Policy 30: Recertification through Continuing Professional Development Operating Procedure

1. All continuing professional development activities must occur within the three years (36 months) prior to the current certification’s expiration date, unless otherwise noted herein.
2. Certificants with multiple certificates will be awarded the same expiration date for all certificates.
3. Certification expiration dates will remain the same, regardless of any additional certification activity within a specific recertification period.
4. Activities undertaken to acquire CPD points for a particular certification may be used (in whole or in part) to acquire CPD points for other certifications if the activities are recognized as common to the certification practice areas in question.
5. Certificants must submit a detailed listing of all claimed CPD points through their candidate portal. A minimum of 90 CPD points must be entered to submit payment. Payment of the appropriate recertification fees must be submitted prior to the certification expiration date. All submissions received after the certification expiration date will be subject to established reinstatement procedures (Section 12 below).
6. Recertification information and CPD claims will be reviewed for understandability, applicability, and comprehensiveness.
7. If additional documentation or clarification is required, the candidate will be notified via a message through the candidate portal. Examples include but are not limited to: certificates of completion that include date, duration and topic of training, and letters of verification from employers on company letterhead for in-house training. Trainings that do not have proof of completion may not be accepted.
   1. Certificants who exceed their current expiration date (or any NICET-approved expiration date extension) due to their failure to submit the requested additional documentation by the established response deadline must follow the established reinstatement procedures (Section 12 below).
8. Certificants with more than one active certification shall pay the base recertification fee and an incremental fee for each additional certification held. 
   1. The recertification fee is not refundable.
9. Candidates who successfully complete the recertification requirements will be issued a downloadable certificate through the candidate portal showing a new certification expiration date. Hard copies are available upon request.
10. Failure to accumulate the required number of CPD points before the end of the current certification period will cause the certification to expire, unless otherwise noted herein.
11. Time extensions to the established certification expiration dates for valid civic responsibilities (i.e., military duty, jury duty, etc.) or for unforeseen family medical situations will be considered on a case-by-case basis. NICET reserves the right to require additional professional development activities to verify continued competence of the certificant if a time extension exceeds 18 months.
12. Reinstatement of an expired certification to Active Status after the expiration date requires the certificant to pay the requisite recertification and reinstatement fees, and complete one of the following:
    1. If within the first 18 months immediately after the latest established certification expiration date, the candidate must provide documentation to support the required 90 CPD points acquired during the last three–year certification period.
       1. If a candidate cannot document all 90 CPD points from within the three-year certification period, the candidate will be allowed to complete additional educational activities to make up the difference. CPD points for additional educational activities completed may not be used again for future recertification. This additional education documentation must be submitted within 6 months of the original certification expiration date.
    2. If more than 18 months immediately after the latest established certification expiration date, the candidate must:
       1. Submit an updated work history describing all positions, duties, and responsibilities held from the time of their last work history submission. Candidates must demonstrate at least 12 months of relevant work experience within the past three years and meet all other current certification requirements. Detailed work experience must be demonstrated for each specialty area being reinstated, through a time allocation break-out; 
       2. Submit newly verified Performance Measures for the highest certification level previously attained;
       3. Submit a new Personal Recommendation (Levels III and IV only); and
       4. Purchase and pass the current written examination(s) for the highest certification level attained or one level higher.

Note: Successful reinstatement of an expired certification to Active Status places the certification into the three-year time period that would have gone into effect if the certification had not expired.  For example, if the original certification was assigned a three-year time period that expired on 7/1/2026, and was reinstated on 8/24/2027, then the reinstated certification will expire on 7/1/2029.

13. Inactive Status may be requested by certificants with Active Status certification(s) upon renewal if a certificant is not actively working in their certification practice area(s) but is still active in their profession through education activities and/or other professional involvement.
    1. Inactive Status may be requested for one or more certifications held.
    2. Written documentation of unemployment, reassignment to work activities outside the certificant’s certification practice area(s), long-term medical disability, etc. will be required at the time of application for Inactive Status.
    3. Inactive Status certificants will receive notification through the candidate portal acknowledging their status. (but not a wallet card or wall certificate).
    4. To maintain Inactive Status, at least 18 CPD points per three-year period must be acquired through additional education and/or advance the profession.
    5. Inactive Status may be continued indefinitely in three-year periods by submitting payment of the Inactive Status fee along with documentation supporting the required additional education/professional activities.
    6. Certification(s) will automatically expire unless maintained in Inactive Status or returned to Active Status.
    7. Reactivation of an Inactive Status certification to Active Status requires the certificant to:
       1. acquire 30 CPD points in the most recent 12-month period; and
       2. pay a reactivation fee and the appropriate proportional amount of the current recertification fee(s).
14. Retired Status may be chosen by certificants with Active Status certification(s) at the end of the certification period if the certificant has attained the age of 55 and retires from all paid employment in and/or related to his/her certification practice area(s).
    1. Retired Status requires the submission and acceptance of the recertification application, proof of age, proof of retirement (written statement from employer), and payment of the Retired Status fee.
    2. Retired Status will be assigned to all certifications held.
    3. Retired Status may be continued indefinitely for three-year periods by submitting payment of the "Retired Status" fee along with the Application for Continued Technician/Technologist Retired Status Certification.
    4. If the certificant elects not to continue in Retired Status, all certifications of record will expire. Reinstating expired certifications is then only possible by satisfying the criteria specified in Item 12.b. above.
15. All active certificate holders are assigned a three-year certification expiration date.

Note: A certification practice area encompasses those activities associated with the certification awarded. For example, if you are certified in Highway Construction — that is your certification practice area. If you are certified in Fire Alarms Systems — that is your certification practice area. If you are certified in Industrial Engineering Technology — that is your certification practice area.

16. Certificants will be notified through the candidate portal of their pending recertification date, starting approximately 3 months prior to their certification’s expiration date.

 

Exhibit I. Continuing Professional Development Points

1. Point Assignment to Continuing Professional Development Activity Categories:
   1. Total points required in the three-year period for each certification (see Notes 1 & 2) is 90 CPD points (100 percent)
   2. Maximum points possible in each activity category:
      1. Active Practitioner: up to 24 points per year (72 points in 3 years) (80 percent)
      2. Additional Education: up to 72 points in 3 years (80 percent)
      3. Advance Profession: up to 45 points in 3 years (50 percent)
      4. Certification Activity: up to 90 points in 3 years (100 percent)
      5. Pass Special Exam: 45 points (50 percent)

Note 1: The intent of Policy #14, "Qualifying Work Experience," applies to all facets of the recertification policy. The foundation of the NICET certification process is based upon work experience gained in the United States. Equally, the preponderance of CPD points for recertification must be acquired in the United States. This rule applies to "active practitioner" work experience and to all other point-accumulating activities.

Note 2: NICET reserves the right to request additional documentation of continuing professional development activities at any time.

2. Point Determination Within Specific Activity Category:
   1. ACTIVE PRACTITIONER
      An active practitioner is defined as a certificant whose primary employment results in significant time periods performing tasks that are directly associated with the technical aspects of the certification practice area(s). The certificant may function as a hands-on practitioner, as an immediate supervisor, or as a technical projects manager. Primary employment refers to the certificant's main job and is not dependent upon remaining with the same employer.
      1. Point Earning (maximum of 24 in a one-year period):
         1. 24 points for the certification practice area when primary employment equals or exceeds 1,000 hours or 120 workdays (whichever occurs first) and involves relevant tasks/activities that occur on a regular basis during the employment period. (A workday is defined as 7 hours or more.)
         2. When primary employment is less than 1,000 hours or 120 workdays, the points earned are calculated by one of the following formulas:

number of hours worked x 24     1,000 hours

or

number of days worked x 24     120 days

3. Points claimed by these formulas are to be whole numbers only (round up to allow for all decimals). 
4. ADDITIONAL EDUCATION
   Additional education is defined as efforts undertaken to advance, broaden, or enhance the certificant's technical knowledge and job skills. These efforts may range from taking a college course for a grade to a less formal, company-sponsored in-house training session. NICET does not pre-approve courses, seminars, or other training efforts for CPD points. It is the responsibility of the certificant to assure that such activities meet the NICET requirements, particularly the requirement that the additional education constitutes professional development for that individual; in other words, it must increase the certificant's knowledge — not merely cover what should already be known.
   1. Point Earning (maximum of 72 in the three-year period):
      1. college credit courses:
         1. 15 points per semester hour; and/or
         2. 10 points per quarter hour.
      2. offerings such as workshops, seminars, distance learning (online courses), technical presentations at meetings, in-house employer training, and training sessions:
         1. 1 point per contact hour.

Note: A contact hour is defined as a 50 to 60-minute period devoted to the learning of new material. Fractional points are not recognized — a stand-alone 30-minute session has no point value; however, a course of two 30-minute sessions has a value of one point.

3. ADVANCE PROFESSION
   Advance profession is defined as volunteer or for-hire activities such as providing certification practice area expertise to assist committees, task forces, and the like to reach their objectives; making presentations at meetings of others who seek to increase their knowledge of the certification practice area; writing technical research or position papers pertinent to the certification practice area for publication/distribution; serving as an instructor for a training/educational offering pertinent to the certification practice area; participating actively in a career day, science fair, and/or related events; volunteering to develop, update, and maintain NICET programs (NICET SME); serving on an educational institution curriculum development advisory committee; and participating in professional membership organizations which contribute to the advancement of the certification practice area or the professional role of the engineering technician and the engineering technologist.
   1. Point Earning (maximum of 45 in the three-year period):
      1. Active Committee/Task Force Service
         An active committee/task force is defined as a group conducting technical business by way of activities such as one or more meetings per year, one or more reports/position papers issued per year, one or more studies/surveys conducted per year, etc. Service on an educational institution curriculum development advisory committee is considered to be relevant committee/task force service, as is serving as a NICET SME. Point earnings are as follows:
         1. 1 point per month as an officer of an active committee/task force.
         2. 0.5 points per month as a participating member of an active committee/task force.
         3. Up to 15 points as a NICET SME for specific task assignment/session. NICET staff will enter the points awarded.
      2. Presentations
         A presentation is defined as the preparation and subsequent audio, visual, and/or written delivery of technical information or information about the profession to others who are seeking to advance, broaden, and enhance their knowledge and/or job skills. Point earnings are as follows:
         1. 15 points for being the author or co-author of a technical paper or instructional materials for a course.
         2. 5 points for delivery of your paper or presentation to an audience at a scheduled meeting.
      3. Course Instructor
         A course instructor is defined as a person who meets with and directs a technical educational effort designed for a particular type of student. (A first time offering of a course by an instructor is also covered under i. and ii. of the "Presentations" category above.) Point earnings are as follows:
         1. 1 point per contact hour when conducting a training course.
         2. 15 points per semester hour (10 points per quarter hour) when serving as the instructor for a scheduled course in a post-secondary educational institution.
      4. Career Day Presenter 

A career day presenter is defined as a person who meets with and explains to students the various aspects of careers in engineering and engineering technology; serves as a judge at a science/engineering fair; is an active volunteer in an Engineers Week event; is an active volunteer in a MATHCOUNTS contest; or actively participates in other related activities. Point earning is as follows:

1. 1 point per participation day, up to a maximum of 10 points during the three-year period.
2. Professional Society Activity
   Professional society activity is defined as involvement with organizations that exist to promote technical knowledge and techniques pertinent to the certification practice area or that exist to unify individuals in a particular career area. Involvement is further defined as activities which are not specifically covered by the "Active Committee/Task Force Service" category above. Point earnings are as follows:
   1. 1 point for each year of a society membership held (up to 3 points per society), up to a maximum of 12 points. (Please note that a local and a national membership in the same society can only provide 3 points.)
   2. 1 point for each meeting attended, up to a maximum of 15 points.
3. CERTIFICATION ACTIVITY
   Certification activity is defined as the efforts required to upgrade a NICET certification and/or achieve a certification in a related practice area. Point earnings are as follows (maximum of 45 in the three-year period):
   1. upgrade in the certification practice area:
      1. 90 points for achieving an upgrade of the NICET certification during the three-year certification period.
      2. 45 points for passing a higher-level exam (certification not yet granted) during the three-year certification period. If there is a multi-part examination – 20 points will be awarded for passing one part but not all.
      3. certification in a related practice area:
      4. 30 points for each NICET certification achieved (initial or upgrade) during the three-year certification period.
   2. upgrade in a related certification practice area
      1. 15 points for passing a higher-level exam  (certification not yet granted ) during the three-year certification period. If there is a multi-part examination – 5 points will be awarded for passing one part but not all.
      2. 15 points for each NICET-recognized certification achieved during the three-year certification period. Examples include but are not limited to ACI and NECEPT.
5. RECERTIFICATION EXAMINATION
   the examination is defined as the current examination designed specifically for the actual certification practice area and certification level (grade).
   1. 45 points for passing the appropriate NICET examination for the certification practice area, if an examination is available.