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HIGHWAY MATERIALS
The Institute occasionally makes changes in its certification programs which will significantly affect the
currency of individual program detail manuals. These changes could include any or all of the following:
Since these changes could affect the requirements for certification, it is highly recommended that you contact
the Institute before applying for an examination if this manual is more than a year old. The date of
publication of this manual is March 2009.
The fifth edition contained two changes from the 4th edition (12/94): updated AASHTO
and ASTM references to in the work element listing; and the addition of Level I Special
work element 82025. (There were no changes to the examination requirements from the
4th edition.)
The March 2009 Reprint corrected information about the availability of work element
82025 and updated information about testing materials, training organizations, and
NICET Policy 20.
All test records for an individual certification area will be purged from the
Deletion of database after 5 years if no further testing is done in that certification area and
Test Records you are not certified in that certification area. See Policy #26 on our website
(www.nicet.org).
FIELD OF TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Program Description........................................................................................................................................1
Certification Requirements..............................................................................................................................1
Expiration of Certification.............................................................................................................................10
This Program Detail Manual contains the information needed to apply for the NICET certification examination in the
Highway Materials subfield of Transportation Engineering Technology.
This manual does not contain all of the rules and procedures for obtaining certification. For this, you must refer to our
Website (www.nicet.org).
National Institute for Certification
in Engineering Technologies (NICET)
1420 King Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314-2794
1-888-476-4238 (staff response - 9am to 4pm Eastern Time)
(voice mail system at all other times)
1-703-548-1518 (local number)
www.nicet.org
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
This certification program is for highway technicians involved in laboratory and field testing of highway materials such
as aggregates, asphalts, concrete, soils, paints, and metals. This program addresses knowledge of techniques and equipment;
recordkeeping and reporting procedures pertaining to materials and quality control; and supervisory techniques.
This program became operational in 1979 with funding from the Federal Highway Administration and technical
guidance from a task force appointed by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
(AASHTO).
The typical job duties and associated responsibilities of highway materials technicians have been broken down into
discrete work elements which form the basis for an evaluation of the candidate's knowledge. Each work element is written in
sufficient detail to permit candidates who have the appropriate work experience to make reasonable assumptions about the
types of questions likely to be asked.
In addition, the supervisor verifying the experience of the candidate should be able to interpret the scope of the
activities associated with each work element.
CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
Simply passing the examination does not guarantee certification. All other components MUST be accepted and
approved in order to achieve certification.
Level I is designed for entry-level technicians with very limited relevant work experience in this technical subfield.
The Institute recommends that persons with eighteen or more months of relevant work experience set their initial
certification goal at Level II. Certification at Levels II, III, and IV does NOT require prior certification at Level I. The
Examination Requirements Chart on page 4 lists the actual examination requirements for certification at Levels I, II, III, and
IV in the subfield of Highway Materials.
1
WORK ELEMENT DESCRIPTIONS
The typical job duties and associated responsibilities of Highway Materials engineering technicians have been broken
down into discrete work elements which form the basis for an evaluation of the candidate's knowledge. Each work element
is written in sufficient detail to permit candidates who have the appropriate work experience to make reasonable assumptions
about the types of questions likely to be asked.
In addition, the supervisor verifying the experience of the candidate should be able to interpret the scope of the
activities associated with each work element.
In order for NICET to prepare individualized examinations for each applicant, identification numbers have been
assigned to each technical field and to each work element. Each technical field is represented by a 3-digit number. The
technical field code number for Transportation Engineering Technology is 00l.
The identification number assigned to each work element is 5 or 6 digits long. The first digit identifies the technical
subfield within the field of Transportation Engineering Technology:
The second digit identifies the level (Levels I through IV) and the work element type (General or Special):
The third, fourth and fifth digits identify the individual work element within each category. A sample of this numbering
system is illustrated below for work element number 001/85001:
This eight-digit identification number is needed when using the application form to request an examination or provide
work element verification.
2
WORK ELEMENT SELECTION
3. Note the number of work elements required for certification, by category, as shown in the selected box.
4. Turn to the Work Element Listing section and carefully select work elements from the required categories, paying
attention at each level to whether they are classified as General or Special work elements. Select first those work
elements most likely to be passed. Note that work element #81007 is mandatory for certification at Levels II, III and
IV.
5. When possible, select a few extra in each category so that failing one or more work elements leaves enough passed work
elements to satisfy the examination requirement.
6. It is strongly recommended that the maximum number of work elements (34) be selected for each examination taken.
Selection of 34 work elements provides the greatest opportunity for successful completion of the examination
requirement with the smallest number of subsequent examinations. Recognize, however, that all elements selected on an
exam application WILL BE SCORED, even if no attempt is made to answer the questions. That is, a score of "0" will
be assigned to the work element even if the questions are not answered and the work element will have one failure
marked against it.
7. If the requirement for the desired level is more than 34, it is advisable to examine first all lower level work elements
needed to achieve certification. Save the upper level work elements for a subsequent examination.
8. It is suggested that all examination applicants keep a copy of their filled out applications. This will assist in resolving
questions over the telephone.
9. It is not necessary to retest work elements which were failed on an earlier exam if there are other work elements in the
appropriate categories which can be selected instead. If you need to retest a failed work element, you must wait four
months from the last time you failed it before you will be permitted to test that element again. Candidates are limited to
testing a work element up to three times within any two-year span. For further information, read Policy #20 ("Retesting
of Failed Work Elements") on our website (www.nicet.org).
3
EXAMINATION REQUIREMENTS CHART
You must pass the number of work elements shown in each category to achieve certification at that level.
Level I - General - 5a
Level I - Special - 12
You must pass this many work elements Level II - General - 7
to achieve certification at Level II Level II - Special - 8
TOTAL 32
Level I - General - 5a
Level I - Special – 12
You must pass this many work elements Level II - General - 7
to achieve certification at Level III Level II - Special – 20
Level III - General - 2
Note (b) Level III - Special – 14
TOTAL 60
Level I - General - 5a
Level I - Special – 12
You must pass this many work elements Level II - General - 7
Level II - Special – 20
to achieve certification at Level IV Level III - General - 2
Notes (b) and (c) Level III - Special – 31
Level IV - General - 2
TOTAL 79
NOTES:
(a) Work Element #81007, "Basic Metric Units and Conversions", must be passed to achieve certification at Levels
II, III, and IV.
(b) Time restrictions dictate that no more than 34 work elements can be scheduled for any single examination sitting.
Therefore, at least two examination sittings will be needed in order to complete this requirement.
(c) Read very carefully the two sections applicable to Level IV in this manual before seeking Level IV certification.
GENERAL NOTES:
(1) Work elements passed which are in excess of the requirement for a particular type and level, but which are
needed to meet the requirement at the next higher level are automatically applied to that higher level
requirement.
(2) Use the Personal Tally Worksheet to keep track of the number of work elements you have passed.
4
CREDIT FOR ACI CERTIFICATION
Technicians who have current technician certification from the American Concrete Institute in select specialty areas
will be exempted from meeting the NICET written examination requirement (and possibly the verification requirement) for
selected work elements. Details are provided below. To receive credit for these work elements, you must send to NICET a
photocopy of the front and back of your current ACI wallet card. Candidates holding ACI certification should turn to the
Personal Tally Worksheet (found towards the back of this manual) and mark an "A" next to the work element numbers below
from which they are exempted.
(Continued)
5
(Credit for ACI Certification, continued)
* verification required
6
CROSSOVER WORK ELEMENTS
NICET "Crossover" work elements are identified as identical or nearly identical in topic coverage and test questions to
work elements in other selected fields/subfields. Almost all NICET certification programs have "generic" crossover work
elements covering communication skills, mathematics, physical science and other basic areas of knowledge. Once a
crossover work element is passed on an examination, it does not normally have to be taken again on any other examinations.
Crossover credit for the passed elements will be assigned to an examinee's record as follows:
• First Time Testing in New Subfield: When you test work elements in a new subfield (at least one element), any
crossover credit from previously tested subfields will automatically be assigned to the new subfield. At the same time,
any crossover credit from the new subfield will automatically be assigned to previously tested subfields. This assignment
of crossover credit will occur every time a new subfield is tested.
• Additional Testing in Previously Tested Subfield: When you test new work elements or retest failed work elements
from a previously-tested subfield, any crossover credit from the newly-passed work elements will automatically be
assigned to all previously-tested subfields.
• No crossover credit will be assigned to a subfield until you test at least one work element from that subfield.
• Crossover credit will not be assigned to or from work elements if the certification is in Delinquent or Expired Status.
• The four-month waiting period policy, which applies to, failed work elements also applies to all work elements that have
crossover credit to that work element (see Policy #20).
• The following documents are available. Use the Decal and Personal Records Order Form on the Website.
• Personal Crossover Evaluation lists your "potential" crossover credit to a designated untested
subfield.
• Crossover Listing lists all current crossovers between three specified subfields.
• Official Personal Transcript lists all work elements presently credited to the examinee’s testing
record (including those passed on an exam and those achieved through crossover) for a designated
subfield.
WARNING
Revisions to certification programs can occasionally eliminate previous crossovers relationships or create new ones.
Thus, crossover credit shown on the "Personal Crossover Evaluation" and on any "Crossover Listing" cannot be
assumed to be permanent.
The Personal Crossover Evaluation is a "potential" list. Only when a new subfield is tested and the crossover credit is
posted to the test record does it become permanent. The Official Personal Transcript shows the crossover credit
actually awarded.
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VERIFICATION OF WORK ELEMENTS
Verification should be provided by your immediate supervisor. The verifier, by signing his or her initials, is indicating
that you have actually performed at least the operations indicated in the work element description and that the verifier is
confident that you have performed the specific job tasks repeatedly and satisfactorily. Exposure to a job task through
demonstrations by others or through partial involvement should not be a basis for your supervisor to verify that the task can
be performed correctly under a variety of conditions. Verification cannot be provided by a subordinate employee since this
could be interpreted as a "conflict of interest."
WARNING
NICET takes very seriously the role of the verifier. All certification candidates and their verifiers
must understand that verification is an important component of the certification process.
NICET's Policy #2, "Handling of Certification Process Irregularities" says, in part, that if NICET determines that any
verification was obtained from a non-qualified verifier or was given for tasks not actually performed, the NICET action
against the candidate can be to permanently deny the certification sought or revoke the certification(s) held. The NICET
action against the verifier can be to terminate the privilege of serving as a verifier. If the verifier is NICET-certified, the
certification(s) could be revoked.
Lack of verification on any (or all) work elements does not prevent an applicant from testing those work elements.
Certification, however, will not be awarded until all work elements counted toward certification are verified.
A valid Technician Personal Recommendation form MUST be on file for the applicant before NICET can award
certification at Level III. The recommendation is valid for one year from the date shown next to the recommender’s
signature.
The recommendation form is available on NICET’s website. It must be completed by a person who is familiar with the
applicant’s technical capabilities and background.
Your work experience will not be evaluated until after a written exam requirement has been met. We suggest that you
carefully consider your actual work history before testing in areas where you have limited or no experience -- meeting an
exam requirement does not guarantee certification. NICET certification is only conferred upon persons performing
engineering technician level work. We will not certify persons performing higher level work (such as engineering) or lower
level work (such as craft).
In order to be awarded certification, a preponderance of the work experience must have been acquired while residing in
the United States and its territories, employing U.S. standards and practices.
8
LEVEL IV MAJOR PROJECT REQUIREMENT
It must be understood that ten years or more of employment in the certification area, by itself, is not sufficient for the
granting of Level IV. An absolute requirement for certification at Level IV is involvement in a major project which is
directly related to the subfield in which Level IV certification is sought. This major project must have taken place well
into your career in the certification area. We will not review your project if you have less than 6 years of experience in the
certification area.
The project you select for submission must be completed and it must be recent (started no more than four years prior to
submission of the writeup). It must indicate that you had senior-level responsibility on the project and it must include a
majority of the various activities usually associated with the certification area.
The writeup on your highway materials project should include such information as:
1. type of project (including testing and monitoring services performed);
2. scope of project (project time period, amount of daily services performed);
3. your supervisory responsibilities and/or laboratory or on-site authority on each project; and
4. the range of your experiences on the project as related to such various components as recordkeeping,
testing, inspection, observation, mixture design, quality control, etc. If all of these components cannot be
documented for a single project, they may be accumulated via several narrowly-focused projects.
Your writeup must address the Level IV requirement that your level of responsibility demonstrates independent senior
engineering technician work, including delegated responsibilities and duties for which engineering precedent exists. The
pertinent work experience must be described in depth by you personally -- official job descriptions or testimonials from
others will not be evaluated.
Although NICET does permit testing of Level IV work elements prior to satisfying the work experience requirement, the
Institute reserves the right to question the validity of Level IV work elements passed by, and verified for, persons with little
work experience. If, for example, a technician with a total of 3 years of experience passes Level IV work elements, NICET
may require documentation of how this higher level knowledge was obtained without accumulating the requisite work
experience. NICET may require specific work elements to be tested and passed again, at the candidate's expense, at the time
of the Level IV certification decision.
In addition, NICET reserves the right to require reverification of work elements designated for meeting the Level IV
examination requirement if the verifications were signed more than three years prior to the time of the Level IV certification
decision.
Since the NICET written exams are designed for individuals who have already performed the work elements associated
with the program on a routine basis, it is anticipated that preparation for these exams should be minimal.
9
SUPPORT MATERIALS FOR TESTING
When a specific publication is used as an authoritative source in writing the work element questions, the title will be
listed at the end of the work element. Refer to the "Selected General References" in this manual.
TRAINING COURSES
NICET does not endorse, certify, or accredit training programs; any claims to that effect should be viewed with caution.
NICET does, however, provide information on its certification procedures and objectives so that training courses can be
developed specifically to help persons planning to take a NICET certification exam.
EXPIRATION OF CERTIFICATE
The first certificate(s) awarded will have an expiration date of three years from the date of award. The certificate(s) will
expire at the end of that three-year period unless renewed through recertification. A certificate that is not renewed at the end
of three-year period will expire. A consequence of the certificate going into Expired Status will be deletion of all records,
including test history.
Upgrading the certificate or adding a certificate in a different technical area does not change your 3-year expiration date.
RECERTIFICATION POLICY
All certificants should read Policy #30, "Continuing Professional Development." At the end of each 3-year period, all
certificants must demonstrate that they have accumulated sufficient Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points
within the certification area(s) held to renew the certificate(s) for another 3 years. Once renewed, the certificate is valid for
an additional three-year period. The recertification fee must be paid when submitting the recertification application form.
10
WORK ELEMENT LISTING
HIGHWAY MATERIALS
81004 WORK ELEMENT NO LONGER AVAILABLE FOR TESTING. Credit retained if previously passed.
Note 1: General work elements can be categorized as either Core or Non-Core. Work element #81007, "Basic Metric Units and Conversions" is mandatory for
certification at Levels II, III and IV. It is the only Core work element in this program at this time.
General Note: See "Selected General References" page in this manual for information on listed publications.
(^) Generic crossover credit exists in other fields/subfields for this work element. Read information on crossover work elements – page 7.
(*) Crossover credit exists in selected other fields/subfields for this work element. Read information on crossover work elements – page 7.
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LEVEL I - SPECIAL WORK ELEMENTS
MISCELLANEOUS
HYDRAULIC CEMENT
AGGREGATE
12
(LEVEL I - SPECIAL WORK ELEMENTS continued)
SOILS
CONCRETE
ASPHALT
13
LEVEL II - GENERAL WORK ELEMENTS
83009* REAGENTS
Know the reagents used for commonly performed field and lab tests. Know limitations on use of reagents and how results are
affected.
83010* SAMPLING/AGGREGATES
Know field sampling procedures and prepare sample for testing. (T2, T248, D75, C702)
14
LEVEL II - SPECIAL WORK ELEMENTS
MISCELLANEOUS
84001* BRICK
Sample and test brick for modulus of rupture, compressive strength, absorption, saturation coefficient, effect of freezing and
thawing, initial rate of absorption, efflorescence, measurement of size, and measurement of warpage. (T32, C67)
84004 pH TEST
Determine pH of soils, water or construction materials (acidity or alkalinity). (T200, E70)
METALS
84006 LIQUID PENETRANT INSPECTION OF WELDS
Investigate metals or welds for defects by use of liquid penetrating dyes. (E165)
15
(LEVEL II - SPECIAL WORK ELEMENTS continued)
HYDRAULIC CEMENT
16
(LEVEL II - SPECIAL WORK ELEMENTS continued)
AGGREGATE
84032 PARTICLE SHAPE
Determine the index of aggregate particle shape and texture. (D3398)
SOILS
84042* NUCLEAR METHODS
Determine the density and moisture content of soil and soil-aggregate in-place using nuclear equipment. Be familiar with safety
precautions and all applicable government regulation. (D2922, D3017)
CONCRETE
84068* AIR CONTENT BY PRESSURE METHOD
Determine the air content of freshly mixed concrete from observation of the change in volume of concrete with a change in
pressure. (C231, T152)
ASPHALT
84014 ASPHALT FIELD TEST
Determine the amount of bituminous coating on corrugated metal, metal culvert pipe and pipe arches. Be familiar with other
aspects of the coating. (M190)
20
(LEVEL II - SPECIAL WORK ELEMENTS continued)
84110 WORK ELEMENT NO LONGER AVAILABLE FOR TESTING. Credit retained if previously passed.
21
LEVEL III - SPECIAL WORK ELEMENTS
MISCELLANEOUS
86001 CTB MIX DESIGNS
Determine the composition of an effective and economical CTB (Cement Treated Base) mix through use of experience factors
and laboratory testing.
86006 PROFILOMETER
Operate an improved Profilometer in accordance with manufacturer's instructions to determine pavement profiles. Operate
profile measuring equipment over a specified section of roadway to determine ride characteristics of surface. Prepare necessary
reports and recommend determinations as to compliance with established standards.
22
(LEVEL III - SPECIAL WORK ELEMENTS continued)
86016 LIGHT OR ELECTRON MICROSCOPE
Know how to operate light and/or electron microscope on specimens from construction materials including rock, soils, or organic
materials, to determine required information. Comply with manufacturers' requirements for calibration, readings, and safety.
86023 WORK ELEMENT NO LONGER AVAILABLE FOR TESTING. Credit retained if previously passed.
METALS
86025 METALLOGRAPHIC SERIES TESTS
Perform the series of tests required to determine metallographic characteristics of materials necessary for use on transportation
projects. (E112, E807, E1382, G104)
HYDRAULIC CEMENT
86039 CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the test required for the chemical analysis of hydraulic cement. (T105, C114)
SOILS
86040* PLATE BEARING TEST
Determine the load deflection and residual deflection of subgrade soils and flexible pavement components by application of
repetitive and non-repetitive plate load tests. (T221, T222, T235, D1194, D1195, D1196)
CONCRETE
86058* ORGANIC IMPURITIES IN FINE AGGREGATE
Determine the effect of organic impurities on mortar strength (C87, T71)
ASPHALT
NOTE: Certification at Level IV requires that the candidate must have occupied a senior position of responsibility
throughout the duration of one or more major highway materials testing projects (field and/or laboratory/office
assignment). There are no exceptions to this requirement and documentation must be present in the work history
listed on the application form.
o Put a checkmark next to the work element number when you receive a passing score on your Examination Score Report.
o Put a "C" next to the work element number if you have crossover credit from another subfield. Read page 7 in this manual
concerning crossover credit.
o Put an "A" next to the work element number if you have been awarded credit for your existing ACI certification. Read pages 5 and
6 in this manual concerning ACI credit.
*Work element number is no longer available for testing. Credit is retained by those who previously passed it.
**This is a Core Work Element and is mandatory for achieving certification at Levels II, III and IV.
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SELECTED GENERAL REFERENCES*
The following publications are cited in the Work Element descriptions. Candidates may bring these publications
to the test center:
AASHTO Standard Specifications for Highway Bridges. American Association of State Highway and Transportation
Officials. Washington, D.C. (202-624-5800)
ACI Manual of Concrete Inspection (SP-2), 8th edition. American Concrete Institute, Detroit, Michigan. (313-532-2600)
Annual Book of ASTM Standards. American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (215-299-
5400)
Construction Industry - OSHA Safety and Health Standards Digest (OSHA 2202). Government Printing Office.
Washington, D.C. (202-783-3238)
Feltz, W., Dudley, S., Dykstra, T. Concrete Technician Manual. Ohio Ready Mixed Concrete Association. Columbus,
Ohio. (614-891-0210)
Standard First Aid and Personal Safety. American Red Cross. Washington, D.C.
Standard Specifications for Transportation Materials and Methods of Sampling and Testing. American Association of State
Highway and Transportation Officials. Washington, D.C. (202-624-5800)
American Welding Society. Publications Department. Miami, Florida. 1-800-443-9353. (For work elements 86026, 86027,
86034, and 86035)
National Electrical Manufacturer's Association. Washington D.C. 202-457-8400 (For work element 86024)
*Important Note:
References that are cited in work element descriptions are permitted in NICET’s paper-and-pencil test centers. All
other publications must be pre-approved by NICET for entry into test centers.
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NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR CERTIFICATION IN ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIES
sponsored by the National Society of Professional Engineers
SAMPLE
HIGHWAY MATERIALS
* This failed work element cannot be retested prior to four months after the test date shown
on this score report.
** This is your second failure of this work element. It cannot be retested prior to four
months days after the test date shown on this score report.
*** This is your third failure of this work element. A request to retest it will not be
considered until you have complied with NICET Policy #20.
JOHN DOE
1420 King Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314-2715
29