All candidates agree to abide by NICET’s Policies, Code of Ethics, and Conditions of Application.
Accurate documentation is necessary for the validity and defensibility of the certification process. Misrepresentation in any form is considered a violation of the NICET Code of Ethics and may incur disciplinary action.
NICET’s certification programs have specific certification requirements that describe the minimum work experience, performance measures, and exams for each subfield and level. Levels III and IV also require a personal recommendation. These requirements are established using a consensus basis by industry Subject Matter Experts and practitioners.
The Experience Application includes: Work History, Performance Measures Verification, Personal Recommendations (Levels III and IV), and a Major Project Write-Up (Level IV). The Experience Application shall be completed in NICET’s online candidate portal.
Application(s) may be submitted anytime, but generally, work experience is not reviewed or approved prior to passing the exam(s).
Application Reviews are queued on a first-come, first-served basis. NICET strives to complete the review within 90 days of a candidate meeting both the exam requirement(s) and submitting the Experience Application. Upon completion of the review, NICET shall either award certification or contact the candidate with information on what is missing or deficient and required actions. The information is sent using the messaging feature of the candidate portal.
A complete review of a candidate’s application includes the following:
Application fees include the exam session and one supplemental experience review. Additional supplemental reviews may require a fee of $110.00 per review.
A set of activities that the candidate’s supervisor or someone in a supervisory capacity shall verify that the candidate has performed successfully and repeatedly. This section of the application shall be completed by the verifier.
The best person to serve as Verifier(s) is the current or previous supervisor(s) as listed in the candidate’s documented Work History. The verifier shall be a responsible and technically competent individual who is, or was, in a position of authority to personally witness and directly supervise, inspect, and approve the candidate's work. The verifier shall attest that the candidate has successfully and repeatedly demonstrated the required competencies, specific accomplishments, and project work related to the certification subfield and level. The verifier is not required to be NICET certified.
NICET will only accept verification from prior supervisors who have supervised the candidate at the appropriate certification subfield and level within the past 5 years.
A verifier cannot be a non-technical supervisor, a peer, or a subordinate of the candidate. A relative may serve as the candidate’s verifier if they have been a direct supervisor. The verifier shall not have any conflict(s) of interest. NICET will not accept verifications performed by any other party on behalf of the verifier.
Company owners, company presidents, and others in positions of similar hierarchies shall find someone outside the company to serve as their verifier (e.g., authority having jurisdiction [AHJ], general contractor, engineering consultant, or licensed engineer). This person shall have been in a position to supervise and/or approve the candidate’s work. The verifier shall provide clarification of the verifier’s/candidate’s relationship when submitting the survey form.
Performance Measures verification may be provided by a single verifier or a combination of verifiers, as applicable. Each verifier shall complete a separate NICET Performance Measures Verification survey form.
NICET may require a Verifier of record to confirm accuracy and completeness of a candidate’s work history submission when inconsistencies are discovered, or when significant changes are made to a previously submitted work history.
Verifiers from outside of the United States of America (U.S.) shall only verify U.S. work customs, practices and technology applications in accordance with recognized U.S. standards.
Shall be completed by professionals who are familiar with the technical capabilities and background of the candidate and can attest to the technical quality, responsibility, and ethics demonstrated by the candidate.
Shall be a current
The recommender shall be someone who is familiar with the technical capabilities and background of the candidate and can attest to the technical quality, responsibility, and ethics demonstrated by the candidate. The recommender shall have an association with the candidate for a minimum of 6 months.
Recommenders shall not have served as a Performance Measures Verifier for the candidate within the last 5 years per the most currently submitted work history.
NICET will not accept recommendations from relatives or subordinates of the candidate.
Recommenders from outside of the United States of America (U.S.) shall only provide recommendations based on U.S. work customs, practices and technology applications in accordance with recognized U.S. standards.
Personal Recommendations will remain valid for 12 months after the date when the recommender submits the form.
**For NICET programs without a Level IV certification, a NICET Level III meeting all of the following criteria is acceptable:
A complete, comprehensive, and detailed record of employment history shall include the employer, position held, supervisor(s) name(s), dates of employment, employment level, location, and a detailed description of the work that the candidate has performed.
First-time candidates shall enter work history entries that span the candidate’s entire career. All work activities, regardless of relevance to the certification, shall be included. Candidates shall add a complete, comprehensive, and detailed entry for each position held with each employer.
Returning candidates (candidates seeking upgrades to higher levels or additional subfields, and/or recertification candidates) shall not delete or change any previously submitted work histories. To add to the prior work history the candidate shall follow the instructions above for the period of time from the last work history date to the current date. The update shall include the following information:
(NOTE: Work History accepted for Active Practitioner points toward recertification, might not be sufficient for higher level or new subfield certification.)
If the candidate’s Subfield/Technical Area (S/TA) and/or percentages change significantly within the candidate’s current employer, then the candidate shall start a new entry with the same employer that reflects the current position held, S/TAs, percentages, and description.
There are three sections, completed for each employer, that shall be entered into the candidate’s application:
The calculations are based upon percentage(s) of work history claimed towards each particular subfield(s) per month.
The detailed description shall be written in the candidate’s own words describing the work that they have performed. Duplicating the same description from one S/TA, position, or employer to another is unacceptable. While candidates may perform similar functions, each entry requires a description of specific duties and tasks performed in different roles and/or for different employers. The detailed description, at a minimum, shall include the following:
In addition, the description shall include any of the following:
S/TA percentages for each employer shall total 100 percent. A candidate shall enter a single S/TA that equals 100 percent, or multiple S/TAs where the combined total equals 100 percent (e.g. if a candidate’s role includes multiple S/TAs, the candidate would claim S/TA-1 at X percent and S/TA-2 at Y percent, for a total of 100 percent for that employer).
Systems Software Integrator candidates must include information on the following:
Candidates shall use the following example formats to provide descriptions of each role held. The descriptions shall be complete, detailed, comprehensive, and in the candidate’s own words.
As a technician, I installed and/or serviced [list systems and components]. I also performed [list specific tests and/or inspections performed]. I worked on [list types of facilities]. My work is in conformance with [list codes and standards]. My duties also included [list any supervisory and/or managerial duties].
As an inspector for existing fire alarm systems, I inspected [list types of facilities]. I performed [list specific periodic tests and/or inspections performed and on which components they were performed on]. I was responsible for completing [list reports and/or documentation]. My duties also included [list any supervisory and/or managerial duties].
As a technician, I installed and/or serviced [list systems and components including types of agents]. I have also performed [list specific tests and/or inspections performed]. I utilized [list types of materials, equipment, and tools]. I have worked on [list types of facilities]. My work is in conformance with [list codes and standards]. My duties also included [list any supervisory and/or managerial duties].
As an inspector for existing water-based systems, I inspected [list types of facilities]. I performed [list specific periodic tests and/or inspections performed and on which components they were performed on]. I was responsible for completing [list reports and/or documentation]. My duties also included [list any supervisory and/or managerial duties].
As a layout technician, I created [list plans and/or submittals created]. I prepared [list specific plans, submittals, and/or documents]. I prepared these documents for [list types of facilities]. I used [list specific programs used to create plans and/or submittals]. In the technical nature of my work, I performed [list specific calculations and layouts]. My work is in conformance with [list codes and standards]. My duties also included [list any supervisory and/or managerial duties].
As a technician, I installed and/or serviced [list systems and components]. I have also performed [list specific tests and/or inspections performed]. I utilized [list types of materials, equipment and tools]. I worked on [list types of facilities]. My work is in conformance with [list codes and standards]. My duties also included [list any supervisory and/or managerial duties].
As a designer, I created [list plans and/or submittals created]. I prepared [list specific plans, submittals, and/or documents]. I prepared these documents for [list types of facilities]. I used [list specific programs used to create plans and/or submittals]. In the technical nature of my work, I performed [list specific calculations and layouts]. My work is in conformance with [list codes and standards]. My duties also included [list any supervisory and/or managerial duties].
As a technician, I inspected [list types of electrical power systems/equipment]. I performed [list specific periodic tests and/or inspections performed and on which components they were performed on]. I was responsible for completing [list reports and/or documentation]. My duties also included [list any supervisory and/or managerial duties].
As an inspector, I have worked on [list project types-not scopes]. I inspected [list operations covered in the field]. I was responsible for [list any field office work you have performed]. My duties also included [list any supervisory and/or managerial duties].
(NOTE: Examples of project types are road, bridge, round-a-bout, etc.)
As a testing technician, I have performed [list tests-by name and not by number] in the laboratory. I have performed [list observations and/or tests-by name and not by number] in the field. My duties also included [list any supervisory and/or managerial duties].
My program management skills include [list integrator duties related to documentation, scheduling, costing, resource management, commissioning, versioning, and/or defining project specifications]. My quality assurance role includes [list integrator duties related to developing and executing test plans, validating configurations, and/or managing deliverables]. My system integration role includes [list integrator duties related to integrating components, determining frameworks, defining care, custody, and control processes, and/or designing system engineering]. My risk management role includes [list integrator duties related to analyzing risk, evaluating vendors, determining functional safety, mitigating risk, managing stakeholder risk, evaluating cybersecurity postures, and/or engaging in continuous improvements].
Level IV candidates shall have completed a project demonstrating senior-level engineering technician capabilities and responsibilities. The project shall have substantial (large) scope and technical complexity. The project shall have been completed within the past 4 years and be in the subfield for which the candidate has applied. The project shall be documented in narrative/essay format in the Major Project Write-Up.
The MPWU shall be a concise, detailed, written description of the candidate’s role in one major project in the candidate’s certification field. The candidate shall describe the activities in which they engaged to fulfill the responsibilities of the position. The candidate shall be the sole author of the MPWU. Do not include any official project documents and/or descriptions taken from a web site, testimonials, or any other published form. These documents will not be considered as part of your MPWU. The MPWU shall include the following:
The MPWU shall address each of the above areas in a detailed narrative for each individual certification program(s). See the individual MPWU pages for each individual certification program(s) for more program-specific MPWU requirements.