ASEP
The Certification Program offers the Associate Systems Engineering Professional (ASEP) for individuals who have foundational systems engineering knowledge but have not yet gained professional SE experience. The qualification for the ASEP is knowledge typical of a junior systems engineer, as evidenced by passing the knowledge exam.
CSEP
The Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP) recognizes systems engineering practitioners who have demonstrated knowledge and experience in many aspects of the discipline. The qualifications for this level include: education, SE knowledge, and SE experience that serve various job profiles of an experienced, all-round systems engineer.
A CSEP should be capable of carrying out systems engineering tasks in many work situations based on the certified knowledge basis, which includes the insight to recognize domain and role-specific practices within the overall context of the systems engineering discipline. Thus, the certified practitioner should be capable of practicing in a broad range of domains including: military systems acquisition and development, commercial product engineering, and public infrastructure engineering.
The experience level recognized by the CSEP status is that of a self-sufficient engineer who is capable of “finding his or her own way” to make a productive contribution in most industry situations. The prevalent profile to which the CSEP is targeted is that of engineering or equivalent discipline graduates with several years of discipline experience (i.e. electrical, mechanical, software etc.) included within a minimum of five years of SE experience.
ESEP
The Expert Systems Engineering Professional (ESEP) certification is for system engineers who have distinguished themselves by demonstrating both substantial experience and technical leadership. The ESEP has a broader and deeper experience in performing and leading systems engineering than the CSEP. The ESEP brings more than twenty years of systems engineering expertise and is frequently relied upon to address the most challenging technical inquiries. Most CSEPs do not become ESEPs, rather they maintain at the CSEP individual-contributor level or they transition toward a non-technical, managerial role. Though some program managers qualify as ESEPs, this title is more commonly a fit for those with the job title of Chief Systems Engineer. All three levels of INCOSE certification are valuable in their own right. There is no limit on the number of times an individual may renew their certification at any level.
| Level | Leadership | Experience | Experience Confirmation | Knowledge |
 | None required | None required | None required | Written knowledge exam or Academic Equivalency based on INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook |
 | None required | Minimum 5 years SE experience (see SE Experience area list here) | 1 or more references (cumulative coverage of the required experience) | Written knowledge exam or Academic Equivalency based on INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook |
 | Accomplished and recognized leader in systems engineer, assessed via application and oral interview | Minimum 25 years (20 if CSEP) SE experience (see SE Experience area list here) Minimum 5 years of professional development credit | 3 or more references (cumulative coverage of at least 10 years of systems engineering experience) participate in phone interview, if required | Not directly measured |
SEP Directory
Click here for a list of all current certified systems engineering professionals.
Certification Program History
Certification is a formal process whereby a community of knowledgeable, experienced, and skilled representatives of an organization, such as the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE), provides formal recognition that a person has achieved competency in specific areas (demonstrated by experience and knowledge). Certification differs from a “license” that is a permission granted by a government entity for a person to practice within its regulatory boundaries. Certification also differs from a “certificate” that documents the successful completion of a training or education program.
After three years of intensive research and development, INCOSE established its Professional Certification Program in March 2004 to provide a formal method for recognizing the experience and knowledge of systems engineers through the “Certified Systems Engineering Professional” (CSEP) designation. This designation requires at least five years of systems engineering experience confirmed by systems engineering knowledgeable references. CSEP certification is valid for three years from the date awarded, and may be renewed in three-year intervals by demonstrating various ways of continuing education and ongoing professional development. The original CSEP examination was based on the INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook Version 2A. In 2008, the exam was updated to reflect Version 3.1 of the handbook, which was based on the international systems engineering standard ISO/IEC 15288. In 2010, the exam was again updated to reflect Version 3.2 of the handbook and the latest version of ISO/IEC15288. The exam has been aligned with Version 5.0 of the INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook since 2015, and in 2025 we aligned it with Version 5 of the handbook.
The program was expanded to multiple levels of certification in 2008. Now the INCOSE Certification Program has an entry level “Associate Systems Engineering Professional” (ASEP) for those who do not yet have the requisite years of SE experience. The ASEP requires and uses the same exam as CSEP. Upon achieving at least five years of SE experience, the ASEP can transition to CSEP. In 2010, INCOSE introduced the “Expert Systems Engineering Professional” (ESEP) designation for senior systems engineers with at least 25 years of recognized systems engineering experience (20 years if already a CSEP) and demonstrated systems engineering leadership and accomplishments.
Certification Expansion
In 2008, the certification program added its first extension. This extension, designated “Acq,” was for professionals that work in the United States Department of Defense acquisition environment and was earned by first achieving the CSEP designation and then taking an additional acquisition exam based on the Defense Acquisition Guidebook Chapter 4, on Systems Engineering. The Acquisition extension was retired in 2014.
The computer-based knowledge exam was the primary path to ASEP and CSEP certification until 2018, when the paper exam overtook it in popularity. The paper exam has the same format of questions as the computer exam but is offered to a group in a classroom setting. It also follows a slightly different process from the computer exam, with candidates allowed to take the paper exam prior to joining INCOSE or applying for certification. These steps are still required for those who wish to get certified after taking the exam.
In 2023, a paper and poster explained the expansion of the certification program and its growth as a system of systems.
The INCOSE Certification Program began recognizing equivalency from other programs in 2013, starting with the German SEZert. This led to agreements with INCOSE UK and SESA (Australia) for country-local paths to certification and then to academic equivalencies. In 2018, INCOSE recognized its first Academic Equivalency, allowing students to meet the knowledge requirement for ASEP and CSEP certification through their coursework, without taking the knowledge exam. This is anticipated to be a useful path for candidates to demonstrate knowledge in languages other than English and without travel to testing centers.
Certification Advisory Group (CAG)
This group of ESEP or senior CSEP volunteers serve three-year, renewable terms to provide strategic direction and advice to the Certification Project Manager and the INCOSE Board of Directors.
Wayne Biden, CSEP
Nicole Hutchinson, CSEP
Michael Vinarcik, ESEP-ACQ
David Ward, ESEP
Beth Wilson, ESEP
Certification Application Reviewers (CARs)
More than fifty CSEPs and ESEPs serve as trained volunteers who commit to a renewable two-year term reviewing CSEP and ESEP application packages.
Certification Exam Development Team
The exam writers, reviewers, and editors are trained volunteers who develop the questions for the INCOSE knowledge exam. This is a rotating group of volunteers who may participate with as little as a five-hour commitment.
Help Guides for Certification
Trying to submit an application, schedule an exam or renewal but not sure what the process is? Check out our new help guide section for the INCOSE SEP Program! If you don’t see what you are looking for, please notify [email protected].
- How To Apply for ASEP
- How to Apply for CSEP
- How to Apply for ESEP
- How to Register for In-Person Exam
- How to Register for the Open Enrollment Online Exam
- How to Renew ASEP and CSEP
- How to Submit a Late Certification Renewal
- How to Transition from ASEP to CSEP
- How to Use Coupon Codes for ASEP and CSEP
- How to View SEP Application Status