About NCCAOM - A Historical Perspective

"The mission of the NCCAOM is to establish, assess, and promote recognized standards of competence and safety in acupuncture and Oriental medicine for the protection and benefit of the public."

The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM), established in 1982 as a non-profit organization currently operates under Section 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code. The mission of the NCCAOM is to establish, assess, and promote recognized standards of competence and safety in acupuncture and Oriental medicine for the protection and benefit of the public. Since its inception, the NCCAOM has issued more than 19,000 certificates in Acupuncture, Oriental Medicine, Chinese Herbology and Asian Bodywork Therapy. In year 2007, NCCAOM celebrated its 25th anniversary.

All revenue collected by the organization is used to enhance NCCAOM certification programs; improve the quality of its examinations; provide services to its Diplomates; advance certification research and development; and fulfill its responsibility of protecting the public from unsafe practice.

It is a considerable professional achievement to earn the designation “Diplomate (NCCAOM).” NCCAOM Certification indicates to employers, patients, and peers that one has met national standards for the safe and competent practice of acupuncture as defined by the profession. National board certification in acupuncture has been the mark of excellence in acupuncture since the inception of the Commission.

Ten commissioners who are either voted into office by general election or appointed by the Board govern the NCCAOM.  The eight practitioner members are elected by the Diplomate population and the two public members are appointed by the Board.  In making nominations, the Board Development Committee considers diversity in ethnicity, gender, geographic distribution, professional experience, and education.

The NCCAOM is assisted in its examination administration by Pearson VUE, one of the leading testing services in the United States. Pearson VUE supports NCCAOM by assisting in the administration, scoring and analysis of the NCCAOM examinations.  The NCCAOM is also assisted by Schroeder Measurement Technologies (SMT), a research and development firm that conducts professional competency assessment research and provides examination services for a number of credentialing programs. Additionally, in 2006 NCCAOM established a standard of high security developed in conjunction with Caveon™ Test Security, the first test-security firm to offer protection against test piracy and cheating.
The NCCAOM is a member of the National Organization for Competency Assurance (NOCA), and its certification programs are accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).  NCCA standards for accreditation exceed the requirements set forth by the American Psychological Association and the U.S. Employment Opportunity Commission.

The expertise and policies of these groups – Pearson VUE, SMT, Caveon™, NOCA, and NCCA have contributed to NCCAOM’s development of a certification process provides a unified set of national standards for safe and competent practice while at the same time giving full recognition to the diversity of acupuncture and Oriental medicine in the U.S. 

The first NCCAOM Comprehensive Written Examination (CWE) in Acupuncture (ACP) was given in March 1985. It was developed during a three-year period with the help of leading acupuncturists throughout the nation. During the development period the NCCAOM followed national guidelines for certification and testing in order to ensure a fair, valid, and reliable examination. The administration of the first examination was a milestone event in the growth of the profession in the United States.

The Practical Examination of Point Location Skills (PEPLS) was added as a component of NCCAOM’s Acupuncture Examination in September 1989. The Clean Needle Technique (CNT) portion was added to the acupuncture written examination two years later. The separately scored CNT examination was merged into the Comprehensive Written Examination in Acupuncture in 1998.

In 1989, the profession asked the NCCAOM to develop a certification program measuring entry-level competency in the practice of Chinese herbology. After three years of research, the organization opened the Credentials Documentation Review (CDR) period for Certification in Chinese Herbology. The first national Comprehensive Written Examination in Chinese Herbology was given in April 1995.

The NCCAOM developed a third certification program in response to requests from the profession. NCCAOM Certification in Asian Bodywork Therapy (ABT) was offered in 1996 through Credentials Documentation Review. CDR for certification in Asian Bodywork Therapy closed in December 1997. The first Comprehensive Written Examination in ABT was given in October 2000.
In December of 2003, the NCCAOM began to offer a certification program in Oriental medicine, an umbrella program offering an applicant the opportunity to demonstrate competence in the full range of the Oriental medicine branches.  Certificants of this distinct program earned the designation of Diplomate in Oriental Medicine (Dipl.OM).
In an effort to fully represent the expanding roster of its certification programs, the NCCAOM changed its name from the National Commission for the Certification of Acupuncturists (NCCA) to the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in 1997. In 2005, a new logo was adopted symbolizing the global nature of the Oriental healing professions along with new service marks for each of its four certification programs.  The logo depicts a globe displaying a point of light centered beneath Asia. This representation indicates the birthplace of these ancient healing art forms. The organization’s logo light shines across the ocean toward North America as a symbol of the universal practice and worldwide acceptance of Oriental medicine.

The organization’s mission (as stated below), is the core of the organization and it is what NCCAOM represents to the public and to its stakeholders.  The mission also incorporated “Public Service Through Quality Credentials™” into its tagline in 2005.

The mission of the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental medicine (NCCAOM) is to establish, assess, and promote recognized standards of competence and safety in acupuncture and Oriental medicine for the protection and benefit of the public. Since its inception, the NCCAOM has issued more than 19,000 certificates in Acupuncture, Oriental Medicine, Chinese Herbology and Asian Bodywork Therapy.