The new version of the NCCA Standards for the Accreditation of Certification Programs, commonly known as the NCCA Standards, became effective January 1, 2016. The Standards require programs to evaluate the competency of credential holders through a rigorous testing program are used by NCCA to accredit certification programs. Currently, over 300 certification programs, primarily located in North America, comply with these Standards and are accredited by NCCA.

The purpose of this study was to review the 2016 NCCA Standards for the Accreditation of Certification Programs and identify changes from the prior version, published in 2002. Emphasis was placed on the changes to the testing components of the Standards.

In order to evaluate the changes, a two tiered approach was taken whereby the Standards themselves were evaluated, and then, the Essential Elements contained within each Standard were evaluated. In evaluating each, a map was constructed whereby the text of each Standard of the 2016 version was mapped to its corresponding Standard in 2002 version. Standards that were combined or separated were identified. In addition, text changes were evaluated and classified as substantive or non-substantive (rewording). The same process was conducted for the Essential Elements.

The results indicate that there were structural changes as well as both substantive and non-substantive changes to the Standards themselves. The most significant changes were the addition of Standards pertaining to Panels of Subject Matter Experts, Examination Specifications, and Test Administration. In total, the number of Essential Elements went from 47 to 87.

Although the NCCA Standards are widely used in credentialing testing, very little research has been done to analyze and document the changes to the Standards. This study provides a structured analysis of the changes which will help testing professionals understand where they need to make program changes to stay in compliance with the Standards.