CIC - Certified in Infection Control

The Certification in Infection Control (CIC) credential designates healthcare professionals that have committed to improving patient care through standardized and in depth knowledge surrounding infection prevention and control. Those with the CIC credential, known as Infection Preventionists (IPs) have received training in best practices for infection control and have passed a certification exam demonstrating their mastery of the most up-to-date concepts. 

Becoming a CIC IP used to be a rare certification awarded to a few experts, typically in the acute care setting. In recent years, however, the Certification Board of Infection Control (CBIC), which awards the certification, has realized that the need for IPs to be a widespread standard across healthcare settings, and this has become a much more popular, and employer preferred, certification. It is intended for healthcare professionals who practice in any capacity that could impact the spread or prevention of infection, either through direct patient care, guidance and policy development for healthcare facilities, or education and implementation of policy for community health. 

Eligible professionals are anyone with an Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctoral degree in a healthcare-related field. This includes but is not limited to degrees in nursing, medicine, laboratory, radiology, pharmacy, surgical tech/sterilization, and public health. 

Once all of the necessary materials and fees are submitted, there is a 7-10 day review process. CBIC will notify the application via email if their application is accepted and provide instructions for scheduling their exam. Tests must be taken within 90 days of approval and can be scheduled in person at any Prometric testing site or completed remotely using Prometric’s ProProctor system.

The exam consists of 150 multiple choice questions, 135 of which are used to compute the applicant’s score. Practice tests are available on the CBIC website. 

Once an applicant passes the exam, the certification is valid for 5 years.

Three main criteria must be met in order to be eligible to take the exam for CIC. 

• An eligible post-secondary degree in a health-related field (as detailed above)

• Holding a current job in a healthcare setting with responsibilities that are directly related to infection identification, prevention, and control

• Work experience in said environment for at least 1 year full time or 2 years part time, or a minimum of 3,000 hours of infection prevention work in the past 3 years

Interested and eligible applicants should register for an account on the CBIC website and submit the following required documents and fees in order to apply: 

• An Attestation Statement, signed and dated by a supervisor, available on the CBIC website

• Proof of degree with either diploma or transcripts

• Current Resume/CV

• Official job description signed by a supervisor

• $410 application fee

There are two ways to recertify, one of which must be completed by the end of the year in which the certification expires. A $410 fee applies to both methods of recertification. 

• Recertification by exam: A web-based recertification exam can be taken and applicants will be notified at the end of the exam whether they passed or failed. CIC IPs who fail this exam are still eligible to take the initial certification exam again in order to recertify. 

Recertification by continuing education: CIC IPs who wish to recertify by continuing education should track their continuing education activities over the course of each 5 year certification period. Forty (40) qualifying Infection Prevention Units (IPUs) should be accumulated over that time, from 6 of the 8 possible pathways listed below: 

• Paper or live online education

• Conferences or workshops

• Academic education

• Publication

• Participation in professional organization

• Teaching

• Research

The CBIC offers resources for exam candidates, including

• Candidate Handbook

• Content Outline

• Retired Exam Questions

An alternative, entry level certification exists for those who are interested in the role of an Infection Preventionist but do not meet all of the criteria for the CIC credential. The Associate Infection Prevention and Control (aIPC) certification serves as a stepping stone for novices in the field who want to demonstrate their knowledge and dedication to infection prevention while gaining the education or experience needed to qualify for the full CIC title. 

There are no requirements to apply for this certification, though interest and general knowledge of infection prevention standards is highly encouraged. Applicants can register on the CBIC website and pay a $295 fee to take the 100 question exam through Prometric.

The CBIC also offers the following certifications:

• Long-Term Care Certification in Infection Prevention (LTC-CIP)

• Associate – Infection Prevention and Control (a-IPC)

Other related certifications include SOCRA Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP).