NEI FAQs & Policies

Discounts

If my company wants to enroll multiple employees in the certification programs or introductory courses, does NEI offer a discount? 

For companies interested in bulk and multiple enrollments at once, NEI does offer a discount based on the number of employees you are enrolling into the certification program and/or introductory courses. To start the enrollment process please email us at enrollment@ncbfaa.org. 

If we register for a webinar as a group, are there any discounts?

If you are part of a member company, there is a group discount available. The discounts are based on the number of employees you are registering, see below. 

• 15% off member/non-member rate if you are registering 5-24 employees 
• 20% off member/non-member rate if you are registering 25-49 employees 
• 30% off member/non-member rate if you are registering 50-99 employees
• 40% off member/non-member rate if you are registering 100+ employees 

To receive the discount, please send a list of employees' full names and email addresses to the point of contact for that specific webinar, which can be found in the email newsletter promotion.

Do you offer a discount for veterans?

Yes. In recognition and appreciation for your service, the NEI is honored to extend free, lifetime professional membership to all veterans and service members. Both CCS and CES courses are offered at the member rate of $715 per course. An individual will need to provide proof (military ID card, DD214, etc.) of military duty to receive the discount.

If I grandfathered into the CCS and/or CES program, could I take the respective courses at a discounted rate?

Yes. Any individual who grandfathered into an NEI program may take the respective course at a discounted rate.  Member and non-member pricing still applies.

NEI Professional Membership Fees 

What is the difference between the NEI Professional Membership fees and the certification/designation fees?

The NEI Professional Membership gives individuals in the international trade community an opportunity to stay in the know. Our member benefits are the weekly NEI Alert (industry newsletter), discounted certification courses, and events.

There are two fees associated with NEI Professional Memberships. The first is a one-time fee of $250 as the initial payment to receive access to membership. The second is an annual fee of $100 to remain an active NEI Professional Member. All NEI Professional Membership fees are separate from all course fees, certification renewal fees, and designation fees.

In addition to the NEI Professional Membership annual fee of $100 if you are a designee (completed a certification) then you would be required to pay the designation/certification annual renewal fee of $95 as well. 

Continuing Education Requirements

Do I still have to earn credits after I complete the CCS/CES/MCS/MES Course or Grandfathering?

To ensure that we fulfill our mission of continuing education, all designees will still be required to earn credits after completion of any of our certification courses or after grandfathering into the program based on their anniversary Item. (Note: There is no grandfathering option for the MCS or MES Course.)

How many credits do I need to earn if I have two designations? 

If you have both CCS and MCS, please click here to read the policy on continuing education requirements. If you have both CES and MES, please click here to read the policy on continuing education requirements. 

I am going to be out on leave for an extended period of time. Do I still need to earn my full number of required continuing education credits?

Individuals currently enrolled in an NEI certification program whose work is interrupted by extended leave under their employer’s personnel policies, will be excused from continuing education requirements during that period.  Simply contact the NEI Staff to notify us of your situation. Renewal fees are not excused during that time, however.

CCS Grandfathering

What if I pass my Customs Broker's Exam but have not yet received my license? Can I still grandfather into the CCS program?

The NEI believes if you have been able to pass the rigorous broker’s exam, you have the knowledge to be grandfathered into the program. You must provide proof of passing the exam and agree to submit a copy of your license once it has been issued to you.  

Click  here for more information regarding CCS Grandfathering.

Renewal Item Information

When are my credits due?

Effective July 2015, the renewal system has been updated from a fixed annual Item to an anniversary Item system.* All designees must complete their credits by the Expiration Item listed under the Certifications tab of their transcript on  LogisticsEI.

*All designees from MOU companies must renew on a calendar year basis.

Certified Customs Specialist (CCS) Course

Withdrawals & Cancellations

The NEI requires written notice of course withdrawals (email, fax or mail). 

There is a $50 administrative fee if the NEI receives written notice of enrollment cancellation prior to the NEI providing the student with a username and password. A refund of the tuition fees, minus a $50 administrative fee will be issued. 

There is a $100 administrative fee if the NEI receives written notice of enrollment cancellation after a username and password has been provided. A refund of the tuition fees, minus a $100 administrative fee will be issued. Students may withdraw from the course at any time but no refund will be provided after the course has begun or more than 90 days has passed since the course has been assigned.

How many times may I retake the CCS final exam?

An individual may retake the CCS exam up to three times within their 6-month enrollment period. If you do not take or pass the exam within those limits, you need to retake the course at half price. Non-member and member rates still apply.

Certified Export Specialist (CES) Course

Withdrawals & Cancellations

The NEI requires written notice of course withdrawals (email, fax or mail). 

There is a $50 administrative fee if the NEI receives written notice of enrollment cancellation prior to the NEI providing the student with a username and password. A refund of the tuition fees, minus a $50 administrative fee will be issued. 

There is a $100 administrative fee if the NEI receives written notice of enrollment cancellation after a username and password has been provided. A refund of the tuition fees, minus a $100 administrative fee will be issued. Students may withdraw from the course at any time but no refund will be provided after the course has begun or if more than 90 days has passed since the course has been assigned.

How much time do I get to complete the CES Course?

The CES is self-paced, online and you have up to one year from your assignment Item to complete the course. In the case that you cannot complete the course within a year, we will allow a complimentary extension up to one additional year. Afterwards, any additional extension will incur a $200 fee.

Master Export Specialist (MES) Policy

The following policy applies to designees who earn the Master Export Specialist (MES) designation subsequent to earning the Certified Export Specialist (CES) designation:

• After earning the MES designation, the annual CES renewal requirements are henceforth waived. The CES requirements will be replaced by the MES renewal requirements (15 CES/MES continuing education credits per year and a $95 annual renewal fee*).

  *MOU company discounts still apply.
  

• The designee may continue using the CES initials alongside the MES initials if they so choose as long as their MES designation remains active.

• Additionally, the designee may not continue to use the CES initials if they allow their MES to lapse. If the designee allows their MES to lapse, their CES will be considered lapsed as well.

   

• The CES designation will not continue to be renewed/tracked yearly on user transcripts, nor will the NEI continue distributing CES certificates once the MES designation has been acquired.* The MES supersedes the CES designation.
  

*CES Certificates may be distributed to MES designees upon request only. Designees must have previously earned the CES designation.

If you have any questions regarding this policy, please contact the NEI at enrollment@ncbfaa.org

Exam Proctoring

Official Policy

While both the CES and CCS exams are online, you will need to provide a proctor for the exam. The person is usually an HR representative or someone at your company in a management position (preferably not your direct supervisor). If you work at a small company that does not support you taking the exam, we can allow you to use a colleague or someone else you know in the industry if need be. We do not allow close friends or family members to be proctors. Once you have chosen your proctor, please submit their name, job title, and email to exam@ncbfaa.org so that they can be set up and sent further instructions. On the day of the exam, they will need to sign into either a GISTNET or Logistics EI account (dependent on the exam - an account will be created for the proctor if they do not already have one). While the proctor does not have to sit next to you during the entire exam period, they are expected to be nearby and check in on you periodically. They should also ensure that you have a fair and quiet testing environment. 

If you are self-employed, unemployed, or your employer does not support you taking the course, please send the contact information for someone willing to be your proctor - such as a colleague, professor, librarian, etc. These will be reviewed and approved on a case by case basis. Close friends and family members are not allowed to be proctors.

Event Approvals & Attendance

Do I need to pay the $25 processing fee for my event even if it’s offered free of charge?

Yes. This is because of the administrative burden we undertake when we approve an event, which includes posting it to our calendar, updating transcripts, etc. We also market your event on our calendar and allow you to use our logo on your event marketing materials to attract more participants. The only time the $25 fee is waived is for Affiliated Association events that are free to everyone (members and non-members) and government agencies (Department of Commerce, CBP, etc.). If an Affiliated Association holds an event that is free to members but charges a fee for non-members, the $25 processing fee still applies.

How do I receive credit for attending a government sponsored event?

While the $25 processing fee is waived, we still require a Form 100 and an agenda or outline of what will be covered. After the event is over, we need proof of your registration/attendance to the event to post credit to your transcript.

What is the policy for obtaining credit from committee meetings?

It is the committee chair’s responsibility (or someone that they task for this job) to take attendance and provide the individual’s names and ID numbers (if available) to NEI to apply credit. It is not the NEI’s responsibility to request or keep track of that information. If you are missing credit from a meeting, please contact the committee chair.

Receiving Credit

Do you receive credit for presenting an NEI webinar?

If you are an active CCS/MCS or CES/MES who presents a webinar, you will receive 10 points after the presentation.

Do APN’s receive credit for their service?

Yes. We will provide ½ credit per meeting hour for APNs. This means for an hour meeting, they will receive .5 credits, for a two-hour meeting they will receive 1 credit, etc.

How many credits does an instructor of an approved course receive?

An instructor of an NEI approved course will receive twice as much credit as an attendee (i.e., if the course is approved for 2 continuing education credits, the instructor would receive 4).

I attended the same event at different times - can I receive credit each time?

No. Within a calendar year, you can only receive credit once for an event or course approved for continuing education credit.

I attended an NEI webinar with someone else - can I receive credit too?

We only provide credit for webinars to the individual who registered and paid for the webinar. Individuals should not share their credentials with other staff members, but if they do, those individuals are not eligible to receive credit. The only time this policy is waived is for free NEI webinars. We do offer a discounted rate for additional employees registering for a webinar from the same company - please contact jokosun@ncbfaa.org for details. 

Annual Renewal

Can non-member companies renew under an MOU?

Yes. As long as they agree to pay the renewal fees for all their students at once, we will give them the discounted renewal rate. Please email certificationrenewal@ncbfaa.org for more information.

Designation Reinstatement

Current reinstatement fees are $160 for up to one year lapsed and $270 for two or more years lapsed. We also require completion of two reinstatement case studies, which will be provided to the individual for manual completion. The individual will be reinstated once they have passed both case studies and the fee has been paid. Once reinstated, continuing education credit requirements and annual renewal fees will resume.

Designation of Use (CCS, CES, MCS, MES)

• Once qualified by successful graduates or via grandfathering, The NCBFAA Educational Institute grants each designee the right to use the designation after their name on correspondence, business cards, and so forth, for as long as the applicant’s certification remains active.  (i.e. John Doe, CCS)
• A designee’s use of the title must not be done in such a way as to infer NCBFAA endorsement of any service or business.  Each designee is expected to exercise good judgment in the use of the title so that such a display will not misrepresent the proper meaning and context of the designation. 

Exam Challenging

Can I challenge the CES exam to become a Certified Export Specialist?

Yes. The exam is $475 and you will have one attempt to pass. The exam is six hours long, non-stop and proctored. Please note that no study materials will be provided prior to the exam. If you are unable to pass, you will be granted a $200 credit towards the CES course, if you choose to register. Member and non-member rates still apply. If you do pass the exam, you will be certified as Certified Export Specialist.