The Institute of Biomedical Science

www.ibmscongress.com

About Certificate of Competence

All UK-educated applicants will require an IBMS Certificate of Competence unless they gain an alternative HPC approved qualification.

All overseas-educated applicants will require an IBMS Certificate of Competence unless they have some experience of working as a biomedical scientist (or equivalent) abroad, and this experience is accepted by the Health Professions Council.

The IBMS Certificate of Competence is awarded on completion of academic education and completion of the registration portfolio. The portfolio provides evidence that an individual is fit to practice as a biomedical scientist. The certificate is a professional qualification that is the first step along a career pathway that is supported by the Institute qualification structure.

The certificate contains academic and practical components that can be undertaken separately or integrated within a degree (also known as a coterminus degree). Both components must be completed to the satisfaction of the Institute before the award is granted and individuals are eligible to apply for registration.

Academic Component
The academic component will be completed by a coterminus or IBMS-accredited degree.

Please note that there are no Masters level qualifications (excluding coterminus routes) that are accredited by the Institute for the purpose of gaining the Certificate of Competence.

If you have completed an accredited degree and wish to progress to the practical component you will need to have your degree verified by the Institute (Form A verification).

If you have completed a non-accredited degree and wish to complete the practical component  for registration you will need to have your degree assessed by the Institute (Form B assessment) and may need to complete additional education from an IBMS accredited undergraduate degree level to satisfy the requirements for the academic component. The exact requirement will depend on the content of the applicant’s qualifications(s) and universities may charge full cost for the additional study.

Practical Component
The practical component requires the Registration Training Portfolio for the Certificate of Competence to be undertaken and completion verified by the Institute. If you have completed the academic component you will still need to complete the practical component in an IBMS approved laboratory. How to complete a portfolio

Awarding the certificate
The certificate is awarded by the Institute following a visit from an IBMS representative (called an External Verifier) who will make a recommendation in their report and submit it to the Institute within two weeks.

External verifier
External verifiers are appointed by the IBMS to review the evidence provided by a candidate in their registration portfolio and confirm whether it demonstrates competence against the standards of proficiency set down by the Health Professions Council (HPC).

Certificate of Competence and IBMS membership
Licentiate is the initial class of corporate IBMS membership for a person who has been awarded the Institute's Certificate of Competence. Applicants can also become a Licentiate if they demonstrate equivalence as determined by the Institute through an individual assessment.

For further information on the equivalence process please contact the membership department on mc@ibms.org.

Further information

Routes to Registration
Evaluation of Qualifications
Registration Training Portfolio