Education Resources
Information for Board Certification candidates
Welcome to the Lifestyle Medicine Board Certification exam preparation area of the ASLM website. Please have a detailed read through all the information below to ensure that you are across all the requirements and how to best prepare for the exam.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email or call our office on 1300 673 643 (Australia) or +61 466 884 656 (New Zealand and International).
And for those interested in undertaking further professional development in Lifestyle Medicine, please be aware that Board Certification contributes one third of the points (480/1440) required for the ASLM Fellowship. If this is of interest, we encourage you to speak to our Education Team, who will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Board Certification preparation 2022
There are several requirements that need to be completed as a part of the Board Certification process. Below you will find our recommendations on how to best complete these requirements and prepare for the exam in 2022.
There are several approved courses that you can complete to meet this requirement. We specifically recommend the following:
This course is offered through the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) and is presented in a workbook format. The Foundations of Lifestyle Medicine: The Lifestyle Medicine Board Review Course Manual, 3rd Edition (Paperback and eBook), covers the information from which exam questions are written, along with more than 130 review questions, 3 x 2-hour webinar recordings to support your learning.
NB: It is fine for Australasian candidates to purchase the ‘No CME Credits’ version of this course for this purpose. CME credits are only required for candidates operating within the American medical system.
OR
This course is offered through the ACLM in conjunction with the American College of Preventative Medicine (ACPM) and is presented as a series of recorded lectures, spoken to a slide presentation. This course covers the same material as the Foundations course (above), it is just presented in a different format.
We recommend these courses because we believe they are the best material available to help you prepare for the exam.
For additional ways to meet this requirement, please visit the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine’s FAQs
Whichever course you choose to complete, we recommend that you study the content in detail, paying particular attention to the major studies mentioned throughout. This will support you in preparing for the exam.
Please note that membership with ASLM does not equate to membership with these third-party providers. As such, when signing up to a course you will need to register as a ‘non-member’, unless you also choose to take out membership with the providing organisation.
Due Date: Your completion certificate needs to be submitted to by Sunday 30th October 2022.
The best way to earn at least 10 hours of in-person CME/CPD is to attend any in-person ASLM conference, workshop or summit in the last 3 years. Please be aware that candidates in 2022 must attend in-person events to satisfy the 10 hour in-person CME/CPD requirement.
*Those who have previously obtained their 10 hours of “in-person” CPD virtually in 2020 or 2021 will be able to use their virtual CME/CPD to satisfy this requirement in 2022. This means that unfortunately, attendance of the Mental Health Reimagined online summit (March, 2022) will not meet this requirement for Board Certification in 2022.
Please note that we cannot issue you with your certification until your 10 hour in-person requirement is complete. Your 10 hour in-person requirement must be completed by Sunday 30th October 2022 by submitting your attendance certification to .
Please note that if you have already attended 10 hours of in-person events with ASLM in the 36 months prior to the Global Exam Week, then you will have already completed this requirement. For additional ways to meet this requirement, please visit the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine’s FAQs
As most of you will have completed this requirement already, having attended our Lifestyle Medicine 2022 conference in person, please send your attendance certificate through as soon as possible. If you have not otherwise met this requirement within 36 months of sitting the exam, please contact the Education Team at for further advice.
The third requirement for Board Certification is to complete a formal case study (750 – 1500 words) detailing your experience/practice/application of Lifestyle Medicine. This can be based on a real or hypothetical patient, or even yourself, as long as you are demonstrating an understanding for, and evidence-based application of, the principles of Lifestyle Medicine.
Case studies should be fully referenced. Please ensure that you are drawing attention to the evidence upon which your recommendations are based. This should include ‘in-text’ referencing, as well as a full reference list at the end of your case study. If you are unfamiliar with ‘in-text’ referencing, please have a look at this Harvard Referencing Guide offered by Monash University.
Your case study should be submitted via email to by Sunday 30th October 2022.
Case study template and examples
Please find below the case study template and two quality case-studies that have been submitted in previous years, that should give you an idea of the kind of thing we are looking for. One is presented in written paragraph format. The other is presented within the templated table provided. You may present your case study in whichever of these formats work best for you. The key things to remember are referencing and the need to evidence your Lifestyle Medicine recommendations and prescriptions.
When is the exam?
The next Board Certification exam will take place in-person during the ‘Global Exam Week’ 26 November – 11 December 2022.
Important exam update – Please review the following changes:
The Australasian (and UK) cohort will be taken off the Prometric examination platform and switched over to the Classmarker platform, where you will be allowed to sit the exam from the comfort of your own home. Please see below for further details and ensure that you carefully review the Classmarker instructions document.
- You will be able to sit the exam anytime of your choosing during the ‘Global Exam Period’ – from midnight Saturday 26th November (AEDT) to 11am Sunday 11th December (AEDT). You do not need to book for this. You will be allowed one attempt during global exam week. So please note, once started, you will need to complete and submit your exam within the one sitting.
- You will be sent exam login details from Classmarker approximately 1 week before the ‘Global Exam Period’ and the exam will be ‘open’ and available for you to sit anytime during the above time window. Please ensure that you test your log in details once you receive them to ensure they are working.
- You will need 4 hours to sit the exam, so you will need to start the exam by 7am on Sunday the 11th December (AEDT) at the very latest (we recommend doing it by Saturday 10th December to be sure).
- To access the exam, you need the following:
- A lap-top, desk-top, tablet (or smart phone, although NOT recommended)
- Unrestricted access (no firewalls) to a common internet browser
- Excellent wifi connection
- Your personal log-in and password provided to you by Classmarker directly, around a week prior to the exam
- A continuous power supply for your device
- A quiet place where you can sit the exam uninterrupted *Please revise the ‘Classmarker Instructions’ (click on the link below to view), to familiarise yourself with this platform. It is straight forward and easy to use.ClassmarkerExamSoftwareInstructions2022Please note, this is a privilege that the IBLM is allowing for the Australasian and UK cohorts ONLY. Nobody else is getting to sit their exam from home. They are doing it in part to solve these ongoing problems with Prometric, but also to make up for the angst and stress that has been caused to the Australasian and UK cohorts during this process. As such, the IBLM is requesting that this privilege be kept in the private domain and that there is no discussion about it in public forums or on (i.e. on social media). This is important to maintain harmony within the Global cohort.
If you would like to sit the exam in a language other than English, please let us know once registered, by emailing . The exam is also available in Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, Chinese, Japanese and Arabic.
If you have a disability that requires special consideration, please also let us know once registered, by emailing .
How long do I have to complete the exam?
You will have 4 hours in which to complete 150 (Physicians) or 120 (Professionals & Practitioners) multiple choice questions. Each question consists of a stem question with four possible answers.
About exam weighting and topics
A breakdown of exam topic areas and weighting of focus is available here.
A private group has been created on our member platform to connect all those who are studying for the Nov-Dec sitting of the Board Certification exam in 2022.
This group will be your home base for connecting with your peers in preparation for sitting the Nov-Dec 2022 exam.
To access this group, please follow the steps below:
1. Scroll up to the top right hand corner of this page and click on ‘Account’ which will take you to the ‘Dashboard’ (Tip: you may want to open this in a new tab)
2. From the ‘Dashboard’ use the ‘Quick links’ to go to ‘My Profile’
3. From ‘My Profile’ go to ‘Groups’ and then ‘Certification Nov-Dec 2022 Cohort’
(NB: We know this navigation is a little clunky, but it will improve as we continue to upgrade this new feature of the website. Please bear with us in the interim.)
Task 1:
Please head on over to this group and pop up a post in the group feed, introducing yourself to the rest of the cohort. Please tell us:
a) Your name
b) Your profession
c) Your location
d) Why you chose to do Board Certification
Task 2:
Then, head on over to the Discussions tab and share with us where you are up to in your Board Certification preparation process and how you’re feeling about it all. Take a moment to read and respond to one or two of your fellow peers. You can add discussion topics in here as they arise through your studies.
*Tips*: In the past we have had group members arrange weekly Zoom meet ups and study groups. This usually works best if a couple of people take the initiative and lead the way. We encourage you to be bold! This group will be what you make of it. If you want something, create it! This group is your platform for organising that.
*Hints*: To see some initiatives that your previous peers have instigated check out Brainscape and do a search for ‘Lifestyle Medicine’.
Lifestyle Medicine: Essential MCQs for Certification in Lifestyle Medicine is a recommended (but not required) text to help your prepare for the exam.
This text can be purchased either as an ebook or print edition through Wiley and other online booksellers.
Description
Written by an interdisciplinary and multinational team of distinguished medical doctors and authors, Lifestyle Medicine presents a collection of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) designed to help prepare a new generation of clinicians with the necessary knowledge to practice Lifestyle Medicine safely and confidently. Ideal for anyone preparing for examinations in the new specialty of Lifestyle Medicine at the post-graduate level, and especially useful for those studying for the Diploma in Lifestyle Medicine, taking the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine or International Board of Lifestyle Medicine exams, you’ll find every key aspect of Lifestyle Medicine in this book.
- 25 questions covering an introduction to lifestyle medicine, including definitions, the difference between Lifestyle Medicine and other fields, and Physician’s Competencies in the practice of Lifestyle Medicine
- 62 questions covering the fundamentals of health behaviour change
- 47 questions covering key clinical processes in Lifestyle Medicine, including the classification of different lifestyle-related illnesses, measures of fitness, and fitness testing options
- 88 questions covering nutrition science, assessment, and prescription, including food labels and prescribing nutrition
- And much, much more: a total of 531 questions covering all key aspects of Lifestyle Medicine
Perfect for clinicians in virtually any specialty aiming to develop expertise in Lifestyle Medicine, Lifestyle Medicine will also earn a place on the shelves of nurses and other allied health professionals, including pharmacists, dietitians and nutritionists, health educators, researchers, health coaches, and occupational therapists.
Q: Are there any practice exams or practice questions that I can review?
A: No, unfortunately not. As this is still a relatively new exam, practice exams and questions are not yet available.
Q: Where is the best place to go to test my knowledge?
A: The best place to go to test your knowledge is the review questions throughout the Foundations of Lifestyle Medicine Board Review Course (30 hour online requirement) or the text book Lifestyle Medicine: Essential MCQs for Certification in Lifestyle Medicine (see above).
Q: What is the pass mark for the exam?
A: This is currently unknown, as it will depend on the psychometrics of the exam.
Q: When will I find out my results?
A: You will usually have your results within 1-2 weeks after the exam. Rest assured, as soon as we know, you will know.
Q: What happens if I don’t pass the exam?
A: If you are not successful in your first exam attempt, the IBLM offers you the opportunity to re-sit your exam again for free within 12 months of your original exam date. You will need to pay the non-refundable registration fee again ($440 AUD) but you do not need to pay the exam fee again. All of your other pre-requisites (30 hour online component, 10 hour in-person, case study etc) will still stand, if they have been successfully completed. If it is only the exam you haven’t passed, then it will only be the exam that you will need to re-sit at the next available exam sitting.
ASLM Board Certification Exam Preparation Meeting 26th October 2022
This is the “Board Certification Exam Preparation” meeting held on 26 October 2022. Watch this webinar as you commence your exam prep – it’s everything you need to know about the 2022 exam and updates, preparing, major studies, what to expect when sitting the exam and more! (run time about 1 hour).
(Enlarge the video to get play controls)
Maintenance of Certification
Certification lasts for 10 years. Once certified, you have a choice of either:
- Sit the exam again each 10 years, or
- Enrol in the ‘Maintenance of Certification‘ (MOC) program.
The MOC program has yearly and 5-yearly requirements.
- On a yearly basis you must read 3 expertly selected articles and answer 80% of the questions about those articles correctly. This equates to 4-6 hours per year and you will receive a certificate when you complete this each year which you can use to claim CPD points elsewhere if desired.
- In addition, on a 5-yearly basis you must provide evidence of 30 hours of Lifestyle Medicine specific CPD (an average of 6 hours per year). This CPD can be obtained from a wide range of sources, so will very likely be the same courses, workshops, summits and conferences you are already choosing to attend, including ASLM courses and events.
The cost of MOC is a low annual fee (much cheaper than sitting the exam again) and is conveniently delivered via our online learning system.
