Signalperson
Written Exam | Practical Exam | How Do I Test? | Test Dates and Locations

How Do I Test? - Written and Practical Examinations

APPLICATION PROCESS TO TAKE THE SIGNALPERSONS EXAMINATIONS

Candidates wishing to sit for the NCCCO Signalperson examinations may request an application form or obtain further information from either the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) or International Assessment Institute. Candidate applications must be submitted with the appropriate documentation to International Assessment Institute. Applications are due two (2) weeks prior to the scheduled examination date.

Information about the specific locations of the test sites will be available approximately four (4) weeks prior to the examination. Candidates eligible to sit for the examinations will receive an admission letter approximately one (1) week before the scheduled test administration date.

Candidates Requesting Testing Accommodations

NCCCO provides reasonable accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for individuals with documented disabilities who demonstrate a need for accommodation.  In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, NCCCO does not discriminate against individuals with disabilities in providing access to its examination program. Please read the policy for testing accommodations or contact CCO for further information.

SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION

The Candidate Application is located at the back of the Candidate Handbook. These forms can be downloaded from this site for your use.

The Candidate Application with appropriate fees as well as any correspondence and requests for information concerning the administration of the CCO Certification Examinations, should be directed to:

International Assessment Institute
Attention: CCO Testing
600 Cleveland Street, Suite 900
Clearwater, Florida 33755
Phone: (727) 449-8525
Fax (727) 461-2746

Check your application to ensure that all information is accurate and complete. In addition to your completed application, make sure you have enclosed the appropriate fees.

Follow the directions carefully when filling in the information required. Incomplete applications, incorrect payment, and/or inaccurate documentation will delay the processing and incur additional fees. It could result in your NOT being able to sit for the examination.

Therefore, please be sure your application is complete and the payment is correct.

Deadlines

Please note that all deadlines are UPON RECEIPT deadlines and that candidates and Test Site Coordinators are solely responsible for making sure that complete and accurate applications reach International Assessment Institute by the stated deadline.

FEES

The appropriate fee must be enclosed with your application.  Checks and money orders payable to International Assessment Institute are preferred.  You may also pay by credit card - Visa, MasterCard or Amex.  Do not send cash.  Please do not staples your check or money order to your application but do include your payment in the envelope with the application.  All returned checks that are unable to be processed will be subject to a $25 fee.

Fees for Signalperson Examinations are:

Other Fees:
You will be charged an additional $50 fee if your application is late.
You will be charged an additional $25 fee if:
— you wish to reschedule without a valid reason (see Emergency Cancellations or Withdrawals).
— you need a replacement certification card.

You will be charged an additional $30 fee if:
— your application form is incomplete
— you do not send in full payment
— your credit card cannot be processed for any reason

Your application materials must be at International Assessment Institute Assessment’s office according to the sample test schedule outline below.

Applications received after the main application deadline, but at least four (4) business days prior to the exam administration deadline, can be accepted for an additional $50 late fee. For example, for a test administration on a Saturday, late applications that arrive at IAI’s testing office by 5pm (ET) on the Monday evening prior can be accepted.

Candidate applications that arrive after that time cannot be accepted. Walk-in candidates cannot be accepted under any circumstances.

RESCHEDULING, CANCELLATIONS, AND WITHDRAWALS

Should you be unable to sit for the examination, International Assessment Institute must receive notification in writing no later than seven (7) business days prior to the examination date. Your fees will be held until you reschedule. When you reschedule you will need to pay an additional $25.00 rescheduling fee. Candidates who wish to reschedule their NCCCO signalperson examinations MUST notify International Assessment Institute and submit the necessary documentation and fees to International Assessment Institute by the deadline for the rescheduled test date.

Candidates withdrawing or canceling after the deadline or not sitting for the examination will forfeit all application fees and will NOT receive a refund.

Emergency Cancellations or Withdrawals

ONLY the following situations will be accepted as grounds for emergency cancellations or withdrawals:

• Called to work — supporting documentation required: letter from employer
• Candidate illness — supporting documentation required: doctor’s note
• Family death — supporting documentation required: death certificate or obituary notice

Requests for medical and personal emergency withdrawals are handled by International Assessment Institute. Please write a letter to International Assessment Institute describing your situation. Be sure to include your full name, address and social security number along with the scheduled test date, site number, and supporting documentation indicated above.

International Assessment Institute MUST receive your written notification within seven (7) business days after the scheduled examination date or you will forfeit ALL application fees. You will be allowed to reschedule for a future examination administration.

You will NOT receive a refund if you decide you no longer wish to take the test.

TEST ADMINISTRATION SCHEDULE FOR THE CCO EXAMINATIONS

The NCCCO signalperson examinations are available for administration on demand with at least four (4) weeks notice.

APPLICATION DEADLINES

Tests can be administered at any time so long as the application deadlines are adhered to. Sample deadlines shown are for a test date of January 29.

ADMISSION LETTERS

Approximately one week before the scheduled test date, registered and eligible candidates approved to take the NCCCO Signalperson certification examinations will receive an admission letter by mail. The admission letter will contain information regarding the test center address, the reporting time, the examination(s) the candidate registered for and the materials candidates will need to bring with them on the day of the administration. This admission letter must be presented at the test site to gain admittance to the examination(s).

TEST SITE INFORMATION

Identification at the Test Site

In addition to an admission letter valid for the specific test date, candidates must bring government issued photo identification to the test site on the day of the administration. Candidates will be required to sign the test site roster upon entry to the testing area. Acceptable forms of photo identification are:

• passport
• government issued driver’s license
• work identification

NOTE: Candidates without appropriate identification documents will NOT be admitted to take the written certification examination(s).

Materials to Bring to the Test Site

Each candidate must bring the following items to the test site:

• Government issued photo ID
• The admission letter for the specific test date
• Two (2) sharpened #2 pencils (to complete the examination answer sheet)
• A good eraser

NOTE: No books, scratch paper, calculators, beepers, cellular phones or other materials will be allowed in the examination room.

Test Security

For the purposes of test security, candidates who sit for the NCCCO examination(s) acknowledge that they understand the following:

• This examination is the exclusive property of NCCCO.
• This examination and the questions contained therein are protected by federal copyright law. No part of the examination(s) may be copied, reproduced in part or whole by any means whatsoever, including memorization.
• Theft or attempted theft of an examination booklet or any of its pages is punishable as a felony.
• Candidate participation in any irregularity occurring during the examination, such as giving or obtaining unauthorized information or aid, as evidenced by an observation or subsequent statistical analysis, may be sufficient cause to terminate participation, invalidate the results of the examination or other appropriate remedy.
• Candidates verify that they are eligible to take this examination. If at any time it is confirmed a candidate has not met all the requirements, candidates will no longer be eligible for certification.
• A candidate’s signature on the answer sheet for the administration of the examination confirms that the candidate has read and understands the above statements.

Candidate Question Comment Forms

Candidates can comment on the examination(s) as a whole or on specific items within an examination by writing the comments on the Candidate Question Comment Form. These comments should be accompanied by the candidate’s name (which is optional), the specific examination and question referred to, the site code and test date. Examination comments are reviewed by NCCCO content experts on a regular basis.

NOTE: Only comments completed on the Candidate Question Comment Form at the test site will be considered for review.

TEST SCORING INFORMATION

Test Scoring - Written

The NCCCO written certification examinations are criterion-referenced examinations; i.e., the passing score is set beforehand, and candidate performance on the examination is not compared to the performance of others taking the examination.  In a criterion-referenced examination, a candidate must obtain a score equal to or higher than the “passing score” to pass the test. The passing scores represent absolute standards and are determined by panels of NCCCO content experts using psychometrically accepted standard-setting methodology.

Test Scoring - Practical

Candidate performance on the practical examination is recorded by Practical Examiners accredited by NCCC

Examiner requirements include meeting NCCCO requirements for certification, passing the written and practical  exams and successfully completing an accreditation workshop.

The testing procedure has been developed to provide the highest degree of standardization and reliability. The Practical Examiner's task is primarily to record the performance of the candidate.  The scoring of candidates' performance is done off-site at the facilities of International Assessment Institute.

Score Reporting - Written

The written examinations are electronically scored by International Assessment Institute. For this reason, it is important to complete the answer sheet according to the instructions provided by the Chief Examiner on the day of the exam. Candidates will receive credit only for answers recorded on the scannable answer sheet. Answers marked in the test booklet will NOT be counted toward a candidate’s score.

All candidates will receive a score report of their performance. Examination results are mailed to candidates approximately twelve (12) business days after the examination administration.

In reporting the examination results to candidates, statistical procedures are used to convert raw scores (i.e., the number of test questions answered correctly) to scaled scores which are equivalent for all administrations of the examination(s). The scaled score is not a “number answered correctly” score.

Candidate results will be reported as a scaled score, on a scale ranging from 0 to 100 points, with a score of 70 representing the “minimum passing” score. Candidate scores cannot be given over the telephone.

Score Reporting - Practical

All candidates receive a score report of their performance.  Examination results are mailed to candidates approximately twelve (12) business days after the examination administration.

In reporting the examination results to candidates, statistical procedures are used to convert raw scores (i.e., the number of test questions answered correctly) to scaled scores which are equivalent for all administrations of the examination(s). The scaled score is not a “number answered correctly” score.

Candidate results will be reported as a scaled score, on a scale ranging from 0 to 100 points, with a score of 75 representing the “minimum passing” score. Candidate scores cannot be given over the telephone.

Both the practical examination and the scoring system have been validated by NCCCCO's pilot testing program and verified by International Assessment Institute.

Retest Policy for Practical Exam

If a candidate thinks they may have failed the practical exam, they may attempt one additional practical exam after all candidates have tested, if time allows.  No more that one additional attempt will be allowed.

Hand Score Requests

Candidates not passing the examination(s) may request from International Assessment Institute a hand scoring of the answer sheet, provided the request is made in writing within three months of the test date, and the request is accompanied by a processing fee of $25 for one (1) test score. Requests should be mailed to:

International Assessment Institute
Attention: CCO Testing
600 Cleveland Street, Suite 900
Clearwater, Florida 33755
Phone: (727) 449-8525
Fax (727) 461-2746

In the event that the hand scoring of a failing candidate’s answer sheet results in a passing score, the fee will be refunded in full.

Retaking the Examination(s)

Candidates who fail an examination(s) may retake the examination(s). Candidates will need to reapply and pay all corresponding fees.

Information Release Policy

NCCCO may release any information regarding a candidate’s examination application and a candidate’s examination administration to any employer, regulatory agency or any other person or entity that may inquire in writing to the Commission.

The name and certification status of individuals who have successfully completed the NCCCO examinations may be published and released upon request to employers and other interested parties. CCO and International Assessment Institute will discuss score-related matters with the candidate or the candidate’s legal representative only.