***Note: As of January 1, 2025, eligibility requirements for the BCE have changed. Please see https://entocert.org/bce/eligibility to determine eligibility before applying.***
To become a BCE, in addition to fulfilling the other requirements, each applicant must score at least 70% on the BCE Core or Qualifying exam and at least one specialty examination. One specialty is included in the examination fee, all additional specialties require an additional fee. Nearly all BCE examinations are administered online through the internet. The test instructions will be sent to your proctor about a week prior to your exam. To get a sense of the types of questions asked as well as the style and the format of the exam, please view the sample exam here: https://goo.gl/forms/xTNIOzTmuJnjaRL03
BCE Core/Qualifying Exam
You must have applied and been accepted into the BCE application process prior to taking this exam. After you have been accepted into the program, confirm with your proctor a date when you are ready to take the exam and inform the ESA Certification Coordinator by email at bce@entsoc.org. Please give at least 10 days' notice. The Coordinator will e-mail instructions one week prior to the scheduled test date to you and your proctor. This exam is administered online. If your exam date changes please notify the Certification Coordinator at your earliest convenience.
Please see the BCE resources page for more information about studying for the BCE qualifying exam.
After the Exam
As mentioned above, a passing score is 70%. The Chair of the Examination Committee contacts the applicant and welcomes them to the BCE program (if they passed) or offers suggestions on how to improve their score for the next test date.
If re-testing is required, the test must be retaken no sooner than 30 days, but no more than 365 days later than you last attempt, or else re-application to the program may be required.
If the applicant became a BCE in the first 3 quarters of the year (January 1 -- September 31) they will need to renew their certification annually, beginning with the next year. If the applicant successfully passed their exams in the fourth quarter of the year (October 1 -- December 31) fees for the following year will not be required and annual renewals will start one year later.