- 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, scored 300-900 with 664 needed to pass.
- Base exam fee is $175; adding the optional Caregiver Course brings the total to $675.
- Behavior (18-22%) and Communication (15-20%) are the two heaviest of eight scored domains.
What Is CAC Certification, Exactly?
CAC certification stands for Certified Alzheimer Caregiver. It's a credential built specifically for people who provide hands-on care to individuals living with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Unlike broad healthcare licenses that cover general nursing or medical skills, the CAC exam is narrowly focused on the day-to-day realities of dementia caregiving: managing behavioral changes, communicating with someone whose language skills are declining, protecting patient rights, and keeping a vulnerable person safe at home or in a facility.
If you've landed on this page wondering what is CAC or searched for the CAC meaning in a healthcare context, this is the credential: a caregiver-specific certification, not a general medical license and not an IT security clearance card that also shares the initials "CAC." For a deeper breakdown of terminology, see our companion pieces on what does CAC stand for and what is a CAC.
Who Issues the CAC and Why It Matters
The National Certification Board for Alzheimer Care (NCBAC) is the certifying body behind the CAC. NCBAC develops the exam content, sets eligibility rules, administers testing, and manages annual renewal. This matters because when you're comparing credentials, or explaining to an employer what does CAC mean on your resume, you want to be precise about the issuing organization - it establishes the exam's legitimacy in the dementia-care field specifically.
NCBAC's current process uses browser-based remote proctoring, meaning candidates no longer need to travel to a physical testing center in most cases. This shift toward remote delivery has made the certification considerably more accessible to caregivers who work irregular shifts or live far from testing sites.
For a full history and formal overview of the credential, our dedicated page on CAC Certification and the general What Is CAC Certification resource go into additional detail on scope and recognition.
Eligibility: Who Can Sit for the Exam
NCBAC sets two main paths to eligibility. Understanding these before you register saves you from an application rejection or a scramble to document your hours later.
Standard Eligibility Path
Most candidates qualify through direct caregiving experience combined with training hours.
- Must be at least 18 years old
- Paid or unpaid direct dementia-care experience of at least 15 hours per week for one full year
- That experience requirement drops to six months if you already hold a CNA, LPN, or RN credential
- At least 25 hours of dementia-care training completed within the previous two years
Alternative Eligibility Path
Some candidates qualify through structured training programs rather than accumulated work hours.
- Must be at least 18 years old
- Participation in a recognized Dementia Training/Apprenticeship Program
Because eligibility rules are one of the areas most likely to shift with policy updates, always cross-check against the current application pages rather than relying solely on an older handbook. We break this down question-by-question in CAC Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Exam Format, Fees, and Delivery
The CAC exam consists of 100 multiple-choice questions delivered over 2 hours and 30 minutes. Scoring is not a percentage - candidates receive a scaled score between 300 and 900, and you need a 664 to pass. This scaled system means two exams with different question difficulty can still be compared fairly, but it also means you can't simply count "how many I got right out of 100" to predict your result. Our CAC Passing Score guide explains how the scaled scoring actually works.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Exam fee | $175 |
| Optional Caregiver Course | +$500 (course access for 90 days or until exam is taken, whichever comes first) |
| Total with course | $675 |
| Question count | 100 multiple-choice |
| Time allowed | 2 hours 30 minutes |
| Passing score | 664 (scale of 300-900) |
| Renewal | $35 annually plus 6 continuing-education hours |
Testing happens through NCBAC's browser-based remote-proctoring system, which requires no software installation - you simply need a supported browser, a working camera, reliable internet, and government-issued photo identification. It's worth noting explicitly: computers and Chromebooks are supported, but phones and tablets are not. If your plan was to test on a tablet during a break at work, you'll need to rethink logistics.
Key Takeaway
Before exam day, confirm you have a laptop or desktop (not a phone or tablet), a functioning webcam, and a private space - remote-proctoring rules are strict about your surroundings and ID verification.
For a complete cost comparison including the course add-on decision, see CAC Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown. If you're trying to plan around work shifts or upcoming renewal cycles, check CAC Exam Dates 2026 for scheduling guidance.
The Eight Content Domains
The CAC exam is built from eight official content areas, each with its own percentage range of the total question pool. Knowing these ranges lets you allocate study time proportionally instead of guessing.
Domain 4: Behavior (18-22%)
The single largest domain on the exam. Expect questions on interpreting and responding to agitation, wandering, aggression, sundowning, and repetitive behaviors common in dementia patients.
- Non-pharmacological de-escalation approaches
- Identifying behavioral triggers tied to disease stage
Domain 2: Communication (15-20%)
The second-largest domain, covering how communication strategies must adapt as language ability declines across the stages of dementia.
- Non-verbal and validation-based communication techniques
- Adjusting tone, pacing, and word choice for cognitive stage
Domain 1: Knowledge of Disease (12-16%)
Covers the underlying disease process - types of dementia, progression stages, and how cognitive decline manifests physically and behaviorally.
Domain 5: Activities (10-14%)
Focuses on structuring meaningful, stage-appropriate activities that support cognitive function and reduce distress.
Domain 6: Health (5-10%)
General health monitoring considerations relevant to a dementia patient, including nutrition and comorbid condition awareness.
Domain 3: Patient Rights (5-8%)
Covers dignity, autonomy, and ethical obligations caregivers owe to patients, including consent-related considerations.
Domain 8: Safety (4-6%)
Home and facility safety practices that prevent falls, wandering-related injury, and other hazards specific to cognitive impairment.
Domain 7: Caregiver Needs (2-5%)
The smallest domain, addressing caregiver burnout, self-care, and support resources - recognizing that caregiver wellbeing affects care quality.
Because Behavior and Communication together make up over a third of the exam, these two domains deserve the largest share of your review time. Our full breakdown, with sample question styles for each domain, is in CAC Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 8 Content Areas.
Mapping Your Prep to the Domains
Generic study advice - flashcards, spaced repetition, timed practice sets - only helps if it's pointed at the right material in the right proportions. Given the domain weighting above, a simple way to structure a four-week prep window is to front-load the heaviest domains early, when you have the most mental energy and time to revisit weak spots.
Behavior and Communication
- Build scenario-based flashcards for agitation, sundowning, and wandering responses
- Practice rephrasing instructions for different dementia stages
Knowledge of Disease and Activities
- Review disease progression stages and how symptoms map to each
- Study activity planning appropriate to cognitive stage
Health, Patient Rights, Safety, Caregiver Needs
- Cover the four smaller domains together since combined they're comparable in weight to Behavior alone
- Focus on ethics scenarios and home-safety checklists
Full-length practice and review
- Take timed practice sets that mirror the 100-question, 150-minute format
- Revisit any domain where recall is inconsistent
If you want a more detailed week-by-week plan with specific resources, our CAC Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt expands on this approach. For candidates wondering how the exam compares in difficulty to other caregiving credentials, How Hard Is the CAC Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 and CAC Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows are useful companion reads. You can also run through realistic practice questions on our practice test platform before committing to exam day.
After You Pass: Renewal and Career Use
Passing the exam isn't the end of the obligation - CAC certification renews annually for $35, and you'll need to complete six continuing-education hours each renewal cycle. This keeps certified caregivers current on evolving best practices in dementia care rather than treating the credential as a one-time achievement.
On the employment side, the CAC is typically sought by memory-care units, assisted living facilities, home health agencies, and private families hiring dedicated dementia caregivers. Because it's a specialized rather than general credential, it tends to signal focused expertise rather than replace broader nursing licensure. If you're weighing whether the time and cost are justified for your career path, our Is the CAC Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and CAC Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis articles dig into that decision in more depth. You can also browse CAC Jobs for a sense of where this credential shows up in job postings, and CAC Training if you still need to accumulate your training hours before applying.
Once you're actively studying, keep a condensed reference nearby - our CAC Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts is designed exactly for that last-mile review, and running a few timed sessions on the practice test site is the closest simulation you'll get to the real remote-proctored format.
Frequently Asked Questions
In this context, CAC stands for Certified Alzheimer Caregiver, a credential issued by the National Certification Board for Alzheimer Care (NCBAC). It should not be confused with other credentials or ID systems that share the same initials.
The exam itself costs $175. If you also take the optional Caregiver Course, the total comes to $675, with course access lasting 90 days or until you take the exam, whichever happens first.
No. The remote-proctoring system supports computers and Chromebooks only. Phones and tablets are not supported, so you'll need access to a laptop or desktop with a working camera.
You need a scaled score of 664 out of a possible 300-900. This is not a percentage of correct answers, so scoring interpretation differs from many other exams.
Behavior, at 18-22% of the exam, is the largest single domain, followed by Communication at 15-20%. Together they make up more than a third of the scored questions, making them the highest-value areas for review.