1.1 Current Exam, Eligibility and Scheduling

What the credential measures

CCO Rigger Level II is the national rigging certification named in this guide. NCCCO is the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators, and CCO is the certification organization’s current public name. Level II includes determining load weight and center of gravity, selecting equipment for unfamiliar lifts, and applying rigging principles without supervision. A certificate establishes assessed competence; the employer must still determine whether a person is qualified for the particular equipment, load and task.

A Level II card does not by itself appoint its holder as a crane operator, signalperson, professional engineer or lift director. Those roles have their own responsibilities and qualification requirements. For example, calculating a two-leg sling tension is within the study scope; approving a damaged vessel lug for continued use requires authority and knowledge beyond identifying the lug as an attachment point.

The written examination has 50 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes. This gives an average of 72 seconds per question, including review. The January 2025 Rigger Candidate Handbook identifies a calculator as permitted for Level II. CCO’s current written-testing instructions specify an on-screen basic four-function calculator for exams that permit one. Personal calculators, books, reference materials and scratch paper are not allowed in the examination room under those instructions. Do not plan around a personal scientific calculator or an unverified testing vendor’s rules.

The six domains

The weights are approximate blueprint percentages, not promises that a particular test form contains an exact whole-number count in each category. Equipment selection deserves the largest preparation allocation. Memorizing crane percentages while neglecting metal mesh, synthetic rope, trolleys or lifting magnets leaves major named topics unprepared.

Initial certification requirements

Candidates must be at least 18, comply with CCO’s substance-abuse policy and code of ethics, and pass the corresponding written and practical examinations. A valid Level II certification requires current Level I certification. Candidates may take Level I and Level II testing concurrently, but all Level I requirements must be satisfied before Level II certification becomes valid.

The corresponding written and practical examinations must be completed within 12 months of the first passed examination. This is a completion window, not an extension of an expired certification. Someone who passes a written exam and waits beyond that window cannot assume the result remains usable for an initial practical examination. Check the actual certification record and current handbook before selecting dates.

CCO lists three written delivery methods: Online Proctored Testing (OPT), Test Center Testing (TCT) and Event Online Testing (EOT). Applications and scheduling proceed through myCCO. Current written-testing instructions require application at least two business days before testing and allow six months from application to take approved exams. The application window and the 12-month certification-completion window are different clocks.

The listed CCO fee is $105 for the Rigger Level II written examination and $95 for the practical examination. Together those CCO fees are $200 for one initial Level II written/practical attempt. They do not include Level I testing, training, travel or additional practical-site charges. The fee page and the chosen site determine the actual amount to budget; an instructor’s bundled course price is not the CCO examination fee.

Scoring and retesting

CCO describes written examinations as criterion referenced: a standard is established before testing rather than ranking candidates against one another. The current handbook and written-testing instructions reviewed here do not publish a numerical Level II passing cut score. Therefore, do not translate an unsupported “70%” into a required number of correct answers. Practice percentages are useful study diagnostics, but they do not establish the official passing standard.

Preliminary written results are available immediately after testing, with results also available through myCCO and email. Candidates who fail must reapply and pay the corresponding retest fees. CCO’s current instructions require a minimum four-week wait before retaking the same written examination. Practical retest arrangements follow the practical procedures and site availability; a written waiting period should not be invented for every practical circumstance.

Scheduling example

A candidate already holds current Level I certification and passes the Level II written exam in November. Before paying a practical-site fee, the candidate checks the written pass date, the site’s approved Level II course, available practical dates and additional site charges. The practical must fall within the corresponding 12-month completion window. If a written retest is necessary, a date only ten days after failure would conflict with the four-week rule.

Keep the handbook, fee page and testing instructions together when planning. A course advertisement may describe training duration accurately while giving outdated examination counts. The source controlling an exam policy is CCO’s current program guidance, not the quantity of questions in a third-party practice bank.

Sources: Rigger handbook, written testing, exam fees.