Recertification by Exam

Your certification as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) is for a period of five years, renewable by recertification at five year intervals. Before the end of each five year period, you must recertify either by passing the exam again, or through continuing education. Five years after you last passed the exam you may choose to recertify by exam again if you prefer, or if you do not have enough CERPs. The application fee is the same whether you recertify by CERPs or by exam. Please ask the IBLCE Office to send you further information about recertifying by exam. Ten years after you last passed the exam (5 years after CERPs recertification) you must pass the exam again.  Please note that you do not need CERPs when recertifying by exam, though it is highly recommended that you keep your knowledge and practice up-to-date at all times.

IBLCE will send you the relevant recertification application materials (listing current fees) in the November /December the year before your certification is due to expire.
Make sure we always have your current address!

Recertification by Exam
You should apply to recertify by exam in the year your certification is due to expire. The deadlines to apply for recertification by exam are he same as the deadlines for initial candidates:

If you choose to recertify by exam a year early, you will extend your certification five years from the year you take the exam (i.e. you will lose a year). This is because it is IBLCE policy that you must recertify by exam no more than 10 years after you last passed the exam.

Exam Recertification Application
If you have not received a Recertification Application by the end of January the year you are due to recertify it is highly likely that IBLCE does not have your current address. Please contact the IBLCE Office and notify us of your current details at RD@iblce.edu.au We can send you out an application to recertify or you can download it by Clicking Here.

If You Do Not Recertify
If you do not recertify, or miss the deadlines for recertifying by exam or by CERPs, you may not use the title "IBCLC" after the expiration date on your certificate.  If you seek certification at a later date, you will need to submit a complete examination application, according to the requirements in place at the time of that year's exam.

The Recertification Application for the current year supersedes previous years' applications.