Certified Crop Advisers (CCA)

There are over 15,000 Certified Crop Advisers (CCA) providing information to farmers on agronomic practices in North America. These CCAs have met standards set by the American Society of Agronomy (ASA) including examination, education and experience. You will find CCA's working in public, private and commercial positions as field sales or agronomists, natural resource conservation, extension, consulting and farm management firms.

Certification is the criteria developed by a profession to confirm that an individual meets the minimum qualifications to practice the profession. It is a standard of excellence used in many professions, including law, accounting, and engineering. With the CCA program, you can demonstrate your valuable agronomic expertise to the farmer you advise.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is the Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) program?

CCA is designed to establish base standards of knowledge for individuals who advise growers on crop management and production inputs. It's a way for our industry to demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to help growers produce economical and environmentally sound crops.

Is certification mandatory?
The CCA program is a voluntary effort to establish base standards of knowledge, skills and abilities for crop advising. Participating in the CCA program is a positive step for both you and your industry.

What are the benefits to certification?
Many professions use certification to promote a high degree of professionalism and instill public trust. Take for instance accounting,  customers tend to feel more comfortable working with someone who is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Customer's will have the same expectations for a Certified Crop Adviser.

Who is behind this program?
CCA is one of the certification programs of the American Society of Agronomy (ASA). It is being coordinated by the Federation of certifying Boards in Agriculture, Biology, Earth and Environmental Sciences (ARCPACS) - which is a membership service of the ASA. Certification of CCA credentials and development of CCA exam questions are being handled by state/regional/provincial (local) boards composed of representatives from agribusiness, agricultural consulting, universities and government agencies.

What are the requirements for certification?
First, you must have two years of crop advising experience and a B.S. degree in agronomy or four years of post high school experience. An applicant must pass a CCA local and international exam, and sign a code of ethics.

Why is a local board necessary?
The CCA local boards are needed to provide direct linkage between the registrants and state agencies which will have oversight of agricultural and environmental compliance.

What will the international and local CCA exam cover?
Four areas are covered in each exam:

• Soils and soil fertility;
• Soil and water management;
• Plant growth and development;
• Pest management (weeds, insects, and disease).

How can I prepare for the exams?
Obtain the International CCA Exam Performance Objectives from ASA or the local board office. Also materials to review the agronomic information covered in the exams are available from many excellent sources, including your local Extension Service, colleges and universities offering agronomy courses and the Potash and Phosphate Institute (PPI). In addition many agriculture supply companies offer company-sponsored training programs.

When will the exam be offered?
The international and state exams are offered the first Friday in February of each year. The deadline to register for these exams are usually mid-December. Click here for details.