How to Apply

 NOTE:  NABCEP encourages candidates for the Solar PV Installer Certification Exam to complete the application electronically.  Click here to start the Electronic Application Form process.

 1.  First, read the Candidate Information Handbook for NABCEP PV Solar Installer Certification., available online by download.

2.  Review the entry options. Choose the entry option that best fits your personal background, experience, and training. Be sure you understand the Entry Requirements, the Code of Ethics, the fees, and how to prepare to take the written exam which is offered around the U.S. twice a year.

3.  Review the Application Form (available inside the PV Candidate Information Handbook) and prepare the documentation you will need to complete the application.

4.  Fill out the Application Form completely, attaching required copies of permits, inspection certificates, and training transcripts, as well as optional documentation such as letters from customers and employers, photos of systems you've installed, etc.

5.  Be sure to sign the application and enclose the $50 application fee.

6.  You will hear back from NABCEP after review of your application, informing you that you were or were not approved to sit for the exam.

7.  If you are approved, you will be sent, and need to immediately return the PV Exam Scheduling Form, along with the $200 first-time exam fee.

8.  About three weeks before the scheduled exam date, you will receive your Admission Slip confirming that you are approved to sit for the Exam at your selected test site. 

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Fees
(All fees are non-refundable)
Application Fee:  $50
First time fee to sit for the PV certification exam:  $200
Re-examination fee:  $150
Recertification Fee (every three years):  $200

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Written Exam
Each candidate must pass a written examination to qualify for certification. The examination will be based on supplied scenarios and situations, with approximately 60 multiple-choice questions requiring various calculations, knowledge of the relevant National Electrical Code sections, knowledge of safety practices, PV-system assessments, installation requirements, and customer interaction issues.

Fifteen of the test items are general knowledge items. The other 45 items assess the candidate's ability to apply PV information to six different scenarios. The scenarios are problem-based situations that address real-life decision-making tasks that a candidate might face when installing an actual PV system. As each item is developed, it is matched to the corresponding task on the Task Analysis in a test matrix.

NABCEP supplies each candidate with a clean and current copy of the National Electrical Code (NEC), an approved calculator, and pencils for the exam. Candidates will have four hours to complete the examination. 

To prepare to take the NABCEP exam, NABCEP recommends that candidates closely review the PV Installer Task Analysis, as it provided a blue print for the development of the exam. In addition, a list of references and documents pertaining to the test is available in the Candidate Information Handbook for NABCEP PV Solar Installer Certification.   A  Study Guide for PV System Installers with sample questions is also available to help you prepare for the exam.