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CDA Credential Process

Congratulations on beginning the Child Development Associate (CDA) credentialing process! The following steps will help you to understand how to obtain your CDA Credential. 

The CDA credentialing program is administered by the CDA Council at the Council for Professional Recognition, a non-profit organization whose mission is to “promote improved performance and recognition of professionals in the early childhood education of children ages birth to 5 years old.” The CDA Credential is acknowledged and accepted Nationwide and serves as proof that the person holding the CDA is an educated, qualified, early childhood professional.

120 Hours of CDA Training

Refer to pages 8-9 in the CDA Competency Standards Book. ​

CDA applicants must complete 120 hours of training for professional early childhood education. Training must include at least 10 hours in each the CDA’s eight subject areas:

1. Planning a safe and healthy learning environment (Unit 1)
2. Advancing children's physical and intellectual development (Unit 2)
3. Supporting children's social and emotional development (Unit 3)
4. Building productive relationships with families (Unit 4)
5. Managing an effective program operation (Unit 5)
6. Maintaining a commitment to professionalism (Unit 6)
7. Observing and recording children's behavior (Unit 7)
8. Understanding principles of child development and learning (Unit 8)

• CDA Course Synopses ​ 

Work Experience 

Refer to page 10 in the CDA Competency Standards Book. ​ 

Up to 3 years prior to applying, you’d need to achieve at least 480 hours of professional experience working with young children.  The experience must be with the age group that matches the setting for which you are applying, i.e., infant/toddler or preschool.​ ​ 

Professional Portfolio ​ 

Refer to the CDA Competency Standards Book starting on page 10. ​​ 

The Professional Portfolio is compiled independently by each Candidate as part of the CDA credentialing process. The compiled resources and documents are reviewed by the CDA PD Specialist during the CDA Verification Visit.  
​Professional Portfolio is composed of:

• Education Documentation
• Family Questionnaires
• Six (6) Reflective Statements of Competence
• Ten (10) Resources
• A Professional Philosophy Statement 

Your Professional Portfolio MUST be prepared within 6 months of submitting the application to the CDA Council of Professional Recognition.

You should be working on the components of the Professional Portfolio while completing the CDA training. If it takes you more than 6 months to complete the CDA training, be sure to go back and update the Professional Portfolio components that you completed to reflect current information.   ​

What are Family Questionnaires?
Family Questionnaires are a required component of the CDA Professional Portfolio. Candidates are required to distribute the questionnaires to the families they serve and include them in their CDA Professional Portfolio. The Family Questionnaires allow the Candidate to review and address feedback from the families they serve to aid in their professional development. ​ 

Apply for the Credential ​

Refer to pages 19-22 in the CDA Competency Standards Book. ​

• Apply online for your CDA Credential using the YourCDA online application system or complete a paper application provided in the ​CDA Competency Standards Book.
• The non-refundable / non-transferable application fee of $425 must be submitted with your application.  Learn about CDA scholarships in your state.
• Once your CDA application has been reviewed and accepted you will receive a Ready to Schedule notification from the Council. 

Verification Visit ​

Refer to the CDA Competency Standards Book starting on page 22/23.

Once you receive your Ready to Schedule notification from the Council, you are ready to schedule your CDA Verification Visit and CDA Exam.​
Next, you’ll need to find a CDA Professional Development Specialist to do your Verification Visit. Use the Council’s directory to find a PD Specialist near you, When your PD Specialist arrives at your workplace for the Visit, he or she will complete the following steps:

1. Review your Professional Portfolio, transcripts and/or certificates from your Professional Education coursework, and Family Questionnaires.
2. Observe you working with children and record applicable evidence or information.
3. Reflect with you about your strengths or opportunities for growth as noted from items #1 and 2.
4. Remember to get your director’s signature before the visit, and afterward, obtain your PD Specialist’s ID number.

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CDA Exam ​ 

Refer to pages 26-29 in the CDA Competency Standards Book. 

The CDA Exam includes 65 multiple-choice questions, which includes five scenario questions where a short narrative is required, and candidates have up to an hour and 45 minutes to complete it. CDA Exams are provided through a Pearson VUE testing center near you. 
​
After you have completed all the required steps, you should receive your credentialing decision from the Council within a week if there are no errors or missing information. Exam Envelope with Congratulations inside and Verification Visit scores are generally transmitted within 24-48 hours of completion, and the decision takes 1-3 business days from that point.
 
However, if information is missing or there are errors, it could take 4-6 weeks to receive your credentialing decision as errors are corrected and/or missing information is retrieved. You will receive a notice by mail about your credentialing decision. ​