WCC^® Certification FAQs

Candidate Exam Handbook

Question:

Is the WCC Credential accredited?

Answer:

Yes. 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. The accreditation is valid for 5 years. 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.

Question:

I have been approved to take the NAWCO WCC^®  Certification Exam at a Prometric testing center. How do I schedule that exam?

Answer:

You will receive an email from Prometric testing centers and that email will contain information on scheduling your examination at your convenience, using their online system.

Question:

At a Prometric Test Center may I skip questions and go back to answer those questions later?

Answer:

Yes, as long as you have time remaining and do not close out of the exam.

Question:

I failed the WCC Certification Exam. Can I take it again?

Answer:

Any exam candidate can take the exam a total of 4 times. Time limits apply, please see the WCC Candidate Exam Handbook for full details. The fee for each exam attempt is $350 + a $30 application fee.

To apply for the WCC re-exam, click the APPLY ONLINE link or go to the NAWCO home page and click the blue Apply Online button at the top of the page.

Question:

How many hours would I have to work for it to be considered part time?

Answer:

A minimum of 20 hours is common.  The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the federal wage and hour law, doesn’t define full- or part-time employment. This is determined by each employer in each state. For consideration to sit for the certification examination, the Certification Committee requires a minimum of 20 hours weekly. The candidate’s work experience is integral to success not only at the bedside, but on the certification examination as well.

Question:

I am a Surgical Assistant working with wound care patients. Am I eligible to become certified as a WCC?

Answer:

At the present time, only those professions listed are eligible:
Registered Nurse, Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse, Nurse Practitioner, Physical Therapist, Physical Therapist Assistant, Occupational Therapist, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Podiatrist, Physician or Physician Assistant.

Question:

How can you certify different types of professionals with the same examination and credential, since they all practice at different levels?

Answer:

Certificants must practice within the scope of their professional license. This is true regardless of the type of specialty certification, or the organization awarding it. So being wound care certified does not supersede the scope of practice of your basic professional license.

Question:

I would like to know if wound care certification is included in the ANCC^® certifications?

Answer:

The ANCC offers their own certifications in various nursing specialties, but they do not offer one in the specialty of wound care.

Question:

Is the WCC credential a Magnet-recognized certification?

Answer:

WCC is on the Magnet-recognized list of national certifications included in the Demographic Data Collection Tool™ (DDCT).