FAQs about Becoming an IBCLC

 

What subjects will be tested on the exam?

The IBLCE Exam Blueprint outlines the subjects tested.

 

Will my employer pay for the expense of taking the exam?

That varies from employer to employer. Please speak with your supervisor at work.

 

Are scholarships for the exam available?

Scholarships for the IBLCE exam are offered through the Monetary Investment for Lactation Consultant Certification (MILCC).

 

Does IBLCE offer a practice exam or sample questions?

IBLCE does not offer a practice exam. Click here to download sample questions.

 

How hard is the exam? How many people pass the exam?

The IBLCE exam is designed to test the knowledge and skills expected of an IBCLC who is entering the lactation consultant field. For more information about how candidates perform on the IBLCE, please read the Statistical Reports.

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All applicants need general education in the health sciences, experience in providing care to breastfeeding families and coursework in human lactation and breastfeeding. IBLCE has established three eligibility pathways through which applicants may qualify. Please see the Candidate Information Guide for details.

Who is eligible to apply for the IBLCE certification exam for lactation consultants?
People from a wide variety of backgrounds seek the IBCLC credential. Health professionals, such as nurses, midwives, dieticians and physicians, mother-to-mother breastfeeding counselors and breastfeeding peer counselors are among the most common backgrounds.

Which eligibility pathway should I follow?
Some important factors to consider are summed up in the following questions.

 

May I use my hours as a Labor & Delivery nurse (or other health professional) toward the 1000 hours of clinical experience needed to qualify for the exam through Pathway 1?

Yes. You may use that portion of your time that is devoted to providing care to breastfeeding families. Use the Clinical Experience Calculator to determine how many hours you can report.

 

I am a La Leche League Leader. How many years of experience as a leader do I need to qualify for the exam through Pathway 1? Who should I ask to be references for me?

You will need two full years of experience as a LLL Leader. Each year of service counts as 500 hours of clinical practice experience. You may not qualify until you have completed 2 full years of service as a LLL Leader. You will need a letter from La Leche League International on letterhead that verifies the date your leadership service started and the date that it ended.

 

How do I calculate the hours of experience I have helping breastfeeding families?

Click here.

 

I work as a dietitian (or other health professional) in a hospital. May I use the time that I spend helping breastfeeding mothers during my normal work hours to meet the clinical experience requirement for Pathway 1?

Yes, you may use these hours.

 

I am a breastfeeding peer counselor and my supervisor is not an IBCLC. May I still use my work experience to qualify through Pathway 1?

Yes, so long as your supervisor is a health professional who works in the same location where you work and he/she can verify the accuracy of the hours that you report.

 

I have a combination of La Leche League leadership and experience working as a nurse.  May I use all of this experience to qualify through Pathway 1?

Yes, you may use a combination of experience on different jobs to qualify so long as the experience was obtained within the 5 years immediately prior to applying for the exam.

 

What percentage of  the hours that I work can be used in calculating the lactation specific clinical experience requirement?

If you are having difficulty estimating the percentage of time you spend helping breastfeeding families, we recommend that you keep a time log for 2 weeks. Use this information to determine and support your reported hours. Once you have kept this log, it will be easier to use the Clinical Experience Calculator to determine the hours that you may report.

 

 

• If you are a practicing physician, midwife or nurse practitioner, your scope of practice may permit you to work without on-site supervision and, therefore, your independent experience in providing care to breastfeeding families could be used to qualify through Pathway 1. You will need to provide references who can verify your clinical experience.
• On the other hand, the scopes of practice for other health professionals may not permit working as independently as physicians, midwives and nurse practitioners. Your experience must be completed in a setting where your supervisor works in the same location that you work and is available to assist you if  needed. Or, your job must require that you and your supervisor have regular meeting to discuss and evaluate your lactation care. Your supervisor should be one of the references you list to verify your clinical experience.
• Breastfeeding peer counselors, postpartum care doulas and other community-based breastfeeding counselors must work in the same location as their supervisor and their supervisor must be an IBCLC or another health professional who is knowledgeable in lactation and breastfeeding care. Off-site or telephone supervision is not satisfactory
• Mother support counselors must be accredited by an organization that meets certain criteria established by IBLCE, including a means of providing supervision to counselors. If you are an accredited mother support counselor, you may receive up to 500 hours of clinical experience credit for each year of active service in the past 5 years.

The following examples provide more specific information.

• I'm a midwife in private practice. May I use my experience helping breastfeeding families to qualify for the IBLCE exam?
  • Yes, if your license, scope of practice and the local laws allow you to work without supervision, you may use your experience. You will need to provide two references who can attest to your experience in helping breastfeeding families. These references may not be your clients.

• I’m a registered nurse working in a hospital. May I get credit for the time I spend helping breastfeeding families?
  • Yes. Any licensed or registered health professional may use their on-the-job experience helping breastfeeding families to qualify through Pathway 1. The experience used to qualify for the IBLCE certification exam must have been obtained within a setting, such as a hospital or clinic, with on-site supervision or within an employment arrangement in which you and your supervisor meet regularly to discuss and evaluate your lactation care practices.

• I’m a La Leche League Leader. May I use my volunteer work to count toward meeting the clinical experience requirement?
  • Yes. Accredited, volunteer mother support counselors may use their experience. Every year of service counts as 500 hours of experience in providing care to breastfeeding families. A La Leche League Leader will need at least 2 years of active service that was completed within the 5 years immediately prior to applying for the exam. All clinical experience must be completed before applying for the exam.

• I’m a breastfeeding peer counselor working in a WIC clinic. May I use my experience to qualify for the IBLCE exam?
  • Yes. Breastfeeding peer counselors, who work in settings where their supervisor is an IBCLC or other health professional who works on-site and is available to assist them when needed, may use their on-the-job experience to qualify under Pathway 1.

• I provide breastfeeding counseling and support to families in my work as a postpartum care doula but I do not have an on-site supervisor. May I use my on-the-job experience to qualify for the IBLCE exam?
  • No. Without on-site supervision, your work experience may not be used to qualify for the IBLCE exam. If your work were supervised by a midwife, IBCLC or physician who works on-site with you, you could count your experience.

• May an individual who provides breastfeeding counseling through a private practice qualify under Pathway 1?
  • Practicing physicians, midwives and other health care professionals whose scope of practice and license or registration permit them to work independently may use their clinical experience.
  • Individuals who are not health professionals may not use independent practice to qualify for the IBLCE exam.

• For several years, I’ve practiced as a certified doula. May I count these hours?
  • Most likely, the answer is "No." Unless you worked under the supervision of a midwife, IBCLC or other health care professional, your hours may not be used to meet the clinical experience requirement.

• I work in a store that sells and rents breastfeeding supplies and equipment. I help my customers with their breastfeeding questions and problems. I am not a health professional. May I use this experience to qualify for the IBLCE exam?
  • No. You may not use this experience to qualify. IBLCE requires that clinical experience be obtained in a setting where supervision appropriate to your training is provided.

• Ten years ago, I worked as a dietician in a local hospital. May I use my experience helping breastfeeding families to qualify for the IBLCE exam?
  • You may not use this experience to qualify through Pathway 1. Under Pathway 1, your clinical experience must have been obtained within the 5 years immediately prior to applying for the exam. 

• I’m a La Leche League Leader and, in addition to my regular group duties, I volunteer on the national helpline and I work in the Professional Liaison department. I also make home visits and provide breastfeeding support to mothers in my community in other ways besides being a group leader. May I count these extra hours to qualify with less than 2 years experience as a group leader?
  • No. You may not use this additional volunteer experience with La Leche League to qualify with less than 2 years service as an active group leader.
  • If you wish to qualify sooner, you must obtain additional experience within another setting where on-site supervision is available.

• I immigrated to the United States several years ago. In my home country, I was a practicing physician (or midwife); however, I am not licensed to practice in the USA. I have been working as a post-partum care doula and see mothers in their homes. May I use my clinical experience as a doula to qualify through Pathway 1?
  • No. Your independent practice may not be used because you are working within the scope of practice for a doula, not a physician.

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Do I need to complete the education in human lactation and breastfeeding before I submit my application for the exam?

You may apply before completing the lactation specific education; however, before applying, you must sign a Memorandum of Understanding. Please see the Sample Memorandum of Understanding for details.

 

Does the required lactation specific education need to be approved for CERPs?

CERPs are not required; however, candidates may use courses that have been approved for CERPs. Keep in mind that CERP-approved education is designed for individuals who are already certified as IBCLCs and, therefore, may be at a more advanced level than needed by student lactation consultants. IBLCE maintains a directory of providers who offer CERP approved education.

 

Yes, so long as they are specifically about human lactation and breastfeeding. You must have a certificate of completion for the education and you should retain a copy of the program description. When evaluating your education, be sure to check the content of the education against the IBLCE Exam Blueprint. You should have education that covers all the topics listed on the IBLCE Exam Blueprint.

 

May my self-study hours count toward the lactation specific education requirement?

No. Self-study may not be counted toward meeting the required lactation specific education. However, self-study is very important. Be sure to set aside time for additional time studying the various topics covered in the courses you take.

 

I took a course in breastfeeding two years ago and have been working with breastfeeding families through my job in a local clinic. In addition, I am using several books to study for the exam. Is this enough to be successful in passing the exam?

Making a prediction about your success on the exam is not possible. However, data from over 25 years of exam administration show a positive correlation between the amount of education candidates have and their success on the exam.

 

 

My academic program ends after the final application deadline for the IBLCE exam. May I apply before completing the academic program?

You may apply beforing completing teh Pathway 2 academic program; however, you must sign a Memorandum of Understanding. Please see the Sample Memorandum of Understanding for details.

 

Applying for the Exam

 

What kinds of documentation will I need to provide when I apply for the exam?

You will required to submit a copy of your license, registration, diploma or transcripts as well as references from your supervisor(s).

Are my references for the Pathway 1 clinical experience hours required to be IBCLCs?

No. Your references should be individuals who can verify the clinical practice hours that you reported. At least one reference should be someone who has supervised your work.

 

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Do you still have questions about how to qualify for the IBLCE Exam? Our Pathways Wizards may help you narrow down your options. Click on the icon to the right to access the wizards.

 

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Last updated December 8, 2011