Guide to Applying for CCC-SLP Certification

You may apply for the CCC-SLP at any time before, during or after your Clinical Fellowship (CF). The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, or ASHA, certifies individuals as CCC-SLPs who meet its requirements.

ASHA certification (CCC-SLP) is not the same as a state license to practice. ASHA explains that licensure is designed to protect the public, while holding the CCC-SLP is voluntary and shows you have met standards endorsed by a national professional body. Licensure requirements come from your state regulatory agency or licensing board, so check how your state treats the CCC-SLP in our state-by-state guide to speech pathology licenses.

What Goes Into Your CCC-SLP Application?

According to ASHA's application instructions, you'll need to complete the online application, include your dues and fees payment and provide the required documentation (some items are submitted through your ASHA account):

• Passing Praxis exam scores, sent directly to ASHA from ETS.
• An official graduate school transcript verifying the date and degree awarded.
• Clinical Fellowship (CF) reporting completed through your ASHA account, with your CF mentor verifying your hours, weeks and final Clinical Fellowship Skills Inventory (CFSI) ratings in the CF Mentor Portal.
• Disclosure documents (if you checked “yes” to a disclosure question on the application).

These items don't have to arrive in a set order. Under ASHA's application rules, transcripts and Praxis scores can be submitted after you apply, and you don't need to have started or finished your Clinical Fellowship to apply. Several time limits are tied to the date ASHA receives your application, so plan when you submit it (see the timeline below).

Which Certification Standards Apply to Your Application?

You apply under the standards in effect when ASHA receives your application, not the standards in effect when you graduated. Under ASHA's 2027 transition rules, applications received through July 31, 2027, must meet the 2020 Standards, and applications received on or after August 1, 2027, must meet the 2027 Standards without exception. If you graduate around that date, review ASHA's crosswalk documents on that page, which compare the 2020 and 2027 standards, before you decide when to submit.

Speech Pathology Praxis Exam Scores

Completing the Praxis examination in Speech-Language Pathology is a critical part of pursuing SLP certification. For ASHA certification, the Praxis Speech-Language Pathology test code is 5331, and the qualifying score is 162. ASHA's Praxis guidance adds that scores run on a 100–200 scale, that candidates can take the exam more than once and that ASHA accepts scores obtained no more than 5 years before you submit your application. ASHA recommends taking the exam no earlier than the end of your graduate coursework and clinical practicum, or during your first year of clinical practice after graduation.

For ASHA certification, exam results must be sent directly to ASHA from ETS: when you register for the Praxis exam, select score recipient code R5031 and enter 5031.

Master’s in Speech Pathology Graduate School Transcripts

To qualify for CCC-SLP certification, applicants must have a speech pathology master’s degree from a Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA)-accredited program or a program with CAA-candidacy status. ASHA notes that you may apply any time after completing the necessary coursework and graduate clinical practicum and after receiving confirmation from your program director that the requirements in Standards I–V have been met. To verify proof of graduation, ASHA requires all candidates to provide an official transcript showing the degree and the date of award, which your institution may send directly to certification@asha.org.

Speech-Language Pathology Clinical Fellowship Reporting and Verification

The Clinical Fellowship can begin only after all of your academic coursework and graduate clinical practicum are complete; ASHA does not count CF hours earned while any coursework or practicum is unfinished.

The paper Clinical Fellowship Report has been replaced by online reporting through your ASHA account. Clinical Fellows enter CF information such as clinical hours, weeks worked and mentor information, and they document any job changes or changes in mentor by entering separate CF reports for each experience. According to ASHA's Clinical Fellowship Skills Inventory form, you must enter your CF details in your ASHA account within 90 days after you complete your Clinical Fellowship.

ASHA then emails your CF mentor, who completes the verification step in the CF Mentor Portal (within their ASHA account) by confirming your hours and weeks and your CFSI ratings for the final segment. According to ASHA's Clinical Fellowship guide, mentors must complete this verification within 90 days of ASHA's notification, and you need a rating of 2 or better on every CFSI skill in the final segment.

ASHA describes using the CFSI to track progress through each segment of the CF as best practice. The CFSI form itself is not submitted to ASHA: you and your mentor keep paper copies for your records, and your mentor enters the scores online. Our guide to the Clinical Fellowship Skills Inventory explains the skills and rating scale, and ASHA publishes the official CFSI form.

For more information on the fellowship experience and what to expect, read our SLP Guide to the ASHA Clinical Fellowship.

Disclosure Documents

The application includes disclosure questions about your criminal and professional history. According to ASHA's disclosure FAQs, you must submit documentation if you have ever been convicted of, been found guilty of, or pleaded guilty or no contest to a felony or to a misdemeanor involving dishonesty or physical harm (or the threat of it) to a person or property. The same applies if a professional association, licensing board or other regulatory body has disciplined or sanctioned you (other than for insufficient professional or continuing education) or denied you a license or credential.

Depending on your disclosure, ASHA asks for certified copies of court records or of the professional agency's documentation and, for professional discipline or denial, a resume showing your work history since the time of the offense. Certified copies must come from the court or agency that issued the record; a notary public can't certify them. Applications with a disclosure go through a separate review, which adds processing time.

CCC-SLP Fees and Dues

Be sure to submit payment in full with your CCC-SLP application. ASHA’s certification and membership fees are calendar-year based and can change, so confirm the current rates on ASHA’s CCC-SLP application page before you apply.

ASHA processes applications received between September 1 and December 31 for the current year but includes membership and certification through the following year, so timing your application can affect how much value you get from your first year.

New applicants may maximize value by applying between January 1 and August 31 with ASHA's New Professional Membership Package (up to 24 months of membership for the price of 12).

ASHA lists these initial application categories for CCC-SLP applicants:

The maintenance of your certification and/or membership, in addition to continuing professional development requirements (if applicable), is dependent upon payment of your annual dues and fees. ASHA's dues and fees FAQs list renewal dues/fees of $250 a year for certified members and $221 a year for certified nonmembers, due by December 31 each year.

CCC-SLP Application Timeline

After you submit your online application and the required additional documentation, ASHA asks you to allow approximately 6 weeks for the review of a completed application, and it can't award certification until it has verified that every requirement of the standards has been met. If you apply before or during your fellowship, that means certification can't be awarded until your Clinical Fellowship, which must total at least 36 weeks and 1,260 hours, is complete and verified. Until ASHA notifies you that certification has been awarded, you may not present yourself as holding the CCC-SLP.

Several time limits apply. Two run from your application, and two run from the end of your Clinical Fellowship:

• Praxis: You must pass the Praxis within 2 years of the date ASHA receives your application. If you don't, ASHA closes your certification file, and you would have to reapply under the standards in effect at that time.
• Starting the CF: ASHA gives applicants 2 years from the start of the certification process to begin their Clinical Fellowship.
• Reporting your CF: Enter your Clinical Fellowship details in your ASHA account within 90 days after you complete the CF, as ASHA's CFSI form instructs. Your mentor then has 90 days from ASHA's notification to verify them.
• Applying after the CF: If you finish your fellowship before you apply, ASHA requires you to apply for the CCC-SLP within 5 years of completing it.

Contact ASHA's Action Center at 800-498-2071 with any questions about applying for ASHA certification.

What if Your CCC-SLP Application Is Rejected?

If ASHA can’t approve your application right away, it’s often because something is missing or still pending. Start by comparing your submission to ASHA’s required items and actions, including:

• Praxis scores sent directly to ASHA from ETS
• An official graduate transcript showing your degree and award date
• Any required disclosure documentation (if you answered “yes” to a disclosure item)
• Your Clinical Fellowship reporting and verification steps in your ASHA account (CF report entered by the Clinical Fellow and verification completed by the CF mentor, including required CFSI minimums)

CCC-SLP Application FAQs

Will ASHA notify my state licensing board once I'm certified?

No. ASHA sends verification of certification only on request: you can download and print an official verification letter from its online Certification Verification system or ask the Action Center to send a letter to the agency you name.

Is the application different if I was educated outside the U.S.?

Yes. ASHA's requirements for internationally educated applicants include a mailed paper application, official English translations of your transcripts and an original credential evaluation report from a NACES member agency that is no more than 5 years old, among other documents.

Can I pay the application fee in installments or pay to speed up the review?

No. According to ASHA's dues and fees FAQs, payment must be submitted in full, in U.S. currency, with your application, and ASHA offers no expedited processing fee.

What happens to my fee if I'm found ineligible or withdraw?

If you are deemed ineligible or voluntarily withdraw within 1 year of your initial application payment, ASHA refunds the initial application fee minus a $50 nonrefundable processing fee. The fee is not refunded after your first dues/fees payment has been made or after 1 year from the application payment date, whichever comes first.