Straight answers from a licensed New York exterminator and Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE) — serving all five boroughs, in English and Spanish.
Get a Free Estimate →⏱ 8 min read
Part of our entomology certification hub comparing the ACE, PHE, and BCE credentials.
Quick answer: The Board Certified Entomologist (BCE) is the most respected professional credential in entomology, awarded by the Entomological Society of America’s certifying body. Unlike the ACE and PHE, the BCE requires a biological or life-science degree plus entomology coursework, and you must pass two exams — a broad General/Core Entomology exam and a chosen Specialty exam — each needing 70% to pass. It is maintained with annual dues and continuing education. This guide explains every requirement and what both exams cover.
Drill the general exam and the urban & industrial specialty — original questions, instant scoring and explanations.
This guide completes our series on the three professional entomology credentials, alongside the ACE and PHE guides. It is written by Jorge Bedoya, ACE, for entomologists and pest professionals aiming for the field’s top certification.
What the BCE is — and who issues it
The Board Certified Entomologist credential is administered by the ESA Certification Corporation, the certifying arm of the Entomological Society of America — the largest insect-science organization in the world. ESA describes the BCE as “the most respected professional credential in entomology.” It is the organization’s original, flagship certification; the ACE program was launched later, in 2004, as a pathway geared specifically to the pest-management industry. Earning the BCE lets you place “BCE” after your name and lists you in the official Register of Board Certified Entomologists.
How the BCE compares to the ACE and PHE
The three ESA credentials serve different professionals. The ACE is for structural pest-management professionals and requires experience and a pesticide license but no degree. The PHE Certificate is a public-health and vector-control credential, also without a degree requirement. The BCE is the broadest and most rigorous: it requires a college degree in a biological or life science, tests the full breadth of academic entomology across two exams, and is maintained with ongoing continuing education. Many professionals earn the ACE first and pursue the BCE as the capstone credential.
Eligibility (updated January 1, 2025)
As of January 1, 2025, the BCE requires both an educational and an experiential qualification:
- Education: a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) majoring in a biological or life science — biology, zoology, ecology, biochemistry, environmental science, agronomy, forestry, and related fields all qualify — including at least four term-length courses or research credits in entomology. The entomology coursework can be completed outside the degree at an accredited institution, and if you hold a qualifying advanced degree, the undergraduate major need not match.
- Experience: scaled to your degree — a bachelor’s requires three years of relevant experience, a master’s two years, and a PhD one year. Work experience counts before and after the degree, but only full-time work outside a university setting (work done in pursuit of the degree does not count).
- Application materials: the completed application, two letters of professional reference, academic transcripts, and a current CV.
ESA also offers related statuses: BCE Intern (for those who meet the education requirement but not yet the experience), BCE-Administrative (for BCEs whose work is largely managerial, with a lighter continuing-education standard), and BCE-Emeritus (retired BCEs in good standing with long tenure, exempt from continuing-education reporting).
The two BCE exams
To become a full BCE you must pass two examinations, each requiring 70% to pass: the Core/Qualifying exam covering general entomology, and at least one Specialty exam in your chosen area. Nearly all BCE exams are administered online through an approved proctor’s computer; you arrange the proctor and give ESA at least ten days’ notice of your exam date. Your application fee covers your first two attempts; additional attempts carry a fee, and retakes are allowed no sooner than 30 days and no later than 365 days after your last attempt.
The four specialties
You choose one specialty exam (additional specialties can be added later for an extra fee):
- General Entomology — pests and management of fruit, vegetable, forage, and field crops, plus broad insect classification, morphology, physiology, behavior, and ecology.
- Medical & Veterinary Entomology — arthropods of medical and veterinary importance, the diseases they transmit, surveillance, and control (closely related to the PHE Certificate).
- Urban & Industrial Entomology — structural and household pests: cockroaches, bed bugs, termites and other wood-destroying insects, ants, rodents, and stored-product and fabric pests, along with inspection, control, and regulations.
- Plant-related Entomology — crop and ornamental pests and their management.
What the General/Core exam covers
The general exam tests the full breadth of academic entomology. Expect questions across these areas:
Morphology, anatomy & physiology
The three body regions, mouthpart types (chewing, piercing-sucking, sponging, siphoning, chewing-lapping), antenna and leg types, wing structures (elytra, hemelytra, tegmina, halteres), and the cuticle. Internally: the tracheal respiratory system (insects have no lungs), the open circulatory system and hemocoel, Malpighian tubules for excretion, the ladder-like ventral nerve cord, and the hormonal control of molting — ecdysone from the prothoracic glands triggers molting while juvenile hormone maintains juvenile characters.
Development, metamorphosis & reproduction
Instars and molting, the three metamorphosis types (ametabolous, hemimetabolous/incomplete, holometabolous/complete), larval and pupal types, diapause, and reproductive strategies such as parthenogenesis and viviparity.
Taxonomy, systematics & classification
The Linnaean hierarchy and binomial nomenclature, the rules of zoological naming, the placement of insects within the arthropods, and the diagnostic characters of the major orders — with Coleoptera (beetles) as the largest order and the modern placement of termites within Blattodea.
Ecology, behavior & evolution
Population and community ecology, predation, parasitism versus parasitoidism, mutualism and pollination, pheromone communication, migration, and eusociality — including the haplodiploidy of the Hymenoptera and its link to the evolution of sterile worker castes.
Applied & economic entomology, and law
Integrated pest management and thresholds (the economic injury level and the economic threshold), biological control, insecticide classes and modes of action, resistance management, and the regulatory framework — pesticides are registered under FIFRA and administered by the EPA, and “the label is the law.”
“The ACE proves you can manage pests. The BCE proves you understand insects — their anatomy, their physiology, their evolution, and the science underneath every treatment. It’s the difference between knowing what to do and knowing why it works. That depth is what earns the respect of the whole profession.”
— Jorge Bedoya, Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE), New York Exterminating
Maintaining the BCE: dues and continuing education
The BCE is a living certification. You pay annual renewal dues (roughly $230 a year, or about $115 for ESA members — confirm current figures with ESA), and every three years you file a Professional Maintenance & Certification (PM&C) report documenting continuing education. The requirement is a minimum of 120 continuing-education units per three-year cycle, with at least 72 from formal continuing education (courses, conferences, training) and the remainder from professional participation such as teaching, publishing, or service. Continued adherence to the BCE Code of Ethics is also required; the most rigorous of the three credentials carries the most rigorous upkeep.
Recommended study materials
ESA’s own reading lists point to the standard entomology texts: Borror and DeLong’s Introduction to the Study of Insects (Triplehorn & Johnson), The Insects: Structure and Function (Chapman), and The Insects: An Outline of Entomology (Gullan & Cranston) for general entomology; and specialty references such as the Mallis Handbook of Pest Control, Truman’s Scientific Guide, and Robinson’s Urban Entomology for the urban and industrial specialty. Our free General Entomology and Urban & Industrial practice exams are built from this same body of knowledge.
A Brooklyn-based, NYSDEC-registered company (Reg. #15140) led by Jorge Bedoya, an Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE). For pests in your home or building, NYE provides IPM-based, low-exposure control matched to the exact pest and verified with a follow-up. ACE-led work comes with a client portal of service reports and photos, fully bilingual service, and no long-term contract.
Board Certified Entomologist FAQ
How is the BCE different from the ACE?
The ACE is a structural pest-management certification that requires experience and a pesticide license but no degree. The BCE requires a biological or life-science degree plus entomology coursework, tests the full breadth of academic entomology across two exams, and is the most prestigious of ESA’s credentials.
How many exams does the BCE require?
Two: a Core/Qualifying general-entomology exam and at least one Specialty exam. You need 70% to pass each, and both are typically taken online under a proctor.
Do I need a degree to become a BCE?
Yes. As of 2025 you need a bachelor’s degree (or higher) in a biological or life science that includes at least four term-length courses or research credits in entomology, plus experience scaled to your degree level.
What specialties can I choose?
General Entomology, Medical & Veterinary Entomology, Urban & Industrial Entomology, and Plant-related Entomology. You pass one to be certified and can add others later.
How is the BCE maintained?
With annual renewal dues and a three-year Professional Maintenance & Certification report documenting at least 120 continuing-education units, plus continued adherence to the Code of Ethics.
Put it to the test: take the free BCE General Entomology practice exam and the Urban & Industrial specialty practice exam, or read the companion guides to the ACE and PHE. Written by Jorge Bedoya, ACE.
