100+ Free ACA CCS Practice Questions

The Certified Corrections Supervisor (CCS) is the supervisor-tier credential offered by the American Correctional Association (ACA) for first-line supervisors — sergeants, lieutenants, and unit supervisors. It sits above the Certified Corrections Officer (CCO) credential in the ACA career ladder and validates supervisor-specific competencies including subordinate use-of-force review, shift management, FLSA application, and PREA supervisor duties.

The ACA CCS exam fee is $400. There is no separate member discount listed at the supervisor tier. Plan additional spend for any optional study materials, although ACA recommends primarily relying on your agency's supervisor training curriculum. Confirm current pricing at aca.org before applying.

The CCS exam is approximately 200 multiple-choice questions with a 4-hour time limit. You must score at least 70% to pass. The exam emphasizes supervisor responsibilities — UOF review, post management, PREA standards 115.81+, FLSA, labor relations, and incident command — not just line-officer operational knowledge.

Candidates must be current first-line corrections supervisors (sergeant rank or equivalent) and have completed their agency's current supervisor training requirements. ACA recommends prior completion of the CCO or CCP credential, though it is not strictly required. Verify your eligibility with ACA before applying.

Focus on the 115.81 series: 115.81 (medical and mental health screenings), 115.82 (access to emergency medical and mental health services), 115.83 (ongoing medical and mental health care), 115.86 (sexual abuse incident reviews — a supervisory team must conduct a review within 30 days of every PREA investigation), and 115.87 (data collection). Supervisors are also accountable for 115.71 (criminal and administrative agency investigations) and 115.76 (disciplinary sanctions for staff).

Most corrections agencies use the 29 CFR 553 (207(k)) partial overtime exemption for public-safety employees, which lets agencies establish a work period of 7-28 days with overtime triggered at 171 hours over 28 days (or pro-rata). Supervisors must understand authorized vs unauthorized overtime, compensatory time caps (240 hours for non-public-safety, 480 hours for public-safety under 7(o)), and the duty to record all hours suffered or permitted to be worked.

Weingarten rights, from NLRB v. Weingarten (1975), give a unionized employee the right to union representation during an investigatory interview the employee reasonably believes may result in discipline. The right must be invoked by the employee. In public-sector corrections, similar rights typically apply under state public employment relations statutes. Supervisors conducting interviews must honor an invoked request or stop the interview.