Get Accredited
Q: Who was the first leader of the ACCME?
A: Frances Maitland
Q: How many commendation criteria must a provider select when applying for ACCME Accreditation with Commendation?
A: Eight of the sixteen.
Q: What is PARS?
A: The Program and Activity Reporting System (PARS)—ACCME’s portal providers use to enter activities and report individual learner completions (including CME and MOC/CC), enabling data to flow to licensing and participating certifying boards.
Q: What are the two types of certificates offered by ACCME?
A: The ACCME Certificate in Implementing the Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited CE and the ACCME Certificate in Data Management for Accredited CE
Q: When do we celebrate the contributions of healthcare CE professionals to improving patient care?
A: Healthcare Continuing Education Professionals Day (Jan. 22, 2027)
Q: What is the first step in the initial accreditation process?
A: Requesting a pre-application
Q (True or False): Our organization can achieve commendation if we have a noncompliance in only one of the core criteria.
A: False. ACCME requires full compliance with all core criteria and standards as a prerequisite for commendation; even a single noncompliance disqualifies the organization from earning commendation until it is resolved.
Q: Name one method providers can use to submit learner credit data to PARS.
A: Any of these count: manual web form, Excel batch file, XML batch file, or web services/API
Q (True/False): You must already have an ACCME Academy account to enroll in a Certificate Program.
A: False—account access is provided to enrollees
Q: Name the organizations that founded Healthcare Continuing Education Professionals Day.
A: ACCME, Alliance, Joint Accreditation, Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), Association for Hospital Medical Education (AHME), Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education (SACME)
Q (True or False): ACCME accredits organizations that are planning to develop a continuing medical education program.
A: False. Initial applicants must already have a CME program.
Q (Scenario): We only had a single noncompliance in one of the commendation criteria, and compliance with all of the core criteria and Standards. Must we wait for next cycle to apply for commendation?
A: No, a provider in this scenario may apply for commendation through a voluntary progress report submitted for the criterion found in noncompliance within one year.
Q: Within how many days are providers asked to submit learner completion data to PARS after the learner completes the activity?
A: Within 30 days
Q: What’s required to earn an ACCME Certificate?
A: Passing the validated final assessment; coursework and coaching webinars are strongly recommended but not required
Q: How can you celebrate Healthcare Continuing Education Professionals Day?
A: Thanks and Recognition: Social media post, awards ceremonies, professional development for your team, recognition letter from the CEO
Q: Most organizations meet ACCME criteria and standards more often than not.
A: True! Nonaccreditation decisions are rare and typically occur only if an applicant is not in compliance with any one of the Core Accreditation Criteria, Standards for Integrity and Independence, or required policies.
Q: How long is a commendation term?
A: Six years.
Q (Fill in the blank): Before reporting, providers can confirm an identity match using the Learner ________ tool.
A: Validation
Q: When and where will Learn to Thrive 2026 take place?
A: May 6–8, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago
Q: Name one way to ensure your CME program continues to evolve to meet your learners’ needs.
A: Send CE staff to professional development opportunities (i.e., the Alliance conference, ACCME’s Learn to Thrive or Accreditation Workshop, or Certificate Programs)
Q: How long is an accreditation term?
A: Four years
Q: Are any of the commendation criteria required?
A: A provider who chooses to apply for commendation must include at least one criterion from the Achieves Outcomes group.
Q: Which data elements are typically needed to report a learner’s credit in PARS?
A) First/Last name, Month & Day of Birth
B) Board name & Board ID (for MOC/CC)
C) Licensing state & license ID (for CME to licensing boards)
Q: Name one way learners are supported during the Certificate Programs.
A: Coaching webinars (alongside Academy coursework and the validated assessment)
Q: Where can you learn to advocate for yourself as a CE professional?
A: Listen to the ACCME podcast, Coffee with Graham, episode called Advocating for Yourself as a CE Professional, on the ACCME website.