Exam Policy - Recertification

Recertification Policy

• NSE 1-8 and Industry certifications are issued once all requirements and prerequisites are fulfilled.
• NSE 1–8 and Industry certifications expire two years from the date they are issued.
• To keep certifications valid, they should be renewed before the expiration date shown on the badge/certificate.
• After fulfilling the renewal requirements, the certification expiration date will be extended by 2 years.
  • If the certification is renewed while it is still active, the badge/certificate will show the original issue date.
  • If the certification is renewed after it had expired, the badge/certificate will show a new issue date.
• NSE 1-7 and Industry certifications can be renewed at any time before the expiration date.
• NSE 8 certification is renewed as follows:
  • If a candidate is eligible to renew with the written recertification exam, the exam must be passed within 6 months of the NSE 8 expiration date, not earlier.
  • If a candidate is renewing by accumulating 200 points while the certification is active, the certification will be renewed prior to expiration.
• If a certification has expired and is no longer active, candidates must fulfill all the initial certification requirements again to attain active status. 
• Certification expiration dates cannot be extended.
• Candidates are responsible for monitoring their expiration dates. Fortinet will send reminders 90, 45, and 5 days before expiration and maintain an up-to-date certification status in the candidate's Training Institute account. Notifications will be emailed to the address on file.

Recertification Assessments

Eligible candidates have the option to renew their certification by completing a self-paced recertification course and an online assessment. Enrollment in the recertification assessment is subject to the following conditions:

• The certification being renewed has not expired.
• A recertification assessment is available for a subsequent version of the proctored exam.
• The candidate passed a prior version of the exam at Pearson VUE (proctored), and it is less than 2 years old.
• The recertification assessment must have a higher version number than the previously passed proctored exam.

For more information, see How do I know if I am eligible for the online recertification assessment, and how can I access it?

Once all conditions are met, eligible candidates are enrolled in the recertification course and can purchase it and complete it. The course is considered completed and eligible for recertification once all lessons are finished and the online test at the end of the course is passed.

The recertification assessment must be completed while the prior version of the proctored exam is less than 2 years old and before the certification being renewed expires. 

If the 2-year validity of the previous exam or the current certification expires before the recertification assessment is completed, the assessment will not count toward recertification. Courses that are incomplete or completed after the recertification assessment deadline are non-refundable.

Recertification assessments are not mandatory. An eligible candidate may instead choose to take the proctored exam to renew their certification.

If the certification being renewed has prerequisite requirements, all prerequisites must be fulfilled before the renewal is granted.

Recertification Requirements

The table below shows, for each NSE certification, the renewal prerequisites, the renewal requirements, and the certifications that will be renewed upon recertification. It is recommended that certification requirements be completed in sequence. If certifications are earned out of sequence, all prerequisite certifications must be completed or active (unexpired) before a renewed certification is issued.

Requirements apply to all certification tracks: Secure Networking, SASE, Cloud Security, and Security Operations.

Visit the Fortinet Training Institute Cybersecurity Certification page for details on each certification level.

¹ Only active certifications will be renewed.
² NSE 1 to 7 certifications are renewed only when passing any NSE 8 practical exam. NSE 7 certification renews lower level certifications, if they are active.
³ Maintaining an active NSE 7 certification adds to the points requirement—view Activity Points table below.
⁴ Option to complete the recertification assessment when available; otherwise, complete the proctored exam. The recertification assessment is a subsequent version of the proctored exam version.

⁵ The NSE 8 - Recertification Exam (NSE8_813) is available for candidates whose NSE 8 certification expires before July 31, 2027. Eligible candidates will be emailed registration instructions. This recertification exam is available until January 31, 2027. Renewing your active NSE 8 certification with the NSE8_813 exam also renews all other active lower-level certifications. 

Recertification Activity Points for NSE 8 Certification Renewal

Candidates with NSE 8 certification can renew it by earning 200 points within the 2-year validity period. If this requirement is achieved, the certification is extended for an additional 2 years from the expiration date of the certificate.

Currently NSE 8 certified candidates can earn activity points from the Exams and Training categories.

¹ Recertifies all NSE 1 to 7 active certifications.