March 1, 2021—NCCCO’s continuous improvement efforts are paying off with streamlined systems for candidates, certificants, practical examiners, and test site coordinators.
NCCCO is further simplifying its exam fee schedule and lowering exam fees for certain exams. The fee for candidates taking Mobile Crane, Tower Crane, Overhead Crane, Articulating Crane, and Digger Derrick operator practical exams will be reduced from $70 to $60. This will be a fixed fee for each exam so eliminates the bundle pricing previously applied for taking multiple mobile and articulating crane operator exams. Similarly, the written and practical exam rates for the Rigger and Signalperson programs will be reduced from $100 per an exam to $85. Fee reductions will be effective for practical exams and paper/pencil exams administered on or after July 1, 2021; for computer-based tests the reduced fee will take effect for applications received on or after July 1, 2021.
The fee reductions and standardization is intended to be more fair and increase flexibility for candidates who may prefer to take exams on different days or at different times rather than encouraging them to take exams they may not be fully prepared for simply because of the cost. It will also simplify the fee structure, permit Practical Examiners to get candidate score sheets to NCCCO more quickly after testing rather than wait until all testing is completed, and set the organization up for further streamlining which will benefit candidates in the future. See the complete NCCCO Exam Fees table, effective July 1, 2021, at www.nccco.org/2021fees.
Other Recent Improvements
Recently NCCCO moved to accepting all paper/pencil testing applications via the NCCCO website at www.nccco.org/applyPPT. As with candidate applications for computer-based testing, candidates provide their contact information, identify the exams they are registering for, and provide payment during the application process. Candidates will also need to have identified the test site at which they plan to test and provide those details, just as they had to do with the paper application. The elimination of paper applications is expected to result in a more efficient process with faster application processing, fewer errors, and reduced delays in payment processing.
Candidates and certificants can also access and edit their contact information directly—as well as view their current certification statuses—using either the myNCCCO mobile app on Apple and Android devices or the myNCCCO web portal at www.nccco.org/mynccco. Search the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to download the app for free. Further enhancements to the myNCCCO app are slated for later in 2021.
To help increase exam availability during COVID restrictions, two more written exams are now available via computer-based testing (CBT): Dedicated Pile Driver Operator and Drill Rig Operator. As with all other CBT exams, the CBT option offers quicker scheduling and same-day results reporting. CBT exams are available at more than 400 PSI testing centers across the country, as can be located using www.nccco.org/CBTlocations.
Even NCCCO Practical Examiners are benefiting from recent streamlining, with required Practical Examiner Accreditation Program (PEAP) refresher workshops now available remotely using videoconferencing. This has proven to be an efficient and cost-effective method for examiners to reaccredit, with examiners appreciative of the opportunity to avoid the time and cost to travel to in-person workshops. Because of their interactive nature, full PEAP workshops are still held in person. Quarterly sessions throughout 2021 have been scheduled and can be found at www.nccco.org/refresh2021.
Stay tuned for even more developments that will improve and enhance your NCCCO experience.