The written exams are multiple choice and timed. You sit the Core exam and each specialty exam you applied for, and you have to pass Core and at least one specialty to be certified.
The subject areas
The Core exam is built to a blueprint — a fixed share of the paper for each subject area:
- Site — about 20% of the paper
- Operations — about 26%
- Technical knowledge — about 28%
- Load charts — about 26%
Our full-length Core evaluation is built to the same shares, so sitting it tells you something real about where you stand rather than just giving you a score.
What you can use
You work from a load chart booklet for the chart questions. No calculator is allowed on the Core exam — the arithmetic is done by hand, on the whiteboard or paper the test centre gives you. Load chart exams do allow one.
That is why our Core practice exams disable the calculator too, and why Math Refresher 101 exists. Finding out on exam day that you cannot divide on paper any more is a bad day.
How it is scored
Core and each specialty are scored separately. A passed exam stays good for a limited window while you finish the rest.
If you do not pass one
You retake only that exam. The ones you passed stand. There is no penalty here for retaking our practice exams as many times as you like, and the result breakdown will tell you which topics to go back to.
Where we fit in. We are an independent training provider. We prepare you for the written examination and can walk you through the application and booking process. We do not write the exams, administer the written or practical exams, or issue certifications, and passing our courses is not certification. See our training and safety disclaimer.
Checked September 2026. Fees and requirements are set by the certifying organization and can change — confirm the current ones with them before you apply.