Ensuring commitment to the reliability and accuracy of guidelines and policies for maintaining ongoing certification.

To ensure the accuracy and professionalism of CME logging and to strengthen the value of the PA-C, NCCPA randomly audits the Category 1 CME credits of Certified PAs. To complete the CME audit, randomly selected PAs must submit supporting documentation for at least 50 Category 1 credits logged during the cycle for which they are being audited.

PAs being audited are selected by a completely random process. There is nothing that you did or didn’t do that “caused” you to be selected for the audit.

NCCPA audits PAs for a two-year certification maintenance cycle. PAs chosen to be audited will be notified during the year after the PAs previous cycle has ended. A PA could be selected for the audit for up to an entire year after their previous cycle has ended. It is very important for PAs to keep their Category 1 documentation for at least one full year after their two-year certification maintenance cycle has ended. For example: PAs who were audited for the 2013-2015 cycle are notified in 2016.

PAs selected for the NCCPA CME Audit will be notified by the email address and the physical address that we have in your record. Please log into your PA Portal at https://portal.nccpa.net/signin/pa to ensure that your contact information is accurate.

NCCPA will provide you with a CME Audit Transcript that will list all Category 1 activities logged for the cycle being audited. This transcript will be included in the emailed and mailed notifications sent to you.

Six weeks is the standard amount of time allotted to submit your documentation for the audit. Your exact deadline will be listed in both the emailed and mailed notification correspondence sent to you and will be posted under your “CME” tab, which you can access by signing in to your personal certification record, https://portal.nccpa.net/signin/pa.

If you have a severe and extenuating circumstance which has prohibited you from providing the requested documentation in support of your Category 1 credits, you may request an extension to submit your documentation. NCCPA can grant a one-time only 30-day extension of your original audit deadline. Extensions for longer periods of time cannot be granted. To request an extension of your audit deadline, please submit a written request within the six-week period given to respond to the audit explaining your situation and include any supporting documentation you may have concerning your severe and extenuating circumstance. Requests must be received before the six-week deadline passes. This request can be mailed (12000 Findley Road, Suite 100, Johns Creek, GA 30097), faxed (678.417.8135) or emailed to [email protected]. Be sure to include your name and NCCPA identification number on the request.

If NCCPA has a valid email address on record, you will receive an official letter via email. If we do not have a valid email address on record, an official letter will be sent via postal mail to the mailing address we have on record for you. The letter will state your new audit deadline date.

Acceptable supporting documentation includes certificates received upon completion of an activity from the CME provider, a hospital-generated list of programs attended, or written verification of attendance or credits earned from the provider of a CME activity. Other documentation may be considered at the discretion of NCCPA. Acceptable documentation for Category 1 credits should state that the activity has been approved by one of our four CME sponsors (AMA, AAPA, AAFP, AOA, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC), the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC), or the Physician Assistant Certification Council of Canada (PACCC)). There should also be a statement indicating the number of Category 1 credits awarded for the individual activity. If the documentation you have for a Category 1 activity does not state this information, the activity cannot be considered Category 1 CME.

What is considered acceptable documentation for certificate programs like BLS, ACLS, or PALS?

NCCPA will accept a copy of the card you received, a certificate of attendance or written verification of attendance or credits earned from the provider of the certificate program.

In instances where the certificate shows the credits earned as “contact hours” or “CEU” credit, the certificate of completion accreditation statement will be thoroughly reviewed to determine Category 1 CME credit eligibility.

Please note: In most cases, NCCPA does not accept Category 1 CME credit for activities that award contact hours or CEU credit. However, these activities are approved for Category 2 CME credit.

“Confirmed” credits are Category 1 credits that NCCPA has received documentation for or Category 1 credits logged through the Conference Logging System. Since these credits have already been confirmed as Category 1, no additional supporting documentation is required.

Supporting documentation can be mailed (12000 Findley Road, Suite 100, Johns Creek, GA 30097), faxed (678.417.8135) or emailed to [email protected]. Be sure to include your name and NCCPA identification number on all materials.

It takes approximately 7-10 business days for NCCPA to complete an audit. Once your documentation has been reviewed, if we cannot verify at least 50 Category 1 credits, we will notify you via email (or telephone, if you do not have a valid email address on record). NOTE: It is strictly the PAs responsibility to check the status of their audit to ensure NCCPA has received the appropriate documentation.

Sign in to your NCCPA Portal at https://portal.nccpa.net/signin/pa and click on “CME” in the left-hand menu bar then choose “CME Audit Information”.

Yes. Additional Category 1 CME credits can be submitted to meet the audit requirements as long as the credits have not been previously logged to meet certification maintenance requirements and the credits were earned within the earning window of the cycle that is being audited. Acceptable documentation will have to be submitted in order to have these credits applied to the audited cycle.

PAs who are unable to submit supporting documentation for at least 50 Category 1 credits will fail the CME audit and will automatically be audited for their new cycle.

NCCPA will send an official email to you once your audit has been completed. If we do not have a valid email address, an official letter will be mailed to the address we have on record for you.

No.

PAs who fail the audit because they reported Category 1 CME credits that could not be substantiated, that were erroneously reported as Category 1 activities, or that were incorrectly categorized as self-assessment or performance improvement CME will retain certification but will be audited again during the next two-year certification maintenance cycle and will be subject to the following additional requirements which must be completed prior to the expiration of their current two-year NCCPA certification including:

1. Any Category 1 credits that could not be substantiated must be replaced with valid, appropriately-documented Category 1 credits.
2. A Re-audit Fee must be paid.

In the second audit, PAs are required to submit appropriate documentation to NCCPA as they log their Category 1 and 2 CME credits. This documentation includes certificates of completion (for Category 1 CME credits), and all CME must be logged on an NCCPA paper logging form. If all required CME credits (including replacement credits) are not earned, logged and documented before the end of the certification expiration year, certification will lapse.

PAs who successfully maintain certification during the second audit, including completing the requirements specified above for the failed audit, will also be subject to an additional audit of their Category 1 credits in at least one of their next three certification maintenance cycles.

The CME Audit Detail Report is your audit transcript that shows which Category 1 credits have been verified by NCCPA and any discrepancies in activity information that was logged (i.e., incorrect sponsor, incorrect provider, incorrect activity name and/or date).

PAs unable to submit supporting documentation for at least 50 Category 1 credits during their initial CME audit will fail it. PAs will continue to maintain their certification and will be automatically placed in a second audit for their current cycle. 

To comply with the second audit and maintain your certification you must: 

• Review your Dashboard in your online record for the total credits due for the second audit. Category 1 credits that could not be verified in your initial audit will need to be logged, in addition to the CME credits due for the current CME cycle. i.e. If 45 Category 1 credits were verified in the initial audit, then at least 55 Category 1 credits must be earned and logged for the second audit: 50 Category 1 credits that are required for the second audit cycle plus the five Category 1 credits that could not be verified in the initial audit. This means you would need to log 105 CME credits for your current cycle. 
• Log all CMEs in your online record and upload acceptable documentation for all Category 1 credits that are due to satisfy the audit. Documentation is not required for Category 2 credits. 
• Pay a $100 re-audit fee.  

You may check the status of your second audit by logging into your NCCPA online record and selecting the “CME” tab, then the “CME Audit Information” tab. This tab will display the most up to date information regarding your second audit. 

Once you submit the second audit requirements, you will receive a notification in your portal. After NCCPA verifies your CME entries, you will also receive an email from us stating you have passed the audit. To ensure you receive email communications, please verify your email address is correct in your online record.

If you fail your second audit, your certification will expire, and your audit case will be forwarded to the NCCPA Review and Appeals department. A member from this department will work with you on your options to restore your board certification status. For more information on disciplinary matters, refer to the CME Audit Policy.