Anesthesiologist Assistant Certification Exam Results
Second-year students in their last semester at the Cleveland location apply for initial certification from the National Commission for Certification of Anesthesiologist Assistants, or NCCAA. The majority of CWRU MSA students sit for the certifying exam in February of each year. Students sit for certification prior to graduation, meaning CWRU MSA students are applying for certification prior to formally completing their program of study.
The program believes sitting for the exam in February gives our students a competitive edge on the job market over peers from other anesthesiologist assistant programs. The first attempt pass rates noted below are an illustration of our students preparedness and the excellence of our curriculum.
Students who may not pass on their first attempt have the opportunity to sit for the exam again in June of the same year, with the benefit of continued education in the classroom and operating room. The program works with these individuals to review their results, identify areas of improvement, and support strong study habits. The cumulative pass rates illustrate the certification success rate of our students at the time of graduation.
Each August, the program publishes the number of students who graduated, the number who passed the exam, and the number who failed. Numbers are reported for both the first attempt and the cumulative rates.
The following table shows the Cleveland location three year rolling average between 2023 - 2025.
| Retention | Placement | NCCAA First Attempt Passing Average | NCCAA Cumulative Passing Average | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 91.14% | 100% | 95.77% | 100% | 71 |
The following table shows the Cleveland location NCCAA exam outcomes since 2011.
| Year of Graduation | Examinees | First Attempt Pass | First Attempt Fail | Cumulative Pass | Cumulative Fail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 26 | 23 | 3 | 26 | 0 |
| 2024 | 23 | 22 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| 2023 | 22 | 23 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| 2022 | 26 | 24 | 2 | 26 | 0 |
| 2021 | 23 | 23 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| 2020 | 24 | 23 | 1 | 24 | 0 |
| 2019 | 18 | 17 | 1 | 18 | 0 |
| 2018 | 20 | 19 | 1 | 20 | 0 |
| 2017 | 20 | 19 | 1 | 20 | 0 |
| 2016 | 18 | 18 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| 2015 | 20 | 20 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| 2014 | 17 | 17 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| 2013 | 21 | 18 | 3 | 21 | 0 |
| 2012 | 16 | 15 | 1 | 16 | 0 |
| 2011 | 14 | 13 | 1 | 14 | 0 |
| Total | 308 | 294 | 14 | 308 | 0 |
| Rates | 95.45% | 4.55% | 100.00% | 0.00% |
Cleveland Student Attrition
Attrition refers to the percentage of students in Cleveland who enrolled but voluntarily withdrew or were separated from the program. The program publishes these numbers each August.
Withdrawal and separation are taken seriously by the MSA Program. In the event a student is considering withdrawing, they are asked to meet with the program director. Each situation is different, and the program strives to accommodate the student whenever possible.
The following table shows the Cleveland location student attrition rates since 2011.
| Year of Graduation | Initial Enrollment | Voluntary Withdrawal | Separated | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 29 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2024 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 26 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| 2021 | 24 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020 | 25 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | 21 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2013 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 337 | 22 | 4 | 2 |
| Rates | 6.53% | 1.19% | 0.59% |
Cleveland Employment Rates
At the time of commencement, the MSA Program requests employment information from all graduates. The program publishes these numbers within six months of graduation.
The following table shows the Cleveland location employment rates since 2011.
| Year of Graduation | Graduated | Employed | Seeking Work | Employed after 6 months | Total Employed | Total Employed % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 26 | 26 | 0 | 26 | 100.00% | |
| 2024 | 23 | 23 | 0 | 23 | 100.00% | |
| 2023 | 22 | 22 | 0 | 22 | 100.00% | |
| 2022 | 26 | 26 | 0 | 26 | 100.00% | |
| 2021 | 23 | 23 | 0 | 23 | 100.00% | |
| 2020 | 24 | 24 | 0 | 24 | 100.00% | |
| 2019 | 20 | 20 | 0 | 20 | 100.00% | |
| 2018 | 20 | 20 | 0 | 20 | 100.00% | |
| 2017 | 20 | 20 | 0 | 20 | 100.00% | |
| 2016 | 18 | 18 | 0 | 18 | 100.00% | |
| 2015 | 20 | 20 | 0 | 20 | 100.00% | |
| 2014 | 17 | 17 | 0 | 17 | 100.00% | |
| 2013 | 21 | 20 | 1 | 20 | 95.24% | |
| 2012 | 16 | 15 | 1 | 15 | 93.75% | |
| 2011 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 100.00% | |
| Total | 310 | 308 | 2 | 308 | ||
| Rates | 99.35% | 0.65% | 99.35% | |||
For an overview of the Master of Science in Anesthesia Program's, click here.
Review outcomes for our Houston location here, Washington location here or Austin location here.
1 Deceased.
2 One Cleveland student from the 2020 cohort took a leave of absence and upon their return joined the 2021 cohort.