Xactimate Certification: Levels, Cost & How to Get Certified
Xactimate certification consists of three levels administered by Verisk. Level 1 (Fundamentals) proves you can build an estimate from scratch. Level 2 (Power User) proves you can do it efficiently under complex scenarios. Level 3 (Expert/Trainer) requires holding both Level 1 and Level 2 and proves you can teach the software. All certifications are valid for two years and require a passing score on hands-on Sketch labs and practical exams. Check Verisk's website for current exam pricing and passing score requirements.
That's the short version. Here's everything else you actually need to know before you spend the money.
The Three Certification Levels at a Glance
Verisk offers three Xactimate certification levels, each testing progressively deeper knowledge of the software. Here is what each level covers, costs, and requires:
| Level 1 (Fundamentals) | Level 2 (Power User) | Level 3 (Expert/Trainer) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who it's for | New adjusters, contractors entering supplements, anyone learning Xactimate | Working adjusters/estimators who use Xactimate daily | Aspiring trainers, senior estimators, expert witnesses |
| Prerequisites | None (but need active Xactimate subscription) | None required, but Level 1 knowledge assumed | Must hold Level 1 and Level 2 certification |
| Exam cost | Check Verisk for current pricing | Check Verisk for current pricing | Check Verisk for current pricing |
| Exam sections | Sketch & Scope Lab + ~30-question Practical Exam | Sketch & Scope Lab + ~30-question Practical Exam | Sketch & Scope Lab + Practical Exam + Knowledge Exam |
| Passing score | Check Verisk for current requirements | Check Verisk for current requirements | Check Verisk for current requirements |
| Time to prepare | 2-4 weeks (with daily practice) | 4-8 weeks (if already using Xactimate) | Varies widely; most take months |
| Certification valid for | 2 years | 2 years | 2 years |
| Retakes | Free, unlimited | Free, unlimited | Free, unlimited |
| Career impact | Gets your foot in the door | Expected by most employers | Opens training/consulting doors |
Now let's break each one down.
Level 1: Fundamentals
Xactimate Level 1 certification is the entry-level credential for insurance estimating professionals. The exam tests whether you can open Xactimate, connect to XactAnalysis, download an assignment, build a Sketch, scope the damage, price it out, and produce a finished estimate.
What the Exam Tests
The Level 1 exam has two sections:
Sketch and Scope Lab (untimed, roughly 60-120 minutes). You get a scenario and build an actual estimate in your own copy of Xactimate. This is hands-on. You're drawing rooms in Sketch, adding line items, pricing materials, the whole process. This lab isn't timed, which sounds generous until you realize the next section asks questions about the estimate you just built. If your estimate is wrong, your answers will be too.
Practical Exam (approximately 30 questions). These questions pull directly from the estimate you created in the lab. They'll ask about specific quantities, dimensions, line item pricing, and scope decisions. This isn't trivia about Xactimate menus. It's "what's the square footage of the kitchen you just drew?" and "what did your estimate total for the water mitigation line items?"
What Level 1 Proves
You understand the 4-step estimating process. You can navigate the Control Center and Projects tab. You know how to enter claim information. You can complete and print a finished estimate. Basically, you won't slow down a team in the field.
Who Actually Needs Level 1
If you're trying to get hired as an independent adjuster, this is table stakes. Most IA firms won't deploy you without it. If you're a contractor breaking into supplements, it shows carriers and adjusting firms you know the tool they're negotiating in. Public adjusters should have this at minimum, no exceptions.
Realistic Cost Breakdown
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Level 1 Exam (Verisk) | Check Verisk for current pricing |
| Training course (varies by provider) | Varies by provider and format |
| Xactimate subscription (needed for the exam) | Check Verisk for current rates |
| Total | Varies - budget for exam + training + subscription |
The Xactimate subscription is the part that surprises people. You need a current copy of Xactimate (desktop or online version) to take the hands-on Sketch and Scope Lab. If you're already paying for Xactimate through your employer or adjusting firm, that cost is covered. If not, you're buying a subscription just to take the test. Check Verisk's website for current subscription pricing.
Level 2: Power User
Level 2 assumes everything from Level 1 and builds on it. The exam scenarios are more complex. The Sketch is harder. The scope is bigger. And they add more questions.
What Changes from Level 1
The Sketch and Scope Lab is still untimed, but the scenario is significantly more involved. Expect multi-story structures, more rooms, more damage types. The Practical Exam covers more ground, and they'll test intermediate features you may have been ignoring: macros, templates, custom line items, and reporting tools.
Level 2 proves you aren't just getting the job done. You're getting it done fast and accurately. You know how to set up Xactimate so you aren't re-entering the same data on every claim. You understand pricing databases, profile settings, and how to customize your workflow.
Who Actually Needs Level 2
Working adjusters who want to move up. Estimators at restoration companies who write supplements all day. Anyone who wants to be the person in the office that others go to with Xactimate questions. Most senior adjusting roles and supplement manager positions expect Level 2.
Realistic Cost Breakdown
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Level 2 Exam (Verisk) | Check Verisk for current pricing |
| Training course (if needed) | Varies by provider and format |
| Xactimate subscription (if not already active) | Check Verisk for current rates |
| Total | Varies (less if already subscribed and self-studying) |
If you're already working in Xactimate daily and passed Level 1, you may be able to self-study for Level 2. The exam fee is the same regardless of level.
Level 3: Expert/Trainer
Level 3 is a different animal. This is the only level with a hard prerequisite: you must already hold both Level 1 and Level 2 certification. Most people who pursue Level 3 want to become certified Xactimate trainers or position themselves as expert witnesses in litigation.
What the Exam Tests
Level 3 adds a Knowledge Exam section on top of the Sketch and Scope Lab and Practical Exam. The sketch scenarios are substantially harder, with large commercial or multi-building losses. The questions test not just whether you can use Xactimate, but whether you understand why Xactimate works the way it does. Pricing methodology. Database structures. The logic behind Xactware's cost calculations.
Who Actually Needs Level 3
Honest answer: very few people. If you want to train others on Xactimate for a living, you need it. If you're an expert witness testifying about estimate accuracy, it's a strong credential. If you're running a supplement company and want to be the most credentialed person in the room, it carries weight. But for day-to-day adjusting or contracting work, Level 2 is the practical ceiling.
Where to Get Trained
The Xactimate certification exam is only available through Verisk (Xactware), but training is offered by dozens of independent providers. Verisk does not require you to use a specific training provider before taking the exam. Here are the most established training options:
| Provider | Format | Levels Covered | Price Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verisk (Xactware) | Self-paced, virtual, classroom | 1, 2, 3 | Check vendor website |
| The Adjuster School | Online self-paced | 1 | Check vendor website |
| Xactimate Training School | Virtual, 3-day classroom | 1, 2, 3 | Check vendor website |
| American Insurance College | Online and classroom | 1, 2 | Check vendor website |
| Watermark | 3-day online | 1, 2 | Check vendor website |
| AdjusterTV | Online exam prep | 1, 2, 3 | Check vendor website |
A few things worth knowing about training:
Classroom training produces higher pass rates than self-paced for most people. The hands-on lab portion of the exam is where people struggle. Sitting in a room with an instructor who watches you build a Sketch and corrects your mistakes in real time is worth more than any video course.
Bring a laptop with an external mouse. Every in-person training requires you to use your own machine with Xactimate installed. Dual monitors are recommended but not required. Trying to Sketch on a trackpad is miserable.
Training and the exam are purchased separately. No training provider administers the certification exam. They prepare you for it. The exam itself is always purchased directly from Verisk.
The Real Talk: Is Certification Worth It?
Whether Xactimate certification is worth the investment depends entirely on your role in the insurance restoration industry. Here is how it breaks down by profession:
If you're a staff or independent adjuster: Yes, without question. Level 1 is the minimum. Level 2 sets you apart. Most carriers and IA firms use certification as a screening filter. No cert, no deployment. It's that simple.
If you're a public adjuster: Level 1 at minimum, Level 2 if you're serious. When you're negotiating with a carrier's adjuster about line items and they pull up your profile and see you're certified, it changes the conversation.
If you're a supplement company: Level 2 is the standard. You're living in Xactimate 40+ hours a week. Certification is a credibility signal to your clients (contractors and PAs who are trusting you with their revenue).
If you're a roofing or restoration contractor: Here's where it gets nuanced. If you're personally writing estimates and supplements in Xactimate, then yes, get certified. It pays for itself in accuracy and speed. But if you're a contractor who gets PDF estimates from adjusters and just needs them in Xactimate format, the honest answer is you might not need certification at all.
That's the gap most training providers won't mention. A lot of contractors don't need to master Xactimate. They need to get the insurance PDF into a format they can work with. That's a different problem.
When You Don't Need Full Xactimate Mastery (PDF to ESX)
Here's a scenario that comes up constantly: an adjuster sends you a PDF of their estimate. You need it in Xactimate's ESX format so you can review the line items, check the scope, and write your supplement. The traditional path is to re-key every line item into Xactimate by hand, which takes significant time and enough skill to navigate the software.
That's where tools like CapOut come in. Upload the PDF. CapOut processes it and sends the export to your Xactimate account in seconds. You can review the line items, check what the adjuster scoped, and figure out what's missing without manually re-keying a single line.
But CapOut goes beyond conversion. From the same PDF upload, you get a full profit breakdown by trade with no additional data entry. You can build material orders that are context-aware (change the shingle brand and hip, ridge, and starter auto-switch to match) and load labor orders per crew with their pricing. You see your real margin before the truck rolls.
It's not a replacement for Xactimate if you're writing estimates from scratch every day. But for contractors who receive PDFs and need to go from estimate to production, it removes the biggest bottleneck: hours of manual re-keying and spreadsheet math.
CapOut is free to start with 300 tokens and no credit card required. If you're converting PDFs regularly, it might save you more than certification would.
How to Pass on Your First Try
After watching hundreds of people go through the certification process, here's what actually matters:
1. Practice Sketch Until It's Muscle Memory
The Sketch and Scope Lab is where people fail. Not the questions. The questions are about your estimate, so if your Sketch is accurate, the questions answer themselves. If your room dimensions are off by a foot because you don't understand how to snap walls or set lengths, every question about square footage will be wrong.
Build at least 10-15 practice estimates before exam day. Use the sample scenarios from your training course, then create your own. Measure a room in your house and replicate it in Sketch. Get fast at it.
2. Know Your Line Items
The Practical Exam asks about specific line items in your estimate. You need to know the difference between R&R (remove and replace) and R&R with additional labor. You need to know when to use a line item for "remove" versus "detach and reset." These aren't trick questions if you've been writing real estimates.
3. Don't Rush the Lab
The Sketch and Scope Lab is untimed. Read that again. There's no clock. Take your time. Double-check your measurements. Verify your scope is complete. The 34 or 40 questions you face next are only as good as the estimate you just built.
4. Use a Dual Monitor Setup
You'll need Xactimate open on one screen and the exam on the other. Trying to flip back and forth on a single monitor wastes time and causes mistakes. If you don't own a second monitor, borrow one for exam day.
5. You Can Exit the Lab and Come Back
This is the detail most people miss. You can leave the Sketch and Scope Lab, take a break, and come back before you start the Practical Exam. If you're getting frustrated with a sketch, step away. Fresh eyes catch mistakes.
Quick Recap: Your Certification Roadmap
Step 1: Decide which level you need based on your role (see the comparison table above).
Step 2: Make sure you have an active Xactimate subscription with the current version installed.
Step 3: Invest in training through an approved provider. Classroom format if you can; virtual if you can't.
Step 4: Practice building estimates until Sketch feels natural. Minimum 10-15 practice scenarios.
Step 5: Purchase your exam through Verisk's Xactware store. You'll have one year from purchase to complete it.
Step 6: Take the exam. Pass at the required score (check Verisk for current requirements).
Step 7: Mark your calendar for recertification in two years.
If you realize during this process that you don't need full Xactimate mastery and you just need to get insurance PDFs into Xactimate and straight into production, check out CapOut before you invest in certification. Upload a PDF, get it in Xactimate, see your profit breakdown by trade, and build material and labor orders from the same file. Free to start with 300 tokens, no credit card required.
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About the author
Matt Fruge
Founder & CEO, CapOut
Matt Fruge is the founder of CapOut, the PDF-to-ESX conversion platform for insurance restoration professionals. With deep experience in insurance claims technology, Matt built CapOut to eliminate the hours contractors spend manually re-keying estimates into Xactimate.
Frequently asked questions
The certification exam is purchased through Verisk (Xactware) - check their website for current exam pricing per level. But the exam is just the test. Most people also invest in a training course (prices vary by provider and format), and you need an active Xactimate subscription to take the hands-on exam. Check Verisk for current subscription rates. Total realistic cost for Level 1 varies depending on training provider and subscription status.
Two years from the date you pass. After that, you retake the exam at the current level to recertify. The exam itself is valid for one year from the date of purchase, so don't buy it until you're ready.
Technically, yes. Verisk doesn't require Level 1 as a prerequisite for Level 2. But unless you're already building estimates daily and comfortable with Sketch, you'll likely fail the Level 2 exam. It assumes you know everything in Level 1 and builds on it.
You can retake it at no additional charge. There's no waiting period or limit on retakes. That said, if you failed, something in your process needs fixing. Most people who fail get tripped up on the Sketch and Scope Lab, not the questions.
Not legally, no. But practically? Most carriers and independent adjusting firms expect it. Walk into a deployment without at least Level 1 and you'll be the person everyone's babysitting. Firms like Crawford, Pilot, and Sedgwick strongly prefer it or list it as a preferred qualification for field adjusters.
It depends on what you're doing. If you're writing supplements or running a supplement company, certification proves you know the software inside and out. If you're a roofing contractor who just needs to convert insurance PDFs into Xactimate format, you may not need the full certification. Tools like CapOut let you upload a PDF, and CapOut processes the estimate and sends it to your Xactimate account in seconds without manually re-keying a single line item. From the same upload, CapOut also gives you a full profit breakdown by trade and lets you build material and labor orders, so you can go from PDF to production without touching a spreadsheet.
Training teaches you how to use the software. Certification proves you know how to use it. You can take training without getting certified, and you can attempt certification without formal training. But training dramatically improves your pass rate, especially for Level 2 and above.
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