The Canadian Certification Council of Pathologists’ Assistants –

Conseil Canadien de la Certification des Assistants aux Pathologistes (CCCPA-CCCAP)

National certification for Pathologists’ Assistants (PAs) in Canada has been established by and through the Canadian Certification Council of Pathologists’ Assistants – Conseil Canadian de la Certification des Assistants aux Pathologistes (CCCPA-CCCAP). They have created the criteria for competency for Canadian PAs, which is demonstrated by applicants sitting and passing a CCCPA-CCCAP Board issued certification exam. 

Eligibility to apply to write the CCCPA-CCCAP Certification Exam post January 2025 is now limited to successful graduates from a NAACLS-accredited Master’s Pathologists’ Assistant Degree Program. They must apply to sit and pass the exam within a period of 5 years post graduation.

Those who successfully pass the certification exam have permission to include the following credentials after their name in formal communications: PA(CCCPA-CCCAP)

Competency of certified Pathologists’ Assistants in maintained through the Continuing Education Program through the CCCPA-CCCAP, which requires certified PAs to obtain and provide evidence of 60 continuing education credits within a 3 year recertification cycle.

The CCCPA-CCCAP conforms to the requirements of ISO/IEC 17024 General Requirements for Bodies Operating Certifications of Persons.