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Concrete Field Testing Technician—Grade I
ACI's entry-level concrete certification: a one-hour closed-book written exam plus a hands-on performance examination verifying the ability to properly perform and record seven basic ASTM field tests on freshly mixed concrete.
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Questions55 multiple-choice questions on the written examination (five to ten questions on each of the seven ASTM test methods and practices); the separate performance examination is a hands-on demonstration, not question-based
Testing timeWritten examination: one hour (plus up to 30 additional minutes with the question booklet for exam question challenges); performance examination: separate hands-on session with no published time limit
ScoringWritten exam: at least 60% correct on each ASTM standard AND a minimum of 70% overall (39 of 55) — both required; performance exam: pass/fail grading of checklist steps, with two trials allowed per test method
Exam feeNo single published exam fee — ACI publishes no central candidate fee; training and exam session fees are set by each sponsoring group / ACI Resource Center, and candidates are directed to contact the sponsoring group to register (the optional CP-1 study workbook is USD 136 list / USD 71 ACI member)
Prep options
Study resources for ACI Grade I
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Exam overview
What to know before choosing your prep
- Who runs it
- ACI
- Category
- Industrial Inspection & Testing
- Current version
- Current program per the CP–1 (41st Edition) Technician Workbook; exams are built from the program Job Task Analysis and the seven ASTM standards in force (C1064/C1064M-23, C172/C172M-17, C143/C143M-20, C138/C138M-23, C231/C231M-24, C173/C173M-24, C31/C31M-24); ACI publishes no separate exam version label
- Where it applies
- Global
- Exam languages
- English, Spanish
- Testing provider
- Administered in person by ACI-approved examiners through ACI's international network of over 135 sponsoring groups (ACI chapters and ACI Resource Centers in Southern California, Chicago/Midwest, and Mid-Atlantic); ACI centrally grades the written examinations and reviews the performance examinations
- Format
- Closed-book written multiple-choice exam plus a closed-book hands-on performance examination, administered together at in-person sessions; non-programmable calculators permitted; the written exam may be administered orally with Examiner approval
- Availability
- Instruction and testing sessions added continually by sponsoring groups at more than 100 testing locations worldwide, plus on-demand sessions at the three ACI Resource Centers; candidates schedule by contacting the sponsoring group
- Results
- Performance-exam trials receive immediate pass/fail feedback from the supplemental examiner; final results are typically received within 2 to 4 weeks after testing (ACI processes and grades exams in 7–10 business days after receiving them from the examiner)
- Credential validity
- Certification is valid for five years from the date of completion of all certification requirements; recertification requires successful completion of both the written and performance examinations again
Exam structure
Written exam: 55 multiple-choice items spanning the seven ASTM test methods and practices (C1064 temperature, C172 sampling, C143 slump, C138 density/yield/air, C231 pressure air, C173 volumetric air, C31 making and curing specimens; 5–10 items each). Performance exam: actual demonstration of six of the required test methods plus a verbal description of C172 (sampling), judged on the ability to correctly perform (or describe) all required steps for each procedure.
Where rules vary
U.S.-origin program built on ASTM standards and widely required by U.S. building codes and specifications, but the exam itself is uniform and delivered through an international network of sponsoring groups (100+ testing locations; worldwide country list in ACI's session search).
Eligibility
None — no specific education or work experience is required
Retake policy
Failing the written exam requires reexamination of the entire written exam; failing one or more ASTM standards in the performance exam requires reexamination of the entire performance exam; reexamination must be completed within one year of the initial examination or both exams must be retaken in their entireties (within a session, each performance test method allows two trials)