As of 2026, there are two ways to earn the Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator (LCCE) credential: the traditional exam pathway and a new Competency-Based Certification Pathway. Both begin with a Lamaze-accredited seminar and the Lamaze Learning Guide, both lead to the same LCCE credential, and you pick the one that fits how you learn and where you are in your teaching.
What you'll learn
- What actually changed with Lamaze certification in 2026, and what did not
- How the exam pathway works and how often the exam is offered
- What the new Competency-Based Certification Pathway asks you to complete
- What each pathway costs, including the exception for anyone who sat the exam before
- How to decide which route fits your experience and learning style
Exam pathway vs competency-based pathway at a glance
| Exam Pathway | Competency-Based Pathway (CBCP) | |
|---|---|---|
| How you qualify | Pass the Lamaze certification exam | Submit a portfolio of teaching evidence |
| Shared starting point | Lamaze-accredited seminar + Lamaze Learning Guide | Lamaze-accredited seminar + Lamaze Learning Guide |
| Also requires | Exam preparation | Observing a full class series, a multi-session curriculum aligned with the Six Healthy Birth Practices, a 30-minute teaching demonstration, evaluations from three participants, a verbal assessment |
| Schedule | Offered once a year, in an annual testing window | Applications year-round starting Aug 3, 2026 |
| Review time | Exam result | Typically 60 to 90 days |
| Fee | $500 application fee | $500 application fee, or $170 member / $270 nonmember if you previously sat the exam and did not pass |
| Credential earned | LCCE | LCCE (identical) |
| Best for | People who test well and want a clear finish line | People who learn by doing and are already teaching or ready to start |
What changed with Lamaze certification in 2026?
For years, one route led to the LCCE credential: complete a Lamaze-accredited seminar, work through the Lamaze Learning Guide, and pass the certification exam. In 2026, Lamaze added a second route. The Competency-Based Certification Pathway lets you demonstrate that you can teach through applied practice and professional assessment instead of a single exam.
The important part for anyone mid-decision: the exam pathway is not going away. Both routes are fully available, and both end in the same LCCE credential. Nothing about your standing changes based on which one you choose. You are choosing a method, not a lesser or greater version of the credential.
The exam pathway, still fully available
The exam pathway is the familiar one. You prepare, you sit for the Lamaze certification exam, you pass, and you are an LCCE.
The exam is offered once a year. There is an application window, and then a testing window a few weeks later. You apply, Lamaze approves your application, and you schedule your exam during that year's testing window. Check the Lamaze certification pages for the current year's dates.
This route fits you well if you test well, you like a clear finish line, and you would rather study toward one assessment than assemble a body of work over time.
What is the Competency-Based Certification Pathway?
The Competency-Based Certification Pathway, or CBCP, replaces the single exam with evidence. Instead of proving what you know in a timed test, you show what you can do as a teacher. You build a set of real teaching artifacts, and Lamaze reviews them against the standard for the credential.
This route exists to reach people who learn by doing and who may already be teaching, or are ready to start. Someone can be an excellent childbirth educator and still not be at their best in an exam room. The CBCP gives that person a way to earn the same credential on the strength of their teaching.
What you complete on the CBCP
Candidates on the competency-based route complete:
- A Lamaze-accredited seminar
- The Lamaze Learning Guide
- Observation of one full Lamaze class series taught by an LCCE
- A multi-session curriculum you develop, aligned with the Six Healthy Birth Practices
- A teaching demonstration, either a 30-minute teaching video or a live observation
- Evaluations from three participants in a practice teaching class
- A verbal assessment
A few practical details on how it runs. Applications are accepted year-round beginning August 3, 2026. The typical review takes 60 to 90 days. The pathway is offered in English now, with more languages planned.
What each pathway costs
The certification application fee is $500, and it applies to either pathway. Before that, both routes require the Lamaze Learning Guide, which is a separate $250.
There is one meaningful exception on the fee. If you previously sat the certification exam and did not pass, your fee to certify through the competency-based pathway matches the exam retake fee instead: $170 for members and $270 for nonmembers.
Confirm the current figures on the Lamaze certification page before you apply. Lamaze sets lower fees for candidates in some countries, so your rate may differ.
How to choose the pathway that fits you
Three questions sort most people quickly.
First, do you do your best work under exam conditions, or when you are building something real? If a timed test brings out your best, the exam route is efficient. If it works against you, the portfolio route lets your teaching speak.
Second, are you already teaching, or about to be? The CBCP asks for observations, a curriculum, and participant evaluations. If you are teaching, you can gather those in the normal course of your work. If you are not yet teaching and want to certify quickly, the exam route has fewer moving parts.
Third, do you want a fixed schedule or a flexible one? The exam runs in a set window each year. The competency-based route accepts applications year-round. There is no wrong answer here. Same credential, two honest ways to reach it.
Where a seminar fits in
Both pathways start in the same place: a Lamaze-accredited seminar. That is the entry point to either route, and it is where you build the foundation everything else rests on.
The Childbirth Education Project is a Lamaze-accredited seminar. It is virtual, runs across three days, and carries 27 contact hours that count toward DONA, ICEA, Lamaze, and other organizations. You leave with lesson plans, handouts, and what you need to start teaching right away, which also gives you a head start on the teaching artifacts the competency-based route asks for. You can find the next round at the Childbirth Education Project.
Sources
Lamaze International. (2026). Become an LCCE. https://lamaze.org/Lamaze-Certification/Become-an-LCCE
Whichever route you choose, the seminar comes first, and it is the part I can help with directly. The Childbirth Education Project is a Lamaze-accredited seminar that gives you the training, the contact hours, and the teaching materials to walk into either pathway ready. Questions about whether it fits where you are right now? Reply and I will talk it through with you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the competency-based pathway give the same credential as the exam?
Yes. Both the exam pathway and the Competency-Based Certification Pathway lead to the same Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator (LCCE) credential. The credential does not note which route you took, and both hold the same standing.
Can I still take the exam if I prefer it?
Yes. The exam pathway remains fully available in 2026 and is unchanged. Adding the competency-based route did not remove or reduce the exam option. You choose whichever fits you.
Do both pathways require a Lamaze-accredited seminar?
Yes. A Lamaze-accredited seminar and the Lamaze Learning Guide are the shared starting point for both routes. The pathways only differ in how you demonstrate readiness after that: a single exam, or a portfolio of teaching evidence.
What if I took the exam before and did not pass?
You can move to the competency-based pathway, and your fee matches the exam retake fee rather than the full $500: $170 for members or $270 for nonmembers.
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