NERC exam prep that helps operators earn their certification, and continuing education that helps them keep it, built on the same NERC and EPRI material the exams are drawn from.
Program 01 prepares operators to earn a NERC System Operator certification. Program 02 keeps them certified through NERC continuing education.
Self-paced foundational coursework covering the NERC Reliability Standards and EPRI Power System Dynamics Tutorial content each exam is built from, completed before candidates move into our 3-day live class.
Ongoing coursework for already-certified operators who need Continuing Education Hours (CEHs) to maintain a credential through NERC's three-year renewal cycle.
NERC currently certifies system operators under four credentials, each with its own exam and content outline.
Wide-area reliability oversight: interconnection reliability operating limits, emergency procedures, and coordination across balancing and transmission areas.
Combined credential covering generation-load balance, interchange scheduling, and transmission operations in a single role.
Real-time monitoring of transmission reliability: contingency analysis, voltage and thermal limits, switching and reconfiguration.
Generation-load balance and interchange scheduling without a transmission component: AGC, area control error, and reserves.
Exam structure and cut scores per NERC's System Operator Certification Program Manual. Each credential is valid for three years from the date of certification.
Eight stops from choosing your credential to keeping it active. Stop 2 is where we come in.
No degree or prior experience is required to sit for the exam. Choose the credential that matches your desk.
| Credential | Questions | Scored | Pass score |
|---|---|---|---|
| RC · Reliability Coordinator | 140 | 120 | 92 |
| BT · Balancing, Interchange & Transmission | 140 | 120 | 92 |
| TO · Transmission Operator | 120 | 100 | 76 |
| BI · Balancing & Interchange | 120 | 100 | 76 |
Call or email us before you register. We'll match you to the right credential and class schedule so your one-year exam window starts when you're ready.
Earn continuing education hours (CEHs) from NERC-approved providers before your expiration date.
| Credential | Total CEHs | Standards min | Simulation min |
|---|---|---|---|
| RC | 200 | 30 | 30 |
| BT | 160 | 30 | 30 |
| TO | 140 | 30 | 30 |
| BI | 140 | 30 | 30 |
Based on NERC's System Operator Certification Program Manual, Credential Maintenance Program Manual and published fee schedule. Fees and rules can change; confirm on NERC's website before registering.
Our curriculum follows the same chain of authority the exams themselves are built on.
Given authority over grid reliability under the Energy Policy Act of 2005, FERC certified NERC as the Electric Reliability Organization in 2006 and must approve every reliability standard before it becomes mandatory and enforceable.
As the FERC-certified Electric Reliability Organization, NERC develops and enforces the mandatory Reliability Standards and administers the System Operator Certification Program — the four credentials above.
EPRI publishes the Power System Dynamics Tutorial, the reference NERC lists in its own exam materials for all four credentials. Our initial prep coursework is built directly on its chapters.
Organized under our two programs — initial prep first, continuing education after you're certified.
Self-paced course covering all four credential tracks — modules, knowledge checks, and a completion certificate.
Instructor-led review covering BAL, FAC/IRO, TOP, EOP, and COM standard areas — taken after initial prep coursework.
A dedicated course built directly on EPRI's Power System Dynamics Tutorial, going deeper into system stability behavior.
Standards-based CEH coursework reviewing current Reliability Standards and their real-time application.
Tabletop and scenario-based CEH activity covering system restoration, blackstart, and emergency procedures.
The capstone of our initial prep program — taken after the self-paced coursework, day by day from standards to shift-floor application.
Generation-load balance, frequency response, and the facility ratings that constrain every real-time decision.
BAL · FAC / IRO fundamentalsContingency analysis, voltage and thermal limits, and operating within transmission reliability margins.
TOPEmergency operating procedures, inter-entity communication protocols, and exam strategy and review.
EOP · COM
Your instructor is a NERC-certified electrical engineer with years in the utility control room who has built and led system operator continuous training programs and NERC continuing education programs. Every live class is taught by your instructor personally.
No. NERC has no experience or education prerequisite. Anyone can register in SOCCED and sit for any of the four credential exams.
It depends on the desk you work or are hiring into. Many employers specify the credential. If you're unsure, call us and we'll help you decide before you pay the exam fee.
Before. Your exam registration is only valid for 365 days. Contacting us first lets you line up your class and study time so the clock doesn't run out.
You wait 42 calendar days, pay the exam fee again and retake. Our prep class is designed to help you avoid that.
Our NERC CE provider application is under review. Once approved, our continuing education courses will report hours through SOCCED toward your renewal.
Fill out the enrollment form, or call or email to check class dates and ask about continuing education. Your instructor answers every inquiry personally.
Open the enrollment formTalk through your credential and class schedule.
EMAIL EdisonNERCTraining@gmail.comTell us your credential and target exam date.