PECB Processes

1. Decide which Certification is Right for You

Each PECB certification has specific education and a set of experience requirements.  To determine which credential is right for you, verify all eligibility requirements for the various certifications and your professional needs.

2. Prepare for the Exam

All certification candidates are responsible for their own study and preparation for the certification exams. No specific set of training courses or curriculum of study is required as part of the certification process. Likewise, the completion of a training course or program of study will significantly enhance your knowledge to successfully pass a PECB exam.

3. Schedule the Exam

To schedule an exam, candidates have two options:

a). Contact one of our partners who provide PECB training courses and exam sessions. To find a training course provider in your region, please follow this link: Active Partners.  The PECB training course schedule is also available here: Training Events.

b). Take a PECB exam remotely at the convenience of their own home through the PECB Exam application, which can be accessed here: Exam Events.

4. Take the Exam

Candidates are required to arrive/be present at least 30 minutes before the exam starts. Candidates who arrive late will not be given additional time to compensate for the late arrival and may even be denied to enter the exam.

Candidates are required to bring a valid identity card, such as a national ID card, driver’s license, or passport and show it to the invigilator.

For more information about exam details, such as exam formats and exam types, please visit: Examination Rules and Policies

5. Receive your Exam Results

Exam results will be communicated via email within a period of three to eight weeks from the exam date for essay type exams, two to four weeks for multiple-choice paper-based exams, and instantly for online multiple-choice exams. There will be no exact grade included in the communication of the results to the candidate, only pass or fail.

Candidates who successfully complete the exam will be able to apply for one of the credentials in the respective certification scheme.

In the case of exam failure, the results will be accompanied with the list of domains in which the candidate has failed to fully answer the questions. This can help the candidate to better prepare for a retake exam.

Candidates that disagree with the results may request a reevaluation by writing to results@pecb.com within 30 days from the date they receive the exam results. Reevaluation requests received after 30 days will not be processed. If candidates do not agree with the results of the reevaluation, they have 30 days from the date when they received the reevaluated exam results to file a complaint through the PECB Ticketing System. Complaints received after 30 days will not be processed.

6. Apply for Certification

All participants who successfully pass their certification exam (or an equivalent accepted by PECB) are entitled to apply for the PECB credentials they were examined for. Specific educational and professional requirements will need to be fulfilled in order to obtain a PECB certification. Candidates are required to fill out the online Certification Application Form, and fill out all other online forms (that can be accessed via their PECB online profile), including contact details of references who will be contacted to validate the candidates’ professional experience. Lastly, before submitting the application, a candidate can choose to pay online or be billed. In case the candidate needs additional information, they should contact certification@pecb.com.

The certification application process is very simple and takes only a few minutes with our online system:

• Register your account
• Check your email for the confirmation link
• Log-in to apply for certification

For more information about the application process, please follow the instructions on this manual Apply for Certification.

The approval of the application occurs as soon as the Certification Department validates that you fulfil all the certification requirements regarding the credential you have applied for. An email will be sent to the email address you provided during your application process to communicate your application status. If approved, you will then be able to download your certification from your member account.

7. Maintain your Certification

PECB certifications are valid for three years. To maintain the certification, candidates shall demonstrate every year that they are still performing tasks that are related to the certification. PECB certified professionals shall annually provide Continual Professional Development (CPD) credits and pay $120 as the Annual Maintenance Fee (AMF) to maintain the certification. For more information, please visit the Certification Maintenance page on PECB website.