Whether you already work in early childhood education (ECE) or would like to—earning a Child Development Associate credential will put a firm foundation under your career working with young kids.
“Training for the Child Development Associate (CDA®) credential will give you experience across eight subject areas such as children’s physical development, social and emotional development, relationships with families, professionalism, and observation, just to name a few,” says Barbara Wagner, instructor in the Early Childhood Education program at Rasmussen University.
“This is often a great first step for people who want to get into the field, but who may not be ready to take on the time and financial commitment of an advanced degree,” she explains.
“The CDA credential is based on evidence and is recognized nationwide,” Wagner says.
In fact, it's the only ECE credential recognized by the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, in all 50 states and territories.1
“The credential requires you to complete training—but beyond that, you must also create a professional portfolio to demonstrate the skills you have learned," she explains. "You will also schedule a verification visit with a Professional Development Specialist as part of the process.”
Employers who hire applicants with a CDA can be confident that they are bringing in educated, competent teachers who understand the complexity of young learners.
Note: Some people refer to this credential as a Child Development Associate Certification or a CDA certification—but the correct term is “credential.”
Here's how to get the child development associate credential.
- Review all requirements
- Choose a CDA training option
- Complete the training hours (120) and professional experience hours (480)
- Assemble your professional portfolio
- Apply for your CDA credential and pay the application fee
- Complete the CDA exam
- Complete a verification visit with a professional development specialist
- Maintain the credential
How does CDA credential work?
This credential only comes from one place—The Council for Professional Recognition®.2
It can be confusing when you start looking into everything because many universities and training organizations offer CDA courses—and the Council for Professional Recognition is not one of them.
You can gain your 120 training hours through a university or a training program, and you can gain your 480 experience hours from your current professional childcare role and workplace, if you work in ECE.
That meets two of the CDA credential requirements.
You need to also collect family questionnaires and complete a professional portfolio. Then, you submit all documentation and apply (through the CDA council) for credential. After the council reviews your materials, and if everything is in order, they will clear you to take the CDA exam.
If you pass, the council will then arrange a professional development visit to your childcare workplace. After that visit, you will hear from the council, again, as to whether or not you've earned the CDA.
The process seems complicated at first, but there are many ways to walk through it—making this widely-recognized credential more accessible to ECE providers in many different places.
To obtain a CDA credential, applicants will need to complete the following requirements. Here’s the step-by-step breakdown.
Step 1: Review CDA requirements
"Above all, I would encourage anyone interested in obtaining a CDA credential to first go to the website for the Council for Professional Recognition," Wagner says.2
There, you can review all eligibility requirements (including that you do need to have a high school diploma or equivalent to proceed.)
"While you can obtain training and support through a variety of organizations and universities, you will be applying directly to “The Council” for this credential and will schedule your site visit through them as well," Wagner says.
To complete this process, you will need to set up an online account with them through their YourCouncil portal.
You will also notice that the Council for Professional Recognition offers different educator “pathways” you have to choose from when you submit all your paperwork and application for credential.
These CDA pathways are really just categories to name the age group and environment where you gained your experience hours and/or where you will apply your training.
You can choose between:
- Center-Based Infant-Toddler: If you work with children ages birth to 36 months in a center-based setting.
- Preschool: If you work with children ages 3 to 5 years in a center-based setting.
- Birth to Five: If you work with children ages birth to 5 years old in a center-based setting.
- Family Childcare: If you work with children (0-5) years in a family or home-based child care environment.
- Home Visitor: If you are a caseworker conducting home visits with families of children (0-5 years).
Step 2: Choose a CDA training option
One of the requirements for this credential is that you complete 120 hours of formal education in specific subject areas. These are:
- Planning a safe and healthy learning environment
- Advancing children’s physical and intellectual development
- Supporting children’s social and emotional development
- Building productive relationships with families
- Managing an effective program
- Maintaining a commitment to professionalism
- Observing and recording children’s behavior
- Understanding principles of early childhood development and learning
You can't get this training through a mentor or just any arrangement.
It has to come from an organization or higher education institution. Any valid CDA training program will align with the eight competencies required by The Council.
And when you begin your application process, you will need to submit proof that you've completed the official training.
Acceptable forms of training documentation, according to The Council, are:
- College transcript from an accredited college or university
- Certificate of Training
- Letter of training on official letterhead of the agency(ies)
Before you begin your training, make sure to verify that you will receive one of these documents upon successful completion.
CDA Prep Training program vs. CDA training courses
One of the ways to get this training is through a CDA prep training program at a college or university.
These programs give you the training hours you need and guide you through the CDA credential process: the required education, as well as guidance on assembling your portfolio, preparing for the exam and applying for the credential.
Alternatively, you can complete your early childhood education courses separately through a training agency or organization, document and submit your experience hours yourself and complete the rest of the process a la carte.
This option is sometimes a bit cheaper than a university program, Wagner says, but it leaves you on your own to research each requirement, complete the documentation, purchase the right materials from the Council for Professional Recognition, submit your materials, etc…
The main benefit of completing a CDA training program through a university is that you have guided expertise through the whole process, as well as the perks that come with being a university student. The CDA prep training program at Rasmussen includes required coursework, along with:
- Library resources, including tutoring and writing support
- Portfolio support and guidance
- Fellow students you can reach out to and network with
- Instructors who are highly experienced (and in many cases, still active educators) in early childhood
- Advisement
- Career services
- Financial aid options
- Transition options to return to education for an associate or bachelor’s degree in ECE
"Rasmussen not only provides support to students, but also creates a seamless process when students decide to continue to pursue their education into a degree program," Wagner says.
"If you complete your training through a non-university training organization, you may find that the cost of the training is cheaper," Wagner says. "However, you may be on your own to complete all the requirements. Some prefer to have a guide through the process."
On the note of costs, Wagner encourages anyone interested in the CDA to check with their employer about paying for CDA training. "If the training is offered through an employer, there is no cost to the applicant," she explains.
If you don't already work in early childhood education, beginning with a CDA program through a university can be a great first step!
In these environments, whether the program is online or in person, you'll have the benefit of professors who can guide you and offer suggestions for how to complete your professional childcare experience hours.
You'll also have access to the career services professionals who can help you with your resume and the job application process.
Step 3: Complete the CDA training and experience hours
"The length of time it takes to complete a CDA is dependent on a variety of factors including; where you are completing your training (120 hours), whether you already have the required hours of work experience (480 hours), a passing score on the exam, the completion of your portfolio and the speed at which you can schedule the on-site visit," Wagner says.
Some CDA students have been working in early childhood education already and will have their 480 hours completed, Wagner explains. This can definitely shorten the time.
There are several ways individuals can complete their 120 clock hours.
"You need at least ten hours in each of the eight content areas," Wagner says.
At Rasmussen, the CDA Prep Training program consists of three, fully-online classes that you take one at a time.
- Foundations of Child Development
- Curriculum and Instruction
- Safety and Nutrition/CDA Application
These courses fulfill all of the 120 clock hours in the specific subject areas you need for the CDA—and they also award you 12 college credits you could apply toward a future degree. At Rasmussen, the three courses take as few as 4.5 months.3
If you are working on your own (as opposed to through a university program), Wagner suggests using a fill-in template from The Council's website to track which areas of content you've covered and through which courses. Be sure to keep track of all training certificates to verify your work.
"If you've been in the field for a long time and have amassed a lot of training hours, you may appreciate the fact that you can apply them to a professional credential," Wagner says.
If you haven't had professional experience in early childhood yet, gaining a position in the field and earning those hours will take a bit longer.
Note that The Council defines this professional experience by their pathways, meaning that you can't count parenting experience, nannying or similar experience toward these hours.
You'll need to obtain that work experience (roughly 4 weeks of fulltime hours) in either a center, school for young children or family/home-based childcare.
For tips on how to get into that role, check out What Do You Need to Work at a Daycare? 4 Tips for Getting a Job Without Experience.
"I would say on average, a person could obtain a CDA in as little as 6-8 months to a year," Wagner says.
Step 4: Assemble your professional portfolio
"The portfolio is an opportunity for applicants to demonstrate their skills," Wagner says. "Many early childhood educators appreciate the opportunity to use the portfolio as a reflection of their overall learning."
By the time you've finished your training and experience hours, it's satisfying to lay out all your new skills in a professional portfolio you can use for your career advancement, according to Wagner.
The CDA professional portfolio includes reflective statements, a professional philosophy statement, and your family questionnaires.
The Council offers guides for this part of the process in their CDA competency standards books, again, specific to the pathway you've chosen to apply in.
Here's an example: Birth to Five edition of the CDA Competency Standards book.
Step 5: Apply for your CDA credential and pay the application fee
After you've completed all of those things—congratulations! Now, all that's left is to prove what you've learned.
You will use the YourCouncil portal to begin your application and pay the assessment fee.4 You can download and print your application or just apply through the online portal.
Once your child development associate CDA credential application is approved, you will receive your first Ready to Schedule notice to schedule your credential exam.
Step 6: Complete your CDA exam
The CDA exam can only be taken through the Council for Professional Recognition, at a Pearson VUE® testing center near you.5
It includes 65 multiple choice questions about the core competency areas of your CDA training. The exam varies based on which educator pathway you've chosen to apply in—but you can find sample questions for each pathway on The Council's website.
To give you an idea, here are a few of the sample questions from the center-based birth to five exam.6
Which is the most nutritious meal for preschoolers?
- Chicken tacos (chicken chunks, lettuce, tomato, cheese), with corn tortillas, banana, and milk.
- Hot dog with a bun, cheese cubes, corn chips, and milk.
- Macaroni and cheese, broccoli, yogurt, and fruit-flavored drink.
- English muffin pizza (English muffin, tomato sauce, cheese), cookies, and milk
When planning a program for 4- to 5-year-olds, what is one of the most important goals?
- Providing many opportunities to practice writing.
- Helping them learn to sit quietly during group time.
- Providing many opportunities for discovery and informal learning.
- Teaching them the names of letters and numbers.
So far this year, the older preschoolers have used the woodworking bench for wood-gluing and hammering projects. It is time to add a saw to the area. Which is the most appropriate way to do this?
- Give the children plastic saws, because real saws are too dangerous.
- Allow the children to explore the use of a real saw on their own.
- Show all children how to use a real saw one time, so they will not need supervision when they use it at the woodworking bench.
- Demonstrate proper use of a real saw and supervise its use.
Step 7: Complete a verification visit with a professional development specialist
After you have passed the exam, you will be eligible to schedule your CDA Verification Visit®.4 You will receive your second "Ready to Schedule" notice authorizing you to schedule your verification visit.
During the Verification Visit, PD Specialists will:
- Observe you working in the classroom
- Review your professional portfolio, and ask follow up questions if needed
- Ask you about your strengths and discuss your career goals in a 50-60 minute reflective dialogue
"The templates that the PD Specialists use are in all of the CDA Competency Standards books," Wagner says. You will be able to review those and know what the specialist will be looking for when they come.
At the end of the visit, the specialist will submit their score recommendations to the council. Unfortunately, they can't tell you whether you passed or not.
After all this, The Council reviews the results of your assessment and renders a credentialing decision.
If the CDA credential is awarded, the Council will send an email via Credly® to award your digital CDA certificate and badge. "Through Credly you will be able to download your certificate and share your digital badge on all your preferred networks," The Council writes.4
They note that you can also get your certificate professionally printed for $30, if you want to display it in your childcare center or school.
If the Council decides not to award you the credential, they will give you recommendations on how to improve and give you next steps to either appeal the decision or reapply.
Step 8: Maintain your child development associate credential
Your CDA credential will stay active for three years. Sometime before its expiration date, you need to apply for renewal and pay the fee.7
“An earned CDA Credential can also be a launching pad for additional education, such as at Rasmussen with our CDA Waiver,” Wagner says. “The CDA Waiver is worth up to 12 college credits when pursuing an associate degree in early childhood education.”
"An associate degree or bachelor's degree in ECE is permanent and will not need to be renewed like a CDA credential does. The degrees are also more widely recognized for lead educator roles in early childhood programs," Wagner says.
The power of showcasing your expertise
Professional recognition is so important in early childhood education! Your CDA stands for the education and experience you bring to any environment with young children. It means you've learned about the cognitive growth, development needs and evidence-based practices that matter most.
"Don't feel intimidated by the process!" Wagner encourages. "Find support. This is a great opportunity to both reflect on your role as an educator and to take trainings that help you build new skills."
When you show employers, parents or prospective parents this valued credential, you help build their trust in your skills and in the field of ECE as a whole. Many educators find that a CDA credential helps them stand out in job applications and advance in their work environments.
If that sounds like something you might be ready for. Check out Rasmussen's CDA Prep Training Program page and fill out the online form to connect with an admissions representative and get any of your questions answered.
The Early Childhood Education programs at Rasmussen University are not designed to meet, and do not meet, the educational requirements for licensure to teach in public preschools, or kindergarten, elementary, or secondary schools in any state. The Rasmussen University Early Childhood Education programs are not approved by any state agency that licenses teachers. Before enrolling, it is important to understand all of the licensure eligibility standards for a desired career by consulting the appropriate state and school/facility requirements.
1High School Pathways, Council for Professional Recognition, [accessed June, 2026] https://www.cdacouncil.org/en/high-school-pathways/
2Busting Myths about the CDA®, The Council for Professional Recognition, [accessed June, 2026] https://www.cdacouncil.org/en/
3Completion time is dependent on the number of transfer credits accepted and the number of courses completed each term.
4The CDA® Three-Step Process, The Council For National Recognition [accessed June, 2026] https://www.cdacouncil.org/en/educator-pathways/birth-to-five/#apply347d-8b03
5Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential, Pearson VUE, https://www.pearsonvue.com/us/en/cdaexam.html
6Child Development Associate® (CDA) Sample Exam Questions, Center-Based Birth to Five, The Council For National Recognition [accessed June, 2026] https://www.cdacouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/ENG_CDA-Sample-Exam-Questions_Birth-to-Five.pdf
7CDA Renewal Process, The Council For National Recognition [accessed June, 2026] https://www.cdacouncil.org/en/renew-cda/#1754036698482-81b69094-1a88
CDA is a registered trademark of the Council for Professional Recognition
CDA Verification Visit® is a registered trademark of Council for Professional Recognition
Child Development Associate credential is a registered trademark of the Council for Professional Recognition
Council for Professional Recognition® is a registered trademark of Council for Professional Recognition
Pearson VUE is a registered trademark of NCS Pearson, Inc
Credly is a registered trademark of Credly Inc
