval of a certification program, an academic program or university, based on standard requirements that have been established by the third party for all those seeking accreditation. |
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| Q: |
Who is NCCA? |
| A: |
The National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) is the accrediting arm of the National Organization for Competency Assurance (NOCA). NCCA is a non-profit organization that helps ensure the health, welfare and safety of the public through the accreditation of certification programs that assess professional competence. |
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| Q: |
What is the purpose of accreditation? |
| A: |
The purpose of accreditation is to protect the public. It does this by establishing standards
that a credential must meet to receive accreditation approval. NCCA's Standards for the Accreditation of Certification Programs includes 21 standards that SCSA must
meet. |
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| Q: |
What do the NCCA standards cover? |
| A: |
NCCA standards address the structure and governance of the organization; the essential components of the certification program; the information required to be available to applicants, certificants and the public; the processes used to develop and administer the examination; and the recertification requirements of the program. NCCA’s evaluation of the CSA certification program included these areas:
- The requirements, policies and procedures to:
- Obtain the CSA designation
- Maintain the CSA designation (CSA CE)
- How the CSA exam is developed and administered
- The independence of the CSA certification program from the CSA education
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| Q: |
How does meeting the standards protect the public? |
| A: |
Meeting the accreditation standards is the best way to assure that individuals who have earned the credential (by passing the certification exam and meeting other designation requirements) consistently demonstrate the same knowledge across the board. Therefore, the public can reasonably expect that all those who have the credential understand the essential elements involved in working with seniors. |
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| Q: |
What does accreditation mean for seniors? |
| A: |
Seniors can take an additional measure of confidence in the CSAs they're working with because
the CSA certification program has met the 21 stringent standards necessary to earn NCCA accreditation. Also, many regulators believe that NCCA accreditation provides
an added level of protection to seniors who may be unaware of what designations mean and what they
represent. |
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| Q: |
Why is accreditation important? |
| A: |
Whenever a credential is accredited, it brings professionalism and consistent standards to an industry and advances the profession. It also gives members of the public the ability to identify individuals with certain knowledge and skills, and greater assurance that those individuals have attained a shared foundation of knowledge. |
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| Q: |
Why did SCSA seek accreditation of the CSA designation? |
| A: |
Accreditation of professional credentials, particularly those focused on seniors, is emerging as a standard from some regulators in the securities industry. Although the CSA designation is not a financial one, SCSA believed that meeting that standard was a worthy goal that would benefit all CSAs, no matter what their field. Some regulators see accreditation as a way to help assure the validity and value of a professional credential. In addition, by becoming accredited, SCSA has demonstrated to the public, existing and potential CSAs, organizations and regulators, that the CSA designation meets the high standards of a professional, third-party accrediting organization. This is important for a senior-focused designation such as CSA.
The CSA designation was created more than 10 years ago to meet a unique need in the marketplace – knowledge about the health, social and financial issues of aging that are important to the majority of seniors, so that professionals who serve seniors can do so in a more competent, ethical and effective manner. |
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| Q: |
Why is it important for someone to have the designation now that it's accredited? |
| A: |
Having an NCCA-accredited designation gives the public confidence that the CSA designation has successfully met the standards set by a third-party, and that the designee has the requisite knowledge to do the job of a CSA. Accreditation is a high standard accepted by a number of corporate, academic and regulatory bodies. |
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| Q: |
Is it difficult to become accredited? |
| A: |
Yes. Many organizations that apply for accreditation fail to receive accreditation on their first attempt and have to take further steps to demonstrate that they meet NCCA standards. Some never receive accreditation. After more than one year of intensive work, SCSA is proud to have earned accreditation during the NCCA’s initial review of the program. |
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| Q: |
What other kinds of designations are accredited through NCCA? |
| A: |
Certified Financial Planner(CFP)®, Certified Hospice and Palliative Licensed Nurse, Certified Valuation Analyst, Gerontological Nurse Practitioner and dozens more are accredited through NCCA. You can see them all here: |
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| Q: |
Is the Certified Advisor in Senior Living credential accredited through NCCA? |
| A: |
No. You can view a current list of all NCCA accredited programs on NCCA’s web site here. |
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| Q: |
Does accreditation of the CSA designation mean that the designation now conforms to a rule passed by the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA)? |
| A: |
Yes. |
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| Q: |
Now that the CSA designation is accredited, what do CSAs need to do? |
| A: |
Nothing. Existing members can continue to use the designation without having to retest or meet any new eligibility requirements. Compliance with CSA CE and other renewal requirements will continue to be required for all CSAs. |
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| Q: |
Does SCSA plan to raise membership fees now that the designation is accredited? |
| A: |
No. |
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| Q: |
How will potential CSAs be affected by the accreditation process? |
| A: |
The independent SCSA Certification Council established
eligibility requirements to designate that apply to all individuals
seeking the CSA credential. (Those who are not seeking the CSA designation may enroll in the
CSA Course Only.)
For a complete description of the CSA certification program, including eligibility and recertification requirements, see the CSA Candidate Handbook.
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| Q: |
What does the CSA exam cover and how do I prepare for it? |
| A |
The CSA exam has 150 multiple choice questions, is closed book and proctored. Candidates have up
to three hours to complete it. The passing score is 70% or more correct answers.
Candidates who
purchase the CSA Classroom Review of the CSA Course and Exam Package test following the class.
All other candidates take the CSA exam as a Computer-Based
Test (CBT) at a professional test center in their state.
The exam covers five key content areas: (1) social aspects of aging, (2) physical and mental health aspects
of aging, (3) financial and legal aspects of aging, (4) government assistance for seniors, and (5)
understanding and communicating with seniors. A detailed listing of the exam content outline is
available in the Candidate Handbook.
Candidates for the CSA designation are strongly encouraged to prepare for the exam. While candidates may choose to acquire the knowledge required to pass the CSA exam from other educational sources, it is suggested that they consider taking the CSA Course and Exam Package because, to our knowledge, no other educational or training program for professionals who work with seniors covers health, social and financial aspects of aging all in one course in order to prepare students to successfully complete the CSA designation exam. |
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| Q: |
Are re-tests and deferred exams available? |
| A: |
Yes. Candidates have two re-test opportunities at a professional test center. In other words,
candidates may take the CSA exam up to three times. Candidates must wait at least 6 weeks between
exam dates to test again. There is an additional fee of $85 for each re-test. Classroom candidates
who defer their exam may test at a professional test center. There is no additional fee for deferred
tests. |
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| Q: |
Where are the professional test centers located in my state? |
| A: |
Nearly all the professional test centers in each state are located within or immediately outside a major metropolitan area. To view a
list of cities with professional test centers, click (IsoQuality Testing).
Test centers are added on a regular basis.
Candidates who purchase the independent self-study CSA Course and Exam, the CSA Web Class Review, or the CSA Exam Only test a professional test center. SCSA will e-mail instructions to these candidates, including a user ID and password, for scheduling their CBT exam online. Candidates who elect the 3-day CSA classroom review of the CSA course take a paper exam on-site at class. |
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| Q: |
When will I be able to test at one of the professional test centers? |
| A: |
You may test during regular business hours at the test center. Times may vary by facility. |
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| Q: |
What does this mean to CSAs? |
| A: |
It means that your CSA designation represents high standards and a meaningful achievement and
has successfully met the standards of the body that accredited the Certified Financial Planner
designation, the Certified Hospice and Palliative Licensed Nurse, Gerontological Nurse Practitioner
and dozens more professional credentials. The CSA designation is the only one of its kind to be
accredited by NCCA. |
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ABOUT SCSA. Society of Certified Senior Advisors® (SCSA) is the world’s largest membership organization educating and certifying professionals who serve seniors. Its headquarters is in Denver, Colorado.