2026 Program Enhancements
Effective July 15, 2026, the Fortinet NSE Certification program will be making the following updates:
- Moving from 5 certification levels to 8
- Creation of industry certifications outside the 8-level structure
- Maintain four training tracks across some levels: Secure Networking, Security Operations, Cloud Security, and SASE
- All certifications will be valid for two years
- New requirements and recertification rules
- Reintroducing on-site practical exams at the NSE 8 level
- Expand the eligible products for earning a certification
View our FAQs for the most common questions.
Key Updates
Requirements
| Certification | Requirements (must be active certifications) | Core Exam | Elective Exams | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSE 8 | Prerequisites
Exams
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| Certification | Requirements (must be active certifications) | Secure Networking | SASE | Cloud Security | Security Operations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSE 7 | Prerequisites
Exam
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| NSE 6 | Prerequisites
Exams
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| NSE 5 | Prerequisites
Exam
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| NSE 4 |
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| NSE 3 | Requirement
Exam
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| NSE 2 |
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| NSE 1 |
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| Industry Certifications | ||
|---|---|---|
| MSSP Security | Prerequisites
Exam
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| OT Security | Prerequisites
Exam
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1 To be added in Q3 2026
Recertification Rules
The chart below highlights updates designed to streamline certification renewals. All pre-requisite certifications must be active.
| Certification | Pre-requisites for renewing the certification | How to renew the certification | This certification renews the following certifications1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSE 8 |
|
| 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 72 |
| NSE 7 |
|
| 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (same track), and 6 (same track) |
| NSE 6 | NSE 4 certification |
| 1, 2, and 3 |
| NSE 5 | NSE 4 certification |
| 1, 2, and 3 |
| NSE 4 | None |
| 1, 2, and 3 |
| NSE 3 | None |
| 1 and 2 |
| NSE 2 | None |
| 1 |
| NSE 1 | None |
| None |
| Industry Certifications |
|
| None |
1 Only active certifications will be renewed
2 NSE 1 to 7 certifications are renewed only when passing any NSE 8 practical exam
3 Maintaining an active NSE 7 certification adds to the points requirement—view Activity Points table below
4 Option to complete the recertification assessment when available; otherwise, complete the proctored exam. The recertification assessment is a subsequent version of the proctored exam.
Transition on July 15th
| For certifications that are active on July 15, 2026 | New Certification |
|---|---|
| FCX active certifications | You will be awarded the NSE 8 certification |
| FCSS active certifications | You will be awarded NSE 6 or 7 certifications based on the July 15 mapping and your historical exams (regardless of their date). The July 15 mapping can be viewed here. |
| FCP active certifications | You will be awarded NSE 4, 5, or 6 certifications based on the July 15 mapping and your historical exams (regardless of their date). The July 15 mapping can be viewed here. |
| FCA active certifications | You will be awarded the NSE 3 certification |
| FCF active certifications | You will be awarded NSE 1 and 2 certifications |
| Current Exams | |
|---|---|
| For people who have passed the OT Security Architect exam no more than two years ago1 | You will be awarded the OT Security Industry certification |
| For people who have passed an NSE 4-7 exam no more than two years ago1 and the exam aligns with the updated certification requirements | You will be awarded the corresponding NSE certification. The mapping from your recent exams and the new certifications can be found here. |
1 Passed the exam on or after July 15, 2024
Recertification Activity Points for NSE 8 Certification only
| Category | Activity | Points | Cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exams | Passing an NSE 4 / NSE 5 / NSE 6 exam | 50 | |
| Passing an NSE 7 exam | 75 | ||
| Passing an Industry exam | 75 | ||
| Passing any NSE 8 practical exam | 2001 | ||
| Training | Completing eligible NSE 4 / NSE 5 / NSE 6 training courses | 3/hour | 75 |
| Completing eligible NSE 7 training courses | 4/hour | ||
| Completing eligible NSE 7 recertification assessments | 50 | 50 | |
| Beta Testing | Participating in an NSE 8 beta practical exam | 50 | |
| Participating in an NSE 4 / NSE 5 / NSE 6 / NSE 7 beta written exam | 20 | ||
| Content | Submitting an NSE written question for any level | 3 | 30 |
| Submitting an NSE 8 practical task | 5 | 50 | |
| Participate on Job Task Analysis | 5 | 20 | |
| Review exam questions at any level | 5 | 20 |
1 Recertifies all NSE 1 to 7 active certifications
Important NSE 8 updates
- NSE 8 Core practical exam will be on-site only
- NSE 8 Secure Networking / Application Security / Security Operations will be available on-site and remote
- New date for the first delivery of the NSE 8 core practical exam. The delivery of the NSE 8 core practical exam will start after July 15. Exact dates will be announced later.
- Introducing the NSE 8 Emeritus status
- New and improved NSE 8 benefits
Pricing updates
Beginning November 2, 2026, the Fortinet Training Institute will adjust fees for advanced-level exams in the NSE program. For more details on exam costs, please visit this article.
Course Details
New online courses will be released on or before July 15
NSE 1 – Cybersecurity and Cloud Fundamentals
NSE 2 – Introduction to Next Generation Firewall
New NSE 4 to 8 exams and courses to be released on or before July 15
NSE 5 – FortiADC Administrator
NSE 5 – FortiAppSec 26 Administrator
NSE 6 – FortiCNAPP Analyst
NSE 6 – FortiDDoS Administrator
NSE 6 – FortiDLP Administrator
NSE 6 – FortiDeceptor Administrator
NSE 6 - FortiMail Workspace Administrator
NSE 6 - FortiNDR Analyst
NSE 6 - FortiRecon Analyst
NSE 7 - Secure Networking Architect (exam only)
The recommended training for this exam includes:
- Enterprise Firewall Administrator
- SD-WAN Enterprise Administrator
NSE 7 - SASE Architect (exam only)
The recommended training for this exam includes:
- FortiSASE Enterprise Administrator
- SD-WAN Enterprise Administrator
NSE 8 - Core – Practical Exam (exam only)
NSE 8 - Secure Networking Practical Exam (exam only)
NSE 8 - Application Security Practical Exam (exam only)
NSE 8 - Security Operations Practical Exam (exam only)
Exams to move from one NSE level or category to another on July 15 (new releases)
NSE 6 - FortiAnalyzer Administrator (formerly under Other Technical Training)
NSE 6 - FortiManager Administrator (formerly NSE 5)
NSE 6 - FortiNAC Administrator (formerly NSE 5)
Industry Certifications - OT Security Architect (formerly NSE 6)
The following exams will be retired, but the course will be maintained:
NSE 5 - FortiManager Administrator (course to be moved to NSE 6 FortiManager Administrator)
NSE 5 - FortiNAC Administrator (course to be moved to NSE 6 FortiNAC Administrator)
NSE 5 - FortiSandbox Administrator (course to be moved to Other Technical training)
NSE 6 - FortiSOAR Administrator (course to be moved to Other Technical training)
NSE 6 – Network Security Support Engineer (course to be moved to Other Technical training)
NSE 6 – OT Security Architect (course to be moved to Industry Certifications - OT Security Architect)
NSE 6 – SD-WAN Enterprise Administrator (course to be moved to NSE 7 Secure Networking and NSE 7 SASE)
NSE 7 – Enterprise Firewall Administrator (course remains in NSE 7 Secure Networking)
NSE 7 – FortiSASE Enterprise Administrator (course remains in NSE 7 SASE)
FCF to FCX certifications as of July 15
FCF to FCX certificates will no longer be issued after July 15, and existing certifications will be valid until their expiration date.
Courses and Exams to be retired on July 15
The following online courses will be retired:
NSE 1 – Introduction to the Threat Landscape (replaced by NSE 1 – Cybersecurity and Cloud Fundamentals)
NSE 1 – Getting Started in Cybersecurity (replaced by NSE 1 – Cybersecurity and Cloud Fundamentals)
NSE 2 – Technical Introduction to Cybersecurity (replaced by NSE 2 –Introduction to the Next Generation Firewall)
The following exams will be retired:
NSE 6 – LAN Edge Architect (the course will also be retired)
View our FAQs for the most common questions.