So, What’s the CDE® Exam Like?
Feb 4, 2019
It pays to be mentally prepared for what’s to come on exam day! Here, we outline what you can expect—from format to timing and everything in between.
Offered by the National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators (NCBDE), the CDE® credential was created for health professionals who educate patients about preventing and managing diabetes.
The CDE® exam is offered through PSI Services (PSI), with certification valid for five years.
The Format, Questions, and Time
The CDE® exam is computer-based and consists of 200 multiple-choice questions. The content outline for the exam was created from the results of a job analysis in 2018, which asked current diabetes educators about their role and whether the questions asked on the exam reflected their true responsibilities. The questions test you on whether you have the right skills to succeed as a diabetes educator.
Of the 200 questions you’ll encounter, only 175 will be counted toward your score; the additional 25 questions are pretest questions used to validate new questions for future exams. Note that you won’t know which questions are counted and which aren’t, so be sure to answer each one as if it’s being counted!
The CDE Exam
You’ll be given four hours to complete the CDE exam, with the option to take a practice examination beforehand that won’t count toward your testing time. No questions may be asked during the exam, but don’t worry—there’s no penalty for guessing, so do try to answer every question. Questions are presented one at a time, and you can change your answer as many times as you want during the test. You can also bookmark questions to review later. The topics you’ll be tested on are as follows:
You can review the full test content outline here.
The Results
You’ll receive both a raw and scaled score right after you finish the CDE exam. You’ll also get an official score report in the mail.
Raw Score: The number of questions you answered correctly.
Scaled Score: Drawn from the raw score; this will range from 0-99.
You’ll need at least 70 points on your scaled score to pass. Good luck!
Resources
NCBDE. (2019). Examination Handbook. 2019 Certification Examination for Diabetes Educators. Retrieved from https://www.ncbde.org/assets/1/7/Handbook_Current.pdf
NCBDE. (2019). Certification Examination for Diabetes Educators. Examination Content Outline: Effective Starting July 1, 2019. Retrieved from https://www.ncbde.org/assets/1/7/Examination_Content_Outline_1July2019.pdf
PSI. (n.d.). PSI Exams Online. Retrieved from https://candidate.psiexams.com/index.jsp
Offered by the National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators (NCBDE), the CDE® credential was created for health professionals who educate patients about preventing and managing diabetes.
The CDE® exam is offered through PSI Services (PSI), with certification valid for five years.
The Format, Questions, and Time
The CDE® exam is computer-based and consists of 200 multiple-choice questions. The content outline for the exam was created from the results of a job analysis in 2018, which asked current diabetes educators about their role and whether the questions asked on the exam reflected their true responsibilities. The questions test you on whether you have the right skills to succeed as a diabetes educator.
Of the 200 questions you’ll encounter, only 175 will be counted toward your score; the additional 25 questions are pretest questions used to validate new questions for future exams. Note that you won’t know which questions are counted and which aren’t, so be sure to answer each one as if it’s being counted!
The CDE Exam
You’ll be given four hours to complete the CDE exam, with the option to take a practice examination beforehand that won’t count toward your testing time. No questions may be asked during the exam, but don’t worry—there’s no penalty for guessing, so do try to answer every question. Questions are presented one at a time, and you can change your answer as many times as you want during the test. You can also bookmark questions to review later. The topics you’ll be tested on are as follows:
- Assessment of the Diabetes Continuum (59 questions)
- Interventions for Diabetes Continuum (88 questions)
- Disease Management (28 questions)
You can review the full test content outline here.
The Results
You’ll receive both a raw and scaled score right after you finish the CDE exam. You’ll also get an official score report in the mail.
Raw Score: The number of questions you answered correctly.
Scaled Score: Drawn from the raw score; this will range from 0-99.
You’ll need at least 70 points on your scaled score to pass. Good luck!
Resources
NCBDE. (2019). Examination Handbook. 2019 Certification Examination for Diabetes Educators. Retrieved from https://www.ncbde.org/assets/1/7/Handbook_Current.pdf
NCBDE. (2019). Certification Examination for Diabetes Educators. Examination Content Outline: Effective Starting July 1, 2019. Retrieved from https://www.ncbde.org/assets/1/7/Examination_Content_Outline_1July2019.pdf
PSI. (n.d.). PSI Exams Online. Retrieved from https://candidate.psiexams.com/index.jsp