Examination
Little Hover Commission 2004
Regulation of Acupuncture: A Complementary Therapy Framework
In SB 1951, the Legislature asked the Commission to:
"Evaluate the national examination, administered by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, and make recommendations as to whether or not the national examination should be offered in California in lieu of, or as part of, the state examination."
Finding 4: The examination of candidates for licensure is a critical quality control measure for assuring competency of providers and is an essential mechanism for ensuring that evolving public policy goals are met.
California's regulator has had difficulties with the acupuncture examination, including documented fraud and criminal charges during the 1980s that spawned security improvements. Efforts to improve the examination also have included consideration of replacing California's licensure test with the examination offered by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). However, the California profession has resisted this change over concerns that the NCCAOM test was inadequate. The Acupuncture Board also asserts that it is important for the State to maintain control of the test.