Cancer Registrar Certification

As a cancer registrar, you won’t need state licensing. Voluntary certification, though, can be a boost to your career. Cancer registrars are certified through the National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA) Council on Certification. There are two paths to eligibility: through work experience or through formal education. It’s easier, of course, to get the requisite job experience if you have a degree in a closely related field like health information management. Traditionally, a number of people in the health information management field have made the transition into cancer registry work. If you don’t have a year of full-time experience (1,950 hours), though, you’ll need to provide evidence of having completed an NCRA-accredited program.

The exam is multiple choice and consists of two parts. It is administered via computer. General content is closed book; some of the more specialized material is open book. You can find a candidate handbook on the NCRA site and also a demo of the computerized testing process. Successful completion of the exam confers the title Certified Tumor Registrar (CTR).

Cancer registrars are lifelong learners. The certification cycle is two years, and you must meet a continuing education requirement to renew. There are a lot of options which will allow to tailor your learning to suit your needs and also fit the courses easily into your schedule. You can, for example, attend NCRA conference presentations virtually. Also be aware that the NCRA has state chapters around the nation. Stay in touch with yours. Some host a number of events – and there are networking opportunities as well.