NCCCO rigger certification and Signalperson written exams: what they cover and how to prepare

One thing up front: Boom Angle does not have a Signalperson or Rigger question bank. What we have is free tools that line up with parts of these outlines, and a Core check that tests the crane knowledge both programs lean on. The sections below say which is which.

How to get NCCCO rigger certification

1. Pick your level. Level I is for simple, repeated rigging where the load weight, center of gravity and setup are already known. Level II adds planning: working out the weight and center of gravity, choosing the rigging and calculating sling tensions.
2. Check your age. You must be at least 18 to certify.
3. Pass the written exam. Level I is 60 questions in 60 minutes and Level II is 50 questions in 60 minutes, with no calculator on either. The sections below break down each outline.
4. Pass the practical. Level I is four hands-on tasks; Level II is a level lift and a frame rotation.
5. Finish inside 12 months. The clock starts at your first pass, written or practical. Certification then lasts five years.

The three exams at a glance

The Rigger figures come from CCO's Rigger candidate handbook (cover RGR CH REV 01/24). The Signalperson figures come from the Signalperson handbook (SGP CH REV 06/23). Handbooks are revised, and the Signalperson outline has already changed once (the weights below differ from the 12/21 handbook), so check the revision on CCO's Handbooks and Forms page before you plan your study time.

How they differ from the operator written exams

The mobile crane operator written is built around the crane: Core is 95 questions in 90 minutes with no calculator, and its four domains are Site, Operations, Technical Knowledge and Load Charts. The specialty exams add a load chart heavy exam for each crane type, with a calculator allowed. See the Core written exam guide for that outline.

The Signalperson and Rigger exams are built around a job on the ground:

• Signalperson is about communication. Hand signals and voice signals together make up nearly half the exam, and the rest is crane basics, site awareness and safety rules.
• Rigger Level I is about gear. Inspection and execution (using slings, hardware and below-the-hook devices) carry most of the weight.
• Rigger Level II adds planning and selection: working out load weight and center of gravity, choosing rigging for the load, and calculating sling tensions.

There is no load chart domain on any of the three. Basic crane knowledge still shows up, which is why Core topics help.

Signalperson written exam

The Signalperson written is 60 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes. The 06/23 handbook lists five domains. The question counts are our rounding of the published weights, so allow a question either way.

In our words, the outline asks you to:

• Hand signals: give the standard signals for mobile cranes and for tower cranes, stay visible to the operator while you signal a load, keep signals clear, and act when the operator is not following them.
• Voice communication: use radios properly, deal with wind, language and interference, check batteries and equipment, and build a voice signal from its three parts: function and direction, distance or speed, and stop.
• Crane basics: terminology, how size, shape, weight and center of gravity affect a lift, boom deflection, a moving load's effect on the crane, keeping the hoist line vertical, drift, side loading, two-blocking and keeping people out of the load path.
• Situational awareness: reviewing the lift with the operator and crew, hazards and obstacles, weather, picking the right type of signal, emergency procedures, technology and multiple load lines.
• Safety standards: the relevant OSHA and ASME standards, power line protection, personnel platforms and multiple cranes on a single lift.

CCO's reference list for this program points to OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926 Subpart CC (sections 1419 to 1422 and 1428 for signalperson requirements and qualifications) and to ASME B30.5 and B30.3. Read the sections yourself and put them in your own words, since the exam tests understanding, not memorized text.

Our crane hand signals drill is the closest match for the biggest domain. It covers the 19 standard signals from OSHA's Appendix A, in random order with scoring. It does not cover tower crane signals or voice communication, so study those from the handbook outline.

Rigger Level I written exam

The Rigger Level I written is 60 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes, no calculator. The 01/24 handbook lists four domains.

In our words:

• Scope: identify the load's travel path and characteristics, verify load weight, find attachment points, and recognize unsafe practices such as pinch points, missing softeners, unstable loads, shock loading, side loading, body position and electrical hazards.
• Technical knowledge: the ASME B30 standards for slings, hooks, below-the-hook devices and rigging hardware, plus OSHA 1910.184, 1926.251 and 1926.1431.
• Inspection: frequent inspection under those same standards.
• Execution: using chain, wire rope, metal mesh and synthetic slings, shackles, hooks, hoists and other hardware, lifting beams and clamps, tag lines and basic knots, then securing the load, disconnecting and stowing gear.

The handbook describes a Level I rigger as someone who handles simple, repetitive rigging when the load weight, center of gravity and rigging setup are already known.

Rigger Level II written exam

The Rigger Level II written is 50 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes, no calculator. The 01/24 handbook lists six domains.

Level II is the exam where the math lives. The outline expects you to calculate load weight, find the center of gravity, calculate tensions on slings and rigging hardware, and select slings, hardware, hoists and below-the-hook devices to match the load. It also names the responsibilities of the signalperson, the equipment operator and the lift director, and adds ASME B30.5 to the standards list. Recertifying Level II riggers are also tested on Level I inspection and execution content.

With no calculator, the arithmetic has to be quick by hand. Sling angle is the clearest example: a shallower angle raises the load on each leg. Our sling angle and rigging basics post walks through it by hand.

Written versus practical, and the 12-month window

To certify initially, all three programs need both a written and a practical exam, and you must be at least 18. Each handbook gives you 12 months from your first pass (written or practical) to pass the other one, and for Signalperson the two can be taken in either order. Certification lasts five years.

The practicals are hands-on:

• Signalperson practical: a scored set of scenarios (30 in the 06/23 handbook, no time limit) where you either match what the crane is doing with the right signal or give signals to direct it. Hand and voice signals both count.
• Rigger Level I practical: four tasks in 60 minutes: pre-use inspection, hitches, connections and basic knots.
• Rigger Level II practical: a level lift in 15 minutes and a rigging frame rotation in 30 minutes.

CCO's published fees and the current handbook revisions are on nccco.org, so check there rather than relying on any third-party page.

Where this site helps, and where it does not

Honest scope: we have no Signalperson or Rigger question bank, and we do not cover these practicals. Here is what we do have.

Check any calculator result against the governing standard and your sling's tag. They are study aids, not a rigging plan.

A study route that fits all three

1. Get the current handbook for your exam from CCO and highlight the domain weights. Study in proportion: for Signalperson that means hand signals first, for Level I inspection and execution, for Level II selection.
2. Learn the standards by section number. Open OSHA 1926 Subpart CC, 1910.184, 1926.251 and the ASME B30 volumes your outline names, read the sections in the reference list, and write each rule in your own words.
3. Drill the recognition skills. Signals and hitches reward repetition. Use the drill and the sling tools above until you answer without thinking.
4. Practice the Level II math by hand (weight, center of gravity, leg tension, capacity at an angle) because no calculator is allowed.
5. Fill the crane-knowledge gaps. Signalpersons and riggers work next to cranes, and both outlines test boom deflection, side loading, two-blocking, power lines and load path. The Core outline covers the same ground in more depth.

FAQ

What is rigger certification?

It is proof that a rigger has passed a third-party test of rigging knowledge and skill. CCO's version has two levels, Rigger Level I and Rigger Level II, and each one needs a written exam and a practical exam.

How do I get NCCCO rigger certification?

Be at least 18, pass the written exam for your level (60 questions for Level I, 50 for Level II, 60 minutes each, no calculator) and pass the matching practical. You have 12 months from your first pass to pass the other one.

Does OSHA require rigger certification?

OSHA's crane rule says rigging for crane assembly and disassembly, and for loads hoisted while workers are in the fall zone, must be done by a qualified rigger (29 CFR 1926.1404 and 1926.1425). It does not name a certificate. A third-party credential such as CCO's is a common way to show you are qualified.

How long does NCCCO rigger certification last?

Five years, the same as Signalperson and the mobile crane operator certification.

Is there a free Rigger Level 1 practice test here?

No. We have no Rigger question bank. We have free sling and weight tools that match parts of the Level I and Level II outlines, and a free check on the crane knowledge behind them.

Do I need Core to take the Signalperson or Rigger written?

The handbooks for these programs do not list Core as a requirement. Each is its own certification with its own written and practical exams. Core is part of the mobile crane operator path.

How is the Signalperson written different from the hand signals practical?

The written is 60 multiple-choice questions on the five domains above, including voice communication and crane basics. The practical has you give hand and voice signals in front of an examiner. Passing one does not replace the other, and you have 12 months from your first pass to pass the second.

Check your crane knowledge for free

Both programs test how a crane behaves: deflection, side loading, two-blocking, load path and power lines. Take the free 10-question check. It is scored by Core domain, so it shows where your crane knowledge is thin, and every answer is explained. It tests the Core outline, not the Signalperson or Rigger outlines.

Sources

Show the list

• Rigger Level I and Rigger Level II Candidate Handbook, CCO, RGR CH REV 01/24, printed pages 1 to 8.
• Signalperson Candidate Handbook, CCO, SGP CH REV 06/23, printed pages 8 to 9 and the practical outline.
• 29 CFR 1926.1404: Assembly/Disassembly and 29 CFR 1926.1425: Keeping clear of the load, OSHA, for the qualified rigger rule.
• CCO Signalperson Certification Overview and Rigger overview, CCO.