- CAC stands for Certified Alzheimer Caregiver, issued by the National Certification Board for Alzheimer Care (NCBAC).
- The exam has 100 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours 30 minutes, with a passing score of 664 on a 300-900 scale.
- Behavior (18-22%) and Communication (15-20%) are the two heaviest of the 8 content domains.
- Exam-only registration is $175; adding the optional Caregiver Course brings the total to $675.
What Is A CAC, Exactly?
CAC stands for Certified Alzheimer Caregiver. It's a credential designed for people who provide hands-on care to individuals living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, whether that care happens in a family home, an assisted living community, a memory-care unit, or a home-health setting. The certification exists to verify that a caregiver understands the disease process, can communicate effectively with someone experiencing cognitive decline, and can manage the behavioral and safety challenges that come with dementia care day to day.
If you've landed here searching "what is a CAC" and found conflicting information elsewhere, it's worth being explicit: this article covers Certified Alzheimer Caregiver specifically. Several unrelated credentials share the same three-letter acronym, but none of them share the exam content, fees, or governing body described below. For a broader definitional overview, see our companion pieces on What Is CAC?, CAC Meaning, and What Does CAC Stand For?
Who Issues The CAC Credential
The CAC certification is issued by the National Certification Board for Alzheimer Care (NCBAC). NCBAC maintains the candidate handbook, sets eligibility rules, administers the exam through a browser-based remote-proctoring system, and manages annual renewal. The most recently linked candidate handbook carries a revision date of October 1, 2019, but NCBAC's live application and remote-testing pages govern current fees, eligibility criteria, and delivery format, so it's worth checking those pages directly before you register.
For a deeper dive into what the credential represents beyond a simple definition, our article CAC Certification walks through the full picture, and What Is CAC Certification? covers the credential from a slightly different angle if you want a second read-through.
Who Can Become A CAC
NCBAC sets two possible eligibility pathways for the CAC exam. You only need to satisfy one of them.
Standard Eligibility Route
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Have paid or unpaid direct dementia-care experience of at least 15 hours per week for one full year - reduced to six months if you're a CNA, LPN, or RN.
- Complete at least 25 hours of dementia-care training within the previous two years.
Alternative Eligibility Route
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Participate in a Dementia Training/Apprenticeship Program.
Because these requirements involve hour counts and documentation, it's easy to miscalculate eligibility timing. Our dedicated breakdown at CAC Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify walks through each pathway in more detail, including how the CNA/LPN/RN reduction actually works in practice.
Key Takeaway
Nurses and CNAs qualify faster under the standard route - six months of qualifying experience instead of a full year - so confirm your license status before assuming you need a longer work history.
Exam Format And Delivery
The CAC exam is 100 multiple-choice questions, administered in a 2-hour, 30-minute window. Scoring is reported on a 300-900 scale, and the passing threshold is 664 - not a percentage of correct answers, but a scaled score. If you're wondering exactly what that number means for how many questions you can miss, our article on the CAC Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass unpacks it further.
Delivery is entirely remote through NCBAC's browser-based proctoring process. There's no separate software to install, but a few technical requirements matter:
- Government-issued photo identification for check-in.
- A working camera for proctor verification.
- Reliable internet throughout the full testing window.
- A computer or Chromebook - phones and tablets are not supported.
Test-day logistics trip up more candidates than the content itself. If you haven't scheduled yet, review CAC Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling before locking in a slot, and read through How Hard Is the CAC Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 to calibrate your expectations going in.
The 8 CAC Content Domains
NCBAC organizes exam content into eight official domains, each with a defined percentage range. Understanding where the weight sits helps you allocate study time proportionally instead of spreading effort evenly across topics that matter unevenly.
| Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| Behavior | 18-22% |
| Communication | 15-20% |
| Knowledge of Disease | 12-16% |
| Activities | 10-14% |
| Health | 5-10% |
| Patient Rights | 5-8% |
| Safety | 4-6% |
| Caregiver Needs | 2-5% |
Domain 4: Behavior (18-22%)
The single largest domain. Expect scenario questions on interpreting agitation, wandering, sundowning, aggression, and repetitive behaviors, plus non-pharmacological de-escalation techniques.
- Recognizing triggers before they escalate
- Redirection and validation techniques
- Distinguishing behavioral symptoms from medical causes
Domain 2: Communication (15-20%)
The second-largest domain. Questions test adapting verbal and nonverbal communication as cognitive ability declines across disease stages.
- Simplifying language and reducing choices
- Reading nonverbal cues and body language
- Communicating with family members and care teams
The remaining six domains - Knowledge of Disease, Patient Rights, Activities, Health, Caregiver Needs, and Safety - round out the exam with more targeted, lower-weighted content. For a full breakdown of every domain with topic-level detail, see CAC Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 8 Content Areas.
Registration And Cost Breakdown
CAC registration has two possible price points depending on whether you add the optional course:
- Exam only: $175
- Exam + Caregiver Course: $675 total ($500 course add-on)
The optional Caregiver Course gives you access for 90 days or until you take the exam, whichever comes first - so if you register for the course, plan your study window around that access clock rather than an open-ended timeline. Candidates deciding whether the course is worth the extra cost, or wanting the full fee picture including renewal, should read CAC Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
Who Hires Certified Alzheimer Caregivers
The CAC credential is aimed squarely at frontline dementia-care roles rather than clinical or administrative positions. Employers who value this certification typically include memory-care communities, assisted living facilities with dementia units, home-health agencies serving dementia clients, and adult day programs focused on cognitive impairment. Because the eligibility rules explicitly recognize CNAs, LPNs, and RNs with a shortened experience requirement, the certification also functions as a specialization layer on top of an existing nursing credential rather than a replacement for one.
If you're evaluating whether the certification will move your career forward, our analysis pieces on CAC Jobs, CAC Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis, and Is the CAC Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 go into more depth than a definitional article like this one can.
Building A Study Plan Around The Domains
Because Behavior and Communication together account for roughly a third to over 40% of the exam, a study plan that treats every domain equally wastes time. A more efficient approach front-loads the heaviest domains early, while there's still time to revisit weak spots, and saves the smaller domains (Caregiver Needs, Safety, Patient Rights) for shorter, later review sessions.
Behavior + Knowledge of Disease
- Study disease stages and progression as the foundation
- Layer in behavior-management scenarios since they build on disease knowledge
Communication + Activities
- Practice adapting language across disease stages
- Review activity planning appropriate to cognitive ability
Health, Safety, Patient Rights, Caregiver Needs
- Cover the smaller domains in focused, shorter sessions
- Take full-length timed practice sets to build stamina for the 2.5-hour window
For a full week-by-week methodology rather than a domain-weighted outline, see CAC Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. And if you want a single condensed reference to review the night before your remote-proctored session, bookmark CAC Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts.
Key Takeaway
Practice under timed, distraction-free conditions using full-length practice tests so the 2-hour-30-minute format and 100-question pacing feel familiar before exam day.
Keeping Your CAC Active
The CAC credential is not a one-time achievement - it requires annual renewal. Renewal costs $35 per year and requires six continuing-education hours. This keeps the credential tied to current dementia-care practice rather than a static exam pass from years earlier. Build renewal into your calendar the same way you'd track a license renewal, since lapses can create gaps in your professional record.
Before you even get to renewal, though, you'll want confidence that you can pass on the first attempt. Reviewing outcome data and honest difficulty assessments helps set realistic expectations - see CAC Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows for what's publicly known about exam outcomes.
Frequently Asked Questions
CAC stands for Certified Alzheimer Caregiver, a credential issued by the National Certification Board for Alzheimer Care (NCBAC) for individuals providing direct care to people with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.
The CAC exam has 100 multiple-choice questions, administered within a 2-hour, 30-minute testing window through NCBAC's browser-based remote-proctoring system.
You need a scaled score of 664 out of a possible 300-900 range. It is not calculated as a percentage of correct answers.
The exam alone costs $175. Adding the optional Caregiver Course brings the total to $675, and that course access lasts 90 days or until you sit the exam, whichever happens first.
No. NCBAC's remote-proctoring process supports computers and Chromebooks only. You'll also need government photo ID, a working camera, and a stable internet connection.