Applicants must meet ONE of the following minimum eligibility requirements:

• Associate’s degree in biomedical academic program and two years' full-time BMET work experience; OR
• Completion of a U.S. military biomedical equipment technology program and two years' full-time BMET work experience; OR
• Associate’s degree in electronics technology and three years' full-time BMET work experience: OR
• Four years' full-time BMET work experience.

Additional eligibility routes for CLES applicants only:

• Associate's degree in medical laboratory technology and three years' full-time BMET work experience; OR
• Bachelor's degree in medical laboratory technology and two years' full-time BMET work experience.

* CRES and CLES applicants for full certification: At least 40% of work experience over the last two years or 25% over the last five years must be in the designated specialty area.

Applicants desiring full certification, but who do not yet meet the eligibility requirements (as listed above), have the opportunity to apply through candidate status. Successful candidates are given five years to meet the minimum eligibility requirements and be awarded full certification.

To test as a candidate for any certification, an applicant must meet ONE of the following minimum eligibility requirements as of the application deadline:

• Associate’s degree in biomedical academic program; OR
• Completion of a U.S. military biomedical equipment technology program; OR
• Associate’s degree in electronics technology and one years' full-time BMET work experience; OR
• Two years' full-time BMET work experience.

Additional eligibility routes for CLES applicants only:

• Associate's degree in medical laboratory technology and one years' full-time BMET work experience; OR
• Bachelor's degree in medical laboratory technology.

IMPORTANT: If claiming eligibility based in full or in part on an Associate’s or Bachelor's degree, a copy of the diploma MUST be included with the application and fees. A copy of the diploma is required for individuals applying under the completion of a military program. Official college transcripts may be requested at the discretion of the application reviewer, but are required from international applicants.
NOTE: A Bachelor's degree does not replace work experience requirements.

• Application Fee (Full Certification or Candidate Status)...........................................$375
• Special Testing Center Fee (for candidates outside the U.S. or Canada ...................$100
  (NOTE: Pay special testing fees only if a Special Testing Center is being requested outside the U.S.)

PAYMENT METHODS:

• Make checks payable to: ICC Examinations. Complete check payment section of Part 1, Page 2 of the application.
• To use VISA, Master Card, or American Express, complete the credit card payment section on Part 1, Page 2 of the application.
• Applications received without appropriate fees will be returned unprocessed.
  
  NOTE: Fees listed above apply for 2013. All fees are subject to change annually.

Obtain an application for the ICC Certification Examinations from the Professional Testing Corporation, 1350 Broadway, 17th Floor, New York NY 10018, 212-356-0660, www.ptcny.com. This application is also available in the Forms and Documents area.

Yes. Applications may be submitted before the advertised deadline. Applications received after the application deadline cannot be guaranteed acceptance. Applications are valid only for the requested examination period.

The CBET, CRES, and CLES examinations consist of 165 multiple choice items in the following six main subject areas:

A detailed content outline for each exam is provided in the Applicant Handbook (see pages 6-11), available for download in the Forms and Documents area.

It is considered a conflict of interest for any certifying organization or commission to help individuals attain the credential it issues. The Board of Examiners, the USCC, and the ICC do not sponsor or endorse any refresher course. Contact local biomedical associations or ask colleagues about organizing study groups or arranging for review courses.

There are no study guides produced by the ICC, the USCC, or the Board of Examiners. NOTE: The ICC, the USCC, and the Board of Examiners assume no responsiblity for the accuracy, content, or relevance of any study guide or review course.

The exam schedule is available online.

9. Can I request a testing location that isn't listed on the exam schedule?

The Examinations for Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician, Certified Radiology Equipment Specialist, and Certified Laboratory Equipment Specialist are administered during an established one-week testing window on a daily basis, Monday through Saturday, excluding holidays, at computer-based testing facilities managed by PSI.  PSI has several hundred testing sites in the United States, as well as Canada. Scheduling is done on a first-come, first-served basis. To find a testing center near you visit: http://www.ptcny.com/cbt/sites.htm or call PSI at 800-211-2754. Please note: Hours and days of availability vary at different centers. You will not be able to schedule your examination appointment until you have received an Eligibility Notice from PTC.

It is highly recommended that each candidate become familiar with the location of the testing site. Arrival at the testing site at the appointed time is the responsibility of the candidate. Please plan for weather, traffic, parking, and any security requirements that are specific to the testing location. Late arrival may prevent you from testing.

It is the candidate’s responsibility to call PSI (the test administrators) to schedule the exam appointment. It may be possible to establish a special testing center to take a paper and pencil examination outside of the United States for an additional fee of $100. A letter must be sent with your application and fees, specifying your preferred city and country and must be received eight weeks before the testing period begins.

If there are no computer test centers in your province in Canada, you can follow this same procedure or travel to the closest computerized testing center in the United States to take the examination. You will be contacted by e-mail to confirm your test center.

All of the applications for a group international test center must be submitted in one package, with all the fees and original documentation included, plus a cover letter specifying the city and country where the special test center is being requested. PTC is not responsible for following up on credit card payments—the candidate is responsible for paying the fees at the time his application is submitted.

If an applicant is in the military, lives on a non-domestic US military base, and cannot leave that base to take the examination at an established testing center, special arrangements can be made for testing on base.  However, examinations must take place in the testing window listed on the cover of the Handbook. Send a written request to Professional Testing Corporation with the name, address, phone number, and/or e-mail address of the Education Center on the base at least EIGHT weeks before the examination date.  The Special Testing Center Fee is NOT required.

If you are requesting a group special test center at a military base, all the applications and required documentation must be submitted in one package with a cover letter providing the name and mailing address for the base education officer.  All fees must be submitted with the applications.

Special testing arrangements will be made for individuals with special needs.  Submit the Application, fee(s), and a completed and signed Request for Special Accommodations Form, available from www.ptcny.com or by calling PTC at 212-356-0660.  Requests for special testing for individuals with special needs must be received at least EIGHT weeks before the testing date.

Please notify PTC at least two weeks prior to your test appointment if you need to bring a service dog, medicine, food, or beverages necessary for a medical condition with you to the test center.

Cancellations and requests for refunds must be in writing. 

Applicants who choose not to take the examination may receive a partial refund of 50% of the application fee if the written request is received within 30 days after the original testing date. Requests for refunds will not be honored after the 30 days.

Applicants unable to take the examination as scheduled may request a transfer to another testing period.  Please send a written request with the rescheduling fee of $100 to the Professional Testing Corporation within 30 days after the testing period has ended. Candidates who cannot attend the examination on the date for which they are registered and who fail to submit a written request with the rescheduling fee within the time frame set will have their application closed and must complete the Application process from the beginning in order to take the examination and their fees will be forfeited.

The rescheduling fee is based on cost, and is not punitive in nature and must be paid at the time the transfer request is made.

The rescheduling fee cannot be refunded. Once applicants choose to reschedule, they cannot request a refund of either the rescheduling fee or of the original fee(s). Exams may only be rescheduled once, please plan carefully.

For last minute cancellations, please call +1-212-356-0660 before the examination date, and follow up immediately with written notice. Please address written notification to ICC in care of Professional Testing Corporation, 1350 Broadway, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

Candidates are responsible for calling PSI at 1-800-211-2754 to cancel their original appointments. For last minute cancellations, please call 212-356-0660 before the examination date, and follow up immediately with written notice. Please address written notification to ICC in care of Professional Testing Corporation, 1350 Broadway, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

The examination is three hours long and consists of 165 questions. It is administered within a specified one-week testing window. Exams in the U.S. and Canada use a computer-based testing format (CBT). Exams elsewhere use a paper-based testing format (PBT).

a.  Electronic devices including, but not limited to, cell phones, pagers, Blackberries, Bluetooth type devices, MP3 players (iPod, iTouch, etc.), laptop computers, tablets, cameras, and voice recorders cannot be operative during the examination.

b.  No books or reference materials may be taken into or removed from the examination room.

c.  Only calculators that are classified as simple based calculators that have 10 numbers (0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9), add (+), subtract (-), multiply (x), divide (/) and equals (=) functions, which have no programming options or preconfigured buttons with formulas or calculations (summations, financial computations, etc.) may be used. These calculators may have an "M" button which is for memory. It only memorizes numbers, not calculations, formulas, etc. It is the responsibility of the applicant to clear any information and/or programs stored before the examination.  The use of any calculator with unacceptable features or for retrieval of information/programs during the examination is considered an act of cheating. Calculators which are included as part of cellular phones, blackberries, and other communication devices will not be permitted. Most formulas and any schematics that may be needed are provided.  A calculator is also available on screen if needed.

d.  Applicants must bring several sharpened number 2 pencils (with erasers) to the testing center (paper and pencil examination only).

e.  Candidates are prohibited from leaving the testing room while their examination is in session, with the sole exception of going to the rest room.

f.   No questions concerning content of the examination may be asked during the examination. The candidate should read carefully the directions that are provided on screen at the beginning of the examination session.

g.  Individuals may not take the examination for a certification which they currently hold (active or inactive).

h. ICC prohibits certain behaviors, including but not limited to the activities listed below:

• Copying test questions
• Copying answers
• Permitting another to copy answers
• Sharing exam content with others
• Falsifying information required for admission to an examination impersonating another examinee
• Taking the examination for any reason other than the purpose of seeking certification

Your eligibility notice plus valid government-issued photo identification, such as a driver’s license or passport, must be presented in order to gain admission to the testing center. The name on your eligibility notice must match the name on your photo ID in order to gain admission.

A candidate not receiving an eligibility notice at least three weeks before the beginning of the testing period should contact the Professional Testing Corporation (PTC) by telephone at (212) 356-0660 with their fax number or valid e-mail address.

Applicants will receive the results of the examination from PTC within four weeks after the close of the testing period. For information purposes, the results from PTC will include a total composite score and scores for each of the six subject areas. Applicants who successfully pass the examination will receive an additional package from the ICC office.

NOTE: Examination results will NOT be provided over the telephone, e-mailed, or faxed by PTC or ICC under any circumstances.

Applicants are responsible for promptly notifying the Professional Testing Corporation and the International Certification Commission of address or name changes.

The minimum score required to pass the certification examination is set on a yearly basis.

Passing the examination (full status): Applicants who pass for full certification will receive their scores from PTC and a certification package from ICC. All certified individuals will be listed on the AAMI web site under the ICC Directory of Certificates and are authorized and encouraged to use the appropriate acronym (CBET, CRES, or CLES) to denote certification on business cards, letterhead, at signature, etc. Certification is initially considered valid through the remainder of the year in which certification is received plus the following full calendar year. At that time it becomes necessary to renew certification and upon renewal certificants are put on a triennial schedule. A renewal notice from ICC will be sent to all individuals when it is time to renew certification.

Please keep your contact information current.

Passing the examination as a candidate: Applicants who pass under Candidate status will receive their scores from PTC and a congratulatory letter from ICC. (See "What are the requirements to upgrade from Candidate Status to Full Certification?"). Candidates have five years in which to complete the remaining requirements and apply for upgrading to full certification. Candidates are not eligible to represent themselves as certified, but may use the congratulatory letter from ICC as proof of certifee-in-training status.

Applicants who do not pass are eligible to retake the exam beginning with the next regularly scheduled examination period. There is no limit regarding the number of times the examination may be taken. With each examination taken, the full application fee is required.

Individuals may not take the exam for a certification which they currently hold (active or inactive).

Hand scoring or manual recheck is routinely done by PTC before releasing the results of each exam. If an applicant still wishes to request an additional review and his test to be hand scored, the applicant must submit a letter to the US BMET Board of Examiners within 15 days of receiving the examination results. A $45.00 fee for additional hand scoring requests must be submitted with the request (checks made payable to ICC).

Applicants wishing to challenge a particular item on the examination must submit the Appeal/Challenge form to the ICC within 15 days of taking the examination. Applicants must provide as much detail as possible regarding the item(s) they wish to challenge.

Applicants wishing to appeal the final score of their examination must submit the Appeal/Challenge form to the ICC within 15 days of receiving the examination results.

Applicants will be contacted if additional information is needed, or when a decision has been reached. Challenges made by way of notations on the examination booklet are not considered an appeal.

It is up to each individual to notify an employer or others as to whether you have passed or failed the examination. Upon inquiry, the ICC will release information regarding the status of an individual’s certification only (i.e. certified or not certified, active or inactive, date certification expires, date certification was granted, and certification number or ID number). Information regarding scores and whether an individual took the exam will not be released.

Each certification (CBET, CRES, CLES) requires a separate, complete examination. A percentage of the questions are applicable for all three exams, and a percentage are specific to the specialty for which the exam is being given. Additionally, the overall percentages of the main subject areas vary with each exam type. Applicants may only test in one discipline per exam cycle.

Requirements for maintaining certification include the payment of renewal fees and the accumulation of at least 15 points of continuing practice activities reported every three years. The initial period of certification includes the remainder of the year in which certified plus the full calendar year immediately following. At the end of that period, individuals will receive a renewal invoice. Upon payment of renewal fees, certification is extended for a three-year period. Please refer to the Breakdown of Renewal Cycle for additional information. The first Continuing Practice Journal is not due until the end of that three-year period. Journals are due every three years thereafter. The categories for obtaining points in the Journal are varied and well within the reach of any actively practicing BMET. Failure to comply with the renewal requirements will result in the revocation of certification. To regain certification, a new application must be submitted and the examination taken again.

In order to receive full certification, as stated in the ICC Applicant Handbook you must meet the required minimum work experience and/or education:

• 2 years full-time BMET work experience with an Associate's degree in biomedical technology
• 2 years full-time BMET work experience with a completion of a U.S. military biomedical equipment technology program
• 3 years full-time BMET work experience if Associate's degree is in electronics technology
• 4 years full-time BMET work experience if no degree is held
• at least 40% of work experience over the last two years or 25% over the last five years must be in the designated specialty area (for CRES and CLES applicants only).

Upon completion of the remaining requirements, submit the upgrade application from candidacy status to full certification to the ICC office. Please be aware that you have five years in which to complete the remaining requirements. If you do not complete the requirements and do not submit the upgrade application within five years of achieving candidacy status, you will be required to retest in order to become fully certified.

RETURN TO TOP OF PAGE