Become a CCA

To become a certified crop advisor you must first have met certain educational and experience requirements. These requirements are listed below. The term crop advising is not limited to independent crop consulting, but includes many jobs where working with producers on agronomic and pest control issues is a major duty. However, crop advising must be a major duty- a spreader or sprayer driver is typically involved in very little advising.

Education Level Completed	Required Years of Experience in Crop Advising
Bacholer's Degree in Agriculture (4yr)	2
Associate's Degree in Agriculture (2yr)	3
No College	4

To become a Certified Crop Adviser you must first take and pass both an International and a Missouri competency exam. If you are already a CCA in another state, you need only take the Missouri exam if you wish to become a Missouri CCA.

The Missouri CCA exam contains 100 questions. Questions are all multiple choice with five possible answers. The questions are divided, approximately 25 each, into the categories of Crop Management, Nutrient Management, Pest Management and Soil & Water Management.

The Missouri CCA test is offered the first Friday in February every year. Missouri does not offer August tests, even though the ICCA exam may be offered in other states. The deadline to apply for the tests is typically in Mid December. The testing fee is $125 for the International test and $50 for the Missouri test ($175 for both). Retakes cost $100 and $25 for the International and Missouri Exams, respectively. Applications to take CCA tests should be sent to the ICCA program, not the Missouri CCA program.

The next Missouri test date is: February 2008.

MO-AG offers review materials for the CCA test. Please call MO-AG for more details, (573)636-6130.

After passing both tests, you must complete and submit credential forms available from ICCA. You must also submit transcripts of college course work, obtain recommendations from references and sign the CCA code of ethics. These forms must be submitted to the ICCA program typically in the early fall after passing the tests. Additional information is available at the ICCA Website.

After becoming a CCA you must obtain 40 credit hours of continuing education (CEU’s) per two-year certification cycle. Continuing education requirements are listed below.

Special Note: The National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) also has a certification and continuing education program. Their program shares many similarities with the CCA program, and in some cases CCA certification and CCA continuing education requirements overlap and may count for credit with the NRCS programs. However, NRCS requirements also differ from CCA requirements in several ways. Be sure to check with NRCS representatives, if you plan to use your CCA certification or continuing education for credit with NRCS programs.

CONTINUING EDUCATION AND RECERTIFICATION

The primary purpose for continuing education is to further enhance the skills of a CCA and routinely update their knowledge as new information and technologies become available. To ensure that the primary purpose of continuing education is achieved, specific requirements have been adopted that must be followed by a CCA to receive credit for continuing education activities.

Continuing education activities are measured in CEU’s, which are defined as one hour of quality contact time in training or other qualifying activity addressing international or local performance objectives.

Two-year CEU cycles begin on January 1 of each year. The continuing education requirements for maintaining certification are as follows:

A minimum of 40 CEU’s every two years with a minimum of five (5) CEU’s in each of the four competency areas.
A minimum of 20 CEU’s must be approved by the Missouri board (reciprocity has been reached with eight surrounding states), the remaining 20 can be acquired from Missouri, reciprocating states and/or internationally approved courses including internationally approved self study courses (a maximum of 20 CEU’s can be earned by self study courses).

Applicants may begin accumulating CEU’s on the day their CCA certificate is dated. CEU’s obtained after the date on the certificate, but prior to January 1, will count towards the first year of their two-year CEU cycle.

Note: Missouri CCA Board and ICCA Board always reserve the right to make changes to procedures and regulations.