ABC and NCOPE are working to advance the process of becoming a CPO by transitioning to new residency standards and certification exams that require both disciplines. This decision was one of the outcomes of a conference that discussed entry level practitioner competency evaluation, followed by a thorough discussion amongst both organizations’ Board of Directors.

While maintaining the high standards of clinical education, residency and certification, our goal is to lower the barriers that presently exist for entry into the profession and ensure that we can meet the present and future workforce demands. The respective Boards agreed that with the educational requirements of a master’s degree including both prosthetics and orthotics, it is consistent to also transition the residency standards and practitioner exams to include both disciplines. 

In 2019, the ABC practitioner written exam was restructured to include both disciplines with the vision to eventually transition the simulation and clinical practice management exams. Along with this effort, NCOPE is in the process of developing new residency standards that are structured to require all practitioner candidates to obtain both prosthetic and orthotic residency experiences. Completing a single discipline residency and obtaining a single discipline certification will no longer be an option. 

The first administration of the dual-discipline Simulation exam is planned for April 2027, and the dual-discipline CPM exam is scheduled to begin in May 2027.

Single discipline Simulation and CPM exams will continue to be available through December 2029.

For the most up-to-date information about these changes and a detailed timeline, please visit:

ABC Certification FAQs      NCOPE Residency FAQs