Exam Formats

LOP Scheduling for All NABCEP Board Certification and Associate Exams is Now Open!

NABCEP is excited to announce that candidates may now schedule to take any of our Board Certification and Associate credentialing exams through live online proctoring (LOP).  You may now schedule to take an exam from your own home!

To take a NABCEP exam, complete an application on myNABCEP.

To schedule a LOP exam, see Schedule to Take an Exam below.

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. 

In the face of the 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. 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

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 by taking an exam from home, you may do so at my.nabcep.org.

LOP Technical Requirements

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

• A well-working computer with 1 GB of RAM or higher
• A high-speed Internet connection of 2 Mbps upload and 2 Mbps download. Wireless is acceptable; however, a wired connection is preferred.
• A webcam with 640×480 video pixel resolution (a laptop camera is acceptable)
• Working speakers connected to the computer
• A microphone connected to the computer (consider a webcam with a built-in microphone)
• Browser compatibility: IE, Firefox, Chrome, Safari

Board Certification Exams

NABCEP Board Certification exams (except PV System Inspector and Solar Heating system Inspector) are available in Computer-Based Testing (CBT) form, and all Board Certification exams are offered as Live Online Proctored (LOP) exams. CBT and LOP 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. You must schedule your exam within six (6) months of the date you receive your NTS from Scantron and within two (2) years of your application approval. NABCEP Board Certification exams in CBT format are offered in testing facilities in the United States and 97 other countries, and almost anywhere in the world via LOP. For a list of all Scantron testing centers, click here.

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

*Please note: PV System Inspector and Solar Heating System Inspector are eligible to take the exam for a period of six (6) months from the date their application is approved to schedule their LOP Exam. If a Candidate does not take the exam before the 6 months expire, they must complete a new application and pay the exam fee to take the exam.

Associate Credential Exams

NABCEP Associate Credential exams are available in three formats:

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

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.

Associate Exams in LOP format: If your NABCEP application has already been approved and is in “Accepted” status, follow the instructions in the Notice to Schedule (NTS) email you received from Scantron to schedule your exam.  When you schedule with Scantron, you will have the option to complete the exam in CBT or LOP format.

Board Certification Exams in LOP format: If your NABCEP application has already been approved, click the “Take CBT Exam” link under Exam Registration in your myNABCEP account to complete your exam registration.  Once you receive the Notice to Schedule (NTS) from Scantron, follow the instructions in the email to schedule your exam.  When you schedule with Scantron, you will have the option to complete the exam in CBT or LOP format.

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

Admission to the Exam

Candidates for Paper and Pencil (P&P), Computer-Based Testing (CBT) and Live Online Proctored (LOP) 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.