NCCER Core Curriculum study plan
NCCER Core Curriculum · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Basic Safety & Introduction to Materials Handling
List the categories of personal protective equipment and state the hazard each one controls
Match the four fire classes to the correct extinguisher type
State the fall-protection and three-point-contact rules for ladders and scaffolds
Describe the OSHA focus-four hazard groups and name one control for each
Explain correct lifting mechanics and the point at which a manual lift must become a mechanical or team lift
Your checkpoint
Score 85% or better on a 40-question safety and materials-handling quiz, plus a one-page site hazard checklist covering PPE, ladders, and lifting limits.
Introduction to Construction Math & Introduction to Construction Drawings
Convert measurements between feet-inches, decimals of a foot, and metric units
Add, subtract, multiply, and divide whole numbers, fractions, and decimals as used in takeoffs
Locate the title block, scale, and revision block on a set of construction drawings
Distinguish plan, elevation, and section views and identify common line types and symbols
Calculate perimeter, area, and volume for rectangular and cylindrical shapes
Your checkpoint
A completed takeoff worksheet: from a written room description, compute area and volume, convert units, and reach 90% accuracy.
Introduction to Hand Tools & Introduction to Power Tools
Name the common hand tools in each category and state the safe use of each
Inspect a tool for defects and describe the tag-out and removal-from-service procedure
Match each power tool category to its typical task and correct accessory (blade, bit, wheel)
State the guard, GFCI, and kickback safety rules for each power tool group
Describe correct carrying, storage, and PPE practices for hand and power tools
Your checkpoint
A tool-selection table covering 15 tasks, each with tool name, category, required PPE, and one safety rule, with no incorrect entries.
Basic Rigging & Basic Safety
Tie and inspect a bowline, clove hitch, and half hitch
Give and respond to at least eight standard crane hand signals
Identify sling types and the vertical, choker, and basket hitches, and explain what reduces sling capacity
Explain tag line use, load control, and the exclusion zone beneath a suspended load
Apply the safety hierarchy to a lifting task by naming the hazards and the controls before the lift
Your checkpoint
A practical rigging check-off: tie three knots correctly, demonstrate eight hand signals, and pass a 25-question rigging and lift-safety quiz at 80% or better.
Basic Communication Skills & Basic Employability Skills
Write a three-step work instruction that another worker can follow without asking questions
Deliver a two-minute verbal briefing using a clear opening, body, and close
Practice active listening by restating a set of instructions back to a partner
Draft resume sections and write answers to three common interview questions
Describe the workplace behaviors employers expect: punctuality, attendance, teamwork, and attitude
Your checkpoint
A two-minute recorded mock safety briefing, plus a one-page resume draft and written answers to three interview questions.
Introduction to Materials Handling & Introduction to Hand Tools
Select the correct manual handling aid (hand truck, dolly, cart, roller) for a described load and route
Describe correct stacking, cribbing, and palletizing to prevent load shift
State the weight and team-lift thresholds that require mechanical assistance
Inspect a hand tool against a checklist and document a defect in writing
Sequence the steps for moving a load safely from pickup through placement
Your checkpoint
A written scenario set of 20 materials-handling and hand-tool situations, each answered with the handling method and safety control, at 85% or better.
Introduction to Construction Math & Basic Rigging
Compute the weight of a load from its volume and material density
Calculate the tension in each sling leg at 30, 45, and 60 degrees from horizontal
Convert rigging capacity figures between pounds and tons without error
Solve three takeoff word problems that involve fractions and unit conversion
Your checkpoint
A rigging math worksheet with 10 load-weight and sling-tension problems solved with work shown, at 80% or better.
Introduction to Hand Tools & Introduction to Power Tools
Complete two full-length timed practice exams and log every missed item by domain
Re-drill the two lowest-scoring domains until each practice set clears 80%
Recite from memory the primary safety rule for each power tool category
Walk through the PPE and tool-condition checklists one final time before test day
Your checkpoint
Score 80% or better on a full-length 100-question cumulative practice exam and submit a one-page error log naming the cause and correction for each missed item.
Milestones
Week 2: Safety/materials-handling quiz at 85% or better and the takeoff worksheet at 90% accuracy both on file.
Week 4: Rigging practical check-off signed: three knots, eight hand signals, and a 25-question quiz at 80% or better.
Week 6: 20-scenario handling set completed at 85% or better, and a written record of every practice score so far shows a rising trend.
Week 8: Full-length 100-question practice exam at 80% or better with no domain below 70% on the error log.