The Association of Clinical Research Professionals

CCRC Certification

CCRC® (Certified Clinical Research Coordinator) is a credential formally recognizing clinical research professionals with experience coordinating and facilitating clinical trial activities in adherence to GCP, under the direction of a principal investigator.

This trusted mark of excellence in clinical research is awarded to clinical researchers who have demonstrated proficiency of specific knowledge and skills by passing the standardized CCRC® Certification Exam.

Scroll down for info about eligibility requirements, exam content, and how to apply, prepare, and sit for your exam.

SPRING 2023 TESTING DATES

January 15 – April 15, 2023

FALL 2023 TESTING DATES

July 15 – October 15, 2023

Apply for Your Exam

Pricing

Members

Early Bird Price
(October 15 – December 31, 2022)

$435

Standard Price
(January 1 – March 31, 2023)

$460

Nonmembers

Early Bird Price
(October 15 – December 31, 2022)

$485

Standard Price
(January 1 – March 31, 2023)

$600

Join & Save

Joining ACRP helps you save money. More importantly, ACRP is where you will find the very best of what you need to design a career path that’s uniquely your own. Connections through an engaged community. Growth through gold-standard training. And elevation through rigorous certification.

Explore ACRP Membership >

CCRC

24/7 Testing On Demand

ACRP is pleased to now offer on-demand testing from the convenience of your home, office, or anywhere else 24 hours a day, every day, through remote testing.

 

Eligibility

Clinical research professional with 3,000 hours of verifiable work experience are eligible to sit for the CCRC® Exam.

What Qualifies as Work Experience?

  • Work related to human subject research

  • Paid contractual agreement – employer/employee

  • Can be verified by ACRP through employer

What is Excluded from Work Experience?

  • Any work that is part of a degree track or education program

  • Any experience older than ten years

  • Internships paid or unpaid

Clinical research professionals with 1,500 hours of verifiable work experience and a clinical research degree are eligible to site for the CCRC® Exam.

What Qualifies as a Clinical Research Degree?

  • Any degree awarded in clinical research from a CHEA accredited institution

  • Major in clinical research

What Does Not Qualify?

  • Any degree not in clinical research (biology, psychology, public health, epidemiology, nursing, doctorate)

  • Graduate certificate programs

Exam Content

The CCRC® exam consists of 125 multiple choice questions that must be answered within 180 minutes.

The exam is referenced only to the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) Guidelines. No other regulatory framework is tested, including country-specific regulations (i.e, FDA or EMA).

The following are the only references for which the ACRP Certification exam content can be supported:

We strongly encourage you to also review the Detailed Content Outline for the CCRC® Exam.

 

How to Apply

Review the Detailed Content Outline and make sure your experience and work hours are appropriate, as outlined in the Eligibility tab.

We also strongly encourage you to review the entire ACRP Certification Handbook, which provides full details about every facet of ACRP Certification.

Create a free ACRP account so you can begin the application process. Follow the on-screen prompts to enter any requested information and documentation.

If you already have an ACRP account, please proceed to step three.

Create Account >

You’re almost there! Please note, applications selected for audit will undergo a formal review by ACRP’s subject matter experts. In most instances, you will receive a status update about your application within 7 business days.

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, ACRP will provide reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities. Please complete this special accommodations form for submission with your application before proceeding.

Apply for Your Exam

Scheduling & Testing

ACRP’s testing partner Prometric offers in-person and remote testing.

Watch these videos to learn what to expect from each option before scheduling your exam.

Find Test Centers Near You >

Schedule Your In-Person Exam >

Schedule Your Remote Exam >

Check System Requirements >

Preparing to Test

The best way to prepare for the CCRC® exam is to fully understand the scope of the exam content and its references.

Please be sure to thoroughly review the following:

REMEMBER: The exam is referenced only to the International Conference on Harmonization Guidelines. No other regulatory framework is tested, including country-specific regulations (i.e, FDA or EMA).

This free recorded webinar walks you through some of the benefits of certification, eligibility requirements, and tips for how to prepare.

Learn More >

We also recommend leaning on your community! Thousands of ACRP Certified members have been in your shoes. They are active community members and always willing to share tips and advice for ACRP exam prep.

Visit the ACRP Community >

ACRP offers a variety of training and continuing education programs focused on the key ICH guidelines covered in the CCRC® exam.

Learn More >

After Your Exam

Exam results are shared immediately at the conclusion of your exam, but Prometric will send you an email with your full score report within 24 hours.

Check Your Score Report >

Your ACRP account will reflect your results within 3 weeks of your exam date.

 

Congratulations! You just passed a major milestone on your professional journey and are now a member of the elite club of ACRP Certified clinical research professionals.

Keep an eye on your email because you will soon receive information from our digital badging partner Credly about claiming your digital badge and how you can use it to tout your accomplishment.

You have 2 years to keep your certification in good standing by continuing your professional development, and we’ll be right there with you every step of the way. In the meantime, we highly recommend you review all the details about Maintenance of Certification. Don’t leave it to the last minute!

Don’t worry. It happens to the best of us. Give it another try!

In the meantime, we recommend reviewing your score report and putting in some extra study time on the competency areas in which you didn’t score well.