How do I renew my NSE 8 certification after July 15, 2026?

Modified on Thu, 2 Apr at 10:00 AM

To renew an NSE 8 certification, you must accumulate 200 recertification points and hold a valid NSE 7 certification before your NSE 8 certification expires. A dashboard will be available in the training portal after July 15, 2026, showing total points earned. It also breaks down activities, with points accruing once you are NSE 8 certified.

The following table shows the number of points awarded for each activity:

Category	Activity	Points	Cap
Exams	Passing an NSE 4 / NSE 5 / NSE 6 exam	50
	Passing an NSE 7 exam	75
	Passing an Industry certification exam	75
	Passing an NSE 8 practical exam	200*
Training	Completing an eligible NSE 4, NSE 5, or NSE 6 course	3/hour	75
	Completing eligible NSE 7 training courses	4/hour	75
	Completing the eligible NSE 7 recertification assessment	50	50
Beta Testing	Participating in an NSE 8 beta practical exam	50
Beta Testing	Participating in an NSE 4, NSE 5, NSE 6, or NSE 7 beta written exam	20
Content	Submitting an NSE written question	3	30
	Submitting an NSE practical task	5	50
	Participating in a Job Task Analysis development	5	20
	Reviewing exam questions	5	20

* Recertifies all NSE 1 to 7 active certifications

Notes:

You can start accumulating points after July 15, 2026.
Candidates will use the dashboard to complete content-related activities such as submitting NSE written questions or NSE practical tasks.
To submit an NSE written question, you must have completed the exam on the product itself.
You can earn more than 200 points. On the day your NSE8 certification expires, the system will check if enough points are available and automatically use them to recertify. The remaining points will not expire; however, there will be a limit on the number of points that can be carried forward.
No manual points will be added to it; all the points will be added automatically from the dashboard.
No points will be awarded for attending physical events (Accelerate/Xperts).

Optionally, until January 31, 2027, you can renew your NSE 8 certification by passing the NSE 8 Recertification Exam (NSE8_813). The earliest you can take the recertification exam is 6 months before the expiration date of your certification. Fortinet recommends testing at least 30 days before the expiration date. The NSE 8 recertification exam will be available until January 31, 2027, only for people who need to renew their active NSE 8 certification. An NSE 8 certification with an expiration date after February 1, 2027 can still be renewed with the NSE 8 Recertification Exam, but you must take it within your 6 month testing window, meaning after July 15, 2026. After this date the NSE 8 certification is extended for two (2) years.