Illustration of a continuing care assistant on a coastal path with a lighthouse and a small care home in Nova Scotia.

How to become a CCA in Nova Scotia

Insights · Registration · September 27, 2026 · 3 min read

To become a CCA in Nova Scotia you complete a recognised continuing care assistant program, pass the CCA Certification Exam, and join the CCA Registry. Unlike most provinces, every step is required.

Training: A recognised CCA program from a licensed provider, or Recognizing Prior Learning (RPL)
Program length: Typically completed within six months full-time, or within one year part-time
Admission: Grade 12 or GED, or mature student (19 or older and out of school at least a year)
Exam: CCA Certification Exam: 150 multiple-choice questions, up to two hours, written online
Registry: Required. Free, public, renewed every year between 1 January and 31 March
Title: "CCA" is a protected title. CCAs are not a regulated profession

Step 1: finish a recognised CCA program

Nova Scotia's CCA program is taught by providers licensed by the Department of Seniors and Long-Term Care. The province lists them on its become-a-CCA page. A program is typically finished within six months full-time, or within one year part-time.

The exam FAQ lists the hours you need before you can write: 522 hours of theory and lab, 190 in a nursing home, 80 in home care and 60 in another setting. You also need six certificates:

Dementia: Understanding the Journey
Occupational Health and Safety
WHMIS
Food Hygiene
LEAP or the Nova Scotia palliative care course
Standard First Aid and CPR Level C

Nova Scotia also offers free tuition to citizens and permanent residents who commit to two years with a funded employer. Check the current terms on novascotia.ca before you apply.

Already experienced? Recognizing Prior Learning

If you have care experience or training from another province or country, the Recognizing Prior Learning (RPL) route can count it toward the program. It does not replace the exam, which every route leads to. Internationally educated nurses whose credentials NNAS finds comparable may be hired as CCAs.

Step 2: the CCA Certification Exam

Your program provider pre-registers you about ten weeks before your course ends, and you book a sitting from the email Yardstick sends. The exam has 150 multiple-choice questions and runs for up to two hours. You write it online through Yardstick Meazures with a ProctorU remote proctor, on a laptop or desktop with a camera and microphone. A phone or tablet will not do.

Your first sitting is included in your program. A rewrite costs $150 plus HST. You have up to three attempts. The official sources describe the waiting time between attempts differently, so ask the CCA Program for the current rule before you book a rewrite. The exam is pass or fail, and the pass mark is not released.

Step 3: join the CCA Registry, and renew it every year

Under the Continuing Care Assistants Registry Act, the registry has been live since 2 February 2022. Joining is required, free and public. The occupational standards list what certification needs: English at CLB 7, a clear criminal record and a clear vulnerable sector check. You renew every year between 1 January and 31 March.

"CCA" is a protected title, so only certified CCAs can use it. CCAs are still not a regulated profession. Some employers hire staff conditionally before certification, and those staff must be certified within three years.

How practice fits in

The program teaches the work, and the exam checks whether you choose the safe, in-scope answer when the options look alike. Our Nova Scotia CCA exam practice is written to the CCA occupational standards and Nova Scotia law, and explains every answer. If you trained under a different title in another province, see health care aide vs personal support worker. CareAide is practice only. It is not a program, the registry or the exam administrator.

Common questions

How long does it take to become a CCA in Nova Scotia?

The CCA program is typically completed within six months full-time, or within one year part-time. After that you write the CCA Certification Exam and join the registry.

What is on the Nova Scotia CCA exam?

The CCA Certification Exam has 150 multiple-choice questions and runs up to two hours. It is written online with a remote proctor, and it is pass or fail.

Do CCAs in Nova Scotia have to register?

Yes. Under the Continuing Care Assistants Registry Act, certified CCAs must be on the CCA Registry. It is free, and you renew it every year between 1 January and 31 March.

Can I become a CCA in Nova Scotia with experience from another province?

Yes, through Recognizing Prior Learning (RPL), which can count experience or training from another province or country. You still need to pass the CCA Certification Exam.