The reason I think that some of the hours are ridiculous is because of such
a scenario:

Paid LC works in hospital 3 days a week: Sunday Tuesday Thursday.  La Leche
League Leader background, reads all the books, extremely modest person,
does everything she can to be more counselor than prescriptor.  Bf three
kids, last kid not Bf due to Sheehan's.  Will be taking IBCLE for first
time this year.

Volunteer "LC": works in hospital two days a week: Monday and Wednesday.
Maybe breastfed kids according to cultural Bf (supplements, pacifiers, etc)
 Walks around in white coat,passes out silicon nipple shields left and
right.  Totally contradicts everything Paid LC works so hard to accomplish.
 Sometimes paid LC returns to work to find volunteer has totally screwed up
bf for women paid LC spent an hour with two days ago.

Would this woman, even with her YEARS and years and years of on-floor
hospital experience pass the IBCLE?  I highly doubt it.  Does she  know
anything about mastitis,  plugged ducts, or pulling out inverted nipples?
Does she employ HRE, guiding, leading, active listening methods?. She
probably doesn't know what necrotilizing enter colitis is or that thrush
can be a result of a vaginal yeast infection in mother prior to birth.
zilch.  Would she tell a woman to pump for a premie?  I don't know. All she
does is help women get fed up and give their babies formula.  Are those her
intentions? Not necessarily, but it's certainly worth looking into.

That's why I think that if a woman has the hands-on knowledge to actually
PASS the IBCLE without tons and tons of hours, she has something ahead of
el ignoramous.  A woman who can pass that exam still knows tons more and is
still coming out ahead in terms of Bf knowledge, albeit textbook or not.

Nofia