AA registration assessment content map and guidance

The anaesthesia associate registration assessment (AARA) is the way in which qualified anaesthesia associates (AAs) demonstrate their readiness to practise in the UK.

The AARA does not replace any existing test, it is a new assessment that began after AAs became a regulated profession. Students who started an AA course from September 2023 will be expected to pass both parts of the AARA, in addition to gaining their AA qualification, before they can join our register.

This content map outlines what the AARA covers. It is set at the level of a newly-qualified AA and includes an assessment of clinical skills undertaken in the workplace during the course of study called the clinical capability assessment (AARA-CCA) and a knowledge test (AARA-KT).

Higher education institutions should also use this document, in conjunction with the revised anaesthesia associate curriculum, as a guide when designing their AA course.

Download the anaesthesia associate registration assessment (AARA) content map

The AARA-CCA consists of five entrustable professional activities (EPAs) to assess a student’s clinical and professional skills. The EPAs cover key activities which newly-qualified AAs should be capable of performing, with appropriate supervision. The EPAs for the AARA-CCA and AARA-CCA guidance details what the EPAs are and how they should be assessed. The AARA assessor training document provides more information for those who will be making the assessments. The EPA sign-off forms and AARA-CCA sign-off forms that should be used can be downloaded.

Download: 

• Entrustable professional activities for the AARA – clinical capability assessment (CCA)
• AARA clinical capability assessment (AARA-CCA) guidance
• AARA guidance for assessors
• AARA – EPA 1 sign-off form
• AARA – EPA 2 sign-off form
• AARA – EPA 3 sign-off form
• AARA – EPA 4 sign-off form
• AARA – EPA 5 sign-off form
• AARA – clinical capability assessment (AARA-CCA) sign off form

Universities may provide their own tools to be used as evidence or you can download these versions:

• Anaesthesia – clinical evaluation exercise (A-CEX)
• Anaesthetic list management tool (ALMAT)
• Case based discussion (CBD)

Related documents

Our Generic and shared learning outcomes for PAs and AAs and the AA curriculum describe what all newly-qualified anaesthesia associates must know and be able to do.