- What This Cheat Sheet Covers (and What It Doesn't)
- Exam Format at a Glance
- Fees, Eligibility, and Registration Mechanics
- The Nine Reference Titles You Must Know
- Open-Book Strategy for a Code-Lookup Exam
- Proctoring and Technology Rules
- What Is Not Published
- Renewal Quick Facts
- A Reference-Driven Review Sequence
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The NAESA Qualified Elevator Inspector exam is online, proctored, and open-book: 160 multiple-choice code questions in an 8-hour allowance.
- Exam-only costs $500; training plus exam costs $1,295; an exam-only retake costs $400. Codebooks are extra.
- The ASME A17.1 codebook is required, not its handbook, so buy the right document.
- No official passing score, pass rate, or domain percentage weighting was verified, so prepare across all nine references.
What This Cheat Sheet Covers (and What It Doesn't)
This page condenses the verifiable facts about the NAESA Qualified Elevator Inspector (QEI) credential, administered by NAESA International (the National Association of Elevator Safety Authorities). It is not about any other certification that happens to share the QEI acronym, and every figure below comes from NAESA's published materials as reviewed on October 15, 2026.
If you are brand new to the credential, start with What Is QEI Certification? for the background, then return here for the quick-reference version. For a full preparation plan, pair this sheet with the QEI Study Guide 2026.
Exam Format at a Glance
| Item | What the Published Materials Say |
|---|---|
| Delivery | Online, proctored |
| Book policy | Open-book; hardcopy references recommended, PDFs allowed on a separate device |
| Question count | 160 multiple-choice code questions, plus 6 demographic questions |
| Time | 8-hour exam allowance with a required 30-minute break |
| Passing score | Not verified in retrieved sources |
| Cohort pass rate | Not verified in retrieved sources |
Reading the Numbers Correctly
- The 160 figure counts code questions only. The 6 demographic questions are separate and are not described as pilot items.
- The course flyer does not state whether the 30-minute break sits inside the 8-hour allowance or outside it. Ask NAESA before exam day rather than assuming.
- Eight hours for 160 questions is generous on paper, but an open-book code exam consumes time in lookups, not recall. Budget for navigating the books.
For a candid look at how demanding this format really is, see How Hard Is the QEI Exam?
Fees, Eligibility, and Registration Mechanics
| Option | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Exam only | $500 | Codebooks cost extra |
| Four-day training plus exam | $1,295 | Course example: Hanover, Maryland, November 9-13, 2026 |
| Exam-only retake | $400 | Membership explicitly excluded from the retake |
The Membership Question
NAESA's certification page includes membership after passing the initial $500 examination, but the FAQ describes membership as additional. That conflict in the issuer's own pricing language is unresolved, so confirm in writing what your payment covers. A full breakdown lives in QEI Certification Cost 2026.
Eligibility Comes First
NAESA must approve your documented education/training and elevator experience against ASME QEI-1 and its application requirements before an exam is scheduled. The optional four-day review course does not substitute for eligibility. Walk through QEI Requirements 2026 and align your documentation early, since approval gates everything that follows.
The Nine Reference Titles You Must Know
NAESA lists required reference titles for examinations taken after March 1, 2026. Treat these nine as unweighted preparation topics. They are not nine verified official exam domains, no official percentage allocation exists in the retrieved sources, and no "highest-weight" topic can be claimed. The separately announced March 2027 reference changes do not apply to this 2026 scope. For a topic-by-topic walkthrough, see QEI Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 9 Content Areas.
Domain 1: ASME A17.1-2022 / CSA B44-22 - Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators
The core code. The ASME A17.1 codebook is required, not its handbook, so confirm you purchased the code itself.
- Practice locating requirements by equipment type and installation condition
- Learn the document's layout so lookups take seconds, not minutes
- Know where definitions and scope statements sit, since questions often turn on exact wording
Domain 2: ASME A17.2-2023 - Guide for Inspection of Elevators, Escalators and Moving Walks
The inspector's procedural companion. Expect it to be most useful for how an inspection is conducted rather than what the code mandates.
- Connect each inspection procedure back to the A17.1 requirement it verifies
Domain 3: ASME A17.3-2023 - Safety Code for Existing Elevators and Escalators
Governs existing installations. Be ready to distinguish when A17.3 versus A17.1 is the relevant lens.
- Practice identifying whether a scenario describes new or existing equipment
Domain 4: ASME A18.1-2020 - Safety Standard for Platform Lifts and Stairway Chairlifts
A separate standard for equipment outside conventional elevators. It is easy to under-study because it feels peripheral.
Domain 5: ASME QEI-1-2024 - Standard for the Qualification of Elevator Inspectors
The standard behind the credential itself, and the benchmark NAESA uses to approve your education and experience. Read it as both an exam reference and your own eligibility roadmap.
Domain 6: ANSI/ASSE A10.4-2016 - Safety Requirements for Personnel Hoists and Employee Elevators on Construction and Demolition Sites
Construction-site hoists and employee elevators. Its context differs from permanent building installations, so expect different terminology.
Domain 7: NFPA 70-2023 - National Electrical Code
The electrical side of elevator work. Your job is knowing how to find the elevator-relevant provisions inside a very large document, not memorizing it.
Domain 8: Elevator Industry Field Employees Safety Handbook - 2025
Field safety practice. Distinct in tone from the codes, so give it its own review pass.
Domain 9: ASME A17.6-2022 - Standard for Elevator Suspension, Compensation, And Governor Systems
Suspension means, compensation, and governors. A focused, technical standard where precise terminology matters.
Canadian candidates: NAESA separately lists alternatives, namely B355-2019 (R2024), CAN/CSA-Z185:23, and CSA C22.1-2024. Reference titles and editions were verified, but access to the paid codebook contents is not claimed, so check the edition lists on NAESA's QEI certification page before purchasing.
Open-Book Strategy for a Code-Lookup Exam
Open-book does not mean easy. It shifts the skill from memorization to retrieval speed and interpretation. Questions are multiple-choice code questions, so each answer must be defensible from the text of a specific edition.
- Tab and index your hardcopies. NAESA recommends hardcopy references. Physical books you have annotated beat a PDF search bar under pressure, though PDFs may be used on a separate device.
- Know which book answers which question type. A procedural question points toward A17.2, an existing-equipment question toward A17.3, a suspension question toward A17.6, and a wiring question toward NFPA 70.
- Use the exact editions listed. Answers drawn from an older or newer edition than the one listed can mislead you.
- Read the whole question stem. Qualifiers such as new versus existing, or hoistway versus machine room, often decide the answer.
Key Takeaway
Your real preparation is building a fast, personal navigation system through nine documents. Practice looking things up under a clock, not just reading. Explore original practice questions on the QEI practice test site to rehearse that retrieval loop.
Proctoring and Technology Rules
- You provide an internet-connected laptop and must install the required testing software.
- Other programs cannot run on the exam laptop, which is why PDFs belong on a separate device.
- Independently arranged sittings require two approved proctors. Direct supervisors, friends, and family are excluded.
- NAESA course events supply proctors, a practical advantage of taking the exam at a training event.
Run a technology check well before exam day, and confirm your two proctors are approved before you commit to a sitting. For scheduling windows and deadlines, see QEI Exam Dates 2026.
What Is Not Published
Candidates frequently search for numbers that the retrieved NAESA sources do not provide. Being honest about these gaps protects you from bad advice:
- Passing score: no official threshold was verified. See QEI Passing Score 2026 for the current state of what is known.
- Pass rate: no cohort pass rate was verified. QEI Pass Rate 2026 explains why.
- Domain weighting: no official percentage allocation exists, so avoid any study plan built on claimed weights.
- Practice exam: NAESA does not publish one. Any practice material should use original, independent questions, not recalled or purported official items.
Renewal Quick Facts
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Annual |
| Education | 10 approved educational hours (1.0 CEU) |
| Survey | Online Maintenance of Qualifications survey |
| Fee | $200 members; $250 nonmembers |
| Expiration | June 30 or December 31 |
Track your expiration date from the day you certify, and log approved hours as you earn them. Whether the cost and upkeep pay off is a separate question, covered in Is the QEI Certification Worth It? and, for earnings context, the QEI Salary Guide 2026.
A Reference-Driven Review Sequence
Because the nine titles are unweighted, sequence them by dependency rather than by assumed importance. This is a suggested order, not an official blueprint.
Anchor on the core code
- Tab ASME A17.1-2022 / CSA B44-22 and learn its structure
- Skim ASME QEI-1-2024 to understand what the credential demands
Inspection and existing-equipment lenses
- Work A17.2-2023 alongside A17.1 requirements it verifies
- Study A17.3-2023 and practice new-versus-existing distinctions
Specialized standards
- Cover A17.6-2022 suspension, compensation, and governor topics
- Review A18.1-2020 and ANSI/ASSE A10.4-2016
Electrical, field safety, and timed lookups
- Navigate NFPA 70-2023 for elevator-relevant provisions
- Review the Elevator Industry Field Employees Safety Handbook - 2025
- Run timed mixed-reference lookup drills
For a longer and more detailed plan, use the QEI Study Guide, and consider whether the four-day course fits your needs by reading about QEI training.
Frequently Asked Questions
The published format is 160 multiple-choice code questions, plus 6 demographic questions. The 160 figure counts only the code questions, and the demographic questions are not described as pilot items.
Yes. It is an online, proctored, open-book exam. Hardcopy references are recommended, and PDF references may be used on a separate device because other programs cannot run on the exam laptop.
Exam-only is $500, the four-day training plus exam is $1,295, and an exam-only retake is $400. Codebooks cost extra, and whether membership is included in the initial fee is unresolved in NAESA's own materials.
No official passing-score threshold or cohort pass rate was verified in the retrieved NAESA sources. Check with NAESA for current information rather than relying on unofficial numbers.
Ten approved educational hours (1.0 CEU), the online Maintenance of Qualifications survey, and $200 for members or $250 for nonmembers. Expiration falls on June 30 or December 31.
Keep this sheet handy alongside the deeper articles on exam domains and study planning, and verify every fee and date with NAESA directly before you commit.