• About the IBCLC Credential
• How to Become an IBCLC
• Exam Eligibility Pathways
• Pre-Exam Education in Human Lactation and Breastfeeding
• Lactation Specific Clinical Experience
• Apply for Certification
• FAQs for Applicants
• Announcing Future Requirements
• FAQs about Future Requirements

Announcing Future Requirements

2012 IBLCE Exam Eligibility Requirements for First-Time Candidates

The International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE) Board of Directors has revised the exam eligibility requirements for first-time certification candidates. The revisions reflect the commitment by the IBLCE Board of Directors to enhance the quality of the International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) credential.

Beginning in 2012, all first-time candidates will be required to have completed the following education and clinical practice experience prior to applying for the exam:

• 90 hours of pre-exam education in human lactation and breastfeeding

and

• Meet ONE of the following requirements
  
  • Be a registered/licensed/recognized health professional in their country
  • Or have completed both of the following general education requirements:
• 8 general education courses of one semester, or equivalent, in length
• 6 additional continuing education subjects

and

• Clinical breastfeeding practice hours

The IBLCE is continually reviewing and improving the IBCLC credential. As an integral component of this process, evidence necessitated that the education requirements of all first time exam candidates be enhanced.

All eligibility criteria are considered to be minimum requirements. Based upon the individual's training and background, additional coursework or lactation specific clinical practice hours may be needed to successfully complete the examination. IBLCE acknowledges that most health professionals will have studied the general education requirements within their professional training. The education requirements are enhanced to ensure that all IBCLC exam candidates are well educated and prepared to provide quality care.

Exam Eligibility Pathways
IBLCE will continue to offer 3 ways through which applicants may quality for the certification exam for lactation consultants. In general, these pathways are described as shown in the table below.

Regardless of the exam eligibility pathway followed, all first-time exam candidates for the 2012 exam must meet the requirements in:

• General Education
• Education in Human Lactation and Breastfeeding
• Lactation Specific Clinical Experience

Please note: Regulations and practices may affect an individual’s ability to qualify through Pathways 2 and 3. Before making a decision to follow Pathway 2 or Pathway 3, prospective IBCLCs should contact the IBLCE regional office that serves their country.

General Education
All first-time candidates must demonstrate completion of education in 14 subjects that are typical of the education required of health professionals. This general education must be completed prior to applying for the exam.

The rationale for requiring all exam candidates to complete education in these subjects is to ensure, as much as possible, that prospective IBCLCs have the ability to apply learning to complex problems and challenges and that they have the education necessary to function as valued, respected members of the maternal-child health care team. Requiring all exam candidates to complete education in these 14 general education subjects is the most reliable way of achieving these goals.

IBLCE has identified eight subjects in which all first-time candidates must have completed the equivalent of one semester of higher education. These 8 higher education courses are:

• Biology
• Human Anatomy
• Human Physiology
• Infant and Child Growth and Development
• Nutrition
• Psychology or Counseling or Communication Skills
• Introduction to Research
• Sociology or Cultural Sensitivity or Cultural Anthropology

In addition, all first-time candidates must have completed continuing education in 6 subjects that health professionals typically will have studied as part of their professional training and/or are required for ongoing maintenance of their professional credentials. These 6 additional general education subjects are:

• Basic life support (e.g. CPR)
• Medical documentation
• Medical terminology
• Occupational safety, including security, for health professionals
• Professional ethics for health professionals (e.g. Code of Ethics)
• Universal safety precautions and infection control

Higher education refers to education acquired after completion of compulsory education. It is typically provided at academies, universities, colleges, vocational schools, institutes of technology, trade schools and career colleges that award academic degrees or professional certifications. The definition of compulsory education will vary from country to country. For example, compulsory education in the USA means graduation from high school or the equivalent.

To demonstrate completion of these general education requirements, candidates who are recognized health professionals will need to provide evidence of their professional status, e.g. a copy of their license or registration and/or a copy of their diploma or transcript. Candidates who are not health professionals will need to provide documentation which demonstrates successful completion of education in the 8 identified higher education subjects and the 6 continuing education subjects, e.g. a copy of their college or university transcript and copies of certificates of completion.

These general education requirements may be completed prior to or concurrent with the other exam eligibility requirements. All general education requirements must be completed prior to applying for the exam. Note: Completion of coursework in these 14 subjects and the 90 hours of required education in human lactation and breastfeeding will be roughly equivalent to three years of higher education.

Education in Human Lactation and Breastfeeding
Effective for the 2012 exam, all first-time candidates must complete 90 hours of education in human lactation and breastfeeding within the 5 years immediately prior to exam application.

Education in human lactation and breastfeeding is defined as education in the disciplines and chronological periods specified by the IBLCE Exam Blueprint. The 90 hours of education are contact hours not college/university credit hours and must be completed prior to applying for the exam.

Please Note: For the 2012 exam, candidates may use lactation specific education that was completed no earlier than January 1, 2007 and no later than the day that they apply for the exam.

Lactation Specific Clinical Experience
Lactation specific clinical experience is defined as providing maternal/child care that supports breastfeeding families, including lactation assistance to pregnant and breastfeeding women and lactation education to families and/or professionals. The IBLCE exam tests the application of knowledge related to the skill sets published in the Clinical Competencies for IBCLC Practice. Candidates should have a broad range of experience in providing lactation and breastfeeding care that spans the spectrum from pre-conception through weaning.

By and large, the 3 exam eligibility pathways are distinguished from each other by the way in which candidates meet the lactation specific clinical experience requirements.

Pathway 1
The type of experience that may be used to qualify through Pathway 1 requires that the candidate be appropriately supervised in a paid or volunteer capacity. Two types of employment are recognized by IBLCE as meeting the Pathway 1 supervision requirements—employment as a health professional who works in maternal-child health or employment as a breastfeeding support counselor.

• Meet the national definition for their health profession
• Provide evidence of having completed a degree and/or met the regulations and standards for practice in a recognized health profession in that country
  • For example, health professionals must provide a copy of one of the following documents:
    • Current license or registration
    • Diploma or transcript showing completion of professional education
• Obtain their clinical experience as part of their employment responsibilities and the person to whom they report must work in the same location or their scope of practice must permit independent, non-supervised practice
• Complete at least 1000 hours of lactation specific clinical experience within the 5 years immediately prior to applying for the exam

• Be associated with an organization that requires its counselors to: (1) complete a structured training program that includes comprehensive education in breastfeeding management; (2) work within a supervision structure that is appropriate to their training; (3) adhere to defined ethical standards for conduct; and (4) remain up to date by participating in continuing education
  • La Leche League leaders and WIC breastfeeding peer counselors are examples of counselors who meet these criteria.
• Obtain clinical experience as part of their employment responsibilities and the person to whom they report must work in the same location; off-site or telephone supervision is not satisfactory
  • In the case of volunteer mother-to-mother support group leaders such as La Leche League leaders and Australian Breastfeeding Association counselors, IBLCE awards 500 hours credit for each full year of active service as a group leader.
• Complete at least 1000 hours of lactation specific clinical experience within the 5 years immediately prior to applying for the exam

• Be at least one year in length and offered by an accredited college or university
• Include both the classroom instruction and the clinical experience components in the curriculum
• Have recertified IBCLCs as the program director and primary faculty members
• Provide a minimum of 300 hours of lactation specific clinical experience that is directly supervised by currently certified IBCLCs