NICET certification cost: every exam, review and renewal fee (2026)

Application fees by level

NICET's fee schedule sets these amounts, effective 1 August 2026. The candidate handbooks for FAS and ITFAS and both program pages show the same figures.

Level	Fire Alarm Systems	Inspection and Testing	Cumulative cost (FAS)
I	✓ $235	✓ $235	$235
II	✓ $325	✓ $325	$560
III	✓ $380	Not offered	$940
IV	✓ $435	Not offered	$1,375

ITFAS has only two levels. The fee schedule lists no Level III or IV fee for it, and the handbook describes only Levels I and II.

Each level requires the exams of every level below it. The FAS handbook says Level II needs the Level I and II exams, and Level IV needs all four. That is why the cumulative column matters: a Level II certificate costs two application fees, not one. The levels and requirements guide covers the experience each level needs.

The fee schedule says not to add state or local taxes to any of these amounts.

What the application fee includes

The fee schedule says each technician application fee covers three things:

• one test session;
• an experience review within 90 days of meeting the testing requirement;
• one supplemental experience review, if NICET issues a Conditional Decision Letter.

Once you pay, the handbooks give you a six-month window to take the exam. Anything beyond those three items is charged separately.

Optional and extra review fees

Service	Fee	What it does
Express Evaluation	✓ $305	Experience review within 10 business days. Charged per subfield and per paid level. Paid electronically after contacting NICET's evaluations team
Additional supplemental review	✓ $115	Any review beyond the one included in the application fee
FAS-to-ITFAS application review	$165 or $160 (see below)	Reviews FAS Level II, III or IV testing records for ITFAS exam credit. Allow up to 90 days

The credit review fee is listed two ways. The fee schedule, effective 1 August 2026, shows $165. The FAS exams and ITFAS exam credits page and the August 2026 ITFAS handbook both show $160. Check the amount on the payment form before you pay.

Rescheduling, late arrival and refunds

These rules are where small mistakes turn into real money. They come from the fee schedule, both handbooks and NICET's refund procedures.

Situation	Cost
Reschedule at a test center more than 24 hours ahead, same window	✓ Free
Reschedule within 24 hours of the appointment, or into a new testing window	✓ Half of the original testing fee
Reschedule an online (OnVUE) appointment, up to the appointment time	✓ Free
Arrive more than 15 minutes late and get turned away	✓ Testing fee forfeited; re-authorization may carry an additional fee
Refund of an unscheduled exam, inside the current window	✓ Refund less an $85 processing fee
Cancel after you have booked with Pearson VUE	✓ No refund
Returned check	✓ $85

Two details from the refund page are easy to miss. A refund is possible only if no exam is scheduled and the testing window has not expired. NICET also states that refunds are not assured and each request is decided case by case. Application reviews and recertification are generally not refunded.

NICET does not break out a separate "testing fee" from the application fee. If the half-fee rule is applied to the full application fee, a late reschedule would cost $117.50 at Level I and $162.50 at Level II. That is our reading, not a figure NICET publishes, so confirm with NICET before you rely on it. The fee schedule also warns that extra fees may apply if your eligibility window runs out, or if fewer than 24 hours remain before it does.

Retakes. Both handbooks let you retest after 30 days, with at most three attempts in any 12-month span. Neither the handbooks nor the fee schedule list a separate retake price, so check your NICET account before you rebook.

Recertification and late fees

Every NICET certification renews on a three-year cycle. The fee schedule lists these amounts, effective 1 August 2026:

Fee	Fee schedule (eff. 1 Aug 2026)	Recertify page (20 Oct 2026)
Base recertification, includes one subfield	$220	$215
Each additional subfield	$60	$55
Retired status	$50	$50
Late fee to return an expired certification to Active Status	$125	$120

The two pages disagree. NICET's recertify page still showed the lower amounts on 20 Oct 2026, with no effective date. The fee schedule carries the 1 August 2026 date, so we budget with it. Only the retired status fee matches.

The late fee is charged on top of the recertification fee, and on top of any exam or evaluation fees. The Policy 30 operating procedure (revised October 2025) also names a reinstatement fee, an Inactive Status fee and a reactivation fee. Neither it nor the fee schedule gives dollar amounts for those, so we don't list any. Ask NICET for the figure if you are reinstating or going inactive.

Holding both an FAS and an ITFAS certification would mean one base fee plus one additional subfield fee, or $280 on the fee schedule. Treating ITFAS as an additional subfield is our reading, so confirm with NICET. All your certifications share one expiration date, which the renewal guide explains along with the 90-point CPD rule.

Worked example: what Level II costs

These totals use only the fee schedule above. They leave out code books, study materials, travel and time off work, which vary too much to estimate.

Scenario A: FAS Level II, everything goes to plan.

Item	Fee
Level I application	$235
Level II application	$325
Total to Level II	$560
First recertification, three years after your first certification	$220
Total through the first renewal	$780

Your three-year clock starts with your first certification. The FAS handbook says every later level expires on the same date as the first. If you earn Level I and then Level II a year later, your first renewal still falls three years after Level I.

Scenario B: FAS Level II with some common extras.

Item	Fee
Level I and II applications	$560
Express Evaluation at Level II only	$305
A second supplemental review at Level II	$115
Total to Level II	$980

Adding Express Evaluation at both levels makes it $305 × 2 = $610 in express fees, for a total of $1,285. A late reschedule or a retake would add more, but NICET publishes no fixed amount for either, so we can't add them honestly.

Scenario C: ITFAS Level II, testing route. Two applications at $235 and $325 make $560, the same as FAS.

Scenario D: you already passed FAS Level III or IV. NICET's credit chart gives you the ITFAS Level I and II exam requirements without testing. You pay the credit review fee instead of $560 in applications: $160 or $165, depending on which NICET page is right. You still need ITFAS-specific work history and verified performance measures.

Scenario E: you passed FAS Level II. The credit covers ITFAS Level I only. The ITFAS handbook says you are not eligible to test for ITFAS Level I. Reaching ITFAS Level II would then mean the credit review plus the Level II exam. That could total $485 ($160 + $325) or $490 ($165 + $325). This is our reading of the credit chart and the fee schedule together, so confirm the steps with NICET before paying.

Fees that are not on the schedule

You will see other prices while preparing. NICET doesn't set them.

• Code books. The FAS handbook points to NICET's references page for what you may use during the exam. Buying those references is your cost.
• Study courses and practice tests. The ITFAS handbook says NICET does not review or monitor training programs. Prices vary by provider.
• Pearson VUE. The fees above include the test session. The schedule shows no separate Pearson VUE charge.

The fee schedule also notes that some fees may be tax deductible as costs of maintaining or improving professional skills. Ask a tax professional about your own case.

Before you pay

1. Confirm the level you can document. The experience review is part of the fee, but a weak work history can cost you supplemental review fees.
2. Pick a six-month window you can actually test in. A new window costs half the testing fee.
3. Book the appointment only when you're sure. After booking, cancelling earns no refund.
4. Check where you stand by topic first. The free 10-question check scores you by FAS Level II domain. ITFAS candidates can use the Inspection and Testing Level II guide and its check.

Sources

Show the list

• Fees, NICET, effective 1 August 2026. Retrieved 20 Oct 2026.
• Refund Procedures, NICET. Retrieved 20 Oct 2026.
• Recertify, NICET; shows older recertification and late fees than the fee schedule. Retrieved 20 Oct 2026.
• Policy 30: Recertification through Continuing Professional Development Operating Procedure, NICET, revised October 2025. Retrieved 20 Oct 2026.
• FAS Exams and ITFAS Exam Credits, NICET; shows a $160 review fee. Retrieved 20 Oct 2026.
• Fire Alarm Systems, NICET. Retrieved 20 Oct 2026.
• Inspection and Testing of Fire Alarm Systems, NICET. Retrieved 20 Oct 2026.
• Fire Alarm Systems Candidate Handbook, NICET, August 2026 edition. Retrieved 20 Oct 2026.
• Inspection and Testing of Fire Alarm Systems Candidate Handbook, NICET, August 2026 edition. Retrieved 20 Oct 2026.