Preparing for the CDCES Exam FREE Webinar & Resource Page
Starting your journey to becoming a CDCES?
Register for our FREE Preparing for CDCES Exam Webinar!
This course will transform your test anxiety into calm self-confidence and test-taking readiness.
Join us LIVE or watch the most recent recording below
Webinar Topics
- Exam requirement updates and eligibility
- New test format starting in July 2024
- Strategies to succeed along with a review of study tips and test-taking tactics
- We will review sample test questions and the reasoning behind choosing the right answers
- Learn how to focus your time and prepare to take the CDCES Exam. We provide plenty of sample test questions and test-taking tips!
Can’t join us live?
Don’t worry, if you register, we will send you a link to the recorded version.
Instructor
Coach Beverly Thomassian, RN, MPH, BC-ADM, CDCES
Author, Nurse, Educator, Clinician, and Innovator, Beverly has specialized in diabetes management for over twenty years and has successfully passed the CDCES exam six times. As president and founder of Diabetes Education Services, Beverly is dedicated to optimizing diabetes care and improving the lives of those with diabetes.
“Becoming a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) is one of the best professional and personal decisions I have ever made.” – Coach Beverly Thomassian
Why become a CDCES?
3 Reasons from Coach Beverly
Read: 3 Reasons to Become a CDCES
“The best part of becoming a CDCES is working with my colleagues and people living with diabetes. As diabetes educators, we hear compelling and beautiful life stories. I am astounded by the barriers they face and inspired by their adaptability, problem-solving skills, and resilience.“
– Coach Beverly Thomassian, RN, MPH, CDCES, BC-ADM
Reason 1: CDCES is a widely recognized certification by employers and health care professionals throughout the U.S. This credential demonstrates a specialized and in-depth knowledge in the prevention and treatment of individuals living with pre-diabetes and diabetes.
Reason 2: Currently, 13% of people in the U.S. have diabetes and another 36% have pre-diabetes which means 49% of Americans are running around with elevated blood glucose levels. Given this epidemic, there will be plenty of future job opportunities.
Reason 3: Having my CDCES along with my nursing degree, has opened many doors of opportunity; from working as an inpatient Diabetes Nurse Specialist in a hospital to working as a Manager of Diabetes Education in the outpatient setting to starting my own consulting company.
Steps to become a Certified Diabetes Care & Education Specialists
Step 1. Sign up for our FREE Webinar – Preparing for the CDCES exam
This webinar reviews CDCES exam eligibility requirements (register at the top of this page), the exam format, and study strategies. Beverly also provides test-taking tips, sample test questions, and the reasoning behind choosing the right answers.
Step 2. Review the qualifications to achieve your CDCES
Download the 2024 Certification Examination for Diabetes Educators Handbook for complete information about eligibility and certification information. Instructions on how to apply, study resources, and the application are also included. Please note that the CBDCE has approved temporary changes to the professional practice requirement relating to DCE for the initial CDCES certification that begins on April 1st. Read page iii for more information.
Exam Content Outline | July – Onward 2024
Practice Hours Requirement Adjusted for Pandemic: The CBDCE has extended the adjusted hours required to “address the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the ability of health professionals pursuing the CDCES credential:
- For applications submitted through 2024*, minimum DCE experience needed in prior 12 months reduced from 400 hours to 200 hours; and 2.
- For applications submitted through 2026**, minimum 1000 hours (or 2000 hours for unique qualifications pathway) of DCE experience needed can be accrued over a longer period of time. The time frame is increased from 4 years from application date to 5 years from application date.”
- Practice Hours Spreadsheet Tracker. Download this sheet to easily track your practice hours.
Step 3. Review our 10 Steps to Succeed and Pass the CDCES Exam page
Coach Beverly has created a 10-Step Study Path and Material List to help you succeed! These are based off 25 years of CDCES coaching experience and student feedback. Prepare for the exam, earn your CEs, gain confidence as an educator, and more!
Step 4. Increase knowledge of diabetes and co-condition management
Interested in diabetes certification, but not sure where to start? Find your Study Path and Tools that are right for you based on this quick 4 question survey.
- Attend our Live & Virtual DiabetesEd Specialist Course. This course will provide you with critical information and clinical pearls for your practice.
- Enroll in our Online University courses. If you can’t attend our live seminars, we invite you to enroll in our bundles such.
Increase your knowledge
Are you studying for the CDCES? We have a wealth of programs and study tools to help you succeed!
Bundle Descriptions
CDCES Deluxe Prep Bundle: If you want a combination of online courses and a book, this is the bundle for you! Our Deluxe Bundles are the most comprehensive choice, offering over 30 courses including our Levels 1, 2, 3 & Toolkits, 40+ CEs/CPEUs, 400+ online practice questions, plus an additional 475+ questions with the ADCES Certification Review Guide Practice Questions book.
CDCES E-Deluxe Prep Bundle: If you want all of the resources listed above but prefer an electronic version of the book, this is the bundle for you. This bundle has all of the courses and practice questions from the Deluxe Bundle, with the ADCES Certification Review Guide Practice Questions e-book.
CDCES Basic Prep Bundle: This option is perfect for someone who wants just the Online Courses and materials all in one place, our Online University. This bundle includes Levels 1, 2, and 3 & Toolkits which equates to over 30 courses, 40 CEs/CPEUs, and 400+ online practice questions.
CDCES Mini Prep Bundle: The Mini Bundle is great for healthcare professionals who have a lot of experience working with people living with diabetes. The Mini-Prep Bundle skips past the fundamentals and goes straight into Levels 2 and 3 and includes 20+ online courses, 40+ CEs/CPEUs, and around 325 online practice questions. Click here to register.
Articles to Read to Prepare for CDCES Exam
Articles to Read to Prepare for CDCES Exam
ADA Standards of Care 2024 – This yearly publication by the American Diabetes Association outlines the national goals of care based on the latest research for diabetes management. This is one of the most important guidelines to read as a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist.
2024 Abridged Standards of Care – This collection provides an abridged version of the American Diabetes Association’s (ADA’s) Standards of Care in Diabetes—2024 designed especially for primary care professionals.
Summary of Revisions: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2024 – The 2024 Standards of Care includes revisions to incorporate person-first and inclusive language. Efforts were made to consistently apply terminology that empowers people with diabetes and recognizes the individual at the center of diabetes care.
Screening and Diagnosis of Diabetes Mellitus 2024 – One-page cheat sheet that summarizes screening, risk status, and diagnostic criteria for diabetes. Great for your office and as a study tool.
Pharmacologic Approaches to Glycemic Treatment in 2024. This ADA/EASD hyperglycemia road map details strategies to improve glucose management for both Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes. Section 9 of Standards of Care, 2024
Language & Diabetes. What we say matters | Resource page
Language is powerful and can have a strong impact on perceptions as well as behavior. This mini webinar and article provide recommendations for the language used by health care professionals and others when discussing diabetes through spoken or written words whether directed to people with diabetes, colleagues, or the general public, as well as research questions related to language and diabetes.
Med Cheat Sheets | Cholesterol and Hypertension Medications 2024 – These summary sheets are helpful for your clinical practice and preparing for certification exams. For exam success, be familiar with the general concepts, (side effects and precautions) of these medications.
ADCES 7™ Self-Care Behaviors – A must-read for anyone entering the field of Diabetes or as a reference for those already in the field. These 7 Self-Care Behaviors™ provide a framework for patient-centered diabetes self-management education and training (DSME/T) and care.
American Association of Clinical Endocrinology Consensus Statement: Comprehensive Type 2 Diabetes Management Algorithm – 2023 Update. This link provides the complete executive and slide set summary by an American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists/American College of Endocrinology Consensus Panel on Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. If you are taking the CDCES or BC-ADM exam, we encourage students to be familiar with the slide content that reviews diabetes management.
2022 National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support – A joint position statement of the American Diabetes Association, the American Association of Diabetes Educators, and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. An important document to review for those providing Diabetes Self-Management Education or those considering taking the certification exam.
Landmark Studies – a short cheat sheets that highlights the major diabetes trials and the significant findings.
We invite you to visit our comprehensive library of articles and resources – See more »
The use of DES products does not guarantee the successful passage of the diabetes certification exams. CBDCE & ADCES does not endorse any preparatory or review materials for the certification exams, except for those published by CBDCE & ADCES.
**To satisfy the requirement for renewal of certification by continuing education for the Certification Board for Diabetes Care & Education (CBDCE), continuing education activities must be applicable to diabetes and approved by a provider on the CBDCE List of Recognized Providers (www.ncbde.org). CBDCE does not approve of continuing education. Diabetes Education Services is accredited/approved by the Commission of Dietetic Registration which is on the list of CBDCE Recognized Providers.
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