International Proficiency Test for Acupuncture-Moxibustion Practitioners

I. General Overview of International Proficiency Test for Acupuncture-Moxibustion Practitioners

The World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies (WFAS) was founded in 1987, headquartered in Beijing, China. It is an international union of acupuncture-moxibustion associations founded under the guidance of World Health Organization (WHO). In 1998, it established the non-governmental official relations with WHO. In 2010, it was admitted into the Technical Committee on Traditional Chinese Medicine of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO/TC 249) as Category A Liaison Organization. At present, it has 232 member societies from 60 countries and regions.

The Committee of WFAS International Proficiency Test for Acupuncture-Moxibustion was established in 1997. The test aims at authenticating the capabilities of acupuncture professionals. In accordance with Guidelines on Basic Training and Safety in Acupuncture issued by WHO, it encourages systematic education or training for acupuncture-moxibustion practitioners and arranges the professional proficiency test. By objectively testing and reflecting the professional proficiency of international acupuncture-moxibustion practitioners, it is aimed to improve professional capability of practitioners and to promote standard education of acupuncture-moxibustion, which will eventually advance acupuncture as a medicine.

By the year of 2018, WFAS has launched the proficiency test in many countries and regions like South Korea, Brazil, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Japan, Spain and so on. There are thousands of examinees who has participated in the test.

Since 2018, Beijing Traditional Medicine Training Center of WFAS and World Acupuncture Center of TCM, supported by WFAS and China Association of Acupuncture-Moxibustion, have been establishing the brand of “WFAS Education” and increasing the international impact on acupuncture-moxibustion education.

II. Subjects of the Test

1、Fundamentals of Acupuncture and Moxibustion-1

Include Basic Theories of Chinese Medicine, Diagnostics of Chinese Medicine and Meridians

2、Fundamentals of Acupuncture and Moxibustion-2

Include Acupoints and Techniques of Acupuncture and Moxibustion

3、Therapeutics of Acupuncture and Moxibustion

4、Anatomy of the Human Body

5、Clinical Practice Skills

Include case writing, locating points, the manipulation of acupuncture-moxibustion

III. Arrangements of the Test

1、Schedule

①. 8:30---10:00 Fundamentals of Acupuncture and Moxibustion-1

②. 10:30---12:00 Fundamentals of Acupuncture and Moxibustion-2

③. 13:30---15:00 Therapeutics of Acupuncture and Moxibustion

④. 15:30---16:30 Anatomy of the Human Body

⑤. 17:00--- Clinical Practice Skills

2、Time and Location

April 26^th, 2019, World Federation of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Societies (WFAS), Beijing Headquarters

3、The test is available in other countries and regions if the time and requirements are settled by organizers.

IV. Application Requirements of International Proficiency Test for Acupuncture-Moxibustion Practitioners

The identity documents (duplicated copies of ID or passport), certificates of education and other related materials should be sent together with the application form.

International Proficiency Test for Acupuncture-Moxibustion Practitioners will be granted to participate in if you are up to any of the following conditions:

1. University or college graduates from full-time TCM or acupuncture-moxibustion programs (having at least one-year clinical experience for those who graduated from five-year program, or at least three-year clinical experience during for those graduated from three-year program) with valid certificates of education and clinical practice.

2. Graduates from full-time medical university (for more than three-year education, having doctor’s license, with at least 500 hours of training on acupuncture-moxibustion, and at least one-year clinical experience) with valid certificates of education and clinical practice.

3. Have studied in various training courses hosted by medical universities, academic societies or associations of TCM or acupuncture-moxibustion for at least 1000 hours with at least two-year clinical experience in acupuncture-moxibustion and valid certificates of education and clinical practice.

4. Have studied acupuncture-moxibustion as an apprentice for two years and more, and have at least one-year clinical experience in acupuncture-moxibustion with valid certificates of education and clinical practice, and the duplicated copy of tutor’s medical license.

If you are up to condition No.1 or 2, Level A and B are available to apply for. If up to condition No. 3 or 4, you can only apply to Level B, and attending Level A needs extra examination.

Note: practitioners from Hong Kong and Macao

1. Need to provide local practicing license (registration certificate) or graduation certificate of TCM universities/colleges.

2. Need to provide invitation letter for work from employer based outside China.

Anyone who meets one of the above conditions can apply to the test.

V. Application Procedures for International Proficiency Test for Acupuncture-Moxibustion Practitioners

1、Applicants need to download and fill the application form for International Proficiency Test for Acupuncture-Moxibustion Practitioners through the link: https://pan.baidu.com/s/1tSrRU3sHXqLiohkO6d_i6A. Send an email to admin@wfas.org.cn to apply for the test with the application form and certification statement (including identity card/passport, headshot, education certification, clinical practice certification, the duplicated copy of tutor’s medical license and so on). After checked, eligible applicants are available to apply to and take the test with admission tickets.

2、Examinees who have participated in the test but haven’t gotten the certificate due to failing one subject or several may apply for the make-up exam within 2 years (must be at least one month from the last test taken). If it is over 2 years, this term is inapplicable. The rules about applying for make-up exam is the same with item 1 but the certificates for reference are exempted.

VI. Fees and Languages for International Proficiency Test for Acupuncture-Moxibustion Practitioners

1. Application fee is $100, examination fee is $800, and make-up examination fee is $100 for each subject. If paid with CYN, the fee will go with the latest exchange rate.

2. Language for examination: 8 languages including Chinese, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, Japanese and Persian.

VII. Certificates and Transcripts for International Proficiency Test for Acupuncture-Moxibustion Practitioners

1. The corresponding grade certificate and transcript will be dispensed to those who participated in the test and reached the required results.

2. Only the transcript not the certificate will be dispensed to those who participated in the test but failed at reaching the required results.

VIII. Notarization and Authentication Information for the Certificate of International Proficiency Test for Acupuncture-Moxibustion Practitioners

WFAS will offer the eligible examinees with a piece of notarial certificate in English, which will become effective at the date of issue. Examinees from mainland China need to provide the duplicated copies of ID card, and those from other countries/regions provide the duplicated copies of passport. If languages other than English is required for the notarial certificate, please make a note in the email to apply for the test.

If the notarial certificate is to be used in the countries/regions outside mainland China and needs authenticating, it has to be authenticated by both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China or any institution authorized and the relevant embassy or consulate in China. The WFAS certificate with dual authentication will receive higher acceptance internationally.

The term “dual authentication” refers that the document issued by a notary of one country, before being used in another country, be certified by both countries (unless there exist unilateral exemption terms of the consular certification, or any relevant agreement between the two countries). For example, before using in Brazil the notarial certificate issued by a notary office of China, it has to be authenticated both by Consular Department of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs or any authorized foreign affairs office at levels of province, autonomous region, or municipality, and the Embassy of the Federative Republic of Brazil in China (the notarial certificates issued in Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang need to be authenticated in Consulate General of the Federative Republic of Brazil in Shanghai, while those issued in other provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities need to be authenticated in the Embassy of the Federative Republic of Brazil in Beijing). Similarly, before the notarial certificate issued in Brazil is used in China, it needs authentication from both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federative Republic of Brazil and Embassy or Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Brazil.

In short, dual authentication is referred to the certification by both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy. Some countries demand such authentication while others such as Madagascar, Tanzania, Uganda, Hungary, Romania and Lithuania only need the authentication from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.