The American Board of Genetic Counselors (ABGC) Board of Directors continues to make progress on the priorities outlined in the 2025–2027 strategic plan, which focuses on three key goals:
- Create and expand equitable opportunities to demonstrate competence and continued competence for all genetic counselors.
- Ensure the CGC designation represents competence across a broad scope of genetic counseling practice and reflects innovation in assessing initial and continuing competence.
- Collaborate on efforts to elevate the value of certified genetic counselors as essential partners in the development and delivery of precision health.
Advancing Goal 1: Exam Performance Task Force Recommendations
In July 2024, ABGC announced the formation of the Exam Performance Taskforce, bringing together representatives from ABGC, ACGC, GCEA, NSGC, CBGC and CAGC; subject matter experts from our Diplomate community; and newly certified genetic counselors. The task force was charged with examining factors that may influence candidate exam performance and identifying opportunities for improvement.
The task force’s final report was published in December 2025. The report provides valuable insights and recommendations for organizations, educators, Diplomates and candidates alike. The findings highlighted several opportunities for collective action that may positively impact the candidate experience and support future success on the certification examination.
Exam Performance Taskforce Report
ABGC’s Next Steps
Since the publication of the report, ABGC has conducted a comprehensive review of the task force recommendations. As part of this process, recommendations have been mapped to ABGC’s strategic plan to ensure alignment with ongoing priorities and initiatives.
The Board’s focus has now shifted toward developing a specific, actionable implementation plan for each recommendation. This work is intended to transform the task force’s findings into measurable outcomes that support candidates, strengthen certification processes and advance equitable pathways to certification.
Advancing Goal 2: Exploring Innovation in Credentialing
ABGC is also exploring the potential role of microcredentials within the genetic counseling profession. As the field continues to evolve, the Board is examining whether additional credentialing pathways could help recognize specialized knowledge and competencies while maintaining the integrity and value of the CGC designation.
To continue this conversation with the profession, members of the ABGC Board will be presenting this topic at the upcoming NSGC Annual Conference. We encourage attendees to join the discussion and share their perspectives as we explore future opportunities for innovation in certification and continuing competence. If you cannot attend the conference, please be on the lookout for a survey — which is expected to be released in October — as we will be gathering feedback from Diplomates.
Advancing Goal 3: Elevating the Value of the CGC Designation Through Collaboration and Outreach
A key focus of this work is strengthening relationships across genetic counseling and broader healthcare communities. The Board remains committed to enhancing collaboration among North American genetic counseling organizations while also expanding partnerships with other healthcare professional organizations, credentialing bodies and medical associations. These efforts are designed to increase awareness of the unique expertise and contributions of certified genetic counselors and the value of the CGC designation.
As part of this objective, ABGC is working toward engaging with key health professional organizations and participating as content experts alongside patient advocacy, professional and certification organizations. Through these collaborations, ABGC seeks to contribute to important conversations about workforce development, patient care and the evolving role of genetics and genomics within healthcare.
The Board is working to identify the most effective avenues to communicate the value of certification. ABGC aims to ensure that healthcare partners, employers, policymakers and the public better understand the role certified genetic counselors play in delivering high-quality, patient-centered care.
As this work progresses, ABGC looks forward to sharing additional updates on new partnerships, outreach initiatives and opportunities to further elevate the visibility and impact of the CGC credential.