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Plant Maintenance Certification

Online Candidate Handbook / 1999-2000

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Handbook Contents

closed.gif (903 bytes)Introduction      
closed.gif (903 bytes)Important Information
closed.gif (903 bytes)Program Structure
closed.gif (903 bytes)Plant Maintenance Tech. I
closed.gif (903 bytes)PM Mechanical Technologist II
closed.gif (903 bytes)PM Mechanical Technologist III
open.gif (936 bytes)Elec./Instrument. 2
       Eligibility Criteria
       Qualifying With Education
       Essential Duties
       Complexity of Test Questions
       Test Content Areas

closed.gif (903 bytes)Electrical/Instrumentation III
closed.gif (903 bytes)Plant Maintenance Tech.  IV
closed.gif (903 bytes)Sample Test Questions
closed.gif (903 bytes)Selected References
closed.gif (903 bytes)Preparing for Your Test
closed.gif (903 bytes)Frequently Asked Questions

 

Electrical/Instrumentation Grade 2

Plant Maintenance (PM) Electrical/Instrumentation Technologist Grade II Certification is designed to demonstrate competency at the skilled or journey level. More specifically, Grade II certification implies competence in the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the Essential Duties of a skilled Electrical/Instrumentation Technologist.

Eligibility Criteria For Taking The Test
The basic requirement is four years of full-time work experience performing the Essential Duties of a Grade II Electrical/Instrumentation Technologist (listed below). You may also qualify by having two years of experience and holding a Plant Maintenance or E/I Technologist Grade I Certificate for one year, OR having two years of full-time experience and holding an Associate’s degree in a related field, OR having one year of full-time experience and holding a Bachelor’s, or higher, degree in a related field.

Eligibility criteria are summarized in the table below. You may qualify by meeting either Education/Experience Combination A, B, C, or D. If you do not meet any of the combinations of experience and education, then you do not qualify for Grade II:

Combination

EDUCATION & CERTIFICATIONS

EXPERIENCE

A

None 4 full-time years in vocation*

B

Grade I PM or Mechanical Technologist Certificate for 1 year 2 full-time years in vocation*

C

AA/AS degree in a related field 2 full-time years in vocation*

D

Hold a BA/BS, or higher, degree in a related field 1 full-time year in vocation*
* experience must be in electrical/instrumentation technology, or other field closely related to water or wastewater plant electrical/instrumentation maintenance.

Qualifying With Your Education
Holding a college degree, or its equivalent, in a field related to your vocation will reduce the number of years required for your test (see the table above). Your degree must be in a field that is related to the certificate for which you are applying. If you are uncertain if your degree is related to your vocation you should still include your degree information in your application. The Technical Certification Program Committee will determine if your degree qualifies. If it does not, you will be accepted for the next highest grade level for which you qualify. Associate’s and Bachelor’s degrees in technical fields are usually accepted. Degrees are evaluated on a case-by-case basis upon receipt of the application. College credit without a degree is not accepted unless it can be demonstrated that the credit is equivalent to a degree.

Essential Duties
Individuals certified as Grade II PM Electrical/Instrumentation Technologists are expected to possess acceptable competency when performing the tasks that are necessary for lead or advanced level Electrical/Instrumentation Technologists. These necessary tasks are known as the Essential Duties. The certification test measures knowledge, skills and abilities required to perform the Essential Duties.

Essential Duties for Grade II

  1. Essential duties identified on the Test Content Specifications for Plant Maintenance Grade I.
  2. Performs common preventive maintenance by inspecting equipment, checking voltage and amperage, tightening and cleaning equipment and locating potential problems.
  3. Performs common preventive and corrective maintenance by isolating power, grounding wires, troubleshooting problems, making repairs, restoring power and checking for proper operation.
  4. Performs common electrical and instrumentation circuit installation for additions of modifications by bending and installing conduit, pulling wire, wiring in circuit as shown on blueprints and testing system for proper installation.
  5. Maintains and repairs electrical and instrumentation equipment facilities such as motors, generators, switch-gears, substations and control equipment.
  6. Tests, adjusts, modifies and maintains analog, digital and logic circuitry, microprocessor controlled devices, elements and components such as programmable logic controllers, process control equipment, telemetering devices, recorders, sensors, and controllers on water and/or waste water treatment process instruments and devices.
  7. Prepares purchase requests for parts and materials and contacts vendors for pricing of specialized parts and services.
  8. Generates power at pump stations during outages by connecting emergency generator to pump stations.
  9. Establish and maintain effective working relationships.

Complexity Of Test Questions
At the Grade II level, certificate candidates are expected to have the knowledge, skill and ability to safely and effectively accomplish most of the Essential Duties listed above. Grade II candidates are also expected to be familiar with the Grade I Test Content Areas. Examinees will have to answer multiple choice questions that test comprehension, application and analysis of the subject matter. The complexity of the questions will cover the ability to basically understand the subject matter; to recall and apply principles, ideas, and theories; and to breakdown ideas and theories into their constituent parts.

Test Content Areas
The following list is an outline of Test Content Areas. Each content area is a Knowledge, Skill, or Ability that is required to perform the Essential Duties listed above. Approximate relative weightings for each Test Content Area are given in parenthesis. These reflect the approximate allocation of points on the test. Candidates should also be thoroughly familiar with the Grade I Plant Maintenance Test Content Areas.

Test Content Areas Grade II

  1. Knowledge, skills and abilities identified on the Test Content Specifications for Plant Maintenance Grade I.
  2. Electrical and instrumentation principles, methods, tools, equipment and safety procedures. (17%)
  3. Safe and proper use of various hand and power tools, test meters and equipment to troubleshoot, repair adjust and perform preventive maintenance on electronic process controls and measurement systems, instrumentation systems, electronic meters, programmable controllers and related equipment. (17%)
  4. Communicate effectively both orally and in writing, in the English language. (17%)
  5. Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships. (17%)
  6. Use electrical and instrumentation test equipment and record data regarding electrical/electronic equipment. (5%)
  7. Read and interpret computer logic diagrams, programming guides, electrical drawings, control loop diagrams, schematics, blue prints, maintenance manuals, technical bulletins, ladder diagrams, troubleshooting guides and preventive maintenance instructions. (7%)
  8. Diagnose, repair and calibrate defective electrical, electronic components. (7%)
  9. Design basic electrical and instrumentation controls. (3%)
  10. roubleshoot electrical, electronic, mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, digital and analog control equipment and systems. (7%)
  11. Generate accurate and effective maintenance records, status reports, data and maintenance logs and effectively respond to oral directions and requests. (3%)

 

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