Candidates for PCI personnel certification must:

  • Complete the certification application and pay the required certification fees
  • Pass a written examination.
  • Attend QC School training, when required.
  • Meet the associated certification qualifications.
    • It is desirable that candidates for certification meet the required qualifications prior to taking the examination; however, a candidate for certification may take the examination prior to attaining all required qualifications.
    • Candidates have up to one (1) year from the date of the PCI certification examination to provide PCI with proof of attainment of the required qualification(s).
    • More information regarding additional skills, knowledge, qualifications, and certification requirements can be found under the Certification Program Overview.
  • Sign an agreement with PCI, prior to taking the certification exam or renewing certification, stating their commitment to:
    • Not release confidential exam materials;
    • Not participate in fraudulent test-taking practices;
    • Comply with industry standards and policies; and
    • Maintain professionalism and ethical practices in the field or plant.

Certification Process

Applications for all certifications (initial, recertification, and renewal) must be completed using the Certification Dashboard.

  • The application process includes three areas:
    • Personal Information,
    • Experience, Education and Endorsement, and
    • ACI Concrete Field Testing Technician – Grade I Certification.
  • The application may be completed by the certification candidate or by another party on the candidate’s behalf.
  • For additional information on how to complete the application, see the PCI CMS Instructions.

All requests for proctored exams must be completed using the Certification Dashboard. The request may be completed by the certification candidate or by another party on the candidate’s behalf. Exams administered at an in-person PCI QC School do not require proctored exam registration; registration for these exams will be handled by PCI Staff.

  • The proctored exam request process includes:
    • Proctor Selection
    • Exam & Date Selection
  • For additional information on how to complete the proctored exam request, view PCI CMS Instructions.

All examinations are administered in an online format through the PCI CMS.

  • For additional information on how to complete a proctored exam, see the “Preparing for an Online Exam”, “Taking an Online Exam”, and “How to Complete an Online Exam” sections of PCI CMS Instructions.

PCI Level I and Level II Quality Control Technician/Inspector personnel certifications do not require attendance at a PCI QC School. Candidates can either:

  • self-study and request a proctored exam,
  • attend online training and request a proctored exam, or
  • attend an in-person training course and take the exam at the training center at the conclusion of the course.

To register for a PCI QC school, please visit PCI Quality Control Training Courses.

PCI Level III Quality Control Technician/Inspector, Certified Field Auditor (CFA), and Certified Company Auditor (CCA) personnel certifications require attendance at a PCI QC School prior to taking the exam. Candidates must:

  • attend an in-person training course and take the exam at the training center at the conclusion of the course, or
  • attend online training and request a proctored exam.

To register for a PCI QC school, please visit PCI Quality Control Training Courses.

GFRC personnel certifications can only be obtained through the self-study proctored exam program.

  • No training courses exist for this certification.
  • Please refer to the GFRC Study Guide prior to taking the GFRC certification exam.

Knowledge of basic math and algebra is a prerequisite for PCI certification and training. These subjects will not be taught in any PCI Quality Control school or training manual.

  • Candidates are responsible for attaining the necessary mathematical skills to apply formulas appropriately to solve problems on their own. Free online tutorials and refreshers on basic algebra are available at the Math Antics YouTube Channel.
  • These Math Antics videos discuss the mathematical topics related to PCI training and certification:

More information regarding additional skills, knowledge, qualifications, and certification requirements can be found under the Certification Program Overview.

  • PCI reviews the candidate’s examination score, qualifications and prerequisites listed on the application, and any other requirements for the applicable certification.
  • If the candidate meets all the (re)certification requirements, PCI then makes the decision to grant the candidate with certification status or recertification status.

Certificates

Once PCI has granted a candidate with certification or recertification:

  • PCI will email a PDF of the certificate to the certified person within two (2) weeks.
  • Certified persons can access their certification(s) online through the Certification Dashboard, see “Accessing Your Certification” of PCI CMS Instructions.
  • Certification is valid for five (5) years from the date the initial certification examination is passed and is only valid once PCI has completed the decision to issue the certificate.
  • The effective date of the certificate is based on the date the last qualification was met by the candidate.

Maintaining PCI Personnel Certification

To maintain certification status, certified persons must:

  • Inform PCI, without delay, of matters that may affect their capability to continue to fulfill the requirements of the standard(s) used for certification, including changes of employer, changes in contact information, and change in legal name.
  • It is the certified person’s sole responsibility to maintain their certification. This includes but is not limited to: continuing education, relevant work experience, ACI Concrete Field Testing Technician – Grade I certification requirements, and recertification and/or renewal application submittals.
  • PCI does not send renewal/recertification notices to certified persons.

PCI requests that certified persons submit all renewals and recertification applications prior to the expiration date of their current certification. All certified persons are eligible to recertify their current certification one (1) year prior to the expiration date of their certificate.

  • For the first and second recertifications for Level I, II, GFRC, CFA and CCA, follow the steps above in Attaining Certification to apply for a recertification exam.
  • For Level III recertification, refer the requirements listed in the Level III overview page.
  • Certified persons are strongly encouraged to renew certifications on a timely basis.
    • Level I, GFRC, CFA and CCA personnel certifications – failure to recertify within six (6) months after the expiration date shall require re-examination and the individual’s certification records will reflect a gap in certification.
    • Level II personnel certification – failure to recertify within six (6) months after the expiration date shall require re-examination and recertification as Level I and Level II, and the individual’s certification records will reflect a gap in certification.
    • Level III personnel certification – failure to recertify within twelve (12) months after the expiration date shall also require re-examination and recertification as Level I and Level II, and the individual’s certification records will reflect a gap in certification.
    • Late fees may be applied for late submission.