- How CCC-A Testing Actually Works (No Fixed "Windows")
- Praxis Audiology (5343): Format, Fee, and What's on Screen
- The January 2027 Shift From ETS to PSI
- Mapping Your Test Date to the ASHA Application Timeline
- Building a Domain-Based Prep Calendar
- Deadlines That Matter Beyond Test Day
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Praxis Audiology (5343) is administered by ETS through 2026, then PSI takes over starting January 11, 2027.
- The exam is 120 selected-response questions in 2 hours, with a $146 fee and a passing score of 162.
- Assessment (35%) is the largest domain - schedule your final review weeks around it, not around a generic "week 1, week 2" template.
- Total certification cost runs $446-$490 depending on ASHA membership, separate from the $146 exam fee.
How CCC-A Testing Actually Works (No Fixed "Windows")
Unlike licensing exams tied to a handful of set dates per year, the exam required for the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology doesn't run on quarterly testing windows. Praxis Audiology (5343) is a computer-delivered test that candidates schedule individually through ETS's testing network, which means your personal "exam date" is really a seat you book at a nearby test center once you decide you're ready. If you've searched for "2026 CCC-A testing windows" expecting a published calendar of blackout dates, that's not how this particular credential works - and that distinction matters if you're comparing notes with colleagues certified under a different credential that happens to share the CCC-A initials.
That flexibility is good news for candidates finishing a clinical fellowship or doctoral program on a rolling basis, but it also means the pressure to pick a smart date falls entirely on you. Before you lock in anything, it helps to understand exactly how the exam is structured - because your ideal test date depends on how much runway you need against the content, not on availability of seats.
Praxis Audiology (5343): Format, Fee, and What's on Screen
The exam itself is short and dense: 120 computer-delivered selected-response questions administered in a two-hour session, with the possibility of unscored field-test items mixed in that you can't identify during the test. The fee is $146, paid directly through your ETS registration. ASHA sets the passing score at 162 on the 100-200 scaled-score system used for Praxis exams.
Every question maps back to one of five content domains, and the weighting of those domains should directly shape how you allocate your remaining study time before booking a date:
Domain 3: Assessment (35%)
This is the single largest domain and deserves the most calendar time in your final weeks. It covers diagnostic test selection, interpretation of behavioral and electrophysiologic results, and differential diagnosis reasoning.
- Pure-tone, speech, and immittance audiometry interpretation
- Electrophysiologic and vestibular assessment findings
- Case-based diagnostic decision-making
Domain 4: Intervention (25%)
The second-largest domain, covering amplification, aural rehabilitation, and counseling approaches for patients across the lifespan.
- Hearing aid and cochlear implant candidacy and fitting principles
- Aural rehabilitation strategies
- Counseling and patient-centered communication
Domain 1: Foundations of Audiology (20%)
Core anatomy, physiology, and acoustics knowledge that underlies every other domain - worth reviewing early since it supports everything tested later.
- Auditory and vestibular system anatomy
- Psychoacoustic and acoustic principles
Domain 2: Prevention and Screening (10%) & Domain 5: Professional and Ethical Responsibilities (10%)
Smaller but still scored domains covering hearing conservation, newborn and school screening protocols, and the ethical/legal frameworks audiologists operate within.
- Screening program design and referral criteria
- Scope of practice, ethics codes, and interprofessional collaboration
For a deeper breakdown of every task statement inside each domain, see the CCC-A Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 5 Content Areas. If you're still trying to gauge how tough the exam feels in practice relative to your current knowledge, How Hard Is the CCC-A Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 walks through what makes the question style challenging beyond raw content recall.
The January 2027 Shift From ETS to PSI
One scheduling detail every 2026 candidate should know: administration of Praxis Audiology (5343) transitions from ETS to PSI on January 11, 2027. This is purely a vendor change - the exam content, the 120-question selected-response format, and the passing score of 162 all remain unchanged. Nothing about your study plan needs to shift based on which vendor eventually processes your registration.
| Detail | Through 2026 (ETS) | Starting Jan 11, 2027 (PSI) |
|---|---|---|
| Exam name/number | Praxis Audiology (5343) | Praxis Audiology (5343) |
| Format | 120 selected-response questions, 2 hours | Unchanged |
| Passing score | 162 (100-200 scale) | Unchanged |
| Fee | $146 | Not specified by vendor change |
Key Takeaway
If your test date falls right around the transition, don't over-think it - the content and passing standard stay the same either side of January 11, 2027. Book based on your readiness, not the vendor.
Mapping Your Test Date to the ASHA Application Timeline
Because Praxis Audiology (5343) can be scheduled independently of any fixed cycle, the smarter question isn't "when is the next testing window" - it's "when in my ASHA application sequence should this exam happen." CCC-A candidates must satisfy ASHA's doctoral-degree standard, knowledge-and-skills requirements, and supervised clinical practicum hours before certification is granted, and the examination is just one piece of that larger puzzle. Full details on every prerequisite live in CCC-A Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Most candidates find it most efficient to sit for the exam once coursework covering assessment and intervention content is substantially complete, but before starting a full-time clinical fellowship - that way exam prep and academic review reinforce each other instead of competing for time. Others prefer to test during the final semester of their doctoral program while faculty and clinical mentors are still immediately accessible for questions on tricky Assessment-domain topics.
Whichever timing you choose, remember that initial ASHA certification carries its own separate cost - $490 with membership or $446 without - on top of the $146 exam fee. Budgeting for both, and understanding how they interact, is covered in more detail in CCC-A Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
Building a Domain-Based Prep Calendar
Once you've picked a target date, work backward using domain weight rather than a generic evenly-split calendar. Assessment carries more than a third of the exam, so it should occupy more calendar time than any other single domain - not get the same one-week block as Prevention and Screening.
Foundations of Audiology (20%)
- Rebuild anatomy, physiology, and acoustics fundamentals
- Use foundational review to reinforce later Assessment questions
Assessment (35%)
- Drill audiometric, immittance, and electrophysiologic interpretation
- Practice case-based differential diagnosis scenarios
Intervention (25%)
- Review amplification candidacy and fitting principles
- Study aural rehabilitation and counseling frameworks
Prevention/Screening + Professional/Ethical Responsibilities (10% each)
- Review screening protocols and referral criteria
- Cover ethics codes and scope-of-practice scenarios
- Full-length timed practice run
For a structured week-by-week study plan built entirely around this weighting, see the CCC-A Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. And if you want a fast final review the week of your test, the CCC-A Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts condenses the highest-yield facts across all five domains. Running timed practice questions on our practice test platform before test day is one of the most reliable ways to confirm you're actually ready for the 120-question, two-hour format rather than just comfortable with the content in isolation.
Deadlines That Matter Beyond Test Day
Scheduling smartly for the CCC-A means thinking past the single day you sit for Praxis Audiology (5343). A few deadlines and recurring obligations deserve a spot on your calendar well before and after your exam date:
- Registration lead time: ETS test centers fill up, so book your seat several weeks ahead of your target date rather than the week before.
- Score reporting to ASHA: Your score needs to reach ASHA as part of your certification application - confirm how your score gets routed when you register.
- Maintenance cycle after certification: Once certified, CCC-A holders must complete 30 professional-development hours every three years, including 1 ethics hour, plus - effective in 2026 - 2 hours in designated person-centered, reflective, or collaborative-practice topics.
- Annual dues/certification fees: Maintaining the credential requires ongoing annual payments, separate from the one-time initial certification fee.
Understanding exactly what score you're aiming for - and how ASHA calculates it - removes a lot of the guesswork from picking a test date with confidence. See CCC-A Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass for the full breakdown of the 162 scaled-score requirement. And if you're still weighing whether the entire process is worth building into your schedule at all, Is the CCC-A Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and CCC-A Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis look at the credential's practical payoff for audiology careers.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Praxis Audiology (5343) is offered on a rolling basis through ETS test centers, so you schedule your own date rather than choosing from a small set of fixed windows.
The exam itself costs $146. Initial ASHA certification is a separate charge - $490 with membership or $446 without - so budget for both. See the full pricing breakdown for details.
No. Administration moves from ETS to PSI on that date, but the exam content, 120-question format, and the passing score of 162 remain unchanged.
It's a two-hour, computer-delivered test with 120 selected-response questions, potentially including some unscored items you won't be able to identify during the exam.
Most candidates schedule it once Assessment- and Intervention-related coursework is substantially complete, often before or during their final academic term, so classroom review and exam prep reinforce each other.