Preparing for the Exam

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Content of the Examination

The Examination is a written examination composed of 200 multiple-choice, objective questions with a total testing time of four (4) hours. The examination is based on a content outline developed from a job analysis completed in 2004, which surveyed diabetes educators about the tasks they performed. Questions on the Examination are linked directly to a task or tasks. Each question, therefore, is designed to test if the candidate possesses the knowledge necessary to perform the task or has the ability to apply it to a job situation.

With the advice and assistance of Applied Measurement Professionals, NCBDE prepares the Examination. The questions are developed and reviewed for relevancy, consistency, accuracy, and appropriateness by individuals with expertise in diabetes education.

Twenty-five of the 200 questions are new questions that have not been used on a previous Examination. Inclusion of these questions allows for collection of meaningful statistics about new questions but are not used in the determination of individual Examination scores. These questions are not identified and are scattered throughout the Examination so that candidates will answer them with the same care as the questions that make up the scored portion of the Examination. This methodology assures candidates that their scores are the result of sound measurement practices and that scored questions are reflective of current practice.