0.1 About the CBIC CIC Exam & Certification Path
Key Takeaways
- CIC® is administered by CBIC and measures infection prevention competence for professionals with direct IP program responsibility.
- The initial exam has 150 multiple-choice items (135 scored, 15 pretest) with 3 hours of testing time through Prometric centers or ProProctor®.
- Passing requires a criterion-referenced scaled score of at least 700 on a 300–900 scale; passers receive a Pass message without a numeric score.
- Eligibility requires health-related post-secondary education, direct IP responsibility in the job description, and qualifying compensated experience pathways.
- Recertify every 5 years by IPU portfolio (minimum 40 IPUs) or by passing the initial proctored CIC® exam; the open-book recert exam ended January 1, 2026.
0.1 About the CBIC CIC Exam & Certification Path
Quick Answer: The Certification in Infection Prevention and Control (CIC®) credential, administered by the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. (CBIC®), is the primary professional certification for infection preventionists. The initial exam has 150 multiple-choice questions (135 scored, 15 pretest) with 3 hours of testing time at Prometric centers or via Prometric ProProctor® live remote proctoring. For high-income countries, the 2026 CBIC examination fee schedule lists $445 USD for CIC® initial certification (income-tiered fees apply; confirm current amounts on the official CBIC Exam Fees page). Candidates must meet published education, job-description, and work-experience eligibility rules and recertify every five years.
Overview of CBIC and the CIC® Credential
The Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. (CBIC®) is a voluntary, autonomous, multidisciplinary board that directs and administers certification for professionals in infection prevention and applied epidemiology. CBIC is a subsidiary of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) but operates independently for certification decisions, exam development, and candidate assessment.
The CIC® designation—Certification in Infection Prevention and Control—is a standardized measure of the knowledge, skills, and abilities expected of proficient professionals responsible for infection prevention and control programs. It is recognized by employers, healthcare systems, and regulatory stakeholders across acute care, ambulatory, long-term care, and public health settings.
CBIC credentials are developed through periodic practice analyses so exam content reflects current infection prevention practice. CBIC examinations are delivered by Prometric (test-center and ProProctor® remote options).
Candidate Eligibility Requirements
Unlike entry-level certificates, CIC® is intended for professionals who currently have direct responsibility for infection prevention and control programs or activities in a healthcare setting. Per the current CBIC Candidate Handbook, applicants must meet all of the following:
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Post-secondary education in a health-related field, including but not limited to medicine, nursing, laboratory technology, public health, or biology. A diploma RN, LPN/LVN, DPN, and a health-related associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree are examples of eligible preparation. Post-secondary includes public or private universities, colleges, and community colleges. A specific professional license is not required solely because a candidate is an RN or physician—CBIC’s published bar is health-related post-secondary education, not a single license type or master’s-only pathway.
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Direct responsibility for infection prevention and control programs/activities in a healthcare setting, reflected in the current job description.
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Compensated work experience in infection prevention, documented by the current job description, meeting one of:
- At least one year of full-time employment, or
- Two years of part-time employment, or
- 3,000 hours of infection prevention work experience earned during the previous three years.
Infection prevention activities in the job description must include:
- Identification of infectious disease processes
- Surveillance and epidemiologic investigation
- Preventing and controlling the transmission of infectious agents
- Environment of care
- Cleaning, disinfection, sterilization, and asepsis
AND at least two of the remaining three components:
- Employee / occupational health
- Management and communication
- Education and research
Job title alone does not determine eligibility; the official position description must show ongoing responsibility for these activities.
Exam Logistics and Administrative Structure
| Logistics Component | Official Details |
|---|---|
| Exam fee (2026 high-income rate) | $445 USD for CIC® initial certification and each recertification/IPU portfolio pathway (upper-middle, lower-middle, and low-income rates are lower; see CBIC Examination Fees Effective 2026) |
| Total questions | 150 multiple-choice items (four options, single best answer) |
| Scored vs. pretest | 135 scored; 15 unscored pretest items used for future-form evaluation |
| Testing time | 3 hours for the examination itself (plus tutorial and post-exam survey time at the appointment) |
| Delivery | Prometric testing centers worldwide or Prometric ProProctor® live remote proctoring |
| Passing standard | Criterion-referenced scaled score of at least 700 on a 300–900 scale (not a published fixed raw-percent cutoff) |
| Score reporting | Pass/fail decision at completion; passing candidates receive a Pass message (no numeric scaled score). Failing candidates receive a scaled score between 300 and 699 plus diagnostic performance feedback by content area |
| Eligibility window | After approval, candidates typically have a 90-day window to schedule and sit |
| Recertification cycle | Every 5 years |
The 15 pretest items are indistinguishable from scored items, so treat every question with equal care.
Professional Value and Career Impact
CIC® certification signals competence in healthcare epidemiology, surveillance, outbreak response, transmission control, occupational health collaboration, program management, education, environment of care, and device reprocessing oversight. Leadership roles in infection prevention programs frequently prefer or require CIC® certification.
| Career Advantage | Practical Impact |
|---|---|
| Program leadership credibility | Supports responsibility for infection prevention committee work, HAI reduction plans, and accreditation readiness |
| Regulatory alignment | Aligns with expectations that designated infection prevention leaders demonstrate specialty competence |
| Interprofessional authority | Strengthens collaboration with clinical leaders, occupational health, sterile processing, and public health partners |
| Career mobility | Portable credential across healthcare systems and care settings |
Recertification and Maintaining Competence
CIC® certification is valid for five years. Recertification options (current CBIC policy):
- Infection Prevention Units (IPUs): Submit a portfolio with a minimum of 40 IPUs earned during the certification cycle, aligning activities to at least six of eight CIC® content domains (subject to CBIC portfolio rules and audit).
- Examination: Pass the initial proctored CIC® examination during the recertification year (the former open-book, untimed recertification exam is no longer offered as of January 1, 2026).
Portfolio submissions are generally due by December 1 of the recertification year; examination recertification must be completed by December 31. Lapsed certificants must reapply under initial-certification rules after the applicable waiting period.
Always confirm fee tiers, deadlines, and documentation rules on cbic.org before applying.
Which of the following correctly describes the initial CIC® examination format?
What scaled score is required to pass the CIC® examination?
Which statement accurately reflects current CIC® eligibility education and experience rules?
How do CIC® certificants recertify under current CBIC policy?