Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) exam FAQ

The Quarterly exam calendar can be found on the Exam page, which outlines the dates for registering for exams and the corresponding date/s for taking the exams. 

To become eligible for the CCA certification, you must take and pass the International and your local (state/province/region) board exams. To become certified in the Mid-Atlantic Region (DE, MD, NJ, VA, WV), you must also pass the Delaware, Maryland, Virginia or West Virginia Nutrient Management Exam. For more information, please contact the correct agency.

Exams are now administered using Internet Based Testing (IBT) via a remote proctor. You can take the exam in the comfort of your own home or office and you can pick the best day and time to take the exam within the designated exam dates. More information about Remote Proctoring available here.

A select number of regions offer in-person testing. Learn more here.

Exams expire after 5 years, so make sure you take both of the exams within that time frame to avoid having to retake either of them. This time limit begins with the first passed exam results being reported. If the five-year time limit is exceeded without both exams being passed, exam results are nullified, and the applicant starts over in year six.

Example of five-year time limit: February 2018 to February 2023. August 2023 would be year six and the applicant would need to start over with taking both exams.

The International and Local Board exams are organized into sections, Crop Management, Nutrient Management, Soil and Water Management and Pest Management.

Section testing offers a flexible way to tackle the ICCA and Local Board exams by allowing candidates to take each of the four sections separately, rather than all at once. You can choose to complete the sections in any order and at your own pace within a five-year timeframe. For example, you might opt to take one section in each of the four annual exam windows or complete two sections in one window and the remaining two in the next. This flexibility is ideal for those with busy schedules or varying test-taking preferences. While the total exam price remains the same, section testing incurs additional proctoring fees for each session, which means higher overall costs. Ultimately, section testing provides a customizable approach to achieving certification, accommodating diverse learning, and scheduling needs.

More details about taking exams in sections is available here.

A minimum of 4 years of crop advising experience with no degree in agriculture.

A minimum of 3 years of crop advising experience with an associates degree in agriculture.

A minimum of 2 years of crop advising experience with a BS degree in agriculture.

If you do not yet meet the experience requirements, you are still able to take the exams and apply under CCA Candidate status. More information is available in the credential booklet.

Please visit our CCA exam pricing page for more information. Please note the exam prices are subject to change every year and are determined by each individual local board.

You may cancel your exam through the end of the exam window, and you will be refunded the price of your exam excluding a $75.00 cancellation fee. Once your exam window has ended, cancellations will not be eligible for a refund.

If you sit for the exam, regardless of the outcome, no refunds will be provided.
If you have scheduled your exam with the proctor company, 24 hour notice is needed before your exam time in order to provide a refund.
We are unable to transfer the exam fee to pay for a future exam.

Please ensure that you contact us with any cancellation decisions prior to the end of your exam window to avoid forfeiting your exam fee.

The total number of correct answers as compared to a passing score determines whether you pass the exam. The passing score reflects the difficulty of the exam as determined by subject matter experts in agronomy using statistical methodology consistent with psychometric practices and standards used for credentialing exams (see below for more detail). We will only provide pass/fail results on our exams.

The actual passing score is determined by a criterion-referenced procedure called the Modified Angoff Technique. In brief, a selected group of subject matter experts in the agronomy field review the exam questions and evaluate them according to how successful a group of minimally competent candidates would be in answering each question on the exam, which then determines a minimum passing score for a particular exam.

Exam pass/fail results will be displayed on-screen after the exam is submitted. In addition, you will receive an email within 7 - 10 business days when official exam results are released with a specific password protected URL to log into. For Fail results only, you will receive hints on the section(s) needing the most improvement for future study unless you were very close to passing. Please note the email [email protected] as a safe sender on your email account as this is the email we use to send email notifications to you.

If you fail an exam, you will need to retake it in a different exam window. If you have already passed one exam, you will need to pass the second one within 5 years of the first to avoid your results being nullified and having to retake both exams. Our exam windows are now four times per year. You will have to pay the exam fee again each time you retake an exam.

No. Exam results are confidential and notification will be sent by email to the original registrant's email address. The notification will include a specific link that requires the registrant to use their password to access their exam results. We cannot disclose pass/fail status via fax or phone to anyone.

Exam results are confidential and only released to the candidate.

Check out our Certification Programs Examinee Handbook.