Examination Process

Seeking certification for the first time or choosing to maintain your designation by examination.

Exam Update

Exam Dates for the 2025 exam are as follows:

Thursday May 22, 2025
Friday May 23, 2025
Saturday May 24, 2025

Registration for the 2025 Exam and submission of a Credit Portfolio is closed.

Resource Update: Diabetes Canada’s new chapter, Glycemic Management Across the Lifespan for People With Type 1 Diabetes, incorporates new evidence that supports individualized, evidence-based care across all life stages. It replaces the 2018 guidelines for adults (chapter 12), and children and adolescents (chapter 34).  This update will be reflected in the May 2026 Examination

The 2026 Exam and Credit Portfolio Applications will open in the Fall of 2025.

To ensure that you receive all communication with us please add the following emails to your contact list.  systems@cdecb.ca  and cdecb@cdecb.ca

Eligibility Criteria

Individuals who have not previously taken or passed the CDE® examination or whose CDE® designation have lapsed must meet  ALL of the following requirements:

  1. Be licensed with a regulatory body in Canada as a regulated health professional
  2. A minimum of 800 hours of practice in diabetes education within the Canadian Diabetes Educator certification examination competencies.
  3. The minimum of 800 hours of practice in diabetes education must be obtained within any duration or combination of time within the three year period that is immediately preceding the February 1 application deadline. Such hours of practice must be obtained while the individual is fully licensed with a regulatory body as a Canadian health care professional.  Such experience includes providing education, diabetes management advice or care to one or more of the following: those at risk for diabetes; those with prediabetes and those with diabetes, their families or health professionals utilizing the competencies set out in Appendix A.

ALL of the above must be attained while the individual is fully registered with a regulatory body in Canada as a health professional.

Enrollment and participating in a diabetes course does NOT contribute towards the 800 hours of diabetes practice experience.  Diabetes Education does not include charting, staff meetings, lunches, breaks or simply being at work  

General Information

Please see the current Examination Handbook for the current fee for writing the exam. 

The examination offered to Certified Diabetes Educators on the Saturday following the Victoria Day long weekend in May, each year is available to you as a method of Certification Maintenance.

The choice is yours, you may elect to write the examination or collect credits via the credit portfolio method.

  1. To review the Exam Handbook and Documentation,.
  2. To review the Exam References,.       
  3. To review the Exam FAQs

Exam Handbook and Documentation

Access the latest handbooks and documentation for the upcoming certification exam.

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