CDCES - Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist

The Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) certification is administered by the Certification Board for Diabetes Care and Education (CBDCE). It’s intended for healthcare professionals who provide diabetes care and education and possess comprehensive knowledge and experience in diabetes management, prediabetes and diabetes prevention.

Eligibility

Discipline Requirement: Standard Pathway

Must meet one of the following three requirements:

• Hold a Master’s Degree in Social Work

• Hold a current, active, unrestricted license for one of the following disciplines:

  • Clinical Psychologist

  • Occupational Therapist

  • Optometrist

  • Pharmacist

  • Physical Therapist

  • Physician

  • Podiatrist

  • Registered Nurse

  • Nurse Practitioner

  • Clinical Nurse Specialist

• Hold current registration or certification:

  • Dietitian/Dietitian Nutritionist with active Commission on Dietetic Registration

  • Physician Assistant with active National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) registration

  • Exercise Physiologist with active American College of Sports Medicine Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist (ACSM-CEP) certification

  • Health Educator with active Master Certified Health Education Specialist certification from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing

For those who don’t qualify under the Standard Pathway, the Unique Qualification Pathway (UQP) requires a pre-application process to see if they qualify. Applicants must meet all eligibility requirements before they can apply.

Professional Practice Experience Requirement

• At least 2 years of professional practice in the applicant’s discipline after meeting the discipline requirement

• At least 1,000 hours providing diabetes care and education within the 5 years before applying, with at least 20% or 200 of those hours accrued in the most recent year preceding application

Continuing Education Requirement

At least 15 continuing education (CE) hours applicable to diabetes before taking the exam earned within the 2 years before applying for the exam and approved by a provider on the CBDCE List of Recognized Providers.

Completion Time: 4 hours

Cost: $350, includes a nonrefundable $100 processing fee

Exam Format

Until July 1, 2024, the CDCES exam includes 175 scored questions in the following categories:

• Assessment of the Diabetes Continuum (59)

• Interventions for Diabetes Continuum (88)

• Disease Management (28)

It also includes 25 unscored questions for a total of 200. Beginning July 1, the total number of questions will drop to 175, with 150 scored and 25 unscored.

The exam is composed of multiple-choice, objective questions with a total testing time of 4 hours. Questions are linked directly to a task or tasks, designed to test the candidate’s knowledge of performing the task(s) or apply this knowledge to a job situation. 

Scores are reported as a scaled score ranging between 0 and 99. The minimum scaled score needed to pass is 70 scaled score units.

Application Process

• Qualify for the exam by meeting ALL eligibility requirements before submitting application

• Submit an application

  • Online via PSI, the CBDCE’s testing agency

  • Using a paper application (processed within approximately 2 weeks)

• Schedule and take the exam within 90 days of receiving approval

CDCES certification holders must recertify every 5 years. Applicants must:

• Continue to hold the license, certification or registration for the same discipline held at the time of initial certification

• Complete at least 1,000 hours of professional practice within the 5-year cycle

• Renew by exam or continuing education (CE)

• Pay applicable fees

Renewal Fees

• $250 on time renewal

• $350 reinstatement of expired credential

There isn't any specific amount of continuing education (CE) credits renewal candidates must earn. However, beginning in 2025, CDCES certification holders must complete two activities from the American Diabetes Association’s Standards of Care for Diabetes in their
recertification cycle.

• Exam Handbook contains sample questions, tips on studying and references

• Exam Content Outline

• Practice Exam ($55)

• Exam Prep Tips

Board Certified - Advanced Diabetes Management (BC-ADM) offered by the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (ADCES).