Maintaining Your CEDIA Certification

The CIT certification is valid for 3 years and is renewed by completing the following:

• Submit renewal application, $40 renewal fee, and code of conduct agreement.
• Complete an approved 3-hour “CIT Technology & Standards” update course. The course includes an assessment at the end which candidates must pass with at least 80%. This course can be taken at any point during the third year of a certification period. CEDIA will be offering this course free of charge to CIT holders starting in January 2022.

Unlike the other certifications, the CIT does not accumulate 30 CEUs, as only the above-mentioned renewal course is needed. However, if a CIT holder also has other certifications, then they will need the 30 CEUs to renew those separately.

The IST is the renamed, newer version of the ESC-T but retains the same target level and general scope. Along with an updated exam, new policies apply to the IST. Current ESC-T holders will continue to be recognized as holding the ESC-T certification through the end of their current period and have two options to transition to the IST before the end of their current renewal cycle.

Option 1 - CEUs + Recent Work Experience

Earn the required 30 CEU and provide evidence of relevant on the job work experience in at least two of the last three years. Experience is verified by a reference form from someone such as a supervisor, business partner, HR manager or product supplier. Certification holders must also complete a renewal application form which includes agreement to the new CEDIA Certification Code of conduct. Renewal fees will be waived for ESC-T holders when they transition to IST.

Option 2: Retesting

Take the latest version of the IST exam which will be offered at the discounted retest price of $125. Individuals who chose this option but to not pass cannot switch back to renewal option 1. Certification holders must also complete a renewal application form which includes agreement to the new CEDIA Certification Code of conduct. Renewal fees will be waived for ESC-T holders when they transition to IST.

The IST certification is valid for 3 years and is renewed by completing the following:

• Submit renewal application, $60 renewal fee, and code of conduct agreement.
• Earn 30 CEUs from various CEU activities and approved courses. Alternatively, holders may choose to retest the latest version of the exam.
• If an IST certification holder also has an ESC-N and/or the ESC-D the certification periods will sync and they will only need to complete 30 CEUs to renew all of them together. 

Like the IST, these specialist certifications require 30 CEUs to renew which may be earned in a variety of ways during the 3-year term.

Unlike the IST, there is currently no renewal application or fee associated with these specialist credentials although the policies are subject to change as the certification are updated. Another difference from the IST is that ESC-N and ESC-D certification periods are automatically restarted to sync with a newly earned certification. The CIT and IST certification periods are fixed and will not change based on earning other certifications. 

IST, ESC-N and ESC-D holders can complete a variety of activities to earn CEUs. The full chart and accompanying values can be found in the IST Candidate Handbook. The activities are summarized below:

• Approved manufacturer product training – 1 CEU per hour
• Approved non-manufacturer product training - .5 CEU per hour
• CEDIA or other industry volunteer work – CEUs vary
• Instruct industry-related course (including COI courses) – CEUs vary
• Read approved industry-related standard, recommended practice or white paper and pass comprehension quiz – 1 CEU per document

The Integrated System Technician (IST) is CEDIA’s core technical certification and represents the broad spectrum of knowledge and skills that integrators need. The IST Exam Blueprint is the reference document for determining relevance and each approved CEU course should link to at least one of the knowledge domains. Once approved, CEUs will count for all three certifications.

All courses must go through the approval process where the education provider submits a short application form and associated fee. Most CEDIA courses have been approved and the full list of non-CEDIA courses can be found be found here.

If you have already taken a course and would like it to be approved retroactively, this is possible after the course was taken. Please direct the education provider to the Approved CEU Provider page for information how to submit the course for approval. Certification staff can also assist them with this process.  

Other than the CIT which is renewed separately with a 3-hour renewal course, the IST, ESC-N and ESC-D will all earn the same CEUs. Holders of multiple of these three certifications will have their certification cycle synchronized and earning 30 certifications will renew all three at the same time.

The Integrated System Technician (IST) is CEDIA’s core certification and represents the broad spectrum of knowledge and skills that integrators need. The IST Exam Blueprint is the reference document for determining relevance and each approved CEU course should link to at least one of the knowledge domains.

Courses or volunteer activities taken directly with CEDIA should automatically appear on your CEU transcript. This includes the White Paper + Comprehension Quiz option which is conducted inside CEDIA Academy.

For all other CEU Activities, you will need to submit proof of completion by going to your CEDIA Profile page which requires logging into cedia.net. At the bottom is a button to view your transcript and another one to “Submit CEU”. This will take you to the CEU Petition form were you will enter information about the activity and upload a certificate of completion.

You can submit for CEUs at any point during your certification period and it is recommended to do it as you go so that you can more easily track your totals. Approved courses that are offered directly by CEDIA will automatically be displayed on your transcript.

As you approach the end of your certification period, CEDIA certification staff will review your CEU activity before processing your renewal. The CIT and IST also require an application form to be completed. For the CIT that form can be completed up to 1 year in advance of the expiration date and up to 6 months for the IST.

If the CEUs or application is not complete before the expiration date then the certification will be expired on the date. However, the certification can be reinstated up to 6 months after the expiration date provided that all the necessary information is submitted.