The Board for Global EHS Credentialing (BGC) is the premier global credentialing body for professionals who protect and enhance the health, safety, and environment of people at work and in their communities. Established in 1960 as the American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH) with one credentialing program, our independent non-profit 501(c)6 organization has grown to become the Board for Global EHS Credentialing (BGC) with five credentialing programs designed to protect human health, safety, and the environment. BGC is responsible for ensuring high-quality certification application and examination processes, certification maintenance, and ethics governance and enforcement.
Bowen EHS provides courses for clients wishing to take the CIH examination. The actual examination is administered by the Board for Global EHS Credentialing (BGC). To find out more about certification and your eligibility, please contact the BGC directly.
At a Glance
- Certifying Agency
- Board for Global EHS Credentialing (BGC)
- Web Site
- www.gobgc.org
- Telephone
- 517-321-2638 (USA)
- Certification info
- gobgc.org/applicants_cih
- Test centers
- www.prometric.com
Application Information
All documentation required for the review and approval of your application or reapplication must be postmarked, faxed, or emailed by February 1 when applying for the Spring examination or by August 1 for the Fall examination.
- Candidate Handbook
- Eligibility Requirements
- Application Documents This link includes application forms, worksheets, CM worksheets, etc.
Exam Details
The CIH exam contains 180 (150 questions plus 30 pilot questions) multiple-choice questions that are selected to match the job analysis. The multiple-choice questions are designed to assess the knowledge and skills required to function as a certified practitioner in the field. The exam is 5.0 hours in length with an optional 30-minute break in the middle. After you have been approved to sit for the exam and paid your $350 exam fee, you will be able to schedule your exam with Prometric.
Examinations are offered at Prometric testing locations during two windows -- April-May and October-November. You can schedule an exam anytime within those windows (depending on the hours of your chosen test center - some are open Sundays, some aren't).
- Subject Area Definitions
- BGC Ethics + Code of Ethics
- Examination Day Information
- Calculator Information
- Prometric Testing Locations
Recertification
The BGC has an extensive section on certificate maintenance. Here is the starting place:
About the CIH Recertification Program
The page has an index in the right sidebar with links to each section.
CM Points/Credits
To determine how to calculate and apply for credit for Bowen EHS courses and webinars, please see CIH Recertification by CM Point Submission.
About the BGC
BGC credentialed practitioners are globally recognized as the epitome of professional competence and ethics in professions based on the science of protecting and enhancing the health, safety, and environment of people at work and in their communities. While you may not have heard of some of these professions, many of our practitioners such as Certified Industrial Hygienists, are on the front lines of protecting people from illness or death including from COVID-19.
Our independent, not-for-profit, 501(c)6 organization was founded in 1960 when twelve delegates held their first meeting in Rochester, New York. A Petition for Incorporation as the American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH) was approved by the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, with the first Board meeting being held that same year in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Our original purpose was to objectively assess and measure the professional knowledge and understanding of industrial hygiene practitioners. Since then, our purpose has expanded to cover a diverse range of environmental and health and safety professionals. In 2019, we publicly announced our name change from the American Board of Industrial Hygiene to the “Board for Global EHS Credentialing (BGC),” which reflected our growth from offering a single, flagship credential, the Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), to now offering four additional credentialing programs: the Qualified Environmental Professional (QEP), the Environmental Professional In-Training (EPI), the Certified Professional Product Steward (CPPS), the Certified Professional Environmental Auditor (CPEA), and the Certified Professional Safety Auditor (CPSA).
