Education Pathways to Audiology Assistants Certification

Audiology assistants who want to become ASHA-certified and hold the C-AA credential must meet the requirements set forth in the Standards for Audiology Assistants Certification, which include

• meeting degree and education requirements,
• passing a national examination, and
• abiding by the Assistants Code of Conduct.

Eligibility Pathways

To be eligible to take the audiology assistants certification exam, applicants must complete one of three pathway options that best fits their education and qualifications.

Education Option 1

• Bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders from an accredited institution
• Field work: 500 hours providing patient services within the ASHA Scope of Practice for Audiology Assistants [PDF] under the supervision of an ASHA-certified audiologist**
• Complete the three 1-hour prerequisite courses

**Field work/clinical hours will be verified as part of the online application process; no documentation needs to be submitted. Any hours completed January 1, 2020, or after must have been supervised by an ASHA-certified audiologist (See Standard III).

Education Option 2

• College degree (non CSD), high school diploma, or GED from an accredited institution
• Complete ASHA’s online audiology education modules or equivalent (i.e. associate's degree or certificate program in becoming an audiology assistant
• Field work: 1,000 hours providing patient services within the ASHA Scope of Practice for Audiology Assistants [PDF] under the supervision of an ASHA-certified audiologist***
• Complete the three 1-hour prerequisite courses

***Field work/clinical hours will be verified as part of the online application process; no documentation needs to be submitted. Any hours completed January 1, 2020, or after must have been supervised by an ASHA-certified audiologist (See Standard III).

Education Option 3

Military: Active Duty

• Military job series awarding certificate (audiology/ENT)
• Provide a copy of:
  • service member training record
  • most recent annual performance evaluation
• Complete the three 1-hour prerequisite courses

Military: Veteran

• Honorable discharge
• Military job series awarding certificate (audiology/ENT)
• Provide a copy of:
  • military transcript
  • annual evaluation form of prior service obtained no more than 5 years prior to certification application submission
• Complete the three 1-hour prerequisite courses

Prequisite Courses

In addition to finishing all the requirements of that option, applicants must also complete the following mandatory requirements:

• Completion of a 1-hour of ethics course*
• Completion of a 1-hour course in universal safety precautions*
• Completion of a 1-hour patient confidentiality training course (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, etc.)*

* These three prerequisite courses must be completed no more than 2 years prior to application. These requirements may also be met as part of an academic course.