{"id":20836,"date":"2016-02-03T21:09:18","date_gmt":"2016-02-03T21:09:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy?page_id=20836"},"modified":"2026-05-20T10:27:52","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T15:27:52","slug":"certified-diabetes-educator-practice-test","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/certified-diabetes-educator-practice-test\/","title":{"rendered":"Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Practice Test"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> (CDCES<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>) exam is administered by the Certification Board for Diabetes Care and Education (CBDCE) to assess the diabetes management, prediabetes, and diabetes prevention knowledge of future diabetes care and education specialists.<\/p>\n<p>Click \u201cStart Test\u201d above to take a free CDCES practice test!<\/p>\n<div class=\"buttonlinks\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/university\/cdces\/\" class=\"class_names\" style=\"color:black;\" onclick=\"_paq.push(['trackEvent', 'Course Button', 'Course Click', CertDiabEdu Course Click']);\">CDCES Online Course<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/studyguides\/certifieddiabeteseducators\/\" class=\"class_names\" style=\"color:black;\" onclick=\"_paq.push(['trackEvent', 'Guide Button', 'Guide Click', 'CertDiabEdu Guide Click']);\">Certified Diabetes Educator Study Guide<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flashcardsecrets.com\/certifieddiabeteseducator\/\" class=\"class_names\" style=\"color:black;\" onclick=\"_paq.push(['trackEvent', 'Flashcard Button', 'Flashcard Button Click', 'CertDiabEdu Flashcard Click']);\">Certified Diabetes Educator Flashcards<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-page\"><span id=\"Exam_Eligibility\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Exam Eligibility<\/h2>\n<p>To be eligible for the CDCES exam, you must have accrued at least 15 hours of continuing education (diabetes-related) within the last two years. You must also meet specific education and experience requirements:<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Professions\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Professions<\/h3>\n<p>The qualifying professions include but are not limited to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Registered nurse<\/li>\n<li>Registered dietitian<\/li>\n<li>Registered dietitian nutritionist<\/li>\n<li>Pharmacist<\/li>\n<li>Physician assistant<\/li>\n<li>Doctor of medicine<\/li>\n<li>Doctor of osteopathic medicine<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span id=\"Experience\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Experience<\/h3>\n<p>You must meet ONE of the following experience requirements:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You must have accrued at least 200 hours of DCE experience within the last 12 months<\/li>\n<li>You must have accrued at least 2,000 hours of DCE experience within the last 5 years<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"pt-page\"><span id=\"CDCES_Exam_Outline\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>CDCES Exam Outline<\/h2>\n<p>The CDCES exam contains 175 multiple-choice questions, 25 of which are unscored, and you will be given a time limit of 4 hours. The unscored questions are used by the CBDCE to validate questions from future exams.<\/p>\n<p>The exam is split into three sections.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/CDCES-Exam-Outline.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-221281\" role=\"img\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/CDCES-Exam-Outline.svg\" alt=\"Exam outline for the Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist showing three content categories with scored questions: Assessment (37), Care and Education Interventions (105), and Standards and Practices (8).\" width=\"465.6\" height=\"435.6\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"I_Assessment_(37_scored_questions)\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>I. Assessment (37 scored questions)<\/h3>\n<p>The questions in this section assess your knowledge and skills in the following areas:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Learning (10 questions)<\/li>\n<li>Physical and psychosocial (12 questions)<\/li>\n<li>Self-management knowledge and behaviors (15 questions)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span id=\"II_Care_and_Education_Interventions_(105_scored_questions)\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>II. Care and Education Interventions (105 scored questions)<\/h3>\n<p>The questions in this section assess your knowledge and skills in the following areas:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Person-centered education on self-care behaviors (58 questions)<\/li>\n<li>Disease process and approach to treatment (22 questions)<\/li>\n<li>Evaluation, documentation, and follow-up (8 questions)<\/li>\n<li>Individualized education plan (17 questions)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span id=\"III_Standards_and_Practices_(8_scored_questions)\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>III. Standards and Practices (8 scored questions)<\/h3>\n<p>The questions in this section assess your knowledge and skills in the following areas:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Current NSDSMES standards<\/li>\n<li>Current National DPP standards<\/li>\n<li>Population health strategies<\/li>\n<li>Collaboration with other healthcare professionals<\/li>\n<li>Advocation for people with diabetes<\/li>\n<li>Evidence-based care and education<\/li>\n<li>The impact of disparities<\/li>\n<li>Principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"sg-box\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sg-box-text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"sg-box-title\">Check Out Mometrix's CDCES Study Guide<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>Get practice questions, video tutorials, and detailed study lessons<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"sg-box-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/studyguides\/certifieddiabeteseducators\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Get Your Study Guide<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/studyguides\/certifieddiabeteseducators\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"184\" height=\"238\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/certdiabedu-18146.jpg\" alt=\" Study Guide\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-page\"><span id=\"Registration\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Registration<\/h2>\n<p>To register for the exam, you must submit an application to the CBDCE through PSI. Your application must include the $350 examination fee and any applicable documentation for proof of eligibility.<\/p>\n<p>Once your application is approved, you will be given instructions on how to set up an exam appointment with PSI.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"CertDiabEduCourse\" class=\"pt-page\"><span id=\"CDCES_Online_Prep_Course\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>CDCES Online Prep Course<\/h2>\n<p>If you want to be fully prepared, Mometrix offers an <strong>online CDCES prep course<\/strong> designed to give you everything you need to succeed!<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s what you&#8217;ll find in the CDCES course:<\/p>\n<div class=\"mocblurb\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"moclessons\"><\/li>\n<li class=\"mocpqs\"><\/li>\n<li class=\"mocflash\"><\/li>\n<li class=\"mocmoney\"><\/li>\n<li class=\"mocmobile\"><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>Everyone learns differently, so we&#8217;ve tailored the CDCES online prep course to ensure every learner has what they need to prepare for the CDCES exam.<\/p>\n<p>Click below to check it out!<\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/university\/cdces\/?utm_source=academy&amp;utm_medium=button&amp;utm_campaign=academy-mu-ads&amp;utm_content=cdces\" class=\"class_names\" style=\"color:black;\" onclick=\"_paq.push(['trackEvent', 'Course Button', 'Course Click', 'CertDiabEdu Course Click']);\"><button class=\"buttontranscript\">Start Your CDCES Online Course<\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/university\/cdces\/\" class=\"mobile-ad\" style=\"color:black;\" onclick=\"_paq.push(['trackEvent', 'Mobile Ad', 'Mobile Click', CertDiabEdu Mobile Click']);\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cdces-mobile-ad-67b763f0e316f.webp\" alt=\"20% off coupon for the CDCES online course.\" width=\"353\" height=\"354\" \/><\/a>\n<h2 class=\"pt-page\"><span id=\"Test_Day\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Test Day<\/h2>\n<p>Regardless of your exam-taking method, you will be asked on test day to present two current and valid forms of identification, one of which must contain your photograph. Both forms of identification must have your signature for verification.<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Inperson_Testing\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>In-person Testing<\/h3>\n<p>On the day of your exam, you should arrive about 30 minutes early for your scheduled appointment time. If you are more than 15 minutes late, you will not be admitted, and your test will be canceled.<\/p>\n<p>Before the exam begins, you must secure any personal items (including your phone, wallet, and keys) in a provided locker. A pencil and a sheet of paper are provided, so there is no need to bring those items with you to the testing center.<\/p>\n<p>During the exam, you can take a break whenever you need to, but the timer will keep going during your break.<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Live_Remote_Proctoring\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Live Remote Proctoring<\/h3>\n<p>You should log in to your account 10-15 minutes before your examination appointment. Once you are logged in, a proctor will ask you to scan your testing space with your webcam to ensure your testing area is clear of books, notes, and electronic devices. You are allowed a pencil and a blank sheet of paper on your desk; all other items need to be removed from the area.<\/p>\n<p>The launch button for the exam is enabled when the exam and proctor are ready.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"pt-page\"><span id=\"How_the_Exam_is_Scored\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>How the Exam is Scored<\/h2>\n<p>Your final score for this exam is calculated using a scale-based scoring system. This system takes the number of questions you answered correctly (your raw score) and converts it to a scaled score ranging from zero to 99. The minimum passing score is a scaled score of 70.<\/p>\n<p>You will receive a preliminary score report before you leave the testing center, or by email if you take the exam remotely. On your score report, you will see your pass\/fail status, your final scaled score, and your raw score for each of the three content areas.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"pt-page\"><span id=\"Retaking_the_Exam\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Retaking the Exam<\/h2>\n<p>If you do not pass the exam, you may retake it as many times as you need. You will need to reapply and pay the full exam fee for each retake.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"sg-box\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sg-box-text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"sg-box-title\">Check Out Mometrix's CDCES Flashcards<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>Get complex  subjects broken down into easily understandable concepts<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"sg-box-button blue-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flashcardsecrets.com\/certifieddiabeteseducator\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Get Your Flashcards<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flashcardsecrets.com\/certifieddiabeteseducator\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"238\" height=\"184\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/certdiabeduflash.jpg\" alt=\" Flashcards\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-page\"><span id=\"FAQs\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>FAQs<\/h2>\n<div class=\"faq-list\">\n<div class=\"qa_wrap\">\n<div class=\"q_item text_bold\">\n<h4 class=\"letter\">Q<\/h4>\n<p style=\"line-height: unset;\">How many questions are on the CDCES exam?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"a_item\">\n<h4 class=\"letter text_bold\">A<\/h4>\n<p>There are 175 multiple-choice questions on the exam.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"qa_wrap\">\n<div class=\"q_item text_bold\">\n<h4 class=\"letter\">Q<\/h4>\n<p style=\"line-height: unset;\">How long is the CDCES exam?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"a_item\">\n<h4 class=\"letter text_bold\">A<\/h4>\n<p>The time limit for the exam is 4 hours.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"qa_wrap\">\n<div class=\"q_item text_bold\">\n<h4 class=\"letter\">Q<\/h4>\n<p style=\"line-height: unset;\">What is the passing score for the CDCES exam?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"a_item\">\n<h4 class=\"letter text_bold\">A<\/h4>\n<p>To pass the exam, you must achieve a scaled score of at least 70.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"qa_wrap\">\n<div class=\"q_item text_bold\">\n<h4 class=\"letter\">Q<\/h4>\n<p style=\"line-height: unset;\">How much does the CDCES exam cost?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"a_item\">\n<h4 class=\"letter text_bold\">A<\/h4>\n<p>The examination fee is $350.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p><div itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"author\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Person\" class=\"author-bio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" itemprop=\"image\" class=\"author-image\" height=\"127\" width=\"127\" alt=\"Headshot of Kate Nockunas.\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/tinywow_tinywow_Kate-Nockunas-Cropped-min_24640345_24640389.webp\"><div class=\"author-text\"><p class=\"author-name\">By <span itemprop=\"name\">Kate Nockunas<\/span><\/p><div class=\"author-desc\"><p>Kate has been Mometrix\u2019s Nursing and Medical Editor for over four years. She has a bachelor\u2019s degree in Communications from Vanderbilt University, a bachelor\u2019s degree in Nursing from Marymount University, and a master\u2019s degree in Education from Johns Hopkins. Kate is a critical care registered nurse who still works occasionally in the ICU and PACU.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><div itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"editor\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Person\" class=\"author-bio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" itemprop=\"image\" class=\"author-image\" height=\"127\" width=\"127\" alt=\"Aaron Lanni profile pic\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image_2024-12-11_124906662.png\"><div class=\"author-text\"><p class=\"author-name\">Edited by <span itemprop=\"name\">Aaron Lanni<\/span><\/p><div class=\"author-desc\"><p>Aaron is the content manager and lead editor for Mometrix Academy. He regularly produces, updates, proofreads, and edits content to ensure it meets Mometrix\u2019s quality and accessibility standards.<\/p>\n<\/div><p class=\"alignright author-desc author-link\"><a class=\"ylist\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/editorial-guidelines\/\">Learn more about our editorial guidelines<\/a> \u2192<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n<div class=\"home-buttons\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/\">Mometrix Academy &#8211; Home<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"disclaimer\">CDCES and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist are registered trademarks of the Certification Board for Diabetes Care and Education, which is not affiliated with Mometrix Test Preparation and does not endorse this page.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist\u00ae (CDCES\u00ae) exam is administered by the Certification Board for Diabetes Care and Education (CBDCE) to assess the diabetes management, prediabetes, and diabetes prevention knowledge of future diabetes care and education specialists. Click \u201cStart Test\u201d above to take a free CDCES practice test! Exam Eligibility To be eligible for &#8230; <a title=\"Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist\u00ae Practice Test\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/certified-diabetes-educator-practice-test\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist\u00ae Practice Test\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":271855,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-20836","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"page_category-cdces-pages","7":"page_category-medical-professional","8":"page_type-exam-overview","9":"page_domain-cdces"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/20836","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20836"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/20836\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":295556,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/20836\/revisions\/295556"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/271855"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20836"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}