HOW TO APPLY FOR CDCES CERTIFICATION VIA THE UNIQUE QUALIFICATIONS (UQ) PATHWAY - ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Sep 21, 2026

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Guidance for applying for CDCES certification through the Unique Qualifications (UQ) Pathway, detailing eligibility prerequisites and the end-to-end online application workflow. Outlines required documentation by section A–E, including degree/transcript, professional practice and DCE hours, continuing education, and required recommendation options. Specifies effective date rules for recommendation submission, application and review fees, how account creation and dashboard steps work, payment processing, review tracking, and the 90-day eligibility window for scheduling and taking the exam.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Application Steps

Documents Needed (Sections A–E)

Online Process and Payment

Review, Authorization, and Exam Scheduling

Eligibility Requirements

Degree Verification

Agreement to Canons

Professional Practice Experience

HOW TO APPLY FOR CDCES CERTIFICATION VIA THE UNIQUE QUALIFICATIONS (UQ) PATHWAY ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS: REVIEW APPLICATION PAGES FOR DETAILED INFORMATION. DOCUMENTS NEEDED TO APPLY UNDER THE UQ APPLICATION: 􀂾 SECTION A: CANDIDATE DEGREE/TRANSCRIPT FORM 􀂾 SECTION B: PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE AND DCE HOURS FORM 􀂾 SECTION C: 30 CONTINUING EDUCATION (CE HOURS) 􀂾 SECTION D: CDCES RECOMMENDATION FORM ** OR SECTION E: HEALTH PROFESSIONAL RECOMMENDATION FORM ** **EFFECTIVE 1/1/2025, APPLCANTS NEED TO EITHER PROVIDE ONE (1) CDCES RECOMMENDATION (SECTION D) OR TWO (2) HEALTH PROFESSIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS (SECTION E) . FEES: 􀂾 $150 NON-REFUNDABLE FEE TO APPLY. 􀂾 IF YOUR APPLICATION IS APPROVED, THE $150 APPLICATION FEE IS APPLIED TOWARD YOUR EXAM FEE. 􀂾 IF YOU APPLICATION IS NOT APPROVED, THE $150 FEE IS FORFEITED (NOT REFUNDED) . HOW TO APPLY: ONLINE APPLICATION PROCESS. STEP 1: REVIEW THE REQUIREMENTS AND GATHER ALL YOUR SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS. APPLICANTS WILL UPLOAD ALL DOCUMENTS VERIFYING ELIGIBILITY DURING THE APPLICATION PROCESS. STEP 2: CREATE AN ACCOUNT WITH CBDCE. GO TO WWW.CBDCE.ORG > SIGN IN > NEW USER? CREATE AN ACCOUNT! > FOLLOW THE PROMPTS TO CREATE YOUR CBDCE ACCOUNT AND PROFILE. IF YOU HAVE AN ACCOUNT WITH CBDCE, SIGN IN WITH YOUR LOGIN DETAILS. STEP 3: ONCE IN YOUR CBDCE DASHBOARD > HOVER OVER CERTIFICATION (TOP NAVIGATION BAR) AND CLICK ON UNIQUE QUALIFICATION APPLICATION > CREATE NEW APPLICATION. REVIEW THE INSTRUCTIONS AND PROCEED THROUGH THE APPLICATION SECTIONS ENTERING YOUR DETAILS AND UPLOADING YOUR SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS. STEP 4: PAYMENT. SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION REVIEW FEE PAYMENT OF $150 BY ENTERING YOUR PAYMENT INFORMATION IN THE SHOPPING CART AND SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION REVIEW FEE. THIS WILL SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION. STEP 5: CBDCE REVIEWS APPLICATION. YOU CAN TRACK THE STATUS IN YOUR CBDCE ACCOUNT > UQ APPLICATION > DETAILS. STEP 6: IF YOU APPLICATION IS APPROVED, YOU WILL BE SENT AN EMAIL ON THE APPROVAL AND INSTRUCTIONS ON APPLYING FOR AND PAYING THE EXAM FEE. (NOTING THAT THE $150 APPLICATION REVIEW FEE IS APPLIED TOWARD YOUR EXAM FEE. ) STEP 7: UPON PAYMENT OF THE EXAM FEE, YOU WILL BE PROVIDED WITH A 90-DAY ELIGIBILITY WINDOW IN WHICH TO SCHEDULE AND TAKE YOUR EXAM. YOUR CBDCE ACCOUNT WILL SHOW YOU AS EXAM AUTHORIZED. STEP 8: SCHEDULE YOUR EXAM. LOGIN TO YOUR CBDCE ACCOUNT > CLICK ON GET CERTIFIED > UQ EXAM APPLICATION > SCHEDULE EXAM > WHERE YOU WILL BE REDIRECTED TO THE PSI TEST TAKER PORTAL TO SCHEDULE. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMISSION OF UNIQUE QUALIFICATIONS (UQ) PATHWAY APPLICATION 1. Degree Verification. Obtain and submit either* an: a. Official transcript verifying receipt that you hold a minimum of a master’s degree in a health-related area/concentration from a United States college or university that is accredited by a nationally recognized regional accrediting body. The transcript must identify the date the degree was conferred and the major/concentration. OR b. Official independent evaluation verifying equivalency to a minimum of a master’s degree in a health-related area/concentration from a United States college or university. The degree must be independently evaluated and the official independent evaluation submitted for use in the degree evaluation. Any evaluation must be provided by an organization that is a current member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services ([www.naces.org/members.html](www.naces.org/members.html)) . A comprehensive evaluation is required and must verify equivalency to a minimum of a master's degree in a health-related concentration/area from a United States college or university *Individuals who meet the discipline requirement under the Standard pathway must apply under the appropriate license/registration and cannot apply via the UQ pathway. Visit [https://www.cbdce.org/eligibility](https://www.cbdce.org/eligibility for)[ for](https://www.cbdce.org/eligibility for)[ ](

FAQs

What documents are required to apply under the UQ pathway?

You must provide Section A (candidate degree/transcript form), Section B (professional practice and DCE hours form), Section C (30 continuing education hours), and either Section D (CDCES recommendation) or Section E (health professional recommendation).

How do recommendations work after the effective date 1/1/2025?

Starting 1/1/2025, applicants must provide either one (1) CDCES recommendation (Section D) or two (2) health professional recommendations (Section E).

What are the DCE professional practice experience requirements for UQ applications?

UQ applicants need at least 200 hours of DCE experience in the prior 12 months, and may accrue a minimum of 2000 hours over a longer period. The timeframe is permanently increased to 5 years from the application date, and experience must be obtained in the United States or its territories.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Fans