- What Pediatric Audiology Specialty Certification Actually Is
- Who Issues It and How It Fits With Other Credentials
- Who Can Apply: Eligibility in Plain Terms
- What the Exam Looks Like
- The Six Content Domains
- Registration Mechanics and Fees
- Remote Testing Rules You Need to Know
- Scoring, Results and Retake Windows
- A Domain-Weighted Preparation Sequence
- Maintaining BC-PA: Renewal Every Three Years
- Who Hires Board Certified Pediatric Audiologists
- Frequently Asked Questions
- PASC awards the Board Certified in Pediatric Audiology (BC-PA) designation through the American Board of Audiology.
- The exam has 120 questions: 100 scored items plus 20 unscored beta items, in 2 hours 30 minutes.
- Assessment and Diagnosis is the heaviest domain at 24%, followed by Case Management and Counseling at 22%.
- Eligibility requires 550 pediatric direct-patient hours and 50 case-management hours within a two-year span; externship hours don't count.
What Pediatric Audiology Specialty Certification Actually Is
PASC stands for Pediatric Audiology Specialty Certification. It is a voluntary, specialty-level credential for audiologists whose daily work centers on infants, children and adolescents. Candidates who meet the application requirements and pass the exam earn the designation Board Certified in Pediatric Audiology (BC-PA).
The acronym is shared by other, unrelated credentials in other fields. This article covers only the audiology program. If you've landed here searching for the acronym itself, our explainers on what PASC stands for and PASC meaning cover the naming question, and the broader overview at What Is PASC? puts the program in context.
The credential exists because pediatric audiology is its own discipline. Testing a four-month-old with auditory brainstem response, selecting amplification for a toddler with progressive hearing loss, counseling a family after a newborn screening referral and coordinating with early intervention and school teams all demand skills that general audiology training only touches. PASC is designed to verify those skills against a defined blueprint.
Who Issues It and How It Fits With Other Credentials
The American Board of Audiology (ABA) administers the program. The ABA is the certifying arm associated with the American Academy of Audiology, and its materials describe PASC as independent of its other certification offerings.
That independence matters for career planning. An audiologist who has never pursued another board credential can still apply, provided the pediatric experience requirements are met. Conversely, holding another credential does not exempt you from any part of the PASC process. If you already hold one ABA credential and add a second, the application fee receives a USD 50 reduction.
Who Can Apply: Eligibility in Plain Terms
PASC eligibility is built around documented pediatric clinical work rather than years since graduation alone. A full walkthrough lives in our PASC requirements guide; here is the core list.
- Education: a graduate audiology degree from a regionally accredited institution, verified by an official transcript.
- Licensure: a permanent U.S. audiology license, or valid license/work authorization for international and U.S.-territory applicants.
- Professional experience: paid, post-degree professional experience.
- Pediatric direct-patient hours: 550 hours.
- Pediatric case-management hours: 50 hours.
- Time frame: the 550 and 50 hours must fall within two consecutive years inside the preceding five years.
- References: two professional references, one of whom is a supervisor.
- Documentation: documented experience and an ethics agreement.
A wording discrepancy worth knowing about
The live application specifies a minimum of 2,000 professional hours within two years. The handbook phrases the same idea as two years of post-degree, full-time (2,000) hours. These are worded differently, and you should read both the application page and the handbook before submitting. Do not assume a larger threshold than either document states; neither source describes a 4,000-hour requirement. If your employment history is part-time or non-standard, contact the ABA to confirm how your hours will be evaluated before you pay the application fee.
What the Exam Looks Like
The PASC exam is a computer-based, closed-book test delivered remotely. Understanding the structure helps you pace yourself and avoid surprises.
| Feature | PASC Detail |
|---|---|
| Total questions | 120 |
| Scored items | 100 |
| Unscored beta items | 20 (indistinguishable from scored items) |
| Time allowed | 2 hours 30 minutes |
| Answer options | Four per question |
| Single-answer items | One correct answer |
| Multiple-response items | Two or three correct answers |
| Guessing penalty | None |
| Language | English only (standard testing) |
Two format points deserve emphasis. First, because there is no guessing penalty, an unanswered item offers no scoring advantage; always select something. Second, the multiple-response items require you to identify two or three correct options from four, which rewards precise knowledge rather than recognition of the single best answer. Practice with that item style early. Our difficulty guide discusses how candidates experience the format, and you can rehearse it with the question sets on the PASC practice test site.
The Six Content Domains
The exam blueprint divides content into six formal domains. The current handbook publishes scored-item allocations of 24, 21, 22, 16, 9 and 8 out of 100, and the ABA's November 13, 2023 revised-blueprint announcement publishes the matching percentage weights. These are exam content domains, not a recommended curriculum, so use them to judge where points are, not to dictate how you learn. For a deeper breakdown, see the complete guide to all six content areas.
Domain 1: Assessment and Diagnosis of Auditory and Vestibular Disorders (24%)
The largest domain. Expect questions on selecting and interpreting test batteries across developmental ages.
- Behavioral and electrophysiologic assessment of infants and young children
- Interpreting results for differential diagnosis, including auditory neuropathy spectrum considerations
- Vestibular assessment in pediatric populations
- Cross-check principles and test-selection reasoning
Domain 3: Case Management and Counseling (22%)
The second-heaviest domain and one that many technically strong clinicians underestimate.
- Family-centered counseling after diagnosis
- Coordination with early intervention, medical and educational teams
- Follow-up, tracking and loss-to-follow-up concerns
- Communicating results and options to caregivers
Domain 2: Habilitation/Rehabilitation (21%)
Intervention planning for children with hearing loss.
- Hearing aid selection, fitting and verification for pediatric patients
- Cochlear implant candidacy and device management
- Auditory training and communication-development support
- Outcome measurement and ongoing device monitoring
Domain 4: Medical Audiology (16%)
The medical context surrounding pediatric hearing and balance conditions.
- Etiologies of childhood hearing loss, including genetic and congenital causes
- Middle ear disease and its audiologic presentation
- When to refer and to whom
Domain 5: Professional and Regulatory Issues (9%)
Ethics, scope of practice and the regulatory landscape governing pediatric care.
Domain 6: Educational Audiology (8%)
The school-based side of pediatric hearing care.
- Classroom listening environments and accessibility technology
- Collaboration with school teams on educational planning
One note on naming: the 2023 announcement adds "patients with" wording to Domain 1, but the current handbook and live-page wording controls the heading, so the domain is listed above as it appears there.
Registration Mechanics and Fees
PASC involves two separate steps with two separate charges: an application (which ABA reviews for eligibility) and an exam registration. You apply first, wait for approval, then register for a testing window.
| Fee | Academy Member | Non-Member |
|---|---|---|
| Application | USD 125 | USD 160 |
| Exam registration | USD 395 | USD 440 |
| Combined first application and exam | USD 520 | USD 600 |
These totals exclude membership dues. A second-certification application receives a USD 50 application-fee reduction. For a fuller accounting that includes renewal and ongoing costs, see the PASC certification cost breakdown.
The next testing window
- Application deadline: March 9, 2027
- Exam registration period: January 12 to April 13, 2027
- Exam window: May 3 to 17, 2027
Because the application must be approved before you can register, treat the application deadline as your real starting gun. Gathering the transcript, references and documented hours takes longer than most candidates expect. Our PASC exam dates guide tracks windows and scheduling details.
Remote Testing Rules You Need to Know
Testing is delivered through Prolydian with Proctor360 live remote proctoring. Older materials that mention Examity delivery are outdated; follow the current Prolydian/Proctor360 instructions.
- Equipment: a desktop or laptop, a webcam and a microphone. Tablets, phones and Chromebooks do not meet the device requirements.
- Environment: a private room, with identity and room checks before the exam begins.
- Identification: a current government-issued photo and signature ID matching the name on your registration.
- Prohibited: calculators, notes, dual monitors and ordinary breaks. The exam is closed book.
- Accommodations: approved accommodations are handled through a separate process, so request them well ahead of your window.
Scoring, Results and Retake Windows
How passing is determined
PASC uses criterion-referenced scoring. Passing standards are set with a modified Angoff method, and your result depends on your overall raw score across the 100 scored items, with a difficulty adjustment. There is no single fixed universal passing percentage, which is why guides that quote a flat cut score should be treated with caution. Our PASC passing score article explains the mechanics in more depth.
What the published results show
The ABA's August 6, 2026 report gives a Spring 2026 first-time pass rate of 82.6%, while 20 of 25 candidates passed overall. Those two figures use different denominators: one counts first-time testers only, the other counts all candidates including repeaters. A separate 2025 report cites a first-time rate of 86.9%, but that describes a different cohort and should not be read as a 2026 number. For context on interpreting these figures, see what the pass-rate data shows.
Timing and retakes
Results arrive approximately eight weeks after the administration. The current handbook permits testing and retakes for five years, beginning on the first day of the next testing window after your application is approved. An older FAQ counts the five years from your first test date instead. This is a genuine source conflict; follow the current handbook, and confirm with the ABA if your timeline is tight. Once eligibility expires, you must submit a new application, new documentation and new fees.
A Domain-Weighted Preparation Sequence
You don't need an elaborate system; you need to allocate effort where the points are. The blueprint tells you that Domains 1 and 3 together carry 46 of 100 scored items. A sensible sequence front-loads those, then builds outward. This is one illustration, not a mandate; for a fuller plan, see the PASC study guide.
Assessment and Diagnosis, then Case Management
- Review pediatric test-battery selection and interpretation across ages
- Practice multiple-response items, where partial knowledge costs you
- Revisit counseling frameworks and care-coordination scenarios
Habilitation/Rehabilitation and Medical Audiology
- Refresh amplification, verification and cochlear implant management
- Review etiologies and referral logic
Professional/Regulatory, Educational Audiology, and a full timed run
- Cover the two smallest domains efficiently
- Take a timed 120-question practice set to rehearse the 2 hour 30 minute pace
Candidates often neglect Domain 3 because it feels softer than the technical domains, yet it is the second-largest on the blueprint. A one-page recap can help in the final days; our PASC cheat sheet is built for that purpose, and you can drill questions at the main practice test page.
Maintaining BC-PA: Renewal Every Three Years
Certification is not permanent. BC-PA must be renewed every three years.
- Total CE: 60 hours
- Of those, pediatric: 30 hours
- Of those, Tier 1: 15 hours
- Of those, professional ethics: 3 hours
- Compliance: continued ethics and licensure compliance
- Fee: USD 360 for either membership group
Key Takeaway
The pediatric, Tier 1 and ethics categories are subsets of the same 60-hour total, not additions to it. A single course can satisfy more than one category. Excess hours do not carry forward into the next cycle, so plan your CE to hit each category rather than over-accumulating.
Who Hires Board Certified Pediatric Audiologists
Demand for pediatric specialization concentrates in settings where children's hearing and balance care is the core mission or a major service line:
- Children's hospitals and pediatric medical centers
- University-affiliated audiology and otolaryngology clinics
- Cochlear implant and hearing-device programs serving children
- Early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) programs
- School districts and educational audiology services
- Private practices with a pediatric focus
The credential does not guarantee a job or a specific pay level, and this article does not attempt to quote earnings figures. For discussion of compensation and return on the credential, see the PASC salary guide and the analysis of whether PASC is worth it, and browse PASC jobs for the settings that value it. If you're weighing preparation resources, the overview of PASC training is a useful starting point.
For a related primer on the credential's name and scope, see What Is PASC Certification?, which sits alongside this explainer in our series.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Under the current handbook and program page, general ABA certification, the CCC-A and professional membership are not prerequisites. Older materials that suggest otherwise, including the January 2024 handbook introduction, are superseded.
No. Externship hours do not qualify. The 550 pediatric direct-patient hours and 50 case-management hours must come from paid, post-degree professional experience within two consecutive years inside the preceding five.
There are 120 questions, of which 100 are scored and 20 are unscored beta items. You can't tell which are which, and there is no guessing penalty, so answer every question. You have 2 hours 30 minutes.
The combined first application and exam cost is USD 520 for Academy members and USD 600 for non-members, excluding membership dues. A second-certification application receives a USD 50 application-fee reduction.
No. Testing requires a desktop or laptop with a webcam and microphone, in a private room, using Prolydian with Proctor360 live remote proctoring. Tablets, phones and Chromebooks do not meet the requirements.