NACD Directorship Certification
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Credentialing@nacdonline.org
Start Your Certification Journey
The NACD Directorship Certification® application is a simple process to confirm your eligibility, register for your preparation course, and complete payment.
Once your application is approved, you'll receive complete instructions on next steps, and gain access to the comprehensive Certification Study Guide.
NACD Directorship Certification
The Candidate Handbook
This comprehensive guide is everything you need to know about program policies and procedures, recertification, and more.
What to expect as an applicant.
Confirm your eligibility.
You must meet the following criteria to apply for the program. The application will ask you to attest to these conditions:
- You are currently a director for a private, public, and/or nonprofit organization.
- You have an active NACD membership. Or you can join NACD during the application process.
Register for the Foundation Course.
The application process includes registering for the program foundation course, Virtual Director Professionalism®. Experienced directors may be eligible to skip the foundation course; visit Program Details to learn more.
You will need to opt in for specific terms and conditions.
The application process includes an Attestation and Non-Disclosure statement. You must confirm that all information provided about yourself and your directorship experience is true. This maintains the integrity of the certification program.
Policies and Agreements
You’ll be expected to review and acknowledge your acceptance of various important policies and agreements, including the refund policy, as listed in the NACD Directorship Certification Candidate Handbook. Get your copy.
You will also be asked for any accommodations you may require to complete the Certification exam.
Refund Policy: Once certification fees are satisfied, they are nonrefundable and nontransferable.
NACD Directorship Certification
Speak to a Membership Advisor
For questions or help with your application,
email the NACD Credentialing Team.
After your application is complete
Prepare for the exam.
After your application has been approved and your payment received, NACD will provide everything you’ll need to succeed.
For most directors, preparation begins with Virtual Director Professionalism®, the online foundation course based on our most popular classroom training. You can also access the complete Study Guide, an exclusive resource for certification candidates, as well as sample questions, practice tests, and a moderated Discussion Group series.
Based on the experience of previous NACD Certified Directors, we recommend this preparation:
- Dedicate at least four (4) weeks to prepare for the exam.
- Download and use the Directorship Certification Study guide. This robust resource is available to candidates on your Certification Status Page.
- Practice the exam and review the sample questions and other valuable resources that are available on your Certification Status Page.
- Explore our robust governance resources, including our proprietary research and reports, such as Blue Ribbon Commission Reports.
The Study Guide
The essential resource to prepare for certification. It’s a complete overview of leading corporate governance practices and board responsibilities. Use it with our foundation course and other program materials.
Get an Executive summary of the covered topics.
Schedule and complete your exam.
After completing the foundation course, you have six (6) months to schedule your first exam through Pearson VUE.
You can take the exam in person at a Pearson VUE testing facility, or online using the OnVue platform. Allow approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes to complete testing. For more, see Program Details.
Maintain your certification.
Recertification is required every two years to keep your NACD.DC™ credential active and as a way to keep your directorship knowledge up to date. To learn more, visit Certified Members.
NACD Directorship Certification is fundamentally an education program. It's easy to maintain an active NACD.DC status using hundreds of in-person and virtual learning opportunities and events year-round.
Apply Today
Over 90% of Certified Directors recommend
NACD Directorship Certification.
Source: The NACD Certified Directors Survey