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Conditions of Application

  1. NICET has established policies, procedures, and fees that govern certification decisions, the uses of certification, and interactions with applicants and certificants. These policies, procedures, and fees may be changed by NICET at any time without prior notification. These policies, procedures, and fees are freely available on NICET’s website (www.nicet.org). Each person who signs any NICET application accepts and agrees to follow these policies and procedures in all dealings with NICET.
  2. Each NICET certification may have multiple criteria that must be met by a candidate in order for the certification to be conferred. These criteria may be changed by NICET at any time without prior notification. Current criteria, along with general information about NICET and its certification programs, are available from NICET’s website (www.nicet.org). Individuals who are not resident in, or working in, the United States or its territories may not be eligible for certification. These individuals must contact NICET before applying and may be required to follow additional procedures, with additional fees, to demonstrate that they meet the criteria.
  3. Candidates agree that in order to become NICET certified, they must meet these requirements in addition to passing the examinations:
    • Demonstrate that they possess the required work history and document the necessary performance verification (applicable to all levels) by documentation through the candidate portal
    • Provide appropriate personal recommendations if applying for Level III or Level IV certification through the candidate portal
    • Provide a major project description if applying for Level IV certification through the candidate portal
  4. All applicants, candidates, and certificants must comply with the NICET Code of Ethics (see previous page) and follow generally accepted ethical practices at all times. For example, acquiring and/or providing specific knowledge of test questions prior to testing, or acquiring or providing assistance during an examination; intentionally providing information to NICET that is incomplete, or inaccurate; or knowingly providing technical services in an unsafe, inaccurate, or unprofessional manner may subject the offender to any number of sanctions, including legal prosecution.
  5. NICET reserves the right to deny, suspend, or revoke any certification (pending or awarded) should the Institute determine that an applicant, candidate, or certificant has misrepresented information, violated a NICET policy or procedure, or violated the NICET Code of Ethics.
  6. Maintenance of current accurate contact information is the responsibility of the applicant. NICET requires accurate contact information to communicate to the applicant important information related to testing, certification, and recertification.
  7. The NICET name, logo, and certification mark are the property of NICET and may not be used without the expressed written permission of the Institute.
  8. NICET approval letters, wallet cards, and certificates are issued to certificants for their use but remain NICET property at all times and may be recalled by the Institute at any time without prior notification.
  9. NICET test questions and examinations are the copyrighted property of NICET. Any copying, sharing, or distribution of the content of those test questions and/or examinations constitutes copyright infringement and is a violation of U. S. federal law. Violators will be subject to suspension or revocation of NICET status and/or prosecution to the full extent of the law.
  10. Each person who signs a NICET application grants NICET the right to contact individuals named in application materials or other communications with NICET to confirm the accuracy of information provided by the applicant.
  11. NICET certification must be used, represented, and displayed in accordance with NICET policies. NICET certification does not constitute a license to practice engineering.
  12. Each person who signs a NICET application grants NICET the right to publish their name, address, and certification information in its certification directories and to provide that information to others in response to bonafide inquiries. Test scores will be given to the test-taker only, unless the test-taker submits a release form authorizing NICET to give the scores to another specified individual.
  13. The applicant’s Social Security number or government-issued ID number is required for identification purposes. It will be used for NICET internal use ONLY and will not be given to anyone else without legitimate legal reason.
  14. An applicant’s test records will be purged for an individual certification area after five years if no further testing is completed in that certification area and the individual is not certified in that area. If the applicant has active certifications or is actively testing in other certification areas, the records for those other certification areas will not be affected.
  15. An applicant with a disability as defined in Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act who may be placed at a disadvantage when taking a NICET certification examination must advise NICET, in writing, of their needs by including a letter or other appropriate documentation with their application. NICET will respond by telephone or other means to make appropriate accommodations.
  16. All certifications expire three years after an individual’s initial certification is awarded and every third year thereafter. Recertification will be based on the certificant’s activities during that three-year period. Requirements and fees may be found in NICET’s Continuing Professional Development Policy (See www.nicet.org). Several months before expiration, a recertification application will be sent to the last postal or email address provided by the certificant. If the application with payment is not received by NICET prior to the expiration date, the certificate will expire. Reinstatement to Active Status will involve an additional fee. If reinstatement has not occurred three years after the expiration date, all certifications and all testing records will be purged. Payment of new testing and/or application fees does not substitute for payment of the full recertification fee when due. Additionally, obtaining a higher-level NICET certification does not alter or “reset” the originally established three-year certification period.