The Certified Bariatric Counselor (CBC) credential is awarded by the American Association of Bariatric Counselors. It is open to licensed health and education professionals, and to nurses and registered dietitians. This page gives you free practice sets on behavioral care, nutrition, bariatric surgery and post-operative care. It also has worked explanations of sample questions and a plain summary of the verified fees, eligibility and renewal rules.

CBC Exam at a Glance

What changed for CBC in 2026

• Oct 25, 2026: Eligibility changed to Licensed health or education professional with a master's or doctorate, or currently enrolled in one; nurses and RDs without a master's can also apply (previously Academic background and experience determine certification).^[1]
• Oct 25, 2026: Registration opens changed to Self-paced course registration is open (after application approval) (previously Self-paced course registration is open).^[3]

What the CBC is and how it works

According to American Association of Bariatric Counselors, “Nurses (at all levels) and Registered Dieticians without Masters Degrees can also apply.”^[1]

The CBC credential recognises professionals trained to counsel people living with obesity and people before and after bariatric surgery. It is issued by the American Association of Bariatric Counselors (AABC).

How it is delivered

The Bariatric Certification Program is made up of required online, self-paced courses offered in two cycles. You apply first. Once your application is approved, you can register for the self-paced courses. The AABC states that registration is currently open.

Who can apply

You can apply if you are a licensed health or education professional with a graduate degree (master's or doctorate), or if you are currently enrolled in such a program. Nurses at all levels and registered dietitians without a graduate degree can also apply.

Fees

• Tuition: $495 for each two-course cycle, which includes a $75 registration fee.
• Certification completion: $195, which covers a framed personalised certificate and postage.

Scoring and assessments

The verified sources we used do not describe how course assessments are scored, what the passing standard is, or the retake rules. Check these details with the AABC before you enrol.

Keeping the credential

Certification must be renewed two years from the date it is issued. Renewal costs $150 and requires 20 CEU/CME hours, or 2,000 hours of bariatric care.

Fees and policies can change. Confirm them at aabc-certification.org before you pay or apply.

Worked examples: how to reason through CBC questions

These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.

Example 1

Question: What is the PRIMARY benefit of resistance training for patients who have undergone bariatric surgery?

1. Improves cardiovascular endurance
2. Increases flexibility and range of motion
3. Preserves lean muscle mass during rapid weight loss
4. Reduces blood pressure more than aerobic exercise

Answer: C. Preserves lean muscle mass during rapid weight loss

Explanation:

Correct: C. After bariatric surgery, people take in very few calories and lose weight quickly. Some of that loss is lean muscle as well as fat. Resistance training makes the muscles work against a load, which signals the body to keep muscle tissue. That helps protect strength, function and resting metabolism.

• A is wrong because cardiovascular endurance comes mainly from aerobic exercise, not resistance work.
• B is wrong because flexibility and range of motion come from stretching and mobility work.
• D is wrong because the evidence does not show resistance training lowering blood pressure more than aerobic exercise does, and blood pressure is not its main purpose here.

Rule to remember: during rapid post-surgical weight loss, aerobic exercise supports the heart and calorie use, while resistance training protects lean mass.

Example 2

Question: A patient is distressed by a 3-week weight plateau and states, "I've completely failed. The surgery didn't work, and I'm just going to gain it all back." Which of the following represents a cognitive restructuring approach to this thought?

1. Suggesting they increase their exercise intensity to break through the plateau.
2. Helping the patient challenge the "all-or-nothing" thought by reframing it: "Weight plateaus are a normal part of the process. What non-scale victories have I achieved?"
3. Recommending they schedule an appointment with the dietitian to reassess their meal plan.
4. Assuring the patient that everyone feels this way and that the feeling will eventually pass.

Answer: B. Helping the patient challenge the "all-or-nothing" thought by reframing it: "Weight plateaus are a normal part of the process. What non-scale victories have I achieved?"

Explanation:

Correct: B. Cognitive restructuring means spotting a distorted thought and helping the patient test it and replace it with a more accurate one. "I've completely failed" after a 3-week plateau is all-or-nothing, catastrophic thinking. Option B names plateaus as normal and moves the patient's attention to non-scale victories. That changes the thought itself.

• A changes behavior (exercise) and leaves the distorted belief alone.
• C is a referral. It may help later, but it does not deal with the thinking pattern.
• D is general reassurance. It skips past the thought without examining it, and it may make the patient feel dismissed.

Rule to remember: if the question asks about a cognitive technique, choose the answer that works on the thought, not the behavior, the referral or the comfort.

Example 3

Question: The concept of epigenetics in obesity etiology suggests which of the following?

1. Obesity is solely determined by a single 'obesity gene' that is either active or inactive.
2. Environmental factors can modify gene expression without changing the DNA sequence, influencing obesity risk.
3. An individual's DNA sequence is permanently altered by their parents' lifestyle choices.
4. Genetic factors have no significant influence on an individual's susceptibility to weight gain.

Answer: B. Environmental factors can modify gene expression without changing the DNA sequence, influencing obesity risk.

Explanation:

Correct: B. Epigenetics covers changes in how genes are expressed without any change to the DNA sequence. Diet, stress and other environmental exposures can cause changes such as DNA methylation. These switch genes on or off and can raise or lower a person's risk of weight gain.

• A is wrong because obesity is polygenic and multifactorial. No single gene decides it.
• C is wrong because epigenetics works by definition without altering the DNA sequence.
• D is wrong because genetics does affect susceptibility. Epigenetics adds to that genetic influence rather than replacing it.

Rule to remember: epigenetics is about gene expression, not the gene code. If an option says the DNA sequence itself changes, it is not describing epigenetics.

How to use these practice tests

Start with the AABC course descriptions so you know what each required course covers. Then use our practice sets to check what you understand.

1. Get a baseline. Take one set from each broad area without notes: Obesity Science and Etiology, Behavioral Care, Nutritional Counseling and Bariatric Surgery and Procedures. Write down which areas felt weakest.
2. Study your weak areas. Read the relevant course material first. Then practise with related sets, such as Behavioral Modification Strategies or Post-Surgical Nutritional Care.
3. Read every explanation. Do this for wrong answers and for lucky guesses. For each one, write down the general rule in one line.
4. Practise patient scenarios. Use Psychosocial Patient Assessment, Pre-Surgical Patient Assessment and Managing Post-Operative Adjustments. In each question, look for what the counselor should do first.
5. Review before each course assessment. Retake the sets you scored lowest on and reread your one-line rules.

Sources & last verified

1. American Association of Bariatric Counselors — exam fee, delivery, eligibility (official source). “The administrative costs for certification completion including framed personalized certificate and postage are $ 195.00.” Verified Oct 25, 2026.
2. American Association of Bariatric Counselors — validity, renewal (official source). “Certification requires renewal two years from the date of issuance of the Certification.” Verified Oct 25, 2026 · source checked Oct 17, 2026.
3. American Association of Bariatric Counselors — registration opens (official source). “Self-paced course registration now open” Verified Oct 25, 2026.

How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.