Certified Wound Care Associate Exam Review

The Certified Wound Care Associate (CWCA) examination can be taken by anyone with a high school diploma and three years clinical experience in wound care. As with the Certified Wound Care Specialist position, there are salary and occupation advantages for those who obtain certification from the American Academy of Wound Management. While non-U.S. citizens may register for the test, all of the testing centers are currently located in the United States.

Scores for the AAWM certification test are sent by postal mail four to six weeks after the test completion date. Since test registrants are pre-qualified for eligibility based on experience, the successful test taker will receive the certification by mail ninety days from the date of the test. Once the certification is obtained, the Certified Wound Care Associate must complete a minimum of six hours of Continuing Education Units each year to remain certified.

The exam itself consists of 150 multiple-choice items within five subject areas. Those who are determined eligible to take the test will be allotted three hours to complete the exam. The five general categories of the CWCA exam and the percentages of concentration are:

Physical Assessment: 25% of the questions on the exam are about the diagnosis of injuries, ranging from wound types and origins to lab testing to tissue and skin activity and other related phenomena.

Patient Preparation is the second component; 15% of the test will be devoted to questions within that context. Patient Preparation includes pain; patient movements and constraints; infection control; wound dressings; and the use of casts, splints, and ambulatory assistance equipment.

The third section of the test is Patient Treatment, which may include debridement, surgery, skin grafts, topical medications, various sorts of bandaging and compression arrangements, hydrotherapy, and the use of physical agents to stimulate healing. This portion will comprise 20% of the total exam content.

30% of the examination focuses upon Patient and Caregiver Education, specifically the treatment regimen provided in the Patient Treatment section.

Finally, 10% of exam questions focus on Program Administration, including discharge planning, documentation, and legal and ethical considerations.

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