About Us

History of the CDECB

Diabetes educator certification began as a special project of the Diabetes Educator Section (DES) of the Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA) in September 1988.  The National Test Construction Committee (NTCC) was given the mandate to determine diabetes education competencies, and develop, pilot test, bank, and maintain the test items for the certification examination.    In the spring of 1990, it was decided that the CDA could not be a mechanism for certification, and that the group to administer certification would have to be a separate entity from the CDA.  This transpired in 1991.

The first diabetes educator certification exam was held in October 1991.  The exam consisted of three components, a written examination and two performance components (videotape assessment of teaching principles and peer teaching performance).  The two performance components of the examination were discontinued effective 1995.  This was also the year for the first French exam.  

CDECB became an incorporated entity in 1996.  The first re-certification was in the fall of 1996.  The Study Guide was initially available in the fall of 1998.  Examinations are invigilated at designated and non-designated sites across Canada (and may include out of country sites). 

The examination development follows a rigorous (validity and reliability) process of committee work including Item Writers, Item Appraisers, and the Exam Review Committees.  The Modified Angoff Method, which has a proven record of fairness and defensibility, is used to set the pass score each year.

Certification Maintenance by Portfolio was a vision of the CDECB in 2003.  Much hard work resulted in the graduated 5 year introduction of maintaining certification with the collection of continuing education credits based on established competencies starting in 2006.

CDE® and EAD® are now registered trademarks of the Canadian Diabetes Educator Certification Board, and the use of these marks are under license.

The CDECB continues to market the value of having Certified Diabetes Educators on staff.  We continue to grow in the social media to meet the needs of our client….you the educators.