- Passing score is 700 on a 1-1000 scale, tested across five domains.
- Voucher pricing (US, checked Sept 12, 2026): $94 single, $113 with retake, $141 with retake plus CertPREP practice.
- Exam is proctored and live-in-the-application, delivered via Compass for Windows.
- Curriculum follows Certiport's 2022 exam objectives - confirm your booked units (Imperial vs. Metric) before test day.
Quick Facts Snapshot
This page is the condensed version of everything a candidate needs to remember about Autodesk Certified User: Inventor (ACU-I) - no fluff, just the numbers and mechanics you'll want open in a second tab the night before your test. If you need the fully expanded version of any row below, the ACU-I Study Guide 2026 walks through the reasoning behind each recommendation.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Certifying body | Autodesk, Inc. |
| Delivered by | Certiport, a Pearson VUE business |
| Delivery method | Proctored, live-in-the-application, via Compass for Windows |
| Passing score | 700 on a 1-1000 scale |
| Exam variants | English - Imperial and Metric units |
| Curriculum basis | Certiport's 2022 exam objectives |
| Recommended prep | ~150 hours of instruction and hands-on practice |
| Single voucher | $94 (US retail, checked 9/12/2026) |
| Voucher + retake | $113 |
| Voucher + retake + CertPREP practice | $141 |
| Validity | 5 years for credentials earned on/after June 18, 2025 |
The Five Domains at a Glance
ACU-I is organized around five content areas that mirror the actual Inventor workflow, from opening the application to producing a finished drawing. For the full breakdown of sub-skills, weightings, and sample task types, see the ACU-I Exam Domains 2026 guide. Here's the one-line version of each:
Domain 1: Workspace and Navigation
Covers the Inventor interface - panels, the browser, view manipulation, and basic file management.
- Know how to switch environments (Sketch, Part, Assembly, Drawing) without hunting for menus
- Be comfortable with view cube navigation and zoom/pan/orbit shortcuts
Domain 2: Sketch
Tests 2D sketch creation, constraints, and dimensioning as the foundation for every 3D feature.
- Apply geometric constraints deliberately, not by accident
- Fully constrain sketches before extruding or revolving
Domain 3: Model
The core of the exam - creating and editing 3D parametric features.
- Extrude, revolve, fillet, chamfer, and pattern with correct parameters
- Edit feature history in the model tree without breaking downstream features
Domain 4: Assemble
Focuses on placing components and applying constraints/joints between parts.
- Understand mate, flush, angle, and insert relationships
- Diagnose why an assembly won't move as expected
Domain 5: Document
Covers generating 2D drawings from 3D models - views, dimensions, and annotations.
- Create base, projected, and section views correctly
- Apply dimensions and annotations that match model geometry
Key Takeaway
Because the exam is live-in-the-application, every domain is tested by doing the task in Inventor itself - not by answering multiple-choice trivia about it. Practice inside real Inventor files, not just flashcards.
Registration and Fee Mechanics
ACU-I vouchers are purchased through Certiport and redeemed at a Pearson VUE-affiliated testing environment or an authorized Certiport partner. As of the September 12, 2026 pricing check, three voucher tiers exist:
- Single voucher ($94): one exam attempt, no retake included.
- Voucher with retake ($113): covers your first attempt plus a second attempt if needed.
- Voucher, retake, and CertPREP practice tests powered by GMetrix ($141): adds a single-title practice test bundle for rehearsal before the real exam.
Some test centers add their own proctoring fee on top of the voucher price, so confirm the total cost with your specific center before booking. For a line-by-line comparison of these tiers and what each one actually buys you, read the ACU-I Certification Cost 2026 breakdown. If you're unsure whether you meet eligibility conditions before spending money on a voucher, check the ACU-I Requirements guide first.
Scoring and Passing Threshold
ACU-I uses a scaled score from 1 to 1000, and you need 700 to pass. This scaled model means raw question counts don't map 1:1 to your final number - some tasks likely carry more weight than others based on domain importance. For a deeper explanation of how scaled scoring works and what it means for your study allocation across the five domains, see the ACU-I Passing Score 2026 guide.
Because the exam is proctored and live-in-the-application, scoring likely reflects whether your completed model, assembly, or drawing meets the required specification - not just whether you clicked the "correct" multiple-choice answer. This is a meaningfully different test-taking experience than a standard knowledge exam, which is worth internalizing before test day. If you're trying to gauge how tough that experience actually is relative to your current Inventor skill level, the How Hard Is the ACU-I Exam guide covers it in more depth, and the ACU-I Pass Rate 2026 analysis looks at what the available data shows.
Software Versions and Delivery
ACU-I is delivered through Compass for Windows, which requires a compatible Inventor installation on the testing machine. Two details matter here more than most candidates expect:
- Match your booked software version to your practice files. Toolbars, dialog layouts, and even some feature names can shift between Inventor releases. Practicing in a mismatched version can cost you time hunting for a relocated command mid-exam.
- Match the booked exam interface (Imperial vs. Metric) to your practice habits. This was flagged in the quick facts above, but it bears repeating - it's one of the most avoidable mistakes candidates make.
Before you finalize a testing appointment, verify with your test center or instructor exactly which Inventor version will be installed, and align your rehearsal accordingly.
Last-Week Review Schedule
If you've already put in most of your ~150 hours of instruction and hands-on practice, the final week is about consolidation, not new learning. Here's a domain-focused schedule for that last stretch:
Workspace, Navigation, and Sketch
- Re-run interface navigation drills until they're automatic
- Rebuild three sketches from scratch, fully constrained, under a timer
Model and Assemble
- Practice editing existing feature trees without breaking downstream geometry
- Build one assembly using each major constraint/joint type
Document
- Generate a full drawing set (base, projected, section views) from a model you built earlier in the week
- Double-check dimension and annotation accuracy against the model
Full mixed review
- Run one complete timed practice session across all five domains
- Confirm software version, unit system, and testing location logistics
This isn't a generic weekly template - it's sequenced specifically to Domains 1 through 5, since each domain builds on the skills of the one before it (you can't document a model you haven't built, and you can't build a model from an unconstrained sketch). For a longer-horizon study plan that starts weeks or months out, the ACU-I Study Guide 2026 covers pacing in more detail.
Renewal and Validity
Credentials earned on or after June 18, 2025 remain valid for five years. When it's time to renew, you'll need a new voucher and a passing score on the then-current version of the exam - there's no automatic extension or grandfathering into an older objective set. Since Certiport periodically updates its exam objectives (the current version reflects the 2022 objectives), expect the renewal exam to potentially test slightly different content than what you originally studied.
If you're weighing whether earning or renewing ACU-I is worth the time and voucher cost, the Is the ACU-I Certification Worth It ROI analysis lays out the considerations, and the ACU-I Salary Guide 2026 and ACU-I Jobs overview look at how the credential fits into hiring conversations for drafting, design, and engineering-support roles that use Inventor day to day.
Frequently Asked Questions
700 on a scale of 1 to 1000.
As of September 12, 2026 US retail pricing, a single voucher is $94, a voucher with retake is $113, and a voucher with retake plus CertPREP practice tests is $141. Some test centers add a separate proctoring fee.
It's a proctored, live-in-the-application assessment delivered through Compass for Windows, meaning you complete tasks directly in Inventor rather than answering only multiple-choice questions.
Credentials earned on or after June 18, 2025 are valid for five years. Renewal requires purchasing a new voucher and passing the then-current exam.
Certiport recommends approximately 150 hours of instruction and hands-on experience across the five domains before attempting the exam.
Keep this page bookmarked as your quick-reference sheet, and pair it with focused domain practice - including timed runs on our ACU-I practice test platform - as your exam date approaches.