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

About CME Audits

NCCPA conducts regular audits of Category 1 CME credits entered in online records by board-certified PAs to ensure the reliability and accuracy of CME logging and adherence to guidelines and policies for board certification maintenance. During a CME audit, NCCPA’s Certification Maintenance department will review the Category 1 CME credits logged by PAs, request certificates of completion and transcripts as needed, and verify Category 1 CME credits meet the criteria established by approved CME sponsors. 

Here are some additional important details regarding CME audits: 

  • If you are selected for a CME audit, the NCCPA Certification Maintenance department will review your records to confirm that you have uploaded certificates of completion or transcripts with accreditation statements from approved CME sponsors to verify your credits. If no documents are uploaded or if additional documentation is needed, we will work with you to ensure you are aware of what is needed to meet the audit requirements.  
  • Making sure your contact information is accurate to receive communications from NCCPA is your responsibility. To ensure you receive communications regarding your audit, log in to your NCCPA record and verify your contact information is accurate by visiting the “My Account” section.  
  • You can track the status of your audit in your NCCPA record by logging in and visiting the CME Audit Information page.  
  • If you fail an audit, you may be subject to disciplinary actions for various reasons, such as failure to respond satisfactory to an audit notification letter, refusal to submit requirements for an audit, submitting falsified documentation, attempting fraud in reporting CME credits, failing multiple audits, or not adhering to the NCCPA CME Audit policy. For more details about audit-related disciplinary actions, please review the CME Audit Policy and the Policies and Procedures for PA Disciplinary Matters. 
CME Audit Information
CME Audit FAQs

Initial CME Audit

Initial CME Audit

Each year, NCCPA randomly selects PAs for auditing Category 1 CME credits submitted in their online record. PAs will be notified by email and USPS mail when selected and will have approximately six weeks to comply with the audit requirements. When the PA meets their audit requirements before the deadline, they will pass the initial audit. If the audit requirements are not met, the PA will fail this initial audit and be placed in a second audit. For PAs who comply with the initial audit process, failing the audit does not impact board certification status. 

Second CME Audit

Second CME Audit

PAs who fail to meet the requirements of the initial CME audit will maintain their certification and be placed in a second audit. During the second audit, Category 1 CME credits that could not be verified while in the initial audit will need to be replaced with valid and documented Category 1 CME credits, in addition to meeting the current cycle CME requirements. While logging the earned CME credits in the NCCPA record, PAs are required to upload a certificate of completion or transcript before saving each Category 1 CME entry. PAs in a second audit must also pay a second audit fee by the certification expiration date to pass the second audit and maintain board certification.  

If all required CME credits and/or the Second Audit fee are not submitted by the certification expiration date, board certification will lapse. For more information on disciplinary matters, refer to the CME Audit Policy. 

CME Audit FAQs
Second CME Audit FAQs