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Reader task: you searched “ONC certification” and need to know which of two unrelated programs you mean, who runs it, and how to check it. In health IT, ONC certification is the U.S. federal program that certifies electronic health record (EHR) software and related modules. In nursing, “ONC” usually points to ONCC, the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation, which certifies nurses. This page covers the health IT meaning first and then answers the nursing questions briefly.
What ONC certification means
The ONC Health IT Certification Program, run under the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), is described on healthit.gov as ensuring that certified health information technology meets the technological capability that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has adopted. It is built on functional requirements called “certification criteria,” and developers show conformance through approved test procedures. The result is a certified health IT module listed publicly, not a general quality seal for a vendor. For the underlying vocabulary see EHR vs EMR and the HITECH Act guide.
ONC certification vs ONCC oncology nursing certification
The two programs share an acronym and nothing else: different owners, different subjects, different directories.
| Question | ONC Health IT Certification Program | ONCC nursing certification |
|---|---|---|
| What is certified | Health IT modules against HHS-adopted certification criteria | Nurses in oncology and related specialties |
| Who runs it | ONC, with ONC-Authorized Testing Laboratories and ONC-Authorized Certification Bodies | Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation |
| Where to look something up | Certified Health IT Product List (CHPL), chpl.healthit.gov | ONCC Certification Verification System at oncc.org |
Who runs the health IT program and what each party does
- ONC-Authorized Testing Laboratories (ONC-ATLs) perform the health IT testing.
- ONC-Authorized Certification Bodies (ONC-ACBs) certify health IT and are “required to conduct ongoing surveillance activities” on products in production use.
- The Certified Health IT Product List (CHPL) is described by ONC as a comprehensive and authoritative listing of successfully tested and certified health IT modules.
The sequence is therefore: certification criteria are defined, a developer is tested against them by an ONC-ATL, an ONC-ACB certifies the product, surveillance continues while it is in use, and the result appears on the CHPL. Related program pages on healthit.gov cover Certification Program Requirements, the Certification Process, Conditions and Maintenance of Certification, and a Certified Health IT Complaint Process. For adjacent standards, see US Core and TEFCA and QHIN participation.
How to check whether a product is ONC certified
Use the CHPL at chpl.healthit.gov, which ONC identifies as the authoritative listing, rather than relying on a vendor statement. Search the listing for the product or developer. The same listing is how you find the ONC-ACB that certified a module: healthit.gov directs people with a complaint about certified health IT to find the responsible ONC-ACB “on the CHPL by searching the listing.” Read the criteria a given listing covers instead of assuming “certified” means every capability you need.
Strengths and limits
- Strength: certification is tested against defined criteria by third parties, and ongoing surveillance by the ONC-ACB is a stated requirement.
- Strength: the public CHPL lets anyone verify a claim.
- Limit: by ONC’s own definition, certification speaks to technological capability against adopted criteria. It is not a measure of usability, fit with your workflow or clinical outcomes.
- Limit: a listing applies to specific modules, so a vendor name alone does not tell you which of its products is certified.
Oncology nursing certification (ONCC): the four common questions
What does ONC mean in nursing?
In nursing, the relevant organization is ONCC, which describes itself as the premier provider of nationally accredited certification for nurses in oncology and related specialties, with eight credential programs and more than 40,000 certified nurses (ONCC FAQ, read 2026-11-07).
What score do you need to pass the OCN?
ONCC states that the passing score is a scaled score of 55 for all ONCC tests. It is not a percentage or a count of correct answers, because the raw score that equals 55 varies by test form.
How long does it take to get an oncology certification?
ONCC’s FAQ gives these stages: application processing can take about 6 to 8 weeks; the Authorization to Test (ATT) is expected within about 6 weeks and is valid for 90 days; the certificate is mailed 4 to 6 weeks after passing. Eligibility requirements, set by ONCC, come first; check them on the ONCC website.
Does ANCC count as CNE?
CNE means continuing nursing education. ONCC explains that ANCC is an accreditor of CNE and accredits Oncology Nursing Society programs, so ONS continuing education counts as CNE; what matters is the accreditor, not the provider.
Frequently asked questions
Is ONC certification the same as being HIPAA compliant?
No source read for this page equates them. ONC certification applies to health IT modules tested against adopted criteria; it is a separate matter from how an organization handles patient data.
Where is the list of ONC certified EHRs?
The Certified Health IT Product List at chpl.healthit.gov.
Does ONC certification have a cost?
Costs are not stated in the sources used here, so none is given.
Sources
- Certification of Health IT, healthit.gov, read 2026-11-07.
- Certified Health IT Product List, linked from the page above.
- ONCC Frequently Asked Questions, read 2026-11-07.
