CDAAC Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling

What "Exam Dates" Means for the Christian CDAAC

Searching for "CDAAC exam dates" can send you to the wrong place, because several credentials share the acronym. This article covers one credential only: the Christian Drug, Alcohol & Addictions Counselor (CDAAC), whose curriculum is published by the Association of Christian Alcohol and Drug Counselors (ACADC). If you are looking for testing windows tied to any other certifying body, none of that applies here. For a plain-language orientation to this specific credential, start with What Is CDAAC? or What Does CDAAC Stand For?

Many certifications publish a fixed calendar of testing windows with registration cutoffs. The public ACADC curriculum material we reviewed does not present that kind of calendar, and this article will not invent one. What it can do is explain how the exam fits into the pathway, what to confirm with the issuer, and how to build a realistic personal timeline so that whatever scheduling options ACADC offers, you are ready to use them.

What the Issuer's Public Materials Do and Do Not Confirm

The ACADC core-curriculum page (the revision we reviewed is marked Rev. 06/16) is a list of preparation modules, not a candidate handbook. Understanding the difference prevents wasted effort.

This matters for scheduling because many candidates plan around a score target or a time budget. Until ACADC confirms those details, the most useful thing you can do is prepare broadly across the published curriculum. For what is and is not known about scoring, see CDAAC Passing Score 2026, and for cost-related questions, CDAAC Certification Cost 2026.

Where the Exam Sits in the CDAAC Pathway

The CDAAC is a curriculum-driven credential. The 52 modules cover reading assignments, written work, and a spiritual gifts inventory, and the pathway requires passing the CDAAC examination. In practical terms, the exam date is not an isolated event you pick off a calendar. It sits at the end of a sequence, and your real start date is determined by how long the preceding coursework takes you.

That sequencing is why the most important scheduling question is usually "when will I have finished the preparation?" rather than "when is the next window?" A candidate who books a slot before completing the readings and the written components creates unnecessary pressure. If you are still working out whether you qualify at all, read CDAAC Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify first.

The Education-Hours Conflict You Should Resolve Before Scheduling

One genuine source conflict affects your timeline. The issuer's requirements information lists 315 hours of education, while its tuition information states 155 hours. We are not asserting which figure is correct, and we do not reconcile them here.

This is not a trivial discrepancy. The difference between 155 and 315 hours changes how many months you should budget before you are exam-ready. A candidate studying a few hours a week would face a very different timeline under each number. Before you set any target date, ask ACADC in writing which hour requirement applies to your situation and how completion is documented.

How to handle the conflict

• Screenshot or save both pages that state the differing hour totals, with the dates you viewed them.
• Ask ACADC which figure governs your enrollment type.
• Keep the written reply with your records so any later dispute has documentation.
• Do not schedule an exam until the hour requirement is settled.

Questions to Ask ACADC Before You Book Anything

Because the public curriculum page does not answer the logistics, a short, specific list of questions will save you time. Bring these to the issuer:

1. What testing windows or scheduling options are available, and how far in advance must I register?
2. What are the exam and certification fees, and when are they due relative to enrollment?
3. Which education-hour total applies to me, 155 or 315?
4. Is the examination taken in person, remotely, or by another method, and what is the format?
5. What is the passing standard, and how are results reported?
6. If I do not pass, what is the retake process and timeline?
7. Do the written reports and interview module need to be approved before I can sit the exam?

Answers to the retake and scoring questions in particular influence how conservatively you should schedule. If you want context on difficulty before committing to a date, see How Hard Is the CDAAC Exam? and CDAAC Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows.

Working Backward From Your Target Date by Domain

Once ACADC confirms a date and the hour requirement, you can sequence the 52 modules sensibly. The curriculum is not weighted, so there is no official reason to over-invest in one area, but some modules are heavier than others in reading volume, and a few depend on others. Here is one way to think about the order. For the complete list of all modules, use CDAAC Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 52 Content Areas.

The reasoning is simple: the pharmacology reading (Domain 3 draws on Julien's A Primer of Drug Action plus a lengthy appendix in Perkinson's text) is dense and unfamiliar to many candidates, so it benefits from an early start. The ethics and regulation domains benefit from being studied close to the exam while the details are fresh, particularly because Domains 26 and 40 reference California Code of Regulations Title 9, Division 4, Chapter 8 and HIPAA material, which are the kind of specific references that fade quickly.

A broader weekly plan, including how to pace the readings, is covered in the CDAAC Study Guide 2026. Once you are in the final stretch, the CDAAC Cheat Sheet condenses the must-know points into one page.

Written Work and Interview Modules That Take Calendar Time

Several modules are not read-and-recall items. They require you to produce something, and those deliverables are where candidates most often underestimate calendar time. Build buffer around them.

• Domain 21: Aptitude & Spiritual Gift Inventory involves completing a spiritual gifts inventory alongside David Hocking's Spiritual Gifts.
• Domain 46: Significant Issues for the field of Addiction Counseling calls for an interview with a recovery professional about current moral, social, or legal issues, plus a written report. Scheduling a real person's time is outside your control, so start arranging it early.
• Domain 50 and Domain 51 (Therapeutic Pitfalls I and II) reference written theme paper topics ("The Failure of Modern Psychology" and "When Sin is Called Sickness").
• Domain 52: Professional and Spiritual Growth references a written essay topic, "Does the Bible and Psychology Mix? Why or why not?"
• Domain 23 references an essay topic, "Guidelines for Spiritual Discernment."

A note on content: the curriculum contains historical clinical references and the issuer's own theological views. Some of these (for example, in modules dealing with diagnosis, psychology's role, or particular lifestyles and spiritual conditions) are presented as the issuer's framework and should not be read as present-day clinical consensus. When you study, learn the material as the issuer presents it for this credential, and be clear in your own mind about which statements are the issuer's perspective.

Avoiding Date and Rule Mix-Ups With Other Credentials

The acronym problem is the single biggest risk to your scheduling. Other credentials use similar letters, and they come with their own testing calendars, fees, and rules. None of those carry over to the Christian CDAAC. Likewise, the CSAC entrance-inventory rules are a separate matter and should not be applied to this examination pathway.

If you find a page quoting fixed exam dates, registration fees, domain percentages, or pass rates with great confidence, check that it is actually describing the ACADC-based Christian Drug, Alcohol & Addictions Counselor credential. If it is not clearly tied to ACADC, disregard it. For related background, CDAAC Meaning and What Is CDAAC Certification? help confirm you are reading about the right credential, and our CDAAC exam dates overview is the hub for this topic.

Finally, consider why you want the credential, because it should influence urgency. If you are weighing the investment against career outcomes, see Is the CDAAC Certification Worth It?, CDAAC Salary Guide 2026, and CDAAC Jobs. To test your readiness as your date approaches, work through the practice questions on the main CDAAC practice test site, and use them to find weak domains early rather than in the final week.

Frequently Asked Questions