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Important Information

The Application Process
To become certified all applicants must complete the Application For Technical Certification, pay the application fee, have appropriate experience and education, and pass the written test. Application instructions and fee schedules are listed on the application. After applications are received at the CWEA office applicant information is compiled in the certification database. Application receipts are then mailed to all applicants. The experience and education given on the application is then reviewed by CWEA staff. Next, the applications are reviewed by TCP Local Section Chairs. If the application is approved, then the applicant will receive an eligibility letter giving test site information. If the application is rejected, the applicant will be notified and may be asked to supply more information if warranted. After completing the written test applicants are sent results. Those who pass will then be mailed certificates and wallet cards.

Test Administration And Admission
Testing Dates and Sites: Tests are given twice each year on the fourth Saturday of January and July in California, Michigan, and Nevada (see Application for Technical Certification for test schedule and test site map). Applicants who are eligible for the test will be mailed an acceptance letter and map to their test site. Special accommodations can be made for those who cannot take the test on Saturdays because of religious reasons by contacting the CWEA office at 510-382-7800.

Test Site Admission: Certificate candidates are required to show at least one valid government issued photo identification (State driver’s license or ID, or passport). Only after positive identification has been made by the proctor may a candidate’s test booklet be distributed. Candidates are not required to show their eligibility letters to enter the test site.

Test Security: All tests are closed-book. No reference material, programmable calculators, computers, or cameras are allowed in the test site. Candidates should only bring a scientific calculator and a few #2, or softer, pencils. All writing and notes must be in the test booklet. Candidates are not allowed to take any notes from the test site. Candidates who violate test site rules may be asked to leave the site and may be disqualified from that test. All violations of test security will be investigated by CWEA and appropriate action will be taken.

Test Design And Format
Test Design: All certification tests are designed to test knowledge and abilities required to perform Essential Duties with minimal acceptable competence.

The Essential Duties and Test Content Areas for each certification were determined by a job analysis and meta-analysis of job specifications by two independent psychometric consulting firms. The studies gathered data from on-site visits of over 31 water and wastewater agencies, interviews with 110 water and wastewater professionals, and analysis of more than 300 job specifications. All research was conducted under the guidance of the Technical Certification Program Committee, vocational sub-committees, and CWEA staff. All test questions are designed to measure at least one area of knowledge or ability that is required to perform an essential duty.

Test Delivery Mechanism: All tests are given in a test booklet with a separate form for marking answers. Tests are written in the English language only.

Test Format: All Plant Maintenance tests are given completely in the multiple choice format (see Sample Test Questions in this booklet for an example). The multiple choice format is considered the most effective for use in standardized tests. This objective format allows a greater coverage in content for a given amount of testing time and improves competency measurement reliability. Multiple choice questions range in complexity from simple recall of knowledge to the synthesis and evaluation of the subject matter.

Test Scoring
Scoring Method: All tests are mechanically scored by CWEA. The overall test score will determine if you pass or fail the test. The minimum passing score depends on the difficulty level of the test and is determined by the Modified Angoff Method. More difficult tests will have a lower passing score and less difficult tests will have a higher passing score. The minimum passing score is 75% of items answered correctly. However, the score may be adjusted downward depending on the difficulty level of the test. The exact passing score is determined after the test is administered.

How Passing Scores Are Set: Each time a certification test is given the questions are changed resulting in a different test form. Since each form has different questions the difficulty level of the test may not be the same from form to form. The passing score is developed as an overall estimate of minimal acceptable competence in the Test Content Areas by subject matter and testing experts. Passing scores are determined by an overall passing score, not by performance on individual Test Subject Areas, and are independent of other candidate’s scores. Partial credit will not be awarded for any test item answered incorrectly.

Test Postponement
Certificate candidates may postpone their exam date to the following test date only if a written request is received by CWEA no less than two weeks before the exam date. There is a $10.00 fee for postponement. No more than two postponements are allowed

for each application. If you wish to postpone a third time you must re-apply for certification and pay the full application fee. Postponement after the deadline is allowed only with an officially documented work related emergency or illness.

Test Reviews & Item Appeals
Test Reviews: Any candidate who has failed the written test may review his or her test in-person at a time and place to be determined by CWEA. Those requesting to review their test will be given one hour to view their test in a secure environment. No notes or any other form of recording will be allowed during the test review period. Test subject matter will not be discussed and score adjustments will not be made during the test review.

Item Appeals: Candidates who wish to appeal a specific test item must do so during the test by completing an Item Appeal form available from the test proctor. Item appeals will be evaluated and appropriate adjustments made during the scoring process.

Test Result Notification
Exam results are routinely mailed to certificate candidates approximately 6 weeks after the examination date. No results are given over the phone. All results are confidential and are only released to the certificate candidate.

Issue of Certificate
Certificates will be issued to all candidates who pass the examination. Certificates are mailed about two to three weeks after result notifications have been mailed.

Renewal of Certification
All certificates must be renewed annually. The first renewal is due one year from the last day of the month in which the certification exam was held. Certificate renewals less than one year past due are subject to the renewal fee plus a penalty fee of 100% of the renewal fee. Certificates more than one year past due are not renewable. Re-testing is required to reinstate certificates more than one year past due. Renewal notices are mailed to certificate holders two months before the due date. It is the responsibility of the certificate holder to ensure that his or her certificate(s) remains valid. Continuing education will be required for renewal after 2001.

Accommodations For Those With Physical or Learning Disabilities
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, special accommodations will be provided for those individuals who provide CWEA with a physician’s certificate, or its equivalent, documenting a physical or psychological disability that may affect the individual’s ability to successfully complete the certification examination. Written requests for special accommodations must be made no later than 2 weeks before the examination date.

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