“Becoming a Certified Diabetes Educator® (CDE®) is one of the best professional and personal decisions I have ever made.” – Coach Beverly Thomassian, RN, MPH, CDE, BC-ADM

How to Prepare for the Exam

See July 12, 2019 Preparing for CDE^®

“The best part of becoming a CDE® 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, CDE, BC-ADM

Getting ready to take the CDE^® Exam?  “We have what you need.”

Coach Beverly has created a 10-Step Study Path and Material List to help you succeed! These are based off 25 years of CDE® coaching experience and student feedback. Prepare for the exam, earn your CEs, gain confidence as an educator, and more!

10 Step to Succeed | Pass the CDE®

Coach Beverly’s Material List

Test Taking Toolkit

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Preparing to Become A CDE® Overview

According to the National Certification Board for Diabetes Education (NCBDE),  you need to have your professional license for at least 2 years as a RN, RD, PT, PharmD, PA, MD (and others) plus accumulate 1000 hours of diabetes self-management teaching experience to take the CDE^® exam. You also need to complete 15 hours of diabetes related continuing education within 2 years of taking the exam by an approved provider. All of our courses are approved by CDR, which means the hours you earn with us count, regardless of your profession**

• The NCBDE handbook provides a complete review of exam qualifications and details.
  • 2019 Certification Examination for Diabetes Educators Handbook
  • 2019 CDE Exam Updated Content Outline A two page tool to assess your pre-test knowledge.

Quick Links

• Live Seminars to Prepare you for Certification (Earn CEs)
• Online Courses Series (Earn CEs)
• Ready to Take Exam Now? Join CDE^® Exam Boot Camp
• Study and Teaching Tools
• Free Webinars

Articles to Review

Screening and Diagnosis of Diabetes Mellitus 2019– One-page cheat sheet that summarizes screening, risk status and diagnostic criteria for diabetes.

The NCBDE handbook provides a complete review of exam qualifications and details.

• 2019 Certification Examination for Diabetes Educators Handbook
• CDE Exam Content Outline NCBDE – A two page tool to assess your pre-test knowledge.
  • If you are taking the exam prior to July 1st, please use the 2018 CDE Exam Content Outline.
  • If you are taking the exam after July 1st, please use the 2019 CDE Exam Content Outline

Language & Diabetes. What we say matters | Resource page

Use of Language in Diabetes Care and Education – 2017 ADA & AADE
Language is powerful and can have a strong impact on perceptions as well as behavior. This article provides recommendations for 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.

AACE Comprehensive Type 2 Diabetes Management Algorithm 2019.  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 CDE® or BC-ADM exam, we encourage students to be familiar with the slide content that reviews diabetes management.

2017 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 take the certification exam.

AADE – White Paper on Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Therapy 2018 » – This paper outlines the topics that should be covered by diabetes educators when teaching patients and families or significant others about insulin pump therapy.

AADE 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.

Cholesterol and Blood Pressure Medications – since many people with diabetes are at risk for heart disease, those preparing for the CDE should be familiar with the general concepts, (side effects and precautions) of medications to treat hypertension and hyperlipidemia.  We have compiled 2 medication cheat sheets below that provide this critical content.

• Cholesterol Medications 2016 
• Antihypertensive Meds 2016

We invite you to visit our comprehensive library of articles and resources – See more »

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*Certified Diabetes Educator^® and CDE^® are registered marks owned by NCBDE. The use of DES products do not guarantee successful passage of the CDE^® exam. NCBDE does not endorse any preparatory or review materials for the CDE^® exam, except for those published by NCBDE.”

**To satisfy the requirement for renewal of certification by continuing education for the National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators (NCBDE), continuing education activities must be applicable to diabetes and approved by a provider on the NCBDE List of Recognized Providers (www.ncbde.org). NCBDE does not approve continuing education. Diabetes Education Services is accredited/approved by the Commission of Dietetic Registration which is on the list of NCBDE Recognized Providers.”