Exam Formats

Live Online Proctoring Coming for All NABCEP Exams

Due to concerns about the COVID-19 emergency and the need to reduce our exposure to viral threats, NABCEP decided to offer all Board Certification and Associate level exams through live online proctoring (LOP). Live online proctoring is an internet-based form of assessment, which allows you to take NABCEP exams from any location on your personal computer. You will soon be able to take NABCEP Board Certification and Associate credential exams from the comfort and safety of your own home.

In the face of the current global pandemic and increased risks associated with disease transmission, NABCEP is determined to meet the needs of current and aspiring renewable energy professionals by reducing the opportunity for disease transmission. NABCEP is currently working with its testing partners, Scantron and Examity, to convert its exams to LOP. Live online proctoring provides teachers, schools, and students with the tools needed to access industry-validated certifications and credentials while preserving the integrity of NABCEP’s exams and its coveted Board Certifications in the renewable energy industry.

Live online proctoring of NABCEP’s exams reduces the costs associated with traveling to testing sites, which makes NABCEP’s exams more accessible to economically and geographically disadvantaged individuals, while also decreasing our collective carbon footprint. NABCEP Board Certified Professionals enjoy:

• Increased marketability
• Validation of knowledge
• Enhanced reputation, credibility, & consumer confidence
• Digital badges that easily link to social media, email signatures, and websites

Please stay safe during this crisis, and we will let you know in a couple of weeks when our exams become available for live online proctoring.

Feel free to contact us at info@nabcep.org with any questions you have. If you want to start an application to earn your NABCEP Board Certification or Associate Credential as we convert our exams to LOP, you may do so at my.nabcep.org.

LOP Technical Requirements

To take an LOP exam, your computer must meet the following system requirements:

• Desktop computer or laptop (tablets, Chromebook and cell phones do not meet our requirements)
• A working built-in or external webcam and microphone
• Internet speed must be at least 2 Mbps download and 2 Mbps upload. Hot spots are not recommended.
• Browser with pop-up blocker disabled

Board Certification Exams

All NABCEP Board Certification exams (except System Inspector) are available in Computer-Based Testing (CBT) format. CBT exams may be taken at any time during your two year exam eligibility window, which begins on the day your exam application is approved by NABCEP. Once your application is approved, and you pay your exam fee, you will receive a Notice to Schedule (NTS) email from our testing vendor, Scantron. Your NTS email will have all the information for scheduling yourself to take the exam at a Scantron testing center. You must schedule your exam within six months of the date you receive your Notice to Schedule from Scantron and within two years of your application being approved. NABCEP Board Certification exams are offered in the United States and 97 other countries. For a list of all Scantron testing centers, click here.

Exams for NABCEP’s PV System Inspector and Solar Heating System Inspector Board Certifications are offered via Live Online Proctoring (LOP). LOP exams can be taken anywhere in the world where the candidate has internet access and a computer with a webcam.  You must take the exam within 6 months of your exam application being approved.

Due to the growth of our CBT exams, NABCEP has discontinued all paper-and-pencil exam administration for all NABCEP Board Certifications.

Associate Credential Exams

NABCEP Associate Credential exams are available in two formats:

• Paper and Pencil (P&P)
• Computer-Based Testing (CBT)
• Live Online Proctoring (LOP) – coming soon!

To take the exam in a P&P format, you will use the Education Pathway by taking a class with a NABCEP Associate Registered Training Provider, who will schedule to give the exam after you have completed the course. P&P format exams are only available through the Education Pathway.  If you do not wish to take the exam in P&P format, your NABCEP Associate Registered Training Provider may also schedule your exam in CBT or LOP format to be taken at the location, day and time you choose.

If you qualify to take the exam through our Experience Pathway or need to re-take the Associate exam, you will be required to take the exam in CBT or LOP format.

Scheduling to Take an Exam

All scheduling for NABCEP CBT and LOP exams is completed online. Once your application has been accepted by NABCEP and your exam payment processed, you will receive a Notice to Schedule (NTS) email from our testing vendor, Scantron. The email from Scantron will provide a link with a username and password and will include instructions on how to select a location, date, and time for you to take the exam. You will be able to schedule to take your exam at any Scantron testing facility, with over 500 located in the US and nearly 1,000 around the globe.

CBT and LOP Candidates are subject to Scantron’s cancellation and rescheduling policies.

Admission to the Exam

Candidates for both Paper and Pencil (P&P) and Computer-Based Testing (CBT) exams must show a valid government-issued photo identification that exactly matches the first and last name on their application.

Acceptable Forms of Identification

The Candidate must provide one of the following valid government-issued documents bearing a picture, name, and signature to gain admission to the exam:

• Driver’s license
• Photo identification card
• Passport
• Military identification card

Unacceptable Forms of Identification

Identification that has expired is not valid. Candidates are encouraged to confirm their identification will not expire before scheduling an examination. Examples of unacceptable identification include, but are not limited to:

• Student ID
• Employer-issued ID
• Library cards
• Credit cards

Candidates who are unable to produce the required identification, or who produce an expired ID, will not be permitted entrance to the exam. Under these circumstances, Candidates will be considered absent and will forfeit the full exam fee.  They will be required to re-schedule the exam and pay all applicable re-examination fees.

It is recommended Candidates arrive at the examination site no later than thirty (30) minutes before the scheduled examination time. Additional time needed for procedures, payments, delays, traffic, parking, weather, etc., should be considered when arranging transportation to the examination site.