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CCC-SLP Requirements: Become a CCC-SLP

To earn the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), you need a graduate degree from a program accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) or in CAA candidacy, at least 400 hours of supervised clinical practicum, a passing Praxis score and a Clinical Fellowship of at least 36 weeks, under ASHA's 2020 certification standards. ASHA describes the CCC-SLP as a voluntary credential that typically goes beyond the minimum requirements for state licensure, so it sits alongside the state license you need for your career as a speech pathologist (ASHA).

This guide walks through each requirement, the application materials and fees, the 2027 standards and how to keep your certification current.

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What is the Role of the CCC-SLP Credential?

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is a third-party certifying organization for speech pathologists. Its Council for Clinical Certification in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CFCC) sets the standards for the CCC-SLP and administers certification maintenance, according to ASHA's certification standards. A CCC-SLP credential is an ASHA certification that helps ensure a pathologist is prepared to provide high-quality speech-language pathology services, including the professional development requirements they must continue to meet to stay up to speed on the latest information in the field.

The CCC-SLP is a nationally recognized professional credential, and holding it is voluntary (ASHA). It is separate from a state license: ASHA explains that licensure is designed to protect the public, while certification shows that a clinician has voluntarily met national standards (ASHA certification FAQs). For more on what the CCC-SLP means and why it matters, see our separate guide.

CCC-SLP Requirements

Applicants must meet the following requirements to earn the CCC-SLP certification from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), as set out in the 2020 Standards for the CCC-SLP:

  • Earn a master's, doctoral or other recognized post-baccalaureate degree, with all graduate coursework and graduate clinical experience completed in a CAA-accredited program or a program with CAA candidacy status. Applicants must also complete standalone coursework in biological sciences, chemistry or physics, social/behavioral sciences and statistics.
  • Complete at least 400 clock hours of supervised clinical practicum, including 25 hours of guided clinical observation and 375 hours of direct client contact.
  • Pass the Praxis Examination in Speech-Language Pathology; ASHA's current passing score is 162 (ASHA).
  • Complete a Clinical Fellowship of at least 36 weeks of full-time professional experience (35 hours a week) or its part-time equivalent, totaling at least 1,260 hours, under the mentorship of a qualified ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist.
  • Submit the online certification application with your dues and fees, then report your Clinical Fellowship through your ASHA account so your mentor can verify your hours and skills ratings (ASHA).

How Long Does it Take to Earn a Certificate of Clinical Competence for Speech Pathologists?

Becoming a CCC-SLP can take a number of years, when you include getting into speech pathology school, working toward graduation and completing a fellowship. Most aspiring SLPs complete a bachelor’s degree first (often in communication sciences and disorders or a related field), then earn a master’s degree in speech-language pathology from a CAA-accredited (or candidacy) program to meet ASHA’s CCC-SLP education requirement.

Next, you complete a master’s program in speech-language pathology. ASHA says the time to degree is generally 2 years of full-time study if you have a bachelor's degree in communication sciences and disorders (CSD), with additional time if you need prerequisite courses (ASHA). The Clinical Fellowship then takes at least 36 weeks: ASHA defines full time as 35 hours a week, and working more hours per week does not shorten the 36-week minimum (ASHA). That puts the minimum at roughly two years plus 36 weeks after a CSD bachelor's degree, before any prerequisite coursework or part-time study is added.

How to Become a CCC-SLP

To get your Certificate of Clinical Competence in the field of Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP), you must complete several education, examination, and professional experience requirements established by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).

  1. Complete a Speech Pathology Program Earn a master’s in speech pathology or higher from a program accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) or in CAA candidacy. ASHA requires all of your graduate coursework and graduate clinical experience to be started and completed in such a program, and your program of study must include at least 36 graduate semester credit hours (ASHA 2020 standards). You also need standalone courses in biological sciences, chemistry or physics, social/behavioral sciences and statistics. If your bachelor's degree didn't include them, ASHA notes that some graduate programs accept prerequisites completed through a leveling or post-baccalaureate program, while others build them into the graduate program (ASHA). All prerequisite and core coursework must be finished before your Clinical Fellowship hours can count (ASHA).
  2. Complete Your Practicum Hours As you earn your degree, you must complete at least 400 clock hours of supervised clinical practicum, according to the 2020 Standards for the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology: 25 hours of guided clinical observation and 375 hours of direct client contact. At least 325 hours must be completed while you're enrolled in your graduate program; at your program's discretion, up to 50 direct-contact hours from your undergraduate program may count. If you began your graduate program on or after January 1, 2023, at least 250 graduate hours must be on-site, in-person direct contact. Your clinical educators must hold ASHA certification, and direct supervision must be at least 25% of your contact time with each client. ASHA's standards also say supervised clinical experiences should include interprofessional education and collaborative practice.
  3. Get Verification from Your Program Director Your program director or official designee submits a verification form confirming that you completed the required coursework and supervised clinical experiences and met the knowledge and skills in ASHA's standards (ASHA 2020 standards). These cover nine areas: speech sound production; fluency; voice and resonance; receptive and expressive language; hearing; swallowing and feeding; cognitive aspects of communication; social aspects of communication; and augmentative and alternative communication.
  4. Pass the Praxis Exam Passing the Praxis Examination in Speech-Language Pathology requires a score of at least 162 on a 100–200 scale, the current score required by ASHA for certification. Your scores must be sent to ASHA directly by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), and the passing score must be earned no more than 5 years before you apply and within 2 years after ASHA receives your application. Each state sets its own passing score for licensure, which may be higher or lower than ASHA's.
  5. Complete Your Clinical Fellowship (CF) The Clinical Fellowship must total at least 36 weeks and 1,260 hours; part-time weeks count only if you work at least 5 hours a week. The CF can begin only after you finish all graduate coursework and practicum, and it must be completed within 48 months of the date it starts. Your mentor must hold the CCC-SLP, have at least 9 months of full-time experience after earning it and have completed 2 hours of professional development in supervision. At least 80% of the fellowship must be spent in direct clinical contact, and by the end your mentor rates your skills on the Clinical Fellowship Skills Inventory. Our guide to the ASHA Clinical Fellowship covers the experience in more detail.

For details on how to become a speech-language pathologist, check out our resource, How to Become a Speech Pathologist, a Step-By-Step Guide.

2027 CCC-SLP Standards: What Changes

ASHA's 2027 certification standards take effect on August 1, 2027. Applications received on or after that date must meet the 2027 standards, while applications received through July 31, 2027, follow the 2020 standards described on this page (ASHA). Several core figures carry over, including 400 hours of supervised practicum, a passing Praxis score and a Clinical Fellowship of at least 36 weeks and 1,260 hours (ASHA 2027 standards). Two changes: fellowship segments starting on or after August 1, 2027, may be completed entirely through telepractice, compared with up to 25% of direct contact hours for fellowships that began on or after January 1, 2023, under the 2020 standards (ASHA 2020 standards), and the 2027 practicum rules add a category for non-clinical care management, capped at 50 hours. Which set of standards applies overall depends on when ASHA receives your application, not when you graduate.

Materials to Submit to Apply for CCC-SLP Certification

When applying for the CCC-SLP credential, you must submit several documents and materials to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), according to ASHA's application instructions and certification standards.

  1. Completed CCC-SLP certification application submitted through ASHA’s online certification system, including your dues and fees payment.
  2. Official Praxis® Examination in Speech-Language Pathology scores sent directly to ASHA from the Educational Testing Service (ETS).
  3. Official graduate transcript verifying the date your master’s degree (or higher) in speech-language pathology was awarded. It can arrive after you apply, but it must reach ASHA within 1 year of the date ASHA receives your application.
  4. A program director verification form, completed by your program director or official designee.
  5. Clinical Fellowship report submitted through your ASHA account, listing your hours, weeks worked and CF mentor; your mentor then verifies your hours and Clinical Fellowship Skills Inventory ratings online.
  6. Certified copies of court or other legal documents, if you answer yes to a disclosure question on the application.

CCC-SLP Dues

Dues are paid annually to maintain certification. Your first year’s dues must be submitted with your application. ASHA's current application rates are (ASHA):

  • NSSLHA Conversion: $240, for members who held National NSSLHA membership for two consecutive years at the time of graduation and apply for ASHA membership and certification by August 31 of the year following graduation.
  • Certification with ASHA membership: $490.
  • Certification without ASHA membership: $446.
  • Certified Speech-Language Pathology Assistants (C-SLPA) who have completed a master's degree program in speech-language pathology and apply for ASHA membership and certification: $240.

ASHA sets its rates by calendar year. New applicants who apply between January 1 and August 31 with ASHA’s New Professional Membership Package can receive up to 24 months of membership for the price of 12, so check ASHA’s current dues and fees at the time you apply (ASHA).

After you submit a complete application and all required documents, ASHA asks you to allow about 6 weeks for its review (ASHA).

Speech Language Pathologist State Licensing

ASHA certification and a state license are separate credentials, and each state sets its own licensure requirements (ASHA certification FAQs). The Praxis passing score a state uses for licensure may also be higher or lower than ASHA's (ASHA). Every state and the District of Columbia has an authority that credentials speech-language pathologists, listed below; Colorado issues a certification rather than a license. Because requirements change, confirm them with your state's authority, or start with our state-by-state guide to speech pathology license requirements.

State Licensing Authorities for Speech-Language Pathologists

Maintaining Your CCC-SLP Credentials

According to ASHA, to maintain your CCC-SLP, you must pay annual dues or the annual certification fee, abide by the ASHA Code of Ethics, and submit a compliance form verifying your professional development. ASHA uses a 3-year certification maintenance interval; during each interval, you must earn 30 professional development hours (PDHs).

ASHA certification and ethics verification

ASHA-certified clinicians must abide by the ASHA Code of Ethics. You show knowledge of the code's principles and rules during your graduate program, and ethics stays part of maintaining the CCC-SLP: under requirements effective January 1, 2026, the 30 PDHs in each 3-year interval must include at least 1 PDH in ethics and 2 PDHs in topics such as providing services that align with the histories, values and circumstances of the people you serve. Employers, licensing agencies and the public can verify a clinician's ASHA certification online.

CCC-SLP FAQs

Do you need the CCC-SLP to practice speech-language pathology?

ASHA says holding the CCC is voluntary and separate from state licensure (ASHA certification FAQs). Licensure requirements are set by each state, so check with your state's licensing authority, listed above, to see what you need.

Can you apply for the CCC-SLP before finishing your Clinical Fellowship?

Yes. Once you've met the academic and practicum requirements, you may apply before, during or after your Clinical Fellowship. You must begin the fellowship within 2 years of the date ASHA receives your application, and you must complete it within 4 years of the date the fellowship starts (ASHA certification FAQs; ASHA 2020 standards).

What happens if you don't pass the Praxis exam?

You may retake it. If you don't pass within the 2-year application period, ASHA closes your certification file, and you'd need to reapply under the standards in effect at that time (ASHA).

Is a CCC-SLP a doctor?

No. The CCC-SLP is a certification, not a degree. ASHA requires a master's, doctoral or other recognized post-baccalaureate degree for certification (ASHA 2020 standards), so some certified speech-language pathologists hold doctorates, but the credential itself is not a doctoral degree.

Information last updated: October 2026