BC-ADM Credential for Advanced Practitioners

ADCES has contracted with Meazure Learning to process applications and payments, schedule testing sessions and sites, and oversee the entire process. If you need assistance with anything related to the application, testing or payment process, please contact Meazure Learning at [email protected] or 919.572.6880. If you have any questions for ADCES related to the BC-ADM credential, please contact us at [email protected]. 

Taking the Exam

The exam is offered in person and remotely. Please visit our testing provider's website for the latest updates on test site closures and flexible scheduling options

Resources for Remote Exam

In order to sit for the BC-ADM examination, candidates must meet these basic requirements: Hold a current, active RN, RD, RPh/PharmD, PA or MD/DO license in a state or territory of the United States or the professional, legally recognized equivalent in another country. The legally recognized equivalent professional must be practicing in that country.

The candidate must also hold a graduate degree from an accredited program, within 48 months prior to applying for this certification exam. An MD, DO and PharmD qualify for the graduate level and do not need an additional graduate level degree.

Finally, the candidate must complete a minimum of 500 clinical practice hours in advanced diabetes management. For more information on each specific discipline, please visit the BC-ADM Candidate Handbook.

First time candidates for the exam will need the following clinical practice hours: within 48 months prior to applying for this certification exam, complete a minimum of 500 clinical practice hours in advanced diabetes management (after licensure).

Faculty can use hours of direct clinical supervision of students for clinical practice. The direct clinical supervision must be in the certification specialty.

You will be asked, on the application, to provide the institution, supervisor, start/end date and clinical practice hours for the 500 total clinical hours you are reporting. Only candidates selected for audit will be asked to provide supporting documentation to verify the information provided in the application.

The number one resource for the BC-ADM exam is your practice level. Candidates who qualify to sit for the BC-ADM are managing a person with diabetes. Some examples include medication adjustment, MNT, exercise planning, counseling for behavior management, psychosocial issues, treatment and monitoring of acute and chronic complications, complex decision-making which expands the traditional discipline specific practice, research and mentoring. 

STUDY SHEETS

These study sheets outline the topics and the number of questions for each topic on the exam for each domain. Use them to assess where your strengths and weaknesses are to prioritize your study time.

• Domain I: Assessment and Diagnosis
• Domain II: Planning and Intervention
• Domain III: Evaluation and Follow-up
• Domain IV: Population Health, Advocacy and Professional Development

The practice exam is $39 for members and $59 for nonmembers. Please remember the exam is intended to supplement your overall study efforts and is not an indication as to whether or not you may pass the actual exam. 

Once you purchase the practice test, you can leave part way through and come back to it. Once the practice test is completed and submitted, you would have to purchase it again to take it over again.

Licensure is frequently confused with certification or credentialing. The meanings of the terms are often interchanged. Licensure signifies governmental authority to practice a profession. The difference between licensure and certification is essentially the difference between governmental regulation and self-regulation of a profession. Certification does not change your scope of practice and can come from different organizations. Licensure comes from a governmental authority.

BC-ADM: The BC-ADM certification validates a health care professional's specialized knowledge and expertise in the management of people with diabetes. Practicing within their discipline's scope of practice, health care professionals who hold the BC-ADM certification credential adjust medications, treat and monitor acute and chronic complications, provide medical nutrition therapy, help patients plan exercise regimens, counsel patients to manage behaviors and psychosocial issues, participate in research and mentor. The depth of knowledge and competence in advanced clinical practice and diabetes skills affords an increased complexity of decision making which contributes to better patient care.

CDCES: A Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) is a health professional who possesses comprehensive knowledge of and experience in prediabetes, diabetes prevention and management. The CDCES educates and supports people affected by diabetes to understand and manage the condition. A CDCES promotes self-management to achieve individualized behavioral and treatment goals that optimize health outcomes. The CDCES is owned and managed by the CBDCE. Visit www.cbdce.org for more information.

You do not need to be a certified diabetes care and education specialist to sit for the BC-ADM exam.

Applications are accepted on a continual basis. The examination is offered during one‐month windows following the application’s approval. Please note that your application must be completed at least 30 days prior to the opening of the testing window. Late applications are accepted up to 15 days prior to the opening of the testing window for an additional fee of $50.

Examination results will be mailed within 6 to 8 weeks from the close of the testing window. The exam is offered in June and December, and the close of the testing window is the first day of the following month. In other words, the June test window closes on July 1st and the December test window closes on January 1st.

Examination results will be released only in writing by email, not by telephone or fax. In the case of an eligibility audit, examination scores will be held until the audit is complete. ADCES audits 10% of candidates after each test window. Audit time frames are dependent on the candidate’s response time.

Candidate eligibility will be valid for two consecutive testing windows, and candidates will be permitted one testing attempt per window. Individuals who miss the scheduling deadline or do not pass the certification examination may retest in the next testing window.

Candidates may not take the examination more than two times in any 12‐month period. Candidates who need to retest will receive a Notice to Schedule (NTS) 45 days before the next testing window.

During the scheduling process, candidates will be prompted to pay the retake fee ($220 for ADCES members and $340 for nonmembers). Candidates will not be officially scheduled for their retake exam until the retake fee has been paid at the end of the scheduling process.

Meazure Learning offers help to our candidates and can be reached by emailing [email protected] or by calling 919.572.6880. If you have further questions, please email ADCES at [email protected].