XcellAcademy|Fortinet Certifications
Eight NSE levels. Four tracks. One plan per role.
Fortinet rebuilt its program on 15 July 2026: FCF to FCX became NSE 1 to NSE 8. Here are all 0 certifications, exams and retired items, each with level, track, format, fee, validity, prerequisites and its Fortinet source, read on 10 November 2026. Then a suggested path for six XcellHost roles, ribbon badges to download and a tracker that warns you before a certificate expires.
Internal page, kept out of search engines. Tracker data stays in this browser.
The NSE ladder after 15 July 2026.
NSE 1 to NSE 4 are shared by everyone. NSE 5, 6 and 7 branch into four tracks — Secure Networking, SASE, Cloud Security and Security Operations. NSE 8 is a practical expert exam. MSSP Security and OT Security sit outside the ladder as Industry certifications. Click any block to filter the catalogue.
What happened to FCF, FCA, FCP, FCSS and FCX?
On 15 July 2026 Fortinet mapped active certifications to the new levels automatically. The old names stay in your certification history; no new FCF–FCX certificates are issued.
| Active certification | Became | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| FCF · Fundamentals | NSE 1 NSE 2 | Same issue and expiry dates |
| FCA · Associate | NSE 3 | Same issue and expiry dates |
| FCP · Professional | NSE 4 + NSE 5 or NSE 6 | NSE 4 from the FortiGate/FortiOS exam; 5 or 6 from the exam-to-track mapping |
| FCSS · Solution Specialist | NSE 6 or NSE 7 | Based on the exam-to-track mapping, any pass date |
| FCX · Expert | NSE 8 | Same issue and expiry dates |
| NSE 6 OT Security exam (last 2 years) | OT Security | Industry certification, 2 years from pass date |
Exams passed on or after 15 July 2024 that fit the new requirements can add further NSE 4–7 certifications. Before 2023 Fortinet also used NSE 1–8 names, with a different structure — read old CVs with care.
How renewal works
Only active certifications renew. The recertification assessment is a later version of the proctored exam, offered when the exam is under two years old.
| Level | Renew by | Also renews |
|---|---|---|
| NSE 8 | 200 activity points | NSE 1–7 |
| NSE 7 | Recert assessment or pass the exam | NSE 1–5 and NSE 6 (same track) |
| NSE 4 · 5 · 6 | Recert assessment or pass the exam | NSE 1–3 |
| NSE 3 | Course + online exam again | NSE 1–2 |
| NSE 1 · 2 | Complete the course again | NSE 1 (from NSE 2) |
| Industry | Recert assessment or pass the exam | — |
NSE 8 points: 50 per NSE 4–6 exam, 75 per NSE 7 or Industry exam, 200 per NSE 8 practical exam, plus capped points for training, beta tests and exam content work. A passed NSE 8 practical renews all active NSE 1–7 certifications.
Every NSE exam and course, checked at the source.
One card per exam or course: badge, NSE level, track, format, length, validity, fee, prerequisites, status and the Fortinet page it came from. Items marked Confirm are listed by Fortinet as “to be added in Q3 2026” — check availability before you book.
Try a shorter word, or clear the filters.
Sources read 10 Nov 2026: fortinet.com/nse-training/training-program-update (levels, tracks, exam names, prerequisites, renewal, retirements), fortinet.com/training-certification (two-year validity, Pearson and ProctorU delivery, free self-paced content, Credly, ISC2 CPE), training.fortinet.com NSE 4 and NSE 8 pages (question counts, duration, on-site rules), and Fortinet Training Institute help-desk articles 73000671071 (fees from 2 November 2026, USD, excluding tax) and 73000665774 (FCF–FCX mapping). Fortinet does not publish exam codes on these pages; check the Pearson VUE listing when booking. The program page says advanced fees change on 7 September 2026, while the fee article gives 2 November 2026 — both agree on the new amounts.
Which certifications, in which order, for each role.
These are XcellHost's suggested internal paths, not Fortinet requirements. Mandatory means mandatory in our suggested plan; Recommended is optional. Timelines are targets for a new joiner and the team lead can change them.
All paths are labelled suggested. Prerequisites are Fortinet's: NSE 5 and 6 need NSE 4; NSE 7 needs NSE 4 plus NSE 5 or 6 in the same track.
One rosette per certification, coloured by level.
Every item has an XcellHost ribbon badge for internal recognition — the team wall, slides or the staff newsletter. Download any badge as SVG or PNG.
Illustrative XcellHost badge designs — official digital badges are issued by Fortinet via Credly. These are not Fortinet or Credly artwork, use no vendor logo and do not prove a certification; the Credly credential does. Colour groups are XcellHost's, not Fortinet level names.
Fortinet Engage tiers and the certified staff they need.
The Fortinet Engage Partner Program has four tiers — Advocate, Select, Advanced and Expert — across three business models: Integrator, MSSP and Marketplace. Each tier asks for a number of certified individuals; specializations add sales training plus a specialist exam.
Specializations (May 2025 brochure)
Specialization benefits at Select, Advanced and Expert: specialization badge, Partner Locator listing and a discounted NFR kit. The brochure names exams from the FCSS era; Fortinet has not yet published the NSE-era version on a public page.
Engage Preferred Services Partner
An accreditation for partners at Expert level with elite certification, service delivery and support. Fortinet lists the benefits as exclusive accreditation, advanced training and close collaboration; the extra requirements are in the Partner Portal, not on a public page.
XcellHost Fortinet Engage tier: confirm*
We are confirming XcellHost's current Engage tier, business model and specializations, so this page does not claim any. The counts on the tier cards use your tracker only, as an indication.
Sources: Fortinet Engage Partner Program brochure MKTG-859, dated 6 May 2025 (hosted by Arrow), read 10 Nov 2026 — tiers, business models, specializations, EPSP and the certified-individual table; tier descriptions from the Fortinet partner blog that launched Engage (20 Feb 2020). Only the FCF row is unambiguous in the brochure (Integrator and MSSP: 1 · 1 · 2 · 2; Marketplace: 1 · 1 · 1 · 2), so other counts are shown as “confirm”. FCX is recommended at Expert. Since 15 July 2026 the FCF–FCX names map to NSE levels (see above). *Confirm current rules in the Fortinet Partner Portal.
Who holds what, and what expires next.
Add a colleague, mark the certifications they have passed with the date and their Credly link, and the tracker works out the two-year expiry, progress against their role path and the team badge wall. It starts empty.
Data stays in this browser. Nothing is uploaded. Use Export to share a copy with your team lead, and Import to load it on another machine. Browser storage is unavailable, so data lasts until you close this tab — export it first.
Fortinet certification, answered.
Since 15 July 2026 the NSE Certification Program has eight levels. NSE 1 to NSE 4 are shared; NSE 5 to NSE 7 split into four tracks — Secure Networking, SASE, Cloud Security and Security Operations; NSE 8 is the expert level. MSSP Security and OT Security are separate Industry certifications.
Fortinet mapped active certifications automatically on 15 July 2026. FCF became NSE 1 and 2, FCA became NSE 3, FCP became NSE 4 plus NSE 5 or 6, FCSS became NSE 6 or 7, and FCX became NSE 8, with the same issue and expiry dates. The old names stay in your certification history.
Two years from the date you earn it. NSE 4 to 7 and Industry certifications renew with a recertification assessment or by passing the proctored exam again. NSE 8 renews with 200 activity points, and a passed NSE 8 practical exam renews all your active NSE 1 to 7 certifications.
From 2 November 2026 Fortinet lists, in US dollars excluding tax: NSE 4 to 6 exams and recertification assessments US$200; NSE 7 exams and assessments US$400; Industry exams US$400; each NSE 8 practical exam US$800; the NSE 8 recertification exam US$400. NSE 1 and 2 are free online courses. Ask the channel team about partner vouchers before paying.
Fortinet says its self-paced course content is free, including the lectures. On-demand lab access and instructor-led classes cost extra. Fortinet training also earns ISC2 CPE credit, one credit per hour.
NSE 4 to 7 and Industry exams are proctored by Pearson, at a test centre or online with OnVUE. The NSE 4 FortiOS 7.6 exam has 50–55 multiple-choice and drag-and-drop questions in 100 minutes, with no partial credit. After a fail you wait 15 days. The NSE 8 Core practical is on-site only; the three NSE 8 electives can be on-site or remote through ProctorU.
NSE 7 needs NSE 4 plus NSE 5 or NSE 6 in the same track. NSE 8 needs NSE 4, NSE 5 or 6, and NSE 7 in the same track; then you pass the NSE 8 Core practical and one elective — Secure Networking, Application Security or Security Operations — within one year.
Yes. Each Engage tier — Advocate, Select, Advanced, Expert — needs a number of certified individuals, and specializations need sales training plus a specialist exam. XcellHost's own tier is being confirmed and is not claimed here.
Only in this browser, in local storage. Nothing is sent to XcellHost or Fortinet. If storage is blocked, the data lasts until you close the tab. Export a JSON or CSV copy for your team lead, and Import it on another machine.
Use your official Credly badge for LinkedIn and anything a customer sees — it links to your verified credential. The ribbon badges here are illustrative XcellHost designs for internal recognition only.