Evaluation of Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Certification in Infection Control (CIC) Examination Rates

Kayla Ruch; Anabel Rodriguez; Luis Ostrosky-Zeichner; Eric L Brown

doi:10.1016/j.ajic.2024.11.020

Evaluation of Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Certification in Infection Control (CIC) Examination Rates

Am J Infect Control. 2024 Nov 28:S0196-6553(24)00860-5. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2024.11.020. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Kayla Ruch¹, Anabel Rodriguez², Luis Ostrosky-Zeichner³, Eric L Brown⁴

Affiliations

¹ University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Public Health, Houston, Texas, USA, Department of Epidemiology, 1200 Pressler, Houston, Texas, 77030. Electronic address: Kayla.E.Ruch@uth.tmc.edu.
² Texas A&M University, School of Public Health, College Station, Texas USA, Environmental and Occupational Health, 212 Adriance Lab Road, TAMU 1266, College Station, Texas 77843. Electronic address: Anabelr@tamu.edu.
³ University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, McGovern Medical School, Houston, Texas, USA, Department of Internal Medicine, 1200 Pressler, Houston, Texas, 77030. Electronic address: Luis.Ostrosky-Zeichner@uth.tmc.edu.
⁴ University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Public Health, Houston, Texas, USA, Department of Epidemiology, 1200 Pressler, Houston, Texas, 77030. Electronic address: Eric.L.Brown@uth.tmc.edu.

PMID: 39615598
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2024.11.020

Abstract

Background: Infection Prevention professionals develop through training and certification practices, with the Certified in Infection Control and Epidemiology (CIC®) exam being the industry standard for infection prevention and control expertise.

Methods: This study conducted a secondary analysis of Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. (CBIC) exam scores from 2013-2022. Reliability coefficients, Spearman-Brown coefficients, and Standard Error Measurement (SEM) averages were calculated for the CIC® exam's eight objective areas from 2016-2022.

Results: Over the past decade, pass rates varied from 57.30% to 85.40%, with a mean of 69.7%. The number of exam participants ranged from 574 to 1,392. Despite the variability, the highest reliability, Spearman-Brown, and SEM averages were consistently observed in areas such as identifying infectious disease processes, surveillance, epidemiological investigation, and controlling transmission of infectious agents.

Conclusion: As more facilities push for certification, the number of CIC® exam takers has increased. However, the evolving nature of infection prevention and the lack of a standardized training track contribute to variations in reliability coefficients across the exam's objective areas.

Keywords: CIC Exam Trends; Infection Preventionist.