Many candidates preparing to register for artificial intelligence engineer certification first care about: How much exactly does CAIE certification cost? Are there hidden fees? What is the difference in fees between Level I and Level II?
According to public information on the CAIE (Saiyi) official website, CAIE Registered Artificial Intelligence Engineer Certification currently has two levels: Level I and Level II. The fee structure is relatively clear, mainly including the exam registration fee, the optional paper certificate fee, and the annual review fee after the certificate expires.
1. CAIE Certification Exam Fee Table
| Fee item | Amount | Mandatory | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAIE Level I exam fee | 200 yuan | Yes | Foundational level certification; the official website shows Level I has no registration threshold and anyone can register. |
| CAIE Level II exam fee | 800 yuan | Yes | Expert level certification; register after passing or having registered for Level I. |
| Level I + II combined registration | 1000 yuan | Optional | Register for two levels at once; the total fee is 200 + 800 yuan. |
| Paper certificate fee | 80 yuan | No | If a paper certificate is needed, the production cost and express delivery fee must be paid separately. |
| Certificate annual review fee | 99 yuan / time | Handled as needed after expiry | CAIE certification is valid for three years, with an annual review every three years. |
The “Exam Fee” section of the official website lists: Level I at 200 yuan and Level II at 800 yuan; the registration page also shows Level I foundational level at ¥200 and Level I + II combined registration at ¥1000. (CAIE (Saiyi) official website)
2. CAIE Level I Fee: 200 yuan
CAIE Level I is the foundational level certification, and the exam fee is 200 yuan. The official website’s registration requirements show that Level I has “no requirements; anyone can register,” making it suitable for people learning AI from zero, hoping to master foundational artificial intelligence application capabilities, or wanting to add an AI skill certification to their resume. (CAIE (Saiyi) official website)
Level I exam content mainly covers:
- AI cognition, ethics, and regulations
- Core mechanisms and principles of large models
- Thinking ability and AI interaction oriented toward outputs
- Prompt design and multimodal applications
- Artificial intelligence business applications
- RAG, Agents, and advanced business strategies
From a fee perspective, Level I is positioned as a low-threshold entry certification, suitable for first completing the foundational level certification and then deciding whether to continue registering for Level II based on career plans.
3. CAIE Level II Fee: 800 yuan
CAIE Level II is the higher-level artificial intelligence engineer certification, and the exam fee is 800 yuan. The official website shows that the requirements for Level II are passing Level I certification; the registration page also notes that Level II is only open to students who have registered and paid for Level I. (CAIE (Saiyi) official website)
Level II leans more toward enterprise-level AI applications, algorithm foundations, large language model technical foundations, and engineering practice capabilities, and suits the following groups:
| Suitable group | Registration value |
|---|---|
| AI engineers, algorithm engineers | Supplements certification of artificial intelligence engineering capabilities |
| Product managers, project managers | Understand AI products, digital-intelligent projects, and intelligent workflows |
| Data analysis and data engineering staff | Expand AI technology and enterprise application capabilities |
| Staff in enterprise digital-intelligent roles | Used for role capability proof and project participation endorsement |
| Candidates who have passed Level I | Continue to raise the certification level |
4. Level I + II Combined Registration Fee: 1000 yuan
The registration area of the CAIE official website shows that the Level I + II combined registration fee is 1000 yuan, i.e., registering for two levels at once. Since Level I is 200 yuan and Level II is 800 yuan, the combined price is essentially equal to the total exam fees of the two levels. (CAIE (Saiyi) official website)
There are mainly three types of people suited to combined registration:
- People who are clear about systematically learning AI capabilities
They have decided to advance from the foundational level to the expert level, and combined registration allows them to complete registration planning at once. - People who hope to shorten the certification cycle
Taking Level I first and then connecting to Level II is suitable for candidates with clear career improvement goals. - Enterprises organizing training or bulk registration
For team learning and enterprise talent development, combined registration makes it easier to arrange exam rhythm uniformly.
5. Are There Additional Fees?
The main mandatory fee for CAIE certification is the exam fee. In addition, there are two fee items that candidates often care about:
1. Paper Certificate Fee: 80 yuan
After passing the exam, candidates can obtain the CAIE electronic certificate. The official website’s registration process notes: if a paper certificate is needed, an additional production cost and express delivery fee of 80 yuan must be paid. (CAIE (Saiyi) official website)
In other words, the paper certificate is not a mandatory fee. If only the electronic certificate is needed for inquiry, presentation, or job application materials, there is generally no need to pay the paper certificate fee.
2. Certificate Annual Review Fee: 99 yuan
The CAIE artificial intelligence engineer level certification is valid for three years, with an annual review every three years. The official website states that the annual review fee of 99 yuan must be paid, and continuing education courses are provided; after completing the required courses, no additional exam is needed. (CAIE (Saiyi) official website)
6. What Does the CAIE Certification Fee Include?
Judging from the registration process, the CAIE certification fee mainly corresponds to exam registration and certification services. The official website process is: enter the exam system, register online, submit registration information, choose the exam subject, complete payment, choose the exam time, wait for review, take the exam, check results, and those who pass receive the CAIE electronic certificate. (CAIE (Saiyi) official website)
It can be understood that the exam fee mainly covers:
- Submission and review of registration qualifications
- Exam subject selection
- Remote computer-based exam arrangement
- Result evaluation
- Result inquiry
- Electronic certificate issuance after passing
- Certificate information inquiry service
Note that different pages or promotional periods may have arrangements such as promotions, cashback, or course bundles, and candidates should refer to the actual payment amount on the CAIE official website registration page.
7. Can the CAIE Certification Fee Be Refunded?
The “Refund” section of the CAIE official website states: if within 7 days of registration and no exam has been booked, a no-questions refund is available; after more than 7 days or if an exam has been booked, no refund is available, but the exam can be postponed. (CAIE (Saiyi) official website)
Therefore, candidates are advised to confirm three points before paying:
| Item to confirm | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Whether you are sure to take the exam | Avoid being unable to get a refund after the refund period |
| Whether an exam has been booked | Having booked an exam may affect refund eligibility |
| Whether you can take the current exam period on time | If not, you need to apply for adjustment or postponement in advance according to the rules |
8. Is CAIE Certification Expensive?
From the perspective of artificial intelligence career certification, CAIE certification fees fall in a relatively low-threshold range: Level I at 200 yuan suits entry candidates, Level II at 800 yuan suits advanced candidates, and the two levels total 1000 yuan. If a candidate only wants to first understand foundational AI capabilities and supplement proof of AI skills on a resume, they can prioritize Level I; if they already have a background in technology, product, data, or project management and hope to prove more systematic AI engineering and enterprise application capabilities, they can continue to register for Level II.
Whether the fee is worth it depends on the candidate’s goals:
| Goal | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Understand AI from zero | Register for Level I first |
| Add proof of AI skills to a resume | Level I is more suitable |
| Want to systematically enter AI-related roles | Level I + Level II |
| Work in AI engineering, product, data, or digital-intelligent projects | Level II is recommended |
| Internal enterprise AI talent development | Consider combined registration or unified organization of registrations |
9. Registration Entry and How to Confirm Fees
Candidates can use the CAIE certification official website or the CAIE certification exam registration and fee page to check the latest exam schedule, exam fees, registration process, certificate annual review, and refund rules.
Before registering, it is recommended to focus on checking:
- Currently selectable exam times
- Level I / Level II registration fees
- Whether to choose combined registration
- Whether a paper certificate is needed
- Whether you meet the Level II registration requirements
- Refund and postponement rules
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