WCC Credential NCCA Accredited
Accreditation
On May 10, 2019, the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) granted accreditation to the National Alliance of Wound Care and Ostomy Wound Care Certified (WCC) Certification for demonstrating compliance with the NCCA Standards for the Accreditation of Certification Programs. NCCA is the accrediting body of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence. The NCCA Standards were created in 1977 and updated in 2016 to ensure certification programs adhere to modern standards of practice for the certification industry. The National Alliance of Wound Care and Ostomy joins an elite group of more than 130 organizations representing over 315 programs that have received and maintained NCCA accreditation. More information on the NCCA is available online at www.credentialingexcellence.org/NCCA or by calling 202/367-1165.
Scoring The WCC Exam
Is the passing score the same for everyone?
The performance standard, meaning the skills and abilities required to pass the WCC exam is the same. However, candidates may be administered different forms, or groups of items, of the WCC exam. Because items may differ in how hard or easy they are, the passing score, or the score required to pass the exam, may differ slightly from one form to the next.
Standard setting is the process by which the passing performance, or passing score, is determined on an exam. Standard setting for the WCC exam was completed by a group of subject matter experts (SMEs) selected to represent the field of wound care professionals. This group was guided through a formal process that included discussing the meaning of passing the exam with regards to the minimum knowledge skills and abilities required of a candidate and then translating that information into performance on the WCC exam.
As is common practice, the standard setting included one form of the WCC exam. To apply the passing score to subsequent forms of the exam, a statistical process called equating is employed. Equating accounts for the differences in items and item difficulties on forms and makes adjustments such that the passing score on each form reflects equivalent performance on the exam. This process of equating is essential to the fairness of the WCC exam program as it provides equivalent expectations of “passing” performance over time and across forms of the exam.
Candidates who achieve a passing score on this exam demonstrate the minimum skills required to provide safe, effective, and competent practice as wound care professionals. The exam promotes consumer protection and confers peer and public recognition to those individuals who prove proficient in their practice.
NOTE: There are 110 questions on the exam. 100 of the questions are scored and correspond to the content outline provided. The additional 10 questions are included in order to test responses prior to using them as scored questions on future examinations.
How will I know if the course I have chosen meets the certification committee requirements?
The WCC exam is an exam meant to demonstrate a candidate’s proficiency and mastery of essential knowledge and skills in Skin and Wound Care Management beyond that of basic licensure. NAWCO does not promote one educational provider over another. However, to meet the eligibility criteria established by the Certification Committee, the educational material will be expected to cover information addressed in the table below.
The WCC exams are based on the content outline included below.
