Healthcare career guides

ABO is a national certification for opticians: $225 for the NOCE exam, 18 and a high school diploma to take it, valid 3 years, and no grace period.

CANS is for RNs already working in aesthetics: 2 years in a core specialty, 1,000 practice hours, and $325 for the exam as an ISPAN member or $495 if not.

BC-HIS is voluntary, and it needs a state hearing aid dispensing license first: $225 for the exam, then $299 every year to keep it.

CMA (AAMA) is the medical assistant credential: $125 to sit the exam as a member, $250 if not, and it runs 60 months before you recertify.

RBT is the entry-level ABA credential from the BACB: 40 hours of training, $65 to apply, $45 to take the exam. The renewal cycle became 2 years in 2026.

CHPNA is HPCC's hospice specialty for nursing assistants: 500 practice hours in 12 months to qualify, $190 as an HPNA member, and 4 years before renewal.

RDA is a state license, not a national one. In California: 7 pathways in, 6 required courses, a $120 application, and renewal every 2 years.

CNA is state-issued, not national: 75 training hours minimum under federal law, a competency exam, and a registry listing that lapses after 24 months idle.

CPhT is the pharmacy technician credential from PTCB: $129 for the exam, valid 2 years, renewed with 20 hours of CE. State registration is separate.

BLS is the healthcare-provider version of CPR: about $80 to $100, valid for 2 years, and one of the most requested credentials on US patient-care jobs.