1.6 Fees, Scheduling, Retesting, and Recertification
Key Takeaways
- Application and examination fees total $380, made up of a $350 exam fee and a $30 application or processing fee.
- Prometric rescheduling or cancellation must be handled no later than 30 days before the scheduled time to avoid the main change-fee risk.
- Candidates may make up to four total attempts within two years of eligibility, with specific waiting rules after the second and third attempts.
- WCC credentials are awarded for 5 years, and certificants must recertify with NAWCO before expiration.
Fees, Scheduling, Retesting, And Recertification
The official application and examination fees total $380. The source brief breaks that into a $350 examination fee and a $30 application or processing fee. For exam-prep purposes, keep the total and the two parts together, because both may appear in candidate-planning scenarios.
Scheduling rules can affect readiness as much as content knowledge. Prometric must be contacted no later than 30 days before the scheduled time for rescheduling or cancellation. Prometric may charge a change fee for changes after 30 days but before 5 days. Changes within 5 days may be charged unless excused by Prometric, and no-show or cancellation without required notice can trigger a $125 rescheduling fee.
| Planning item | Official fact to preserve |
|---|---|
| Total fees | $380 total. |
| Fee parts | $350 exam fee plus $30 application or processing fee. |
| Retest attempts | Up to four total attempts within two years of eligibility. |
| Retest waits | No wait between first and second attempts; 30-day waits between second-third and third-fourth. |
| After four attempts | Wait one year before testing again. |
| Credential period | WCC credentials are awarded for 5 years. |
Candidates who do not pass receive instructions for reexamination by email. The retesting structure allows up to four total attempts within two years of eligibility. There is no wait between the first and second attempts, but there are 30-day waits between the second and third attempts and between the third and fourth attempts. After four attempts, the candidate must wait one year before testing again.
Applied scenario guidance: imagine a candidate fails a first attempt after weak Assessment and Treatment performance. The best exam-prep response is not panic scheduling without remediation. Because there is no wait before the second attempt, the candidate should still use the score information and the official seven-domain blueprint to target the weakest areas before retesting.
Exam-day rules also matter. The source brief lists no late admission after the exam has started, valid government-issued photo ID matching authorization, no visitors, no unauthorized recording devices, no watches or hats, and secure live remote proctoring workspace and room scan requirements. These are not clinical facts, but they can determine whether a prepared candidate actually tests.
Exam trap: do not assume missing a testing appointment simply preserves the same authorization without cost. The source brief notes that no-show or cancellation without required notice can trigger a $125 rescheduling fee. Another trap is assuming a candidate can continue attempting the exam without limit during the same eligibility period.
Recertification belongs in the orientation chapter because the WCC credential is awarded for 5 years. Certificants must recertify with NAWCO before credential expiration. For a WCC professional, the exam is not the endpoint of wound-care responsibility; ongoing competence, documentation, and adherence to scope remain part of credentialed practice.
What total application and examination fee amount is listed in the WCC source brief?
Which WCC retesting statement is accurate?
How long are WCC credentials awarded before recertification is required?