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NCRA Practicum Activities

The practicum is the final step for all NCRA Accredited Formal Education Programs. It provides students with hands on technical aspects of cancer registry operations and cancer surveillance methods to complement their coursework. The theoretical foundation provided in program courses is essential to understanding the general concepts and principles of a cancer registry. 

NCRA’s online practicum activities are outlined and available below. Students must complete all practicum activities for each core competency before taking the related assessment. Once each activity and assessment is complete, students will print and/or save a copy of the completion certificate for their records. 

The enrollment period for each activity is 180 days. 

Practicum Fact Sheets - Click on the links below to download/print each fact sheet.

Core Competency Activities

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Core Competency 1: Casefinding

Casefinding practicum activities focus on the review of source documents for potentially reportable cases to enter in the suspense file and how to determine single versus multiple primaries.
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Core Competency 2: Abstracting, Coding, and Staging

Abstracting, Coding, and Staging practicum activities focus on analyzing medical record source documents to code primary cancer characteristics and to interpret and code facility specific information.
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Core Competency 3: Analysis and Data Usage

Analysis and Data Usage practicum activities focus on a review of statistical concepts including mode, mean, median, and range to increase understanding of these concepts.
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Core Competency 4: Registry Organization, Follow-Up, and Data Quality Assurance (Updated 7.2025)

Registry Organization, Follow-Up, and Data Quality Assurance practicum activities focus on the review of standard setters and standards, information systems, registry policies and procedures, legislation, and healthcare practices, including HIPAA..
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Core Competency 5: Cancer Program Accreditation

Cancer Program Accreditation practicum activities focus on the cancer registry’s responsibilities at Commission on Cancer (CoC)-accredited facilities, including reviewing the cancer registrar’s roles in cancer committee and cancer conference.

Core Competency Assessments - IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE ASSESSMENTS

Starting January 1, 2023, the Core Competency Assessments will no longer be available for access on this page. Students seeking to complete the Core Competency Assessments will need to request an enrollment code for each assessment from their Program Director. Students in the NCRA-AHIMA Cancer Registry Management Certificate Program will continue to complete their unique survey to confirm completion of the coursework before receiving the enrollment code.

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