REMEMBER, you only have one (1) year to complete all the steps, starting from the date you submit your application.

The certification examination is administered by an independent test organization. Information on how to schedule an examination is sent to an applicant after the application package has been received and reviewed by the INCOSE Certification Program Office to confirm that the education and experience requirements have been met.

Once your application has been approved, you will then have the opportunity to take the exam at any one of the designated Prometric locations in nearly 100 countries. You will make an appointment to take the exam at a time convenient to you. There are no prescheduled group examinations at events such as the International Symposium or International Workshop. To see if a testing center near you has already been already been authorized to administer the CSEP exam, visit: www.prometric.com. To request that a new testing site be activated, please contact the Certification Office.

The ASEP/CSEP examination is two hours long. It consists of 120 multiple-choice questions. The CSEP-Acq extension examination is one hour long and has 60 multiple-choice questions (note that if you choose to take the core CSEP and the CSEP-Acq extension examination at the same time, the combined exam is three hours and 180 multiple choice questions and will have to pass the core CSEP exam before even being presented the CSEP-Acq extension). Typically, each question will have about five possible answers of which multiple choices are correct. All correct answers to a question must be selected to receive credit for a successful response; no credit is given for a partially correct answer to a question.

Note that INCOSE also supports an “exam first” option for the CSEP and CSEP-Acq. This option is provided as a convenience and is particularly suited for individuals or groups that participate in preparatory training, as they can take the exam relatively soon after they are trained. For this option, the applicant still has to completely fill out the application form, including their experience and list of references. They do not have to have their references submit supporting information until after test completion if they so choose. Note that you still only have one year to complete all the steps, starting from the time you submit your application – not from the time you pass your exam. Also note that the application fee is non-refundable, even if you do not pass the examination. Even if you pass the examination, you are not certified by INCOSE until you complete the entire application process.