CSEP FAQs
How long do I have to complete my certification process?
You have one year from the time your application or payment is received initially in the INCOSE Certification Office to complete your certification. The one-year period includes the time to schedule and pass (and retake if necessary) the exam. If the
process is not completed within the one-year time period, the applicant will have to restart the process from the beginning, including paying another application fee. Individuals are limited to 3 attempts at the exam per 12-month calendar period.
The INCOSE Certification Program Office tracks the certification status of everyone who has taken the knowledge exam, been qualified through an academic equivalency, or started a certification application. We send you emails as new material comes in and
to remind you what remains. You can also check your application status in your member profile, which you access after logging in to incose.org. A typical candidate spends a few hours each week for multiple weeks in preparation for the exam and working
on their individual application form. Once they submit their application form, we typically have a few weeks’ wait at INCOSE before we get their references. References are the longest source of delay in starting an application review. It typically
takes one week for exam results to be matched with candidate records. There is additional time required for the scoring of paper exams, which may take up to three weeks from delivery until results are reported.
How long does the CSEP review process take?
Our review and processing typically takes four to six weeks. The review starts once all of an applicant’s materials, including references, are received. If the review team have questions, you may be emailed to provide clarification.
In this case the review team waits until the candidate submits an update.
During busy times of year, particularly when our volunteers are unavailable due to holidays, reviews may take more than one month. Candidates concerned about delays in their review should check their member profile at incose.org to see if all references
have been received.
Do I have to submit my knowledge exam results to INCOSE?
No action is required for you to get exam results to us; those come to us automatically from our exam providers or from your academic equivalency institution.
Where should the reference forms be submitted ?
You have to provide information to your References on where to find the reference form (Form 4B). Once the form is filled, please have your References submit Form 4B directly to sep-reference@incose.net