ACI Field Testing I

Two parts: a multiple-choice written paper covering the eight field-testing domains, and a performance (hands-on) test where you execute the procedures and report results. The written portion rewards precise recall of procedural details, while the performance portion rewards correct, repeatable technique with real apparatus under observation.

All eight domains carry roughly equal weight, from 12 to 13 percent each, so there is no high-yield section to prioritize. Start with sampling and temperature, since they underpin everything else, then move through slump, density and yield, the two air-content methods, specimen making and curing, and capping.

ACI does not publish a passing score on its certification program pages, and this page cannot confirm one. Ask your sponsoring group for the current pass criteria for both the written and performance components before you schedule, so you know exactly what standard you are being measured against.

Neither the exam duration nor the fee is stated on the ACI certification program pages. Both are set at the local level, so contact the sponsoring group running your session for the schedule, pricing, and any training-course bundle they offer alongside the examination.

Retake rules are not published on the ACI program pages, so treat any specific policy you hear as unconfirmed until your sponsoring group states it in writing. Ask about waiting periods, whether components can be retaken separately, and whether a fee applies to each attempt.

Certification examinations and optional training courses are conducted through an international network of over 135 sponsoring groups. Use ACI's sponsoring-group lookup to find the group covering your area, then register with them directly - they handle scheduling, venue, materials, and local administration of both exam components.

Usually small technique errors rather than lack of knowledge: incomplete rodding or tamping, misreading the slump, failing to calibrate or purge an air meter, or reporting results that do not match what the apparatus shows. Practise each procedure end to end with the same equipment type used at your test site.

ACI describes its certification programs as designed to form a minimum qualification for personnel employed within the concrete construction industry, rather than as an advanced credential. No specific experience requirement appears on the program pages, so check with your sponsoring group about any local prerequisites or recommended training.

The ACI certification program pages do not state a validity period or recertification requirement for this credential. Confirm the current term and renewal process with ACI or your sponsoring group when you certify, and calendar the expiry date so you are not caught out on a job site.

No. Grade I is listed under Field Concrete Testing. Laboratory work sits in separate programs such as Concrete Laboratory Testing Technician-Level 1 and Level 2, and Concrete Strength Testing Technician. Pick the program that matches the work you actually perform, since the performance exams differ substantially.