The NACE International Institute (also known as the NII) provides certifications that help promote public safety and protect the environment while reducing the environmental economic impact of corrosion. NACE was established in 1943 for the corrosion control industry. Their headquarters are in Houston, Texas, and the organization’s main focus is coatings for industry, corrosion testing, material selection and inspection.

NACE provides certifications and training packages for those businesses in the industry. Their certifications are obtained through course work and exams, work experience and education.

Why Should Individuals Choose NII Certification?

Being NACE-certified proves individuals have reached the highest level of standardization, which is important in today’s global economy.

Businesses look for NACE certifications and they see this as a metric for a standard of personnel performance. Customers and businesses alike value these certifications.

Training Levels

NACE has three certifications levels: Levels 1, 2, and 3. The levels of certifications are tied to one another. For example, in order to get to Level 2, one generally has to either get NACE certification for coating inspection at Level 1 or take both Level 1 and 2 courses and pass both.

There are certifications for general coating inspection as well as special categories of coating. These include nuclear coating as well as a bridge specialty and a marine specialty.

The Level 3 NACE certification requires not just an exam but a peer review as well.

Courses

Information about NACE’s courses can be found on their website. These courses include courses for Levels 1 and 2, which are divided into normal courses plus CIP Exam Courses. Basically, the exam courses are for those who choose to purchase the optional DVD set in advance and then take the three-day course to review for the NACE exam for the corresponding level. Alternately, individuals may choose to go the “regular” route, taking the coating inspection course, which lasts about 60 hours.

NACE’s specialty courses take about six days and focus on the specialty rather than an overall look at the industry.

Fees

Fees for NACE training courses vary, but typically range from $1600 to $2000, depending on the course and whether or not the student is a NACE member. The two exam courses are shorter and cost somewhere between $1300 and $1600. However, those taking the NACE exam courses must purchase the DVD license, which costs around $400. The exam course prepares participants for NACE certification testing.

Work Experience

Additionally, there are work experience requirements for some of the NACE certifications. Each individual program will list the requirements certification.