Getting a CDA credential involves more than enrolling in an online course. You need qualifying training, a professional portfolio, a CDA Council application, an exam, and a verification visit. The path is straightforward once you know each step and where to complete it.
Start your CDA training online today with a self-paced program built for working early childhood educators.
If you are asking where you can get your CDA certification. Start with a provider that delivers the required 120 hours online and prepares you for each Council step. National CDA Training uses scenario-based lessons for working early childhood educators and supports candidates across all 50 states, including North Carolina, Georgia, and South Carolina.
The right path depends on your work setting, state guidance, schedule, and readiness to document your practice. First, understand what the 120 training hours must cover and how they connect to the rest of the credential process.
Where Can I Get My CDA Certification? Start With 120 Training Hours
Where can I get my CDA certification? The Council for Professional Recognition is the only organization that issues the CDA credential. You complete the required training through an approved education provider, then finish the Council’s application, portfolio, exam, and verification steps. An online program can make the training manageable while you continue working in early childhood education.
Begin with the required 120 hours
The CDA credentialing process requires 120 hours of formal early childhood education training. Those hours are not a single orientation or short workshop. They represent structured learning across the knowledge areas needed to work effectively with young children and families.
Your training should address all eight CDA subject areas. These include children’s physical development, social and emotional development, relationships with families, professionalism, and observation. The complete curriculum also connects those areas to daily decisions in early learning settings, such as planning experiences, supporting behavior, and communicating with families.
Choose training that matches the setting in which you work or plan to work. Your professional goals may center on preschool, infants and toddlers, family child care, or another recognized pathway. Starting with the right setting helps you study examples that reflect your classroom responsibilities.
Why online training works for working educators
Online CDA training is especially practical for educators who cannot attend a fixed class schedule. Self-paced coursework lets you study around classroom hours, family responsibilities, and changing work demands. You can divide the material into focused study sessions instead of treating professional development as a separate full-time commitment.
That flexibility still requires a plan. Set weekly study blocks, track completed modules, and keep your training records organized. Consistent progress is more useful than waiting for a large block of free time that may never appear.
A strong online program should provide clear instruction, relevant examples, and coverage of all required subject areas. National CDA Training uses scenario-based learning to connect concepts with situations early childhood professionals encounter. This approach can help you relate the coursework to your current classroom rather than treating each lesson as isolated information.
Completing the 120 hours is an important first milestone, but it does not award the credential by itself. After training, you still need to prepare your professional portfolio and complete the remaining Council requirements. Treat the training as the foundation for the full CDA process, not as a substitute for the application and assessment stages.
For official credential guidance, review information from the Council for Professional Recognition. For structured online coursework, explore individual CDA training options that fit your setting and schedule.
How to Compare Online CDA Training Providers
An online CDA training provider should prepare you for the credential process, not simply provide video lessons. Compare each program’s setting alignment, subject-area coverage, flexibility, and support for the portfolio and exam. The CDA Council alone issues the credential, while universities and private organizations may provide training hours.
| Provider trait | What to look for | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Setting alignment | Training that matches preschool, infant/toddler, family child care, or birth to five work. | Your examples, workplace experience, and application should reflect the setting connected to your credential. |
| Complete subject-area coverage | Instruction across all eight CDA subject areas, including child development, family relationships, professionalism, and observation. | A complete curriculum gives you broader preparation than isolated topic courses. |
| Online flexibility | Self-paced lessons that fit around classroom responsibilities and other employment commitments. | Working educators can complete training without treating professional development like a second full-time job. |
| Portfolio guidance | Clear instruction for organizing evidence, writing reflections, and connecting documentation to your practice. | The portfolio is a key part of demonstrating competency during the CDA process. |
| Exam and next-step support | Practical preparation for the CDA exam, application, and verification visit, with clear boundaries around the provider’s role. | Training supports your preparation, but it does not replace the Council’s official assessment process. |
When you are deciding where to earn your CDA, separate training from credential issuance. The provider should help you build knowledge and documentation, while the CDA Council evaluates and awards the credential. This distinction prevents confusion about certificates of course completion versus the official CDA credential.
Check whether the curriculum reflects your daily work. A preschool teacher needs examples suited to preschool children, while an infant and toddler educator needs developmentally appropriate guidance for younger children. The same principle applies to family child care and birth to five settings. Choose a program that makes those distinctions clear.
Employer expectations are another practical consideration. Many early childhood employers prefer a CDA for particular roles, so training should connect learning to classroom decisions and workplace responsibilities. Look for scenario-based instruction, useful feedback, and materials that help you apply concepts rather than memorize definitions.
Finally, confirm what the provider includes before enrolling. Ask how the program documents completed training, whether portfolio support is included, and how exam preparation is handled. A transparent provider will explain its services without implying that it can issue the CDA credential itself.
The CDA Council Application: Fees and Required Steps
The CDA Council application follows a defined sequence. Confirm eligibility, prepare your professional portfolio, submit the application and fee, complete the required exam, and schedule a verification visit. The Council reviews these pieces together to determine whether you have demonstrated the knowledge and classroom competence expected of a CDA professional.
Training prepares you for the process, but the Council for Professional Recognition is the organization that issues the CDA credential. Keep your documents organized and follow the requirements for your selected setting and credential type.
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Confirm that you meet the basic eligibility requirements
Before applying, verify that you hold a high school diploma or GED. You should also be completing the required early childhood education training and professional experience for your setting. Confirming these requirements early can prevent delays when you assemble your application.
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Prepare your professional portfolio
Your portfolio gathers evidence of your professional preparation and work with young children. Organize each required section carefully, use current documentation, and check that the materials match your selected CDA setting. Get support for your CDA portfolio with a section-by-section organizing guide before you submit.
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Submit the application and pay the Council fee
Submit your application through the CDA Council and pay the official application fee during this phase. Effective August 1, 2025, the fee is $525 for an online application or $600 for a paper application. These are Council application fees, separate from any training costs.
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Complete the required CDA exam
The exam is a required part of the credentialing process. Review the CDA subject areas covered by your training and allow time to prepare before selecting an exam date. Your preparation should connect course concepts with decisions you make in an early childhood setting.
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Schedule the verification visit
After the application stage, schedule a verification visit with a Professional Development Specialist. The visit gives you an opportunity to demonstrate your competence in an active classroom setting. Have your portfolio and classroom practices ready to support the professional evidence you submitted.
For current application instructions and the latest fee information, review the CDA Council’s official guidance before submitting. Requirements and procedures can change, so use the Council’s instructions as the final authority for your application.
What Happens During the CDA Verification Visit?
The CDA verification visit is a required part of the credentialing process. A Professional Development Specialist observes your work with children, discusses your practice, and reviews evidence from your professional portfolio. The visit helps demonstrate that your training and daily classroom decisions reflect the competencies expected of a CDA professional.
After completing the required preparation, you schedule a verification visit with a Professional Development Specialist. This visit takes place in your selected early childhood setting and focuses on how you apply developmentally appropriate practices during regular work with children.
The specialist is not simply checking whether you memorized course content. The visit gives you an opportunity to demonstrate professional judgment in an active classroom setting. Your interactions, routines, communication, and responses to children’s needs provide practical evidence of competency.
What should you have ready?
Your professional portfolio is an important part of the review. It documents your preparation and provides evidence of the skills you have developed through training and classroom experience. Organize the required materials so you can explain how they connect to your work.
Before the appointment, review your portfolio and confirm that your documents are complete, current, and easy to locate. You can prepare for your CDA verification visit with this checklist and tips. Also consider how you would describe the reasoning behind your classroom choices, especially when discussing routines, guidance, family relationships, and children’s development.
How can you approach the conversation?
Answer questions directly and connect your responses to real classroom situations. The specialist wants to understand how you use professional knowledge, not hear rehearsed answers detached from your daily responsibilities. Explain what you noticed, what action you took, and how that decision supported the children.
A well-organized portfolio can make that conversation more productive because it gives you specific evidence to reference. For additional guidance, review what to expect during a CDA verification visit and use the process to show the quality of your professional practice.
CDA Certification by State: North Carolina, Georgia, and South Carolina
A CDA credential is recognized across all 50 states and U.S. territories, so the credential itself does not change when you move across state lines. However, licensing guidance can vary by role, employer, and program. Your best path combines nationally recognized CDA requirements with the policies that apply where you work.
North Carolina CDA certification
North Carolina educators should consider how their CDA training supports program expectations and the state’s early childhood quality framework. DCDEE requirements and star-rating considerations may affect how programs document staff qualifications and professional development. Review your employer’s current requirements before selecting a setting type or training plan.
Get your CDA certification in North Carolina with a state-focused guide to training options and requirements.
Georgia CDA certification
Georgia educators may need to account for Bright from the Start guidance when planning their professional development. The relevant expectations can depend on your role and the type of early childhood program where you work. Confirm current program policies, then choose training that matches your CDA setting.
Use the Georgia CDA certification guide to review the Bright from the Start connection and plan your next steps.
South Carolina CDA certification
South Carolina educators also pursue the nationally recognized CDA while meeting the expectations of their specific workplace and state context. Start by identifying whether your work involves preschool, infant and toddler care, family child care, or another approved setting. That choice helps keep your training, experience, and application aligned.
Review the South Carolina CDA resource for state-specific direction before beginning your application.
In practical terms, you can complete qualifying training online, prepare your portfolio and experience documentation, and apply through the Council for Professional Recognition. State guidance helps you apply the credential to your role, but the Council issues the credential nationally.
How Long Does It Take to Get CDA Certified?
Most candidates can complete the training portion in three months or less, but the full CDA process may take longer. Your timeline depends on how quickly you complete 120 training hours, prepare the professional portfolio, submit the Council application, schedule the exam, and arrange the verification visit. Self-paced online coursework can make the process easier to manage while you remain employed.
Certification is not awarded after completing a course alone. The process combines education, documentation, testing, and an observed demonstration of your classroom practice. Planning each stage early helps prevent avoidable delays.
1. Complete the required training
The CDA credentialing process requires 120 hours of formal early childhood education training. Online programs that let you work at your own pace may fit more effectively around classroom schedules, family responsibilities, and other employment demands. National CDA Training delivers its coursework online and states that training can be completed in three months or less.
That estimate describes the training phase, not necessarily the time required to receive the credential. Your actual pace may be faster or slower depending on weekly study time and how consistently you complete assignments.
2. Build the portfolio while you study
Portfolio preparation should happen alongside training rather than after every course requirement is finished. Gather documentation, write reflections, and organize evidence as you learn. This approach reduces the amount of work left before applying and gives you time to address missing materials.
3. Apply, test, and schedule the verification visit
After completing the required preparation, submit the CDA Council application, schedule the exam, and arrange a verification visit with a Professional Development Specialist. Appointment availability can affect the final timeline, especially if your workplace has limited observation windows.
Use the CDA exam day checklist to prepare for the testing stage and avoid last-minute confusion. Start your portfolio and scheduling plans early if you have a target employment or promotion date.
Get started with a self-paced CDA training program today and take the first step toward your credential.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find CDA classes online?
You can find online CDA classes through universities and specialized early childhood training providers. Look for a program that covers the required 120 hours and addresses all eight CDA subject areas. The coursework should match your setting, such as preschool, infant and toddler, or family child care. Online programs may offer self-paced coursework for educators who are working while they study. Mississippi State University confirms the 120-hour training requirement.
Can I complete my entire CDA training online?
Yes, the formal training portion can be completed through a self-paced online program. The complete credentialing process also includes professional experience, a portfolio, the CDA exam, and a verification visit with a Professional Development Specialist. Confirm that your provider prepares you for every required step, not only the coursework.
Is a CDA credential required for every early childhood educator?
Not always. Requirements can vary by state, employer, role, and program type. Many early childhood programs prefer or require a CDA for specific positions, while other educators pursue it to document professional competency and support career advancement. Check your employer’s policies and current state licensing guidance before applying.
Who issues the official CDA credential?
The Council for Professional Recognition is the organization that issues the official CDA credential. A training provider supplies coursework and guidance, but it does not award the credential. Candidates must complete the Council’s application process, pay the applicable fee, submit required evidence, take the exam, and complete the verification visit.
Ready to Start Your CDA Training Online?
Online training can help you build the required knowledge and portfolio skills while continuing your work in early childhood education. Start your CDA training online at National CDA Training, then take the next step with support that fits your schedule. Explore CDA training options to get started.