Certified Tumor Registrar Study Group Promotes Successful Certification

North Carolina Central Cancer Registry

The critical shortage of credentialed cancer data managers (Certified Tumor Registrars or CTRs) plus the changes in eligibility requirements to take the certification exam prompted North Carolina Central Cancer Registry (NCCCR) staff to lead the creation of the CTR Exam Prep Study Group. Its goal was to help students prepare for this comprehensive exam (which only about 65% of students pass) by providing a variety of resources, including study materials and experienced mentors.

The format of the CTR Exam Prep Study Group included—

• Biweekly teleconferences showing presentations on important topics.
• A success story told by a test-taker explaining how he or she prepared for the exam, what resources were used, what he or she would do differently, and a description of the actual exam experience.
• Practice quizzes with answers.
• Resources and reference books.
• The National Cancer Registrars Association's online practice test.

Study group teleconferences were followed immediately by the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries CTR Exam Readiness webinar series. The Association of North Carolina Cancer Registrars sponsored two registration sites in different parts of the state, and students were encouraged to attend.

In September 2009, 10 registrars from North Carolina and two registrars from Virginia who were members of the study group passed the CTR exam. Three of the 10 successful candidates were NCCCR employees who passed the exam on their first attempt.

An evaluation of participants' success rate and feedback led us to believe that the program was beneficial to CTR candidates and should be offered again as the need arises.