NVIDIA NCA-AIIO Exam Cost: Price, Question Count, Retakes
The NVIDIA-Certified Associate: AI Infrastructure and Operations exam (NCA-AIIO) costs 125 USD as of September 2026. You get 50 questions in 60 minutes, online with a remote proctor. NVIDIA does not publish a passing score; the result is pass or fail. A failed attempt means a 14-day wait, and the certification is valid for 2 years.
NCA-AIIO is the infrastructure sibling of NCA-GENL. Same price, same time limit, same platform. The content is data center, GPU and operations material rather than LLMs, which makes it a natural fit for people from the VMware and networking side of the house, like me. Here is every number NVIDIA publishes, and the ones it does not.
List price
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| NCA-AIIO exam, first attempt | 125 USD |
| Each retake | 125 USD (NVIDIA says you purchase the exam again) |
| Official exam page, blueprint and study guide PDF | Free |
| Discounts | Educational and group discounts on request (amounts not published) |
| Recertification after 2 years | Retake the exam |
Registration and delivery go through Certiverse. The exam is online and remotely proctored; NVIDIA lists no test-center option. The 125 USD list price is the only pricing figure on the official NCA-AIIO exam page, and NVIDIA notes that taxes may apply in some countries. Check your webcam, microphone and room before test day, because a failed proctoring check on an online-only exam is the most avoidable way to lose the fee.
Also watch the 24-hour line. NVIDIA lets you cancel or reschedule up to 24 hours before your appointment, and a rescheduled date has to fall within two months of when you paid. Inside 24 hours the booking is non-cancellable and non-refundable, and NVIDIA does not refund missed exams.
Questions, time and passing score
| Exam fact | NCA-AIIO |
|---|---|
| Questions | 50 |
| Time limit | 60 minutes |
| Passing score | Not published; pass/fail only |
| Question formats | Not published |
| Language | English |
| Delivery | Online, remotely proctored (Certiverse) |
NVIDIA gives a fixed 50 for NCA-AIIO where NCA-GENL is listed as a 50 to 60 range. It does not say which question formats appear. Plan for 72 seconds per question and expect multiple choice, but do not be surprised by a multiple-response item.
The published domain weightings: Essential AI Knowledge (38%), AI Infrastructure (40%), and AI Operations (22%). Infrastructure and operations combined are 62% of the exam. NVIDIA lists a basic understanding of data center infrastructure as the prerequisite; no course or other certification is required.
What a retake costs
NVIDIA does not list a separate retake price for NCA-AIIO; its FAQ says you buy the exam again. The retake rules it does publish:
- 14-day waiting period after a fail.
- Maximum 5 attempts in a 12-month period.
Treat a retake as a fresh 125 USD registration. Two attempts is 250 USD, which is the same money as one attempt at the VCP-VCF Administrator exam, so a bit of practice before the first sitting pays for itself.
How long it stays valid
2 years from the issue date. NVIDIA’s stated way to recertify is to retake the exam. There is no renewal assessment or reduced-fee renewal published, so the ongoing cost of holding NCA-AIIO is one 125 USD exam every 2 years.
What you do not pay for
The official NCA-AIIO exam page with the 3-domain blueprint is free, and so is NVIDIA’s exam study guide PDF, which lists suggested readings for each domain. NVIDIA’s recommended course, AI Infrastructure and Operations Fundamentals, is optional; check its price on NVIDIA’s training site. NVIDIA’s only listed prerequisite is a basic understanding of data center infrastructure. The certification page does not list free official practice questions, so I would not plan around finding any.
Our free NCA-AIIO practice questions are weighted to the same 3 domains.
How this compares
| Certification | Price | Questions | Time | Passing score | Valid for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA NCA-AIIO | 125 USD | 50 | 60 min | Not published (pass/fail) | 2 years |
| NVIDIA NCA-GENL | 125 USD | 50 to 60 | 60 min | Not published (pass/fail) | 2 years |
| VCP-VCF Administrator (2V0-17.25) | 250 USD | 60 | 135 min | 300 (scaled) | 3 years |
For infrastructure people weighing NCA-AIIO against a VMware credential: the VCP-VCF Administrator costs twice as much, runs more than twice as long, publishes a passing score, and lasts a year longer. NCA-AIIO is the cheaper, faster way to put an AI infrastructure line on a resume.
Pass NCA-AIIO on the first 125 USD
Free NCA-AIIO practice questions, weighted to the official blueprint, with a plain-English explanation on every one.
Keep reading: Study guide · NCA-AIIO vs NCA-GENL · All AI & cloud exam prep
HOW TO // AI is not affiliated with or endorsed by NVIDIA. NVIDIA-Certified Associate and NCA-AIIO and NVIDIA are trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation; we reference them descriptively. All content is original. Exam details come from NVIDIA’s and Broadcom’s official certification pages as of September 2026 and can change, so check the official exam page before you book.
Practice for every AI & cloud cert
- NVIDIA NCA-GENL practice questions
- AWS AIF-C01 practice questions
- AWS MLA-C02 practice questions
- AWS MLA-C01 practice questions
- Microsoft AI-901 practice questions
- Microsoft AI-103 practice questions
- VMware VCP-VCF Administrator practice questions
- CompTIA AI Fundamentals practice questions
- Google Cloud Generative AI Leader practice questions
- Oracle OCI AI Foundations practice questions
- CertNexus AIP-210 practice questions
- Anthropic CCAO-F practice questions
- Anthropic CCDV-F practice questions
- Anthropic CCAR-F practice questions
- Anthropic CCAR-P practice questions
- All AI & cloud exam prep →
Related guides
- NVIDIA NCA-AIIO Study Guide & Cheat Sheet
- NCA-AIIO Practice Questions
- NCA-AIIO vs NCA-GENL: Which NVIDIA AI Certification Fits You?
Frequently asked questions
How much does the NCA-AIIO exam cost?
NVIDIA lists NCA-AIIO at 125 USD per attempt as of September 2026, and taxes may apply in some countries. A retake costs the same because you buy the exam again.
Can I get a discount on NCA-AIIO?
NVIDIA's certification FAQ says to contact it about educational and group discounts. It does not publish discount amounts.
Can I reschedule or cancel the NCA-AIIO exam?
Yes, if you do it at least 24 hours before your appointment, and a rescheduled date must fall within two months of when you paid. Inside 24 hours the exam is non-cancellable and non-refundable, and missed exams are not refunded.
Does NCA-AIIO expire?
Yes. It is valid for two years from issuance, and NVIDIA's recertification path is passing the exam again, so plan on another exam fee every two years if you want to keep it current.
