Author: Coach Beverly Thomassian RN, MPH, CDCES, BC-ADM celebrates 25 years with her BC-ADM!
"How do I Prepare for the BC-ADM Certification Changes?"
Considering adding the Board Certification in Advanced Diabetes Management (BC-ADM) to your credentials?
This mastery-level credential highlights your clinical decision-making and advanced management skills in diabetes care. Earning your BC-ADM is an ideal way to showcase your ability to manage the comprehensive needs of people living with diabetes.
Beyond demonstrating your leadership in handling complex clinical cases, it offers an exciting professional challenge to deepen and broaden your diabetes knowledge.
Changes Coming in 2027 to Eligibility, the Exam, and Renewal
The Certification Board for Diabetes Care and Education (CBDCE) is updating several aspects of the Board Certified-Advanced Diabetes Management (BC-ADM) credential starting in 2027.
According to a recent announcement by CBDCE, after a detailed market analysis, the Board identified a need to clearly distinguish the BC-ADM from the CDCES (formerly Certified Diabetes Educator ‘CDE’) credential. Here is a quick summary of the changes being implemented starting in January of 2027.
What is changing and what is the same for New BC-ADM Applicants?
Content and Focus of Exam:
- NEW: Exam content will be updated starting with the June exam in 2027. The examination will have a clearer focus on complex clinical management to reflect the healthcare community’s current standards of evidence-based clinical practice in diabetes care.
An updated education content outline will be available by the end of 2026. The content will be updated for the June 2027 exam.
- SAME: Exam will be offered twice a year, in June and December.
Healthcare Professional Eligibility
- NEW: Stricter eligibility requirements will focus on recognizing healthcare professionals who are clinical decision makers and prescribers in diabetes care. New applicants must have prescribing power, collaborative practice agreements or delegation protocols in place at the time of application.
- SAME:
- Degree & Licensure requirements. Applicants need to hold a current license or registration as an RN, RDN, RPh, PA, NP, or MD/DO. Those with an RN, RDN, RPh must also have a masters-level degree or higher in a clinical or health care-related field.
- Hours of Experience. Need to complete 500 hours of advanced diabetes clinical practice within the past 48 months to apply.
Renewal Timeline
- NEW: To encourage continuous learning, the CBDCE is shortening the recertification timeline from a 5-year to a 3-year cycle to keep current with the unprecedented pace of change in healthcare. Because the cycle is shorter, the required continuing education and practice hours are being reduced proportionally.
- SAME: If your current certification term expires in 2026 or 2027, you will have one final traditional 5-year renewal cycle. The renewal fee will remain set at $500, meaning practitioners will not face increased costs per application.
According to the CBDCE these changes are designed to keep the certification current with rapid advancements in diabetes technology, pharmacotherapy, and clinical guidelines. The updates ensure that the credential remains relevant to today’s complex clinical environment and elevate the credibility of the BC-ADM credential across the healthcare industry.
Coach Bev’s Recommendation – Take Your BC-ADM Exam this YEAR
With anticipated exam changes in 2027, consider taking the exam in December of 2026. Why? Passing the exam during the December 2026 testing window allows you to take advantage of several key structural benefits before the rules change.
Why Take the Exam by December 2026?
- Automatic Grandparenting: Everyone who passes the exam before 2027 will be automatically grandfathered into the credential. You will completely bypass the stricter updated eligibility requirements that go into effect on January 1, 2027.
- Familiar Exam Format: The exam, in its current form, will be administered for the last time in December 2026. A brand new, updated exam outline and structure will debut during the June 2027 testing window.
- Extended 5-Year Renewal Cycle: Passing the exam in 2026 secures you one final traditional 5-year renewal cycle. New applicants and future renewals after 2027 will be automatically transitioned to a shorter, more frequent 3-year renewal cycle.
- Get prepared and lock in your credential under the current framework to save you from adapting to a brand new exam layout and a shortened renewal timeline later.
Enroll in our DiabetesEd BC-ADM Boot Camp
+ Resources to Help you Pass Your BC-ADM Exam
Do you want to learn more about the qualifications and study strategies for the BC-ADM exam?
The BC-ADM credential recognizes your clinical expertise and dedication to best diabetes care.
Register for FREE BC-ADM Prep Webinar. Learn strategies to succeed at this mastery-level exam and map out your study journey.
This BC-ADM Boot Camp CE series is designed to prepare you for the BC-ADM Examination.
Through expert-led instruction, real-world case studies, and evidence-based guidance, you’ll master the Standards of Care, complex insulin management, glucose pattern interpretation, diabetes technology, cardiometabolic and kidney risk reduction, quality improvement, telehealth, population health, and person-centered care.
What about those who already have their BC-ADM?
What do you need to do now? There is nothing that current BC-ADM holders need to do at this time. These changes will have no impact on eligibility or certification status for current certificants, and there is no impact to your current renewal term. All current certificants will be grandparented in perpetuity as long as renewal requirements are maintained
When will the renewal cycle change go into effect? All current certificants will renew on the stated expiration date of their certification as originally scheduled, and all renewal requirements will remain the same through the remainder of the current cycle.
If your current term expires in 2026 or 2027, you will continue to have a 5-year renewal for one more iteration.
If your current term expires in 2028 or later, you will be automatically transitioned to a 3-year renewal after you have met your current requirements
Importantly, the new eligibility updates only impact future candidates who apply for the BC-ADM in 2027 or later. All current BC-ADM holders will be grandparented in perpetuity. Existing professionals will retain their credentials as long as they maintain active certification status.
Personal Note from Coach Beverly
As a diabetes nurse specialist for over 30 years, few things have been as rewarding as advocating for high-quality care on behalf of people living with diabetes. Earning my BC-ADM 25 years ago wasn’t easy—it pushed me into unfamiliar territory that felt overwhelming at the start. But with time, this new knowledge became part of my DNA. Whether I’m seeing individuals at our rural clinic or designing new teaching slides, my BC-ADM continues to make me a better clinician, educator and advocate.
Coach Beverly Thomassian RN, MPH, CDCES, BC-ADM
