Frequently Asked Questions

Answer:

Picture ID’s are necessary for check-in on all session days. Please dress appropriately for concrete testing in long pants and heavy shoes or boots.  No open- toed shoes accepted. Please bring safety vest, hard hat, safety eyewear and protective gloves for working with the concrete.  If equipment is forgotten, you may not be allowed to work with the materials. Also bring a pen/pencil, a highlighter if you find that useful for marking important sections, and a simple calculator to all session days.  NO CELL PHONES WILL BE ALLOWED OUT DURING TESTING.

Answer:

Lunch is not provided on any session day. A scheduled break is offered, but it is best if candidates bring their lunch.

Answer:

No. Those candidates needing more than one certification must sign up for individual sessions for each certification on separate application forms. For example, to achieve the Laboratory Technician Level 1 certification, candidates must take both Strength Testing Technician and Aggregate Testing Technician Level 1 exams, but CANNOT take them in the same session. Candidates must sign up for two separate sessions, and must use a separate application form for each one.

Answer:

If you are unable to lift the required 50 lbs., or you have a learning disability, please call the Certification Coordinator as soon as you register, but no later than 4 weeks prior to the start of the session.  You will be required to submit a written physician's note detailing your physical/learning limitations prior to the start of the course, which will be sent to ACI International and also kept on file in the Certification Office with your application.  You will need to bring a copy to the Instructor the first session day. and the original will be submitted with your exam.  ACI International and the Instructor will determine what, if any, accommodations may be made to assist you in completion of the testing process.  You may be asked to wait to complete the course until you are healed from a current injury, or an alternate testing situation may be designed for you.  The final decision will be determined by ACI International.

 

Answer:

EFFECTIVE 1/1/2023: The rescheduling fee will increase to $200, and applicants may only reschedule once, after which the course fee will be forfeited.

The reschedule request must be made 3 business days prior to the first day of the session. Applicants who are on a waitlist for an earlier session and are moved up by the Coordinator are not required to pay the rescheduling fee.

Please contact the Coordinator's office at 800-753-7711 or email certification@aci-ncawnv.org.

Answer:

Please contact the Certification Coordinator to inform her of the course change. There is no need to fill out a new application, as the change will be made on the current application previously submitted, and a notification for any change in payment will be emailed, if appropriate. Once the full amount of the new course fee has been received, the payment and application will both be changed and moved to the desired session. Please review the rescheduling policy as the $200 fee does apply.

Answer:

Yes, the Chapter will substitute one person for another. If possible, please advise the Coordinator prior to the session so that the Instructor is notified of the change ahead of time. If this is not possible, please let the Instructor know when roll is taken. For example, “I am John Johnson, substituting for Bob Jones.” The Instructor will then notify the Coordinator of the change in name.

Answer:

You will know the results of your performance exam on test day. The written exams are sent to ACI International in Michigan for processing. This takes approximately 4 weeks from the date the exams are received. You will be notified by mail and email of your exam results. You may email the Coordinator 4 weeks after your test day to see if your session's pass/fail report has been received.  The Coordinator will only provide this information to the candidate.  The results letter will contain the specific details of your results.  Should you not receive your results letter within 6 weeks of the session, please contact ACI International at (248) 848-3700.

Answer:

Refunds will be issued only in the instance of cancellation at least 10 business days PRIOR to the start of the course. Those who do not attend their scheduled session(s) (no-shows) forfeit the course fee. Refunds will not be given to candidates who have started the course but do not complete it. Candidates who have been provided any study materials prior to the start of their scheduled session and choose to cancel will have the cost of the material(s) deducted from the refunded course fee. Fees for workbooks mailed to applicants are not refundable..  

Answer:

Candidates who have failed a written or performance exam apply for retesting as they did for the original test. Candidates have one year from the original test date to retest for the failed portion of their certification exam. For example; if a candidate fails the written exam, he/she has one year to pass the written exam before the completed performance exam expires. Candidates are required by ACI to take the entire written exam again, not just the failed section(s). Should that one year pass, candidates must retake both the written AND performance exams again - essentially starting over. This process will also be explained in your results letter.

Candidates also have the option of taking the written retest for Field Tech 1 or Strength Testing Tech at ProMetric Testing Centers.  You can find a location near you and make an appointment at www.prometric.com.  ProMetric is independent of the Chapter and has its own fees.  Once you have taken the test, ProMetric will send it on to ACI International to link up with your performance exam. ACI International will send you results in letter after processing.

Retesting for all other certifications must be done through the Chapter.  Please fill out an application for the desired retest.

Answer:

The fee for retesting both the failed written and performance exams is the cost of the original course fee.

Answer:

Candidates may retest as many times as it takes to pass within the year. A retest fee of $270 must be paid for each written retest. Candidates may attend the morning of the first day of the 2-day Field Tech 1 course for a review, then retest with the other candidates on the second session day or attend only on testing day.

For the FT1 or Strength Testing written exams, candidates also have the option of contacting a ProMetric Testing Center near them to retest on a computer (www.prometric.com).  The retest is then sent by ProMetric to ACI International to link up with the completed performance exam.

Candidates failing a performance exam must attend testing day of a certification course for retesting.   The fee for performance retesting is $310.

Answer:

The Field Tech Grade 1 course is made up of two consecutive Saturdays.  Applicants will receive an emailed PDF of the ASTM standards that pertain to this certification approximately 2 weeks prior to the start of the session; the CP-1 study manual will be handed out the first course day. The first Saturday consists of written material instruction in the morning followed by practical instruction in the afternoon.  Lunch is not provided, so please plan to bring one to have during the short break. The second Saturday is testing day.  A quick review of the written material is given prior to the written exam, which is then followed by taking the performance exams. All testing materials, study materials and exams are included in the course fee.

Answer:

Those who need to recertify will register for the two day program. It is strongly recommended that those recertifying attend both days of the course. You will be emailed a PDF of the ASTM standards that pertain to this certification approximately 2 weeks prior to the start of the session and learn of any changes in the standards that may have taken place since you last certified. It has been found that candidates attending both days have a higher success rate.

Answer:

The course fee includes the study material (which is mailed to the attendee upon registration/receipt of payment), observation of installation of the anchors and the written exams. It is a two day program in which the candidate will participate in a review of the written material on the first day and is required to observe the installation of the adhesive anchors, followed by the administration of the written exams on the second course day. Please click on the session description link on the session schedule page for a full description of the certification and its requirements. This program is NOT a training program; a short review is conducted on the first course day. Candidates are responsible for preparing themselves for the written exam(s) by studying the material they receive prior to the start of the course. The Practice Session Verification Form will be filled out and signed by the candidate during the review. The Instructor will verify the information and return the form to ACI International.

Answer:

In January 2008, ACI International realigned this program to reduce the content overlap between the Laboratory Testing Technician certification programs. There are now less test methods covered by each program, and test methods are grouped logically. 

To obtain the equivalent certification of the Laboratory Testing Tech Level 1, you must now take BOTH Concrete Strength Testing Technician and Aggregate Testing Tech Level 1 within 2 YEARS of each other. Following successful completion of the Strength Testing and Aggregate Level 1 programs, you will receive the following three (3) certifications: Strength Testing Tech, Aggregate Tech Level 1 and Lab Tech 1.

Answer:

Please contact ACI International for replacement at (248) 848-3700

Answer:

Please contact the Coordinator for assistance and information about the Flatwork Finisher and/or Pervious Concrete courses. For Shotcrete Nozzleman certification, please contact the American Shotcrete Association for assistance.

Answer:

Candidates needing evidence of course attendance, including date(s) and session hours, should email the Coordinator. Converting this information to equivalent CEU's or PDH's is solely at the discretion of ICC or other certifying entity to which it is being presented.

Answer:

Applicants who have failed a written exam register for retesting on the Cert Course schedule page of the website. The fee is collected each time a retest is taken. They have one year from the original test date to retest & pass the exam; after that date their performance exams expire. Applicants are required by ACI to take the entire written exam again, not just the failed section(s). Applicants have the option of taking the written retest for Field Tech 1 or Strength Testing at ProMetric Testing Centers. You can find a location near you and make an appointment at www.prometric.com. They are an independent business with their own fees. Once you taken the retest they will send it on to ACI International to link up with your performance exams, sending you the results after processing.

Answer:

If you are having difficulties registering/paying for a course/meeting/event, please be sure you have all the information correctly listed on your member/user profile. All fields marked with a red asterisk must be completed and saved prior to processing your order. The website will auto-fill fields during payment from this information. Also, as directed on the Certification homepage, please be sure to use a browser that is compatible with the website; there are several listed that will work.

Answer:

Yes, these exams are offered on an as-needed basis. The cost of the written exam for either is $415.00. Applicants purchase their own study materials from ACI International and prepare themselves for testing, there is no instruction session offered/given. There are prerequisites for taking these exams. You can read about them here: www.concrete.org. Once applicants are ready to take the test, they would be scheduled into an existing session in which the presiding Examiner is authorized to give these particular exams. If you have a timeframe in mind to sit for the test, dates and locations can be offered to choose from. A one month's advance notice is required in order to schedule your exam date. Please email the Certification Coordinator if interested at certification@aci-ncawnv.org

Answer:

If you have been notified that a course you are registered for was canceled and/or rescheduled, you have the option of agreeing to be rescheduled to the new session offered by the Certification Coordinator, or you may elect to receive a refund. Should you choose to reschedule, the rescheduling fee would not apply. For those choosing a refund, if your course included a study manual that was shipped to you in advance, the cost of that non-refundable manual will be deducted from the course fee, as will the cost of the emailed ASTM PDF if that document was sent to you prior to the cancelation/reschedule of the course.