NCCAA certification exam format and content outline
Here is the current structure in plain language, followed by direct links to the NCCAA sources that control examination policy. Use the official NCCAA website as the final authority if any detail changes.
Certification exam quick facts
The current NCCAA information page describes a computer based, multiple choice examination with two timed blocks.
Block 190 items in 110 minutes
Optional break
up to 15 minutes
up to 15 minutes
Block 290 items in 110 minutes
The unscored pretest items are mixed into the examination and are not identified to the candidate. Treat every item as scored while testing.
Content outline by domain
The published domain weights are planning targets, not a promise about any individual test form. The percentages shown by the NCCAA total approximately 97 percent because of rounding.
| Domain | Approximate weight | What the domain organizes |
|---|---|---|
| Principles of Anesthesia | 9% | Preoperative evaluation, safety, positioning, fluids, ethics, and professional principles |
| Physiology, Pathophysiology and Management | 19% | Normal physiology, disease states, and perioperative management across organ systems |
| Instrumentation, Monitoring and Anesthetic Delivery Systems | 15% | Machines, circuits, ventilation, monitoring, ultrasound, and equipment safety |
| Subspecialty Care | 31% | Cardiac, thoracic, vascular, neuro, obstetric, pediatric, trauma, and other specialty settings |
| Pharmacology | 15% | Anesthetic agents, opioids, neuromuscular drugs, vasoactive drugs, and interactions |
| Regional Anesthesia and Pain Management | 8% | Neuraxial and peripheral techniques, complications, and multimodal pain concepts |
What MACPrep can and cannot tell you
MACPrep maps published questions to the same six broad domains so you can organize practice and identify a weaker area. That does not mean MACPrep knows the content of a live examination, predicts a passing result, or reproduces recalled questions.
Useful interpretation
Use the outline to distribute study effort and to avoid overlooking a large domain.
Important limitation
A percentage is not a guarantee that a specific test form will feel proportionally identical.
Practice connection
MACPrep domain filters and analytics can help you turn a broad outline into a more focused next session.
Official authority
NCCAA controls eligibility, scheduling, fees, policies, and any future changes to the examination.
Official sources
Put the outline into practice.
Try three cited questions now, or explore the full board preparation system built for CAAs and SAAs.