Assistant Candidate Guide

There are three pathways to certification:

Education Pathway

Pathway 1

• Successfully complete a Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)/National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education (NCOPE) approved assistant education program.

Clinical Experience Pathways

There are two experience pathways for eligibility.  For either, you must have:  

• High school diploma, GED certificate, college transcript or World Education Service (WES) Credential Evaluation (only applicable if you received your education in a foreign country)
• ​Completion of three semester hours in each of the following courses (each course must be from a regionally accredited institution of higher learning):  ​

• ​​​Human Anatomy
• ​​​​​General/Fundamental Physics
• ​​​Medical Terminology

Pathway 2

• For single discipline certification, completion of 12 months (a minimum of 1900 hours) of clinical experience under Direct Supervision of a certified/licensed orthotist or prosthetist.
• ​For dual discipline certification, completion of 18 months of clinical experience in both orthotics and prosthetics with a minimum of six months in each discipline under Direct Supervision of a certified/licensed orthotist or prosthetist.

Pathway 3

For those who currently hold a nationally recognized certification in a related allied health profession (e.g., Medical Assistant, Athletic Trainer, Physical Therapist/PTA, Occupational Therapist/OTA).

• For single discipline certification, completion of 500 hours of clinical experience under Direct Supervision of an ABC Certified Orthotist or Prosthetist.
• ​For dual discipline certification, completion of 1,000 hours of clinical experience in both orthotics and prosthetics with a minimum of 250 hours in each discipline.

Please reference the Scope of Practice for more information on Direct Supervision.

We encourage you to use the Orthotic Assistant Exam Candidate Self-Assessment Checklist or the  Prosthetic Assistant Exam Candidate Self-Assessment Checklist as a tool to guide you through your work experience and to make sure that you are getting the type and amount of experience in each area that the profession expects.

Extension of Credential (CPOA)

If you are seeking to extend your credential to CPOA (certification in the second discipline), you must meet the education and experience requirements in effect when you apply for the second discipline.  Additionally, you must be in good standing with your primary certification. No exceptions will be made.