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How do I apply and start an application?

With the launch of the new myNABCEP platform, Applicants no longer start their application from their myNABCEP account. To begin an application for all NABCEP Board Certifications and Associate Experience or Conversion Pathways, you are required to self-enroll in the certification or credential you wish to apply for by clicking on the appropriate self-enrollment button in the list below. The application will automatically populate to your myNABCEP account.  If you do not have a myNABCEP account, you will be prompted to open one during the self-enrollment.

Please note: Applicants, Candidates and Certificants are allowed only ONE account in the NABCEP Database. Each candidate must have a unique Profile including their own email address. Adding or having multiple accounts in myNABCEP may result in your Exam Score being invalidated.

Board Certifications

PV Installation Professional (PVIP)

Requirements

6 project credits* with decision-making role, OSHA 10, & 58 hours of training. For more detailed information on requirements for this Board Certification, click here.

Start Self-Enrollment

Energy Storage Installation Professional (ESIP)

6 project credits¹ with decision-making role, OSHA 30, & 58 hours of training. For more detailed information on requirements for this Board Certification, click here.

PV Technical Sales Professional (PVTS)

Sales proposals, OSHA 10 & other requirements as specified by the Qualifying Category.  For more detailed information on Qualifying Categories and requirements for this Board Certification, click here.

PV Commissioning & Maintenance Specialist (PVCMS)

12 project credits* with decision-making role related to commissioning and maintenance, OSHA 30, & 24 hours of training. For more detailed information on requirements for this Board Certification, click here.

PV Design Specialist (PVDS)

12 project credits* with decision-making role in system design, OSHA 10, & 24 hours of training. For more detailed information on requirements for this Board Certification, click here.

PV Installer Specialist (PVIS)

6 project credits* with decision-making role in installation, OSHA 10, & 24 hours of training. For more detailed information on requirements for this Board Certification, click here.

PV System Inspector (PVSI)

There are no requirements to take this exam. For more detailed information on this Board Certification, click here.

Solar Heating System Inspector (SHSI)

There are no requirements to take this exam. For more detailed information on this Board Certification, click here.

Solar Heating Installer Professional (SHI)

Prior experience, education, or a combination of both, & OSHA 10 or other requirements as specified by the Qualifying Category.  For more detailed information on Qualifying Categories and requirements for this Board Certification, click here.

*Project Credits are as follows:
System size of 1-999KW = 2 project credits
System size of 1MW or more = 3 project credits

 

¹Project Credits are as follows:
System size of 1-80kWh = 1 project credits
System size of 81kWh- 99kWh = 2 project credits
System size of 1MWh or more = 3 project credits

Associate Credentials

PV Associate (PVA) – Education Pathway*

Requirements

Successfully complete a photovoltaics training course with a NABCEP Associate Registered Training Provider. Click here to find a class.

Start Self-Enrollment

No application submitted to NABCEP. The Provider will register you to take the exam after course completion.

PV Associate (PVA) – Experience Pathway

Document at least six months of full-time equivalent work experience in a job that is directly involved with photovoltaics. For more detailed information on this Associate Credential, click here.

Solar Heating Associate (SHA) – Education Pathway*

Successfully complete a solar heating training course with a NABCEP Associate Registered Training Provider. Click here to find a class.

No application submitted to NABCEP. The Provider will register you to take the exam after course completion.

Solar Heating Associate (SHA) – Experience Pathway

Document at least six months of full-time equivalent work experience in a job that is directly involved with solar heating. For more detailed information on this Associate Credential, click here.

Small Wind Associate (SWA) – Education Pathway*

Successfully complete a small wind training course with a NABCEP Associate Registered Training Provider. Click here to find a class.

No application submitted to NABCEP. The Provider will register you to take the exam after course completion.

Small Wind Associate (SWA) – Experience Pathway

Document at least six months of full-time equivalent work experience in a job that is directly involved with small wind. For more detailed information on this Associate Credential, click here.

PV Associate (PVA) – Conversion Pathway

Applicant already received a NABCEP PV Entry Level Achievement Award (prior to July 2016). Documentation of at least 12 hours of continuing education completed within the last three years will be required.  For more detailed information on this Associate Credential, click here.

Solar Heating Associate (SHA) – Conversion Pathway

Applicant already received a NABCEP Solar Heating Entry Level Achievement Award (prior to July 2016). Documentation of at least 12 hours of continuing education completed within the last three years will be required.  For more detailed information on this Associate Credential, click here.

*No self-enrollment is required for the Associate Education Pathway. If you are completing the NABCEP Associate Education Pathway, the Associate Registered Training Provider will register you to take the exam after completion of the required course(s) – you do not submit an application to NABCEP and a myNABCEP account will be created for you during the registration process.

What is the application process?

We strongly urge you to read the NABCEP Certification Handbook or NABCEP Associate Handbook before you start your application. Once you have read the Handbook, and understand the requirements, there are several steps between starting an application and taking the exam.

1. Fulfill Eligibility Criteria

NABCEP’s Board Certifications require you to meet both experience requirements, and advanced training requirements, before you can take any exam. You will need to provide us with the details of your experience and training, so we recommend that you gather and prepare this information before you open the application. To find out the eligibility requirements, consult the NABCEP Certification Handbook for the Board Certification that interests you. Each one has unique eligibility requirements.

NABCEP Associate Credentials require you to meet education OR experience requirements.  See the NABCEP Associate Handbook for these requirements.

2. Complete Application

Once you’ve determined that you meet the eligibility requirements, it’s time to enroll and apply. Collect the following information, click the appropriate enrollment link from the list above, and complete your application in your myNABCEP account.  The application workflow will guide you through the application process.

  • Contact information — email, address, phone number, date of birth
  • Experience — details of the projects you’ve worked on including the address, date of installation, proof of a decision-making role, organization details, permits, final approved inspections, and any other required documentation based on the particular Board Certification
  • Advanced Training — course completion documents for courses attended, training provider information, verification of the length of the course, and completion date
  • OSHA — course completion documents for either OSHA 10-Hour Training for Construction Industry or OSHA 30-Hour Training for Construction Industry

Once you open an application, it will remain active for 2 years, after which time it will expire.

Tip: To complete the application quickly, gather all of the information and documentation you need before opening it. Otherwise, it might take you multiple sessions to complete your application.

Important Note: All NABCEP notifications are sent via email.  To help assure successful delivery of these important communications, add nabcep.certemy.com to your “safe senders” list (white list) and firewall.

3. Application Review

Once you submit your application, we will review it to verify that you meet the eligibility requirements and that your experience and training are valid and consistent with the guidelines stated in the NABCEP Certification Handbook or NABCEP Associate Handbook .

Although the volume of applications can vary significantly throughout the year, NABCEP staff will typically be able to review your application within 5–10 business days, although it may take up to 30 days. Once our review is complete, we will notify you by email to move on to the next step.

If we have any questions or issues with your application, we’ll flag your application and email you.  Return to your application in your account and notes will be available in the flagged section regarding what you need to provide to complete your application.

Read Frequently Asked Questions about the application process.

4. Payment

There are two payments involved in the application process for Board Certifications. The first occurs when you submit your application, and the second occurs after your application has been approved and you are scheduling to take the exam. The fastest and easiest way to pay is through our application portal, nabcep.certemy.com.

Once you’ve paid your exam fee, you will receive an email from our testing vendor, Scantron, that includes the instructions and information you will need to schedule your exam. From the date of application approval by NABCEP, you are eligible to take the exam for two years (with the exception of System Inspector exams, which must be taken within 6 months), and you may take it up to four times during that period. NABCEP requires that you wait for a minimum of two weeks between exam attempts.

For Associate Credentials, the application and exam payments are combined into one payment which is due at the time of application submission.

Note:  To help ensure successful delivery of Scantron’s scheduling instructions, you should add candidatesupport@meazurelearning.com to your “safe senders” list (white list) and firewall.

5. Schedule Exam Appointment

For all certifications and credentials, with the exception of the PV System Inspector and Solar Heating System Inspector exams, your exam will be given via computer-based testing (CBT) at a Meazure Learning testing facility or Live Remote Proctoring (LRP) formats. To view the list of testing sites for CBT, please click here.  To view the computer system requirements for LRP, please click here.

For the PV System Inspector and Solar Heating System Inspector exams, you can schedule your exam in a Live Remote Proctoring (LRP) environment through Scantron.

After you’ve completed all of the steps above, the only thing left to do is take the exam. Good luck!

Recertification/Renewal

NABCEP Board Certified Professionals and NABCEP Associates may submit their recertification/renewal application during the 3rd year of their current certification or credential period. For NABCEP Board Certified Professionals, review the recertification requirements in the NABCEP Certification Handbook. For NABCEP Associates, review the renewal requirements in the NABCEP Associate Handbook.  More information may be found on the Recertification page of this website.

Recertification/Renewal Process

NABCEP Board Certified Professionals and Associates are required to log in to their account to complete and submit a recertification or renewal application electronically for review. Certificants will need to log in to their myNABCEP account and complete the recertification phase of their certification or credential.

How do I return to an application I already started?

If you have previously started a NABCEP Certification Application in myNABCEP, click here to return to the application.

Fees (non-refundable and non-transferrable)

To view NABCEP’s Fee Schedule, click here.