The IBCLC examination is offered twice a year, in March/April (English) and in September (in all IBLCE languages).
The schedule for application and administration of the 2022 IBCLC examination is as follows:
Application Dates
Examination Administration Dates
| Application Dates for the March/April 2022 Examination: October 26 – December 7, 2021 |  | March/April 2022 IBCLC Examination Administration Dates: March 23 – April 1, 2022 |
| Application Dates for the September 2022 Examination: April 19 – June 1, 2022 | | September 2022 IBCLC Examination Administration Dates: September 14 – 23, 2022 |
Live Remote Proctoring (LRP): Due to continued fluid circumstances, IBLCE will announce later this year if the examination will be available via LRP in 2022.
Application Dates to Recertify by CERPs* in 2022:
April 19 – September 30, 2022
*For IBCLCs due to recertify in 2022 who have not extended their certification from 2020 or 2021: As previously announced in the June 2019 IBLCE Briefing, beginning in 2022, the IBCLC examination will remain an option for recertification but will no longer be a requirement. The Continuing Education Self-Assessment (CE Self-Assessment) and required focused continuing education will be an option in lieu of examination at each five-year recertification period. More information on recertification by CE Self-Assessment will be released in future updates.
As a reminder, there are several new criteria for both initial candidates and recertifying IBCLCs:
- For a summary of these changes: Watch this short video.
- Initial candidates: Learn more about your eligibility requirements in the Candidate Information Guide.
- Recertifying candidates: Learn more about recertification requirements in the Recertification Guide.
Other Options for IBCLCs in 2022:
- IBCLC Retired Status: The IBCLC Retired Status will be introduced in 2021. Learn more here.
- Inactive Status: The implementation of Inactive Status has been moved to 2022, with more details coming later this year.
If you have any questions about your specific situation, please contact the IBLCE location that serves you.