Congratulations! You have graduated from the program, now you might ask… “What happens next?”

NARM Certification

More than thirty states now recognize direct-entry midwives practicing in predominately out-of-hospital settings and use the NARM Written Examination or the CPM credential as the basis for legal recognition. Midwives in several other states are working on laws to license midwives using the CPM credential. CPMs also practice in states where direct-entry midwifery is unregulated and licensure is not yet available.

NMI graduates must apply for NARM Certification within three (3) years of graduation. If certification takes longer than three years, NARM will require documentation of ten (10) additional primary births, twenty-five (25) hours of continuing education, and five (5) hours of peer review within the three (3) years prior to the application submission. 

It’s never too early to familiarize yourself with the NARM exam application, especially because some NARM application forms require preceptor initials/signatures. Prior to beginning apprenticeship, we encourage students to download the NARM application forms for students enrolled in MEAC accredited schools from the NARM website and to become familiar with them. 

NARM Application Process:

Once you have confirmation that you have completed NMI graduation requirements, you are eligible to be a CPM Candidate and are encouraged to apply for the NARM exam through Certemy.

All of your clinical experiences that have been entered into the NMI Clinical Tracking App are saved in your student file at NMI and clinical credit is added to your transcript which is then sent to NARM.  NARM does not receive a copy of your clinical documentation.  NARM only receives a copy of your transcript.

You must apply directly to NARM to request your NARM Examination. With confirmation of graduation from NMI, you will need to complete a NARM application packet for MEAC students/grads. You have the option to complete your application either online or by paper. Upon review of your application, you will receive instructions from NARM about scheduling a testing date. 

The NARM application for MEAC students/grads does contain some forms that may require a preceptor’s signature. Additionally, only two of these forms are redundant from your NMI Clinical Documentation.

Useful Links:

NARM Audit Info

NARM routinely audits every 6th application received. Documents required for random audits are Informed Disclosure, Informed Consent Documents, Practice Guidelines, and Emergency Care Form. Documents must be submitted within 2 weeks of request. Random audits do not stop a CPM candidate from moving though the application process, but if any discrepancies are discovered during the audit process they will need to be resolved before a CPM certificate is issued.

Additionally, the NARM applications office reserves the right to request verification (audit) of any information submitted with student applications, including client charts. It is the responsibility of the student to have access to client charts in the event of an audit. Keep in mind that it is illegal to copy client charts without written client consent.

Please note that if you submit client charts that include client identifying information (name, address, social security number, phone number, etc) and do NOT include a copy of written client consent with the chart, your charts will be immediately shredded by the NARM applications office and your application will be delayed. Either remove this information or attach written client consent to your charts. 

State Licensure

The Certified Professional Midwife credential, issued by NARM, is a national credential accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), the accrediting body of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE, formerly NOCA). However, in many states direct-entry midwives must apply for state licensure in order to legally practice. 

The Network for Public Health provides information about CPM regulations and licensing in the US with their 50-State Survey: Direct Entry Midwives.

Note: Some state licensure requirements exceed NMI's graduation requirements/NARM exam qualifications. It is the student’s responsibility to complete all requirements for licensure in their anticipated state of practice. Students are advised to review these requirements prior to beginning their clinical training. If additional clinical experience is required, the student may make special enrollment agreements with NMI.