NACD lists $3,995 for the Directorship Certification foundation course and exam package, or $5,600 as a bundle that adds NACD membership. You must currently serve as a director to apply. After you pass, you keep the credential by earning 32 NACD credits and paying $195 every two years. Whether it is worth it depends on whether you already sit on a board, whether your board or the people who recruit directors value it, and what else you could do with the money and the time.
Every figure below comes from NACD’s own certification pages, read on October 30, 2026. NACD is the National Association of Corporate Directors.
How much does NACD Directorship Certification cost?
| Item | Price | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Certification exam package | $3,995 | Includes the Director Professionalism foundation course and the exam. NACD’s pages do not say who pays this price. It is most likely for people who already hold NACD membership, which is our reading, not NACD’s statement. |
| New NACD individual member bundle | $5,600 | Individual membership, the foundation course and the exam together, for people who are not yet NACD members. |
| NACD individual membership alone | $1,850 | Listed on NACD’s membership page. Membership is required to apply. |
| Recertification | $195 every two years | Plus 32 NACD credits in each two-year cycle. |
| Exam retake | $250 or $500 | NACD’s Current Candidates page says $250 per retake. Its About page says $500 per retest. |
| Missed or late appointment | $500 | NACD charges a rescheduling fee if you do not show up, arrive more than 30 minutes late or cancel late. |
| Practice exam | No charge | Available after you apply and register for the exam. You can take it more than once. |
NACD does not publish an exam-only price on its current pages. The foundation course is not required to sit for the exam.
Who can apply for NACD Directorship Certification?
Only sitting directors. NACD’s full FAQ lists two minimum requirements:
- You currently serve as a director of a public, private or nonprofit organization.
- You hold an active NACD membership, or you join as part of applying.
NACD’s About page also lists “meet experience criteria” but does not define them on the pages we read. NACD says members who live outside the United States may apply if they meet the requirements, and that active NACD Board Leadership Fellows have already met the eligibility requirements.
How does the NACD exam work?
The exam has two parts. Part I is 50 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes. Part II is 16 case studies, each with three or four steps, in 150 minutes. Pearson VUE runs the exam, and you can take it online or at a test center.
- After you apply, you have a two-year window to take the exam, with up to three attempts.
- Each exam registration gives you a six-month window to schedule and sit the exam.
- There is a 30-day wait between attempts. After a third failed attempt, you wait one year before reapplying.
- If you do not pass, NACD gives feedback by content area.
- NACD does not state a pass mark on the pages we read.
NACD suggests setting your exam date about three months after you enroll, and says its most successful candidates spend about 40 hours preparing. After you apply you get a study guide and a free practice exam that you can retake.
What does it take to keep the credential?
You recertify every two years. NACD requires 32 NACD credits in each 24-month cycle and a $195 fee. Credits come from NACD events, webinars, chapter programs, roundtables, on-demand learning and programs at universities in the NACD Education Network.
Is NACD certification worth it?
That depends on you. NACD says more than 2,100 directors hold the credential, that it can appear in proxy statements and that over 90 percent of certified directors recommend it in an NACD survey. Those are NACD’s own figures, and we did not verify them.
Here is what else we found. No federal rule or Delaware statute that we read requires a director to hold any certification. An IFC practice brief says certification programs trigger debate among governance experts, with some saying nothing can replace real boardroom experience and others seeing a valid way to build knowledge and skills. The total cost can reach $5,600, plus $195 and 32 credits every two years.
- Best for: sitting directors who want an exam-based credential and expect to stay involved with NACD.
- Not for: anyone without a board seat, since the exam is closed to you.
- Questions to ask first: Does my board or search firm value it? Will my board pay? Would I rather spend the money on training that fits my seat?
What are the alternatives to NACD certification?
| Option | Type | Price | Needs a board seat? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate Directors International (CDI.D) | Designation; online exam | $2,995 exam only for current directors; $5,995 online course with exam | Current directors of at least a year, or take its course first |
| NACD Board Fundamentals Certificate | Certificate | $499 | No |
| Wharton Corporate Governance | Digital certificate of completion | US$3,100 | No |
| Harvard Business School: Preparing to Be a Corporate Director | Certificate of Completion, per Harvard’s catalog | $13,000 (April 2027) | No, but admission is selective |
| BDI Corporate Board Fundamentals | Certificate of Completion | $497 | No |
| ICD.D (Canada) | Designation; online and oral exams | $23,050 plus taxes for programs starting in 2026 | Yes: two years of board experience |
See our full comparison of board of directors certification programs and our corporate board training comparison.
Where Board Director Institute fits, and where it does not
- BDI is not an alternative to NACD.DC. BDI’s Certificate of Completion is not a certification or a designation, and it does not give you letters after your name.
- If you do not have a board seat yet, a course that needs no seat is the usual first step. BDI Corporate Board Fundamentals ($497) is one of them. The video and voice in BDI courses use an AI-generated version of Michael Barrick, who reviewed and approved the lessons.
- If you are a sitting director who wants NACD’s credential, BDI Corporate Board Governance ($697) is an advanced course for sitting directors, and it is not designed as NACD exam preparation.