Nursing
CBDCE CDCESCertified Diabetes Care and Education
The Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) credential is issued by the Certification Board for Diabetes Care and Education (CBDCE, formerly NCBDE). It validates expertise in diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) across the full spectrum of type 1, type 2, gestational, and prediabetes care. The exam covers assessment, intervention, and program-level standards — not bedside endocrine nursing.
30 free questions · no credit card · cancel anytime
Exam facts
Everything you need to know about the CBDCE CDCES exam.
- Passing score
- 70 / 99 scaled score
- Format & length
- 175 questions (150 scored + 25 pretest) · 4 hours
- Voucher cost
- ~$350 USD
- Prerequisites
- Active unrestricted US license in a discipline on CBDCE's eligible list (RN, RD, RPh, MD, PA, NP, etc.) + 2 years professional practice + 1,000 DSMES hours in the past 5 years (≥200 in the most recent) + 15 diabetes-specific CE hours in the prior 2 years
- Validity
- 5 years (renew via 1,000 practice hours + 75 CE hours, or re-exam)
What’s tested
Key topics on the CBDCE CDCES exam.
The Cert Climb question bank is mapped to every domain on the official CBDCE CDCES exam blueprint, so what you study is what the test asks.
- Assessment
- Care and Education Interventions
- Standards and Practices
Who it’s for
Built for the people taking this exam.
RNs, dietitians, pharmacists, NPs, and other licensed clinicians who run diabetes education in endocrinology clinics, primary care, ADCES-recognized DSMES programs, or hospital diabetes consult services. The cross-discipline eligibility is the point — a CDCES on staff is what most insurers and CMS require to bill DSMES services.
Why it matters in 2026
The career signal.
CDCES (and the parallel BC-ADM) are the credentials CMS and most commercial payers look for to reimburse outpatient DSMES under Medicare Part B — so DSMES program accreditation hinges on staff holding it. With ~38 million Americans diabetic and GLP-1 prescribing expanding the education burden, demand for credentialed educators in primary care and pharmacy-led clinics has grown faster than the supply pipeline.
What you get
Everything you need to actually pass.
Full question bank
700 questions covering every objective on the official CBDCE CDCES exam blueprint, with detailed explanations on every option — right and wrong.
Quiz modes
Timed exam simulation, missed-only review, topic drills, and a daily question of the day. Practice the way you study best.
Flashcards
Spaced-repetition flashcards generated from each topic. Pull them up on a phone in the gap between meetings.
Progress tracking
See per-topic accuracy and answered counts. Find weak areas before they cost you on test day.
Per-category premium
Unlocking CBDCE CDCES unlocks every other Nursing exam in the Cert Climb catalog — pay once, stack credentials.
No-fluff explanations
Every wrong answer comes with a 2-3 sentence explanation of why it’s wrong, not just “the correct answer is X.” Pattern recognition is the whole game.
Read while you study
CBDCE CDCES articles & study guides
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about CBDCE CDCES
How many questions does the CBDCE CDCES bank have?
700 questions, organized into 3 subject areas mapped to the official exam objectives.
Is the free trial really free?
Yes. 30 questions, no credit card, no email-trap, no “activate by Friday or pay” spam. You either upgrade because the bank’s good, or you don’t.
What does premium cost?
Premium is sold per category and unlocks every Nursing exam in the Cert Climb catalog. Plans are 1-month, 3-month, or 12-month — see the upgrade modal for current pricing.
How current is the CBDCE CDCES content?
We track exam version updates and refresh the bank within weeks of new objectives. Where the version of an exam matters (e.g. CompTIA SY0-701 vs. SY0-601), question explanations call it out.
Can I cancel my subscription anytime?
Yes. Cancellation is one click from your profile. Your access continues through the end of the period you’ve already paid for.
Stop researching. Start drilling.
30 free questions on CBDCE CDCES — no card, no commitment.
Start free trial