Just like NICET certification exam content, experience requirements are established through a consensus of industry subject matter experts and practitioners. All of NICET’s certification programs have a specific requirements chart that, in addition to listing the exams that must be passed, describes the minimum experience for each level. Experience requirements include: Performance, Work History, Recommendations, and Major Project Write-up.
NICET now collects all the requirement information in your online profile. Here is a guide to the mechanics of filling out the form fields with definitions and examples to help applicants accurately capture their experience.
Once you have logged in to your NICET record, the first step is to add an “application card” to your home screen. Click “Apply” in the navigation to see the cards for every certification NICET offers. You may use the search to narrow down the selection or page through to find the certification/s you are seeking. Click the green “Save to Home” button them the blue “Apply Here” button to start an application.
A set of activities that a supervisor or someone in a supervisory capacity must verify that the candidate has performed satisfactorily.
Performance Verification Requests
Enter the name and email of your direct supervisor and click send. When you click send, an email survey is sent to the email address listed (It is best to let them know to expect it and make nicet-noreply@useclarus.com an allowed email in spam or junk mail filter) and a “Sent requests:” log is added above. The status in the sent request changes from “Pending responder” to Submitted with a date once your verifier completes the survey. It will also show a link to “View Details” to see the responses. To qualify for certification all PMs must be verified with a yes answer. More than one verifier may be used if necessary.
Verifier
A current or previous supervisor as listed in the candidate’s documented work history. The verifier does not have to be certified by NICET but must be a responsible and technically competent individual who is, or was, in a position and authority to directly supervise, inspect and/or approve the applicant's work and verify that the candidate has demonstrated the required competencies, specific accomplishments, and project work related to the certification subfield and level.
A verifier cannot be a nontechnical supervisor, a peer, or a subordinate of the candidate.
Company owners, company presidents and others in positions of similar hierarchies must find someone outside their company to serve as their verifiers, e.g., authority having jurisdiction, general contractor, engineering consultant, licensed engineers, etc.
If a candidate has identified multiple current direct supervisors, the performance verification may be provided by a single verifier or a combination of verifiers as applicable. Each verifier must complete a Verifier Data form.
When needed and in situations of conflict or discrepancy, a verifier of record may be requested by NICET to clarify claims, inconsistencies, or endorse and sign-off on the candidates documented work history submittals attesting and confirming to their accuracy and completeness.
An attestation of the technical quality, responsibility, and ethics demonstrated in the applicant's work experience by a professional who is familiar with the technical capabilities and background of the applicant.
Recommendation Requests
Enter the name and email of a professional who is familiar with your technical capabilities and background and can attest to the technical quality, responsibility, and ethics demonstrated in your work experience. When you click send, an email survey is sent to the email address listed (It is best to let them know to expect it and make nicet-noreply@useclarus.com an allowed email in spam or junk mail filter) and a “Sent requests:” log is added above. The status in the sent request changes from “Pending responder” to Submitted with a date once your recommender completes the survey.
Recommender
A professional who is familiar with the technical capabilities and background of the applicant and can attest to the technical quality, responsibility, and ethics demonstrated in the applicant’s work experience.
NICET prefers recommendations from licensed professional engineers, registered land surveyors, or NICET certified engineering technologists and senior engineering technicians but will also accept recommendations from other professionals such as graduate engineers, architects, geologists, scientists, senior level technicians and technologists, fire marshals, code officials, or officials of other authorities having jurisdiction.
The person who completes the recommendation form cannot be a current or a previous verifier for the candidate, i.e., provide the Performance Measure verifications for the candidate.
NICET will not accept recommendation forms that are completed by relatives, peers, or subordinates of the applicant.
A complete and detailed record of employment history with dates, employers, locations, positions held, status, supervisors and work performed. All work activities, regardless of relevance to the certification, should be included. Work History is located in your profile in your online account. Once logged in, click your email address on the home screen, then profile, you will see a second prompt to update profile – click on that prompt, then update profile, and scroll down to the Work History section. Make sure to save all entries.
First-time applicants (and those specifically directed by NICET): For the span of your entire career, add and complete an entry (Click “+Add”) for each position held at each employer and for any period within a given position in which your responsibilities changed significantly.
Returning applicants (upgrades to higher levels and additional subfields) and to document Active Practitioner points toward recertification: Follow the instructions above solely for the period of time from the end date of your last work history submittal to the date you submit a new application. If you previously submitted paper, PDF, scanned, etc. documents and do not know the date of your last submission contact NICET.
Use the “+” symbol button to break out your experience into all applicable technical areas in which you worked for each time period.
This section contains three pieces per entry-- the Subfield/Technical Area (S/TA) selection (select S/TA from dropdown list), the percentage allocation (enter percent of work devoted to S/TA in right side column), and the detailed description (enter description in the text box below the S/TA dropdown list). The detailed description should be your own words of the work you performed.
The description at a minimum should include:
Copying the same description for each Subfield/Technical Area (S/TA), Position, or employer is not acceptable.
While various positions may perform similar functions, each requires descriptions of specific duties and tasks performed in different roles and/or at different employers.
Work History Description - Format and Examples
As a [Position/Title] I performed the following duties [sold, designed, installed, tested, inspected, and/or maintained] [sub-field systems]. This included [supervisory positions]. (For LEVEL III / IV) – [include managerial roles per certification requirements)
In the performance of my duties I worked on [typical projects types] [typical equipment, systems, and components] [technical nature /specific Calculations and Layouts], [specific tests and inspections you have performed].
Do Not-
A document submitted by the candidate that describes a large and technically complex project demonstrating senior-level engineering technician capabilities and responsibilities. Each program has specific guidelines and instructions.
Complete the write-up, then click the “Browse” button to locate and upload the file.
Once you have the verifications from your supervisor and updated your work history, read final instructions, agree to affidavit, and click "Finalize" to indicate to NICET staff that your submission is ready for review. Once you click “finalize” your submission must not be altered unless requested by NICET.
All information provided in candidate’s application is cross-referenced with documents on file to verify the following:
Note: Experience submitted with applications to test are placed into a queue for evaluation when a candidate meets the exam requirements for a given subfield and level. Response to requests from NICET for additional or clarifying information may be placed back into a queue. Submissions are evaluated in the order they are placed in their respective queues. (first-come, first-served)
Based on the present workload, it may take up to 90 days from the date a candidate meets an exam requirement for experience submissions to be evaluated and up to 60 days from date of receipt of additional documentation.