Digger Derrick Operator
Certification Policies | Written Exam | Practical Exam

How Do I Test? - Written Exam
Written Exam | Practical Exam

APPLICATION PROCESS TO TAKE THE WRITTEN EXAMINATION

Digger Derrick Operator written exams and recertification exams may be taken as paper/pencil tests (PPT) at an approved NCCCO written exam test site.

CANDIDATES REQUESTING TESTING ACCOMMODATIONS

Arrangements for persons with disabilities will be provided upon request, in conformance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Professional documentation in support of a request for accommodation must be submitted to NCCCO no later than four weeks prior to the scheduled test date. For further information about testing accommodations, see the complete NCCCO Testing Accommodations Policy.

PAPER/PENCIL TESTING (PPT)

Candidates desiring to sit for paper/pencil written exam(s) should visit the Test Dates and Locations page to see a schedule of upcoming Test Dates and Locations and then submit a completed Candidate Application form with the appropriate documentation as directed on the form. Applications are due two weeks prior to the scheduled examination date. Information about the specific locations of the Test Sites will be available approximately one to three months prior to the examination. Candidates eligible to sit for the examination will receive an admission letter approximately one week before the scheduled test administration date.

Submission of Application

To apply for paper/pencil tests, use the Candidate Application form at the back of the Candidate Handbook. The Candidate Application with the appropriate fees, as well as any correspondence and requests for information concerning the administration of NCCCO examinations, should be sent to:

            International Assessment Institute

            Attention: NCCCO Testing

            600 Cleveland Street, Suite 900

            Clearwater, Florida 33755

            Phone: 727-449-8525/Fax: 727-461-2746

Candidates should contact the Test Site Coordinator to confirm whether the application should be sent to their Test Site Coordinator or directly to IAI. They should check their applications carefully to ensure that all information provided is accurate and complete. In addition to the completed application, they need to make sure that the appropriate fees are enclosed.

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

Deadlines

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

Examination Fees

For paper/pencil tests, the appropriate Written Exam fees must be enclosed with the Candidate Application. Checks, money orders, or credit cards (VISA, MasterCard, or American Express) may be used; do not send cash. Please include payment in the envelope with all the other application materials.

All returned checks are subject to a $30 fee.

Written Examinations are (these fees also apply to retest candidates):

Other Fees:

An additional $50 late fee will be charged if an application is late.

An additional $25 fee will be charged if a candidate:

• Wishes to reschedule without a valid reason (see Emergency Cancellations or Withdrawals)
• Needs a duplicate/replacement certification card or score report

An additional $30 fee will be charged if:

• An application form is incomplete
• Full payment is not submitted
• A credit card cannot be processed for any reason
• A check is returned
• A candidate wants to add to or change the exams he/she plans to take after scheduling has been completed (in addition to the exam fee)

All application materials must be received at International Assessment Institute’s office according to the sample test schedule outlined below.

Applications received after the main application deadline, but at least four 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 5 p.m. (ET) on the Monday evening prior will 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 a candidate be unable to sit for the examination, International Assessment Institute must receive notification in writing no later than seven business days prior to the scheduled examination date. Candidate fees will be held up to one year. When the candidate reschedules, he/she will need to pay an additional $25 rescheduling fee.

Candidates who wish to reschedule their NCCCO Written Examination(s) 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 business days after the scheduled examination date or you will forfeit ALL application fees. You will be allowed, however, to reschedule for a future examination administration.

Candidates will NOT receive a refund if they decide they no longer wish to take the test.

TEST ADMINISTRATION SCHEDULE FOR THE CCO EXAMINATIONS

NCCCO written certification examinations are available for administration on demand with at least four 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

For paper/pencil tests, approximately one week before the scheduled test date, registered and eligible candidates approved to take NCCCO Written Examinations will receive an admission letter by mail. The admission letter contains information regarding the test center address, the reporting time, the examination(s) the candidate is registered for, and the materials the candidate needs to bring on the day of the test administration. This admission letter should be presented at the Test Site to gain admittance to the examination(s).

Identification at the Test Site

Candidates must bring valid photo identification to the test site on the day of the test administration. Candidates will be required to sign the test site roster upon entry to the testing area.

Acceptable forms of photo identification for paper/pencil tests are a current:

• Passport
• Government–issued driver’s license
• Military identification card
• U.S. Government–issued alien registration card
• Work identification

NOTE: Candidates without appropriate identification documents will NOT be admitted to take the NCCCO Written Examination(s) and all fees will be forfeited.

Materials to Bring to the Test Site

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

• Photo identification
• Admission letter for the specific test date (recommended)
• Two sharpened #2 pencils (to complete the examination answer sheet)
• A good eraser

NOTE: No books, scratch paper, calculators, reference materials, beepers, cellular phones, or other personal items will be allowed in the examination room. A basic four-function calculator—which candidates will be allowed to keep—will be provided.

Score Reporting

Paper/pencil CCO 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(s) 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 12 business days after the examination administration.

TEST SITE INFORMATION

Test Security

For the purpose of test security, candidates who sit for 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 or 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.
• While at the examination site, candidates are considered professionals and shall be treated as such. In turn, candidates must conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times. While at the site, they shall not use words or take actions that are vulgar, obscene, libelous, or that would denigrate the staff or other candidates.
• No conversing or any other form of communication among the candidates is permitted once they enter the examination area.
• No smoking, eating, or drinking is allowed at the examination site.
• Candidate participation in any irregularity occurring during the examination, such as giving or obtaining unauthorized information or aid, as evidenced by 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 have successfully met the physical/medical requirements and are eligible to take this examination. If at any time it is confirmed that a candidate has not met all the requirements, the candidate 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 their 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, and the test date. Examination comments are reviewed by NCCCO content experts on a regular basis. An online form is available for computer-based tests.

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

TEST SCORING INFORMATION

Test Scoring

NCCCO Written 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 a predetermined passing score to pass the test. The passing scores represent absolute standards and are determined by panels of NCCCO content experts using a psychometrically accepted standard-setting methodology.

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 are reported as a scaled score, with a score of 70 representing the minimum passing score for this test. Written exam score reports include a strength and weakness report by content domain.

Candidate scores cannot be given over the telephone.

Hand Score Requests

Candidates not passing exam(s) may request from International Assessment Institute a hand scoring of their answers, provided the request is made in writing within three months of the test date. Requests must be accompanied by a processing fee of $25 for one failed test score or $50 for two or more failed test scores per test administration.

Requests should be mailed to:

            International Assessment Institute

            Attention: NCCCO 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 hand-scoring fee(s) 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 retest fees. 

Information Release Policy

NCCCO releases information pertaining to individuals who have successfully passed one or more NCCCO examinations according to its Information Release Policy.