- The CCC-A requires passing Praxis Audiology (5343): 120 selected-response questions in 2 hours, $146.
- ASHA's passing score is 162 on a 100-200 scale - study around this number, not a percentage.
- Assessment is 35% of the exam, the single largest domain - prioritize it in your schedule.
- Initial certification costs $490 with ASHA membership or $446 without, on top of the exam fee.
What the CCC-A Actually Requires
The Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology (CCC-A) is awarded by ASHA's Council for Clinical Certification in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology. It is not a single test you cram for over a weekend - it's the capstone of a multi-year pathway that includes a doctoral degree, documented knowledge and skills, supervised clinical practicum hours, and a passing score on the required national examination. If you're still confirming eligibility before you start studying, the detailed breakdown in CCC-A Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify is worth reading first.
This guide focuses specifically on the exam component: what's actually tested, how the test is structured, what it costs, and how to build a study plan around the real domain weights instead of generic exam advice. For a plain-language overview of the credential itself, see What Is CCC-A? and CCC-A Certification.
Praxis Audiology (5343): Format, Fees, and Timing
The required national examination for the CCC-A is Praxis Audiology, test code 5343, owned and administered by ETS through 2026. Knowing the mechanics of the test itself changes how you prepare:
- Format: 120 computer-delivered, selected-response questions.
- Time limit: 2 hours total - roughly one minute per question, so pacing matters more than perfectionism on any single item.
- Unscored items: The exam may include unscored questions mixed in with scored ones. You won't know which is which, so treat every question with equal seriousness.
- Cost: $146 to sit for the exam, separate from certification fees.
Because every question is selected-response, there's no partial credit and no written justification - you're choosing the single best answer under time pressure. That reward structure favors candidates who have practiced recognizing patterns quickly rather than those who can explain concepts at length but haven't drilled recall speed. If you want a deeper look at what makes this exam format challenging in practice, How Hard Is the CCC-A Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 walks through the difficulty factors candidates report.
Key Takeaway
With 120 questions in 120 minutes, build timed practice sets from week one. Don't wait until the final review week to test your pacing - by then it's too late to fix a slow habit.
The Five CCC-A Domains and What to Master
Praxis Audiology (5343) is organized into five content domains, each weighted differently. Your study time should mirror these weights, not be spread evenly. For a full walkthrough of every subtopic inside each domain, see CCC-A Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 5 Content Areas.
| Domain | Weight | Relative Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment | 35% | Highest - allocate the most study hours here |
| Intervention | 25% | Second-highest priority |
| Foundations of Audiology | 20% | Core background knowledge |
| Prevention and Screening | 10% | Lower weight, still tested |
| Professional and Ethical Responsibilities | 10% | Lower weight, still tested |
Domain 1: Foundations of Audiology (20%)
Covers the anatomical, physiological, and acoustic basis of hearing and balance function that underlies every clinical decision you'll make later in the exam.
- Anatomy and physiology of the auditory and vestibular systems
- Acoustics, psychoacoustics, and sound measurement principles
- Developmental and disorder-related changes to auditory function
Domain 2: Prevention and Screening (10%)
Focuses on identifying risk and catching disorders early, before full diagnostic assessment is needed.
- Newborn and school-age hearing screening protocols
- Occupational and recreational noise-exposure prevention
- Risk-factor identification and referral criteria
Domain 3: Assessment (35%)
The largest domain by far, and the one most likely to determine whether you clear the passing score of 162. Expect heavy coverage of diagnostic procedures and interpretation.
- Pure-tone, speech, and immittance audiometry interpretation
- Electrophysiologic and otoacoustic emissions testing
- Vestibular and balance assessment procedures
- Differential diagnosis across pediatric and adult populations
Domain 4: Intervention (25%)
Tests your ability to translate assessment findings into treatment plans and technology decisions.
- Hearing aid selection, fitting, and verification
- Cochlear implant candidacy and post-fitting management
- Aural rehabilitation and counseling approaches
Domain 5: Professional and Ethical Responsibilities (10%)
Covers scope of practice, ethical decision-making, and collaborative care standards.
- ASHA Code of Ethics application to case scenarios
- Interprofessional collaboration and referral responsibilities
- Documentation, supervision, and legal/regulatory considerations
Passing Score and Scoring Mechanics
ASHA sets the passing score for Praxis Audiology (5343) at 162 on a 100-200 scale. That's a fixed cut score, not a percentage of questions correct and not a curve relative to other test-takers. Because the scale isn't 0-100, don't try to mentally convert your practice-test percentages into a "162 equivalent" - instead, use full-length timed practice exams that report scores on the same 100-200 scale so you get an accurate read on where you stand. A dedicated breakdown of how this scoring scale works, including how unscored items factor in, is available in CCC-A Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
If you want context on how candidates generally perform against this cut score, CCC-A Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows covers what's publicly known without guessing at numbers that aren't reported.
A Domain-Weighted Study Timeline
Generic study techniques - spaced repetition, timed drills, active recall - only help if you point them at the right material in the right order. Here's a timeline built specifically around the CCC-A domain weights, front-loading the highest-value content first.
Foundations of Audiology (20%)
- Rebuild auditory and vestibular anatomy from memory using diagrams, not just reading
- Drill acoustics and psychoacoustics formulas until recall is automatic
Assessment (35%)
- Spend the most calendar time here - it's more than a third of the exam
- Practice interpreting audiograms, immittance results, and OAE/ABR waveforms under time pressure
- Work through differential-diagnosis case vignettes for both pediatric and adult presentations
Intervention (25%)
- Review hearing aid fitting/verification protocols and cochlear implant candidacy criteria
- Practice matching assessment findings to the correct intervention pathway
Prevention/Screening + Professional/Ethical (10% each)
- Consolidate screening protocols and ethics scenarios in one combined block since each carries lighter weight
Full-Length Timed Simulation
- Take complete 120-question, 2-hour practice exams to calibrate pacing
- Review missed items by domain to find your last weak spots before test day
Running full practice exams under real time constraints is the single most CCC-A-specific thing you can do - the ../ practice test platform lets you simulate the 120-question, 2-hour format with scoring reported on the same 100-200 scale ASHA uses, so your practice results map directly onto the 162 passing threshold.
Registering, Costs, and the 2027 PSI Transition
Budgeting for the CCC-A involves more than the exam fee alone. Here's the full cost picture:
- Exam fee: $146 to sit for Praxis Audiology (5343).
- Initial certification: $490 with ASHA membership, or $446 without membership.
- Ongoing maintenance: annual dues or certification fees, plus 30 professional-development hours every three years - including 1 ethics hour and, effective in 2026, 2 hours in designated person-centered, reflective, or collaborative topics.
A full line-item breakdown of these figures, plus how they compare to skipping certification, is available in CCC-A Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
After You Pass: Maintaining the CCC-A
Passing the exam is a milestone, not the finish line. Once certified, you maintain the CCC-A through annual dues or certification fees and by completing 30 professional-development hours every three years, with specific hour requirements for ethics and person-centered/collaborative topics starting in 2026. Building a habit of tracking these hours annually - rather than scrambling before your renewal deadline - keeps maintenance painless.
It's also worth thinking ahead about where the credential takes you professionally. Employers across hospitals, private audiology practices, schools, and hearing-aid dispensaries look for the CCC-A as the baseline credential for clinical audiology roles; browsing current openings on CCC-A Jobs or reviewing structured coursework options in CCC-A Training can help you plan your next steps before you've even sat the exam. For a broader look at compensation trends and whether the investment pays off, see CCC-A Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis and Is the CCC-A Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026.
Key Takeaway
Print or bookmark a condensed reference of domain weights, the passing score, and fee amounts before your final review week - the CCC-A Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts is built exactly for this last-mile review.
Frequently Asked Questions
You need to pass Praxis Audiology, test code 5343, which is owned and administered by ETS through 2026 and transitions to PSI administration on January 11, 2027.
The exam has 120 computer-delivered, selected-response questions to be completed in 2 hours. It may also include unscored items mixed in with the scored questions.
ASHA's passing score is 162 on a 100-200 scale. This is a fixed cut score rather than a percentage or curve.
Assessment, at 35% of the exam, is the largest single domain and deserves the most study hours, followed by Intervention at 25% and Foundations of Audiology at 20%.
The exam itself costs $146. Initial certification is $490 with ASHA membership or $446 without. Ongoing maintenance requires annual dues or certification fees plus periodic professional-development hours.