Register for Eligibility

• 1). Get three letters from employers for whom you performed life science manuscript editing work. The letters should verify that you performed that type of work for them and describe what it is that you did.
  
  
• 2). Gather your resume or curriculum vitae and documentation of your education (i.e., diploma[s], transcript[s], etc.). BELS members come from many backgrounds, so any bachelor's-equivalent education might qualify you. Make photocopies of these documents for your application.
  
  
• 3). Fill out the application form, which can be found on the BELS website. Send the application, your other gathered documents and $50 to BELS. The current address is listed on the application form. If you live outside the U.S., you'll need to contact the BELS registrar for special instructions. The contact information is listed on the website.
  
  Later, you will receive notification of your eligibility. If BELS determines that you are eligible, they will send you a notice of eligibility, a test schedule, a test application form and a study guide. You can only get the study guide by proving eligibility---you cannot purchase it. You will then have two years to prepare for the test and start the next step.
  
  

Take the Certification Exam

• 1). Determine which test location and time works best for your schedule. The schedule you received along with the notification of eligibility will list test dates and locations throughout your eligibility period. You can also check the BELS website for the schedule.
  
  You have until three weeks before the testing date to register.
  
  Testing sites are located all over the world; they are not limited to the U.S.
  
  
• 2). Send the application form you received along with your notification of eligibility and $200 to the address on the application form. You will then be sent an admission ticket for the exam.
  
  
• 3). Bring your admission ticket and any other materials defined by BELS to the test site at the specified time and take the exam. If you pass, BELS will notify you of your certification.
  
  If you apply for the test and then decide that you don't want to try for certification, you can notify the board at least three weeks before the designated test date. You will receive a half refund.