How does a certification organization get "NOCA Accreditation"?

For the record, there is no such thing as "NOCA Accreditation". The person asking that question was likely referring to NCCA accreditation as the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) is the Institute for Credentialing Excellence's (formely NOCA) accrediting body. NCCA evaluates certification organizations for compliance with the NCCA Standards for the Accreditation of Certification Programs.

Obtaining NCCA accreditation is a rigorous process and a new certification program can apply for accreditation either after one year of administration of their assessment instrument or when at least 500 candidates have been assessed with their instrument, whichever comes first.

The process for accreditation is straight forward and clearly spelled out on the Institute for Credentialing Excellence's website at www.credentialingexcellence.org. Please check their website to see the full requirements for NCCA accreditation. Here’s a brief overview of the accreditation process:

1. NCCA has three application deadlines each year: January 31, April 30, and September 30.
2. An organization is asked to submit a letter of intent to apply for NCCA accreditation three months before NCCA’s application deadline.
3. Submitted applications are sent to NCCA Commissioners who have approximately 1-3 months to review the applications before the full commission meets in person to discuss an accreditation decision.
4. Applicants receive their official notification approximately 45 days following the meeting at which their application was discussed.

The bottom line:  CCHI is a member of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (formerly NOCA), and pleased to be the Institute for Credentialing Excellence's first and only member focusing on certification for healthcare interpreters. CCHI is established in compliance with the accreditation requirements set forth by NCCA and will follow NCCA’s nationally recognized processes to develop its certification program.