Answer:

You must renew F5 certifications every 2-years.

Approximately 120 days prior to a certification becoming expired, candidates will be issued exam authorizations to re-certify their certification;

Candidates will be able to schedule their re-certification exam for 90-days prior to the expiration date and up-to 30 days after ( until the Final Renew date);

If candidates re-certify prior to their expire date, their certification (and prerequisite certifications) will be extended two-years from the expire date;

If candidates re-certify after their expire date, the certification (and prerequisite certifications) will be extended two-years form the expire date;

If candidates do not re-certify by the final renew date, their certification (and any prerequisite certifications) will be ended and the candidate will need to start over to achieve certification again.

Example:

Let's say you achieved the F5-CA on January 1st, 2020 with an expiration date of January 1st, 2022 and a final renew date of February 1st, 2022.

You will receive an exam authorization to retake exam 201 (the last exam you took to achieve the certification) around October 1st, 2021 (~120 days prior to the expiration date).

You can schedule to take your re-certification exam anytime between October 1st, 2021 and February 1st, 2022 (inclusive).  

If you take and pass exam 201 within your eligibility window, your certification will be renewed with a new expiration date of January 1st, 2024 (2-years after the prior expiration date).