IBCLC Recertification by CERPs (or exam) Made Simple Updated 6-10-25
We, Nancy Mohrbacher, IBCLC, FILCA and Barbara Robertson, MA, IBCLC, have been busy bees again! Our goal is to try to provide effective, easy solutions to your lactation education needs by offering special IBCLC recertification courses.
Lately, a lot has changed for recertifying IBCLCs. Do you find these changes confusing and even overwhelming? We did at first, but no worries! We’re here to help.
Note: If you want more help, Nancy and Barbara are hosting a free “How to Recertify as an IBCLC” Zoom meeting on Thursday, June 26th, at 7 PM ET. Email barbara@lactalearning.com to join.
What Hasn’t Changed
Let’s start with what’s simple.
- To keep our IBCLC credential, we still need to recertify every five years.
- Any time we choose, we can still recertify by exam but see below for what you need to do to qualify for the exam.
Retaking the IBLCE Exam Is No Longer Required
This may be the biggest change of all. For the first time in the history of our profession, after passing the IBLCE exam once, we never have to take it again. We have the option every five years of recertifying by CERPs.
Options are always good, right? Yes, but…we now need to understand the recent changes in how we recertify by CERPs. That’s why we’ve compiled what follows to include everything you need to know.
All IBCLC Recertification must meet three requirements during each five-year recertification cycle:
- Education
- Lactation Consultant Practice Hours
- Select & Complete One Recertification Method
(Recertification by CERPs or IBCLC Examination)
Number of CERPs Required for IBCLC Recertification
Recertifying by CERPs requires at least 75 total CERPs awarded during the 5 years before recertifying. Here are the minimum requirements in different categories:
- 50 L-CERPs (human lactation and breastfeeding)
- 5 E-CERPs (ethics and professional conduct) including 2 hours on the WHO Code
- 3 CERPs, which are automatically awarded by IBLCE for any length Basic Life Support in-person or online course, such as CPR or neonatal resuscitation
- 17 CERPs in any category: L, E, or R (topics related to our work with lactating families)
- Basic Life Support
But heads up: To meet the new requirements, some IBCLCs will need L-CERPs in specific topic areas. More on that in a minute.
You must recertify by September 30th of the year you are due to recertify! Not December!
The IBCLC Detailed Content Outline (DCO) and Why It’s Important
Some years ago, the IBCLC Detailed Content Outline (or DCO) replaced IBLCE’s Exam Blueprint. The DCO’s seven sections (topic areas) determine the content covered in the IBLCE exam and may play a role when we recertify by CERPs. These are its seven DCO topic areas:
- Section I: Development and Nutrition
- Section II: Physiology and Endocrinology
- Section III: Pathology
- Section IV: Pharmacology and Toxicology
- Section V: Psychology, Sociology, and Anthropology
- Section VI: Techniques
- Section VII: Clinical Skills
How to Know If You Need L-CERPs in Specific Topic Areas
In order to know what you need, this involves a new tool IBLCE requires we use when we recertify by CERPs.
The CE Self-Assessment. All IBCLCs recertifying by CERPs must complete and submit to IBLCE their free, online Continuing Education (CE) Self-Assessment. This is required. This assessment consists of 70 multiple-choice questions. Its topics directly correspond to the seven section of the IBCLC Detailed Content Outline (DCO) on which the IBLCE exam is based. (FYI, To keep recertifying by CERPs simple for you, all of LactaLearning’s recertification courses align exactly to the 2023 DCO.)
Where can you find the CE Self-Assessment? IBLCE sends all recertifying IBCLCs online access to its CE Self-Assessment Dashboard 18 months after certifying or recertifying. This timeline gives you 3 years to earn CERPs before your next recertification. We would suggest taking this Self-Assessment as early as possible so you can plan your continuing education based upon your needs.
How to Determine the Number of L-CERPs Needed Per DCO Topic Area
This calculation is based on your CE Self-Assessment scores and the year you recertify. It also involves another new tool from IBLCE.
Personalized Professional Development Plan. When you submit your CE Self-Assessment online, this automatically generates from IBLCE your Personalized Professional Development Plan, which lists your scores in each of the DCO topic areas.
A combination of the year you need to recertify and the number of DCO topic-area scores below 75% determines how many L-CERPs you need in each area. Here’s how it works:
- In 2024 and after, you need 5 L-CERPs from any DCO topic area with a score below 75%.
If you score above 75% in all seven DCO topic areas, your 50 L-CERPs can come from any topic areas you choose.
How to Know What DCO Topic Areas a Course or Event Covers
For many courses and events (both online and in person), you need to contact the course providers to find out.
At LactaLearning, we make it simple. All of our recertification courses clearly list this information on our website, so you know even before you enroll exactly how many L-CERPs you’ll receive from each DCO topic area.
Unlike other course providers, we also structure our 95-Hour CCLS Self-Study course for aspiring IBCLCs and our 75-Hour Comprehensive Recertification Course to correspond exactly to the DCO. Each of our individual recertification courses cover one specific DCO topic area, so you can get exactly what you need without spending extra time and money on topics you don’t need.
We also provide a complete CERPs breakdown for LactaLerning’s Book Groups and other courses as part of our Recertifying by CERPs Made Simple initiative.
Lactation Consultant Practice Hours
Minimum of 250 hours of practice in Lactation Consulting: Clinical practice hours may be full- or part-time in the area(s) of education, administration, research, clinical practice, or advocacy. These hours may be earned as a volunteer or paid professional, or a combination of both. The Lactation Specific Clinical Practice Calculator can assist with calculating these hours and can be submitted in the case of audit.
To recertify by CERPs, you need 75 CERPs, and you also need at least 250 hours of full- or part-time lactation clinical practice hours during the previous five years. These hours may be in education, administration, research, clinical practice, and/or advocacy.
Select & Complete One Recertification Method
(Recertification by CERPs or IBCLC Examination)
Now, there are two options for every five-year recertification cycle:
Option 1: Recertification by Continuing Education Recognition Points (CERPs) with Continuing Education Self-Assessment
(CE Self-Assessment)
- Take the CE Self-Assessment
- Complete Required CERPs (Including Basic Life Support Education and WHO Code Training)
- Complete 250 Hours of Clinical Practice
- Apply to Recertify by CERPs
Option 2: Recertification by Examination
Process:
1. Complete Basic Life Support Education
2. Complete WHO Code Education
3. Complete 250 Hours of Clinical Practice
4. Apply for the IBCLC Examination
5. Sit the IBCLC Examination
The IBCLC examination remains an option for recertification but is no longer a requirement.
More Questions?
Of course, IBLCE is the ultimate information source on recertification, and you can contact them directly. But sometimes it’s just nicer to chat with a knowledgeable colleague. If this sounds good, you are welcome to join Nancy and Barbara who are hosting a free “How to Recertify as an IBCLC” Zoom meeting on Thursday, June 26th, at 7 PM ET. Email barbara@lactalearning.com to join. Or if you can’t join us or feel you really want one on one help reach out to Barbara at barbara@lactalearning.com to arrange for a consult. Barbara is offering this new service to provide clarity and guidance for the recertication process. At this advising session Barbara can go over the requirements and discuss them in light of your own individual situation. The sessions are 30-60 minutes and the fee for this is $150. Let Barbara know if you are interested! Please do this at least six months before you need to recertify! Again, we would suggest taking your IBLCE Self-Assessment as early as possible so you can make a solid plan.
Thanks for making it all the way to the end. Let us know if we can help in any way.