American Midwifery Certification Board

What American Midwifery Certification Board does

The American Midwifery Certification Board, Inc. (AMCB) is a Maryland-incorporated, non-profit certifying body founded in 1990 (originally as the ACNM Certification Council, renamed in 2005) that administers the national certification and recertification process for Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) and Certified Midwives (CMs) in the United States. AMCB's core product is the National Certification Examination in Nurse-Midwifery/Midwifery, a computer-based assessment delivered through a partnership with PSI Services LLC at 120+ testing sites across every state, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. Following initial certification, certificants must participate in the Certificate Maintenance Program (CMP), a 5-year recertification cycle comprising three required content modules (Antepartum, Intrapartum, and Gynecologic), continuing education requirements, and an annual maintenance fee. AMCB holds NCCA accreditation (since December 2011) for both the CNM and CM programs, and the CNM® and CM® designations are federally registered trademarks exclusively controlled by the organization.

AMCB generates revenue primarily through examination fees ($425 for first-time candidates, $350 for re-examination), recurring Certificate Maintenance Program fees ($70/year maintenance, $75/article sets), and ancillary administrative charges including $121 reschedule fees, $40 verification letters and replacement certificates, $50 chargeback fees, and a $500 discipline appeal fee. Its certificant directory contains 500+ records spanning CNMs and CMs, with operations supported by a small 1-10 person team headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, and a volunteer Board of Directors. Distribution occurs through a self-service portal (ams.amcbmidwife.org) for certificant management, the PSI testing network for examination delivery, and direct mail/phone support from headquarters. Marketing is minimal and channeled through the AMCB website, organic social media (Facebook, X/Twitter), and a referral relationship with the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM). The organization's value proposition is anchored by its status as the sole national certifying body for CNMs/CMs, with the credential required for state licensure and federally trademarked, creating a structurally protected monopoly position.

Name

American Midwifery Certification Board

Legal name

American Midwifery Certification Board, Inc.

Website

https://amcbmidwife.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) is a U.S. non-profit that administers national certification and 5-year recertification for Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) and Certified Midwives (CMs), serving graduates of ACME-accredited programs through computer-based exams and a recurring maintenance program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Certification Services

akta.pro primary industry

Healthcare & Clinical Professional Certifications (EDAAANAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAF), Nursing & Allied Health Certification Prep (CNA, EMT/Paramedic, Radiology, Sonography, PT/OT) (EDANAIAB)

Keywords

• Midwifery certification
• Nurse-midwife credentials
• Professional certification services
• Recertification programs
• Credential verification

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Certification Examination Fees: One-time fees for initial certification examination and re-examination. Initial exam fee is $425, re-examination fee is $350.
2. Certificate Maintenance Program (CMP) Fees: Recurring annual maintenance fees ($70/year) for certified midwives to maintain their certification through the 5-year cycle, plus module/article set purchases ($75), replacement certificates ($40), and verification letters ($40).
3. Administrative Fees: Fees for rescheduling examinations ($121), bounced checks ($50), discipline appeals ($500), and score verification.
4. Emeritus Status Fee: One-time $100 fee for emeritus status designation for CNMs/CMs with 25+ years of active certification who retire in good standing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

AMCB administers the national certification examination for Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) and Certified Midwives (CMs), and operates the Certificate Maintenance Program (CMP) for ongoing recertification on a 5-year cycle. The organization also provides a public-facing certification verification directory and a self-service certificant portal for managing applications, modules, and continuing education.

Product overview

The American Midwifery Certification Board offers a certification and recertification ecosystem for nurse-midwives and midwives. The core offering is the National Certification Examination in Nurse-Midwifery/Midwifery, which candidates must pass to become certified. For ongoing certification maintenance, AMCB provides the Certificate Maintenance Program (CMP) with three required practice-area modules: AP Module (Antepartum and Primary Care), IP Module (Intrapartum, Postpartum, and Newborn), and GYN Module (Gynecologic, Sexual, Reproductive, and Primary Care). The platform includes a Certification Verification Portal for instant credential lookups and a Self-Service Portal for certificants to manage applications, complete modules, submit continuing education, and process recertification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• National Certification Examination in Nurse-Midwifery/Midwifery

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% first-time pass rate when exam taken within 90 days of program completion vs 57% if delayed
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PSI Services LLCcoreTechnology or IntegrationPSI Services LLC provides computer-based testing (CBT) infrastructure for the AMCB certification examination. Through PSI there are more than 120 testing sites nationally in every state plus Puerto Rico and DC. PSI provides comfortable, secure, ADA-compliant testing environments with immediate official results.
• American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACNM is the professional organization for CNMs and CMs. AMCB works closely with ACNM on educational standards through ACME accreditation, professional resources, and consumer education. AMCB certifications are linked to ACNM membership and practice standards.
• Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACME accredits nurse-midwifery and midwifery education programs. AMCB certification candidates must graduate from ACME-accredited programs, creating a direct pipeline relationship between accreditation and certification.
• Midwife FoundationminorOthersFoundation associated with ACNM that supports midwifery through funding, awards, and scholarships. Listed as related organization.
• National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCSBN provides guidance for states to adopt uniformity in APRN regulation through the APRN Consensus Model. With over 267,000 APRNs in the U.S., NCSBN shapes the regulatory landscape affecting CNM/CM licensure.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA): National certifying body for CRNAs, structurally identical to AMCB: NCCA-accredited exam, mandatory for state licensure, recurring maintenance fees, and a single national moat. Closest direct comparable in mission and operating model.
• National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA): Sole national certifying body for PAs, with NCCA-accredited exam and maintenance cycles; widely cited as a model professional certification board with a comparable regulatory moat.
• American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC): Certifies RNs and APRNs across dozens of specialty credentials with NCCA-accredited exams and ongoing certification renewal. Overlaps AMCB in the nurse credentialing space and competes for similar certificant wallet share on continuing education.
• Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB): Certifies pediatric nurses and nurse practitioners with NCCA-accredited credentials and recurring recertification requirements, structurally analogous to AMCB's CNM/CM franchise.
• American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT): Certifies radiologic technologists with NCCA-accredited credentials and an annual renewal model; structurally similar as a single-purpose allied-health certification body with national regulatory recognition.
• International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE): Independent international certification body for lactation consultants with a similar exam + recertification revenue model and clinical credentialing mission aligned with maternal-infant care.
• American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB): Certifies nurse practitioners across family, adult-gerontology, and emergency specialties via NCCA-accredited exams with required continuing clinical practice for recertification. Directly comparable as an APRN credentialing body.
• National Certification Corporation (NCC): Provides NCCA-accredited certification for obstetric, gynecologic, and neonatal nurses, overlapping the women's-health credentialing space and using similar exam + maintenance fee economics.

Broad incumbents

• American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS): Umbrella body for physician specialty boards (e.g., OB-GYN) that compete indirectly for maternal-health credentialing authority; not a direct competitor but the established incumbent in professional board certification.

Others

• Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME): Accredits the educational programs whose graduates feed AMCB's candidate pipeline. Not a competitor but the upstream gatekeeper; AMCB certification is gated on ACME program graduation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/AMCBmidwife?lang=en
• Facebookfacebook.com/AMCBmidwife
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-midwifery-certification-board

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about American Midwifery Certification Board