Written exam fees, the four-week retake wait and the 12-month window

This guide covers the mobile crane Core and specialty route. Return to the Boom Angle overview for the site's scope, or read the Core written exam guide for study priorities.

What the written exams cost

The NCCCO fee schedule lists the following charges in US dollars, effective 1 January 2024 and still displayed when checked:

• ✓ Mobile Crane Operator Core written exam: $140.
• ✓ Each written specialty: $80 for Lattice Boom, Telescopic Boom Fixed Cab or Telescopic Boom Swing Cab.
• ✓ Each corresponding practical exam: $70 in CCO fees.

Calculated from that schedule, Core plus a single written specialty totals $220. Adding the corresponding practical brings the listed CCO exam fees to $290. This is fee arithmetic, not an all-inclusive training or testing-site quote. To add your own prep, travel and retakes, use the NCCCO certification cost calculator.

The written fee column covers Event Online Testing (EOT), Online Proctored Testing (OPT) and Test Center Testing (TCT). Choose the delivery option that fits your location and equipment before arranging the rest of your schedule.

Keep preparation, travel and any testing-site or crane-use charges separate from the published CCO fees; the whole-path cost guide shows where each one sits. Ask for an itemized quote when comparing a school package with independently arranged exams. Check which written specialties and practical tests the quote includes, what equipment is provided and what happens if you need another attempt. Do not assume a package price is the exam body's registration charge.

The four-week written retake rule

✓ NCCCO's exam retake policy requires candidates who fail a written exam to wait four weeks before retaking that same exam. It applies to certification and recertification candidates. The recertification guide covers the five-year cycle and the practical exam attestation.

There is an exception: if an alternate form is available, a candidate may retest within that period. An alternate form assesses equivalent content and difficulty using different items. NCCCO says it determines whether an alternate form is needed when processing the application; without an available alternate, scheduling remains unavailable until the waiting period has passed.

Do not build a deadline around an assumed immediate retake. Check availability for your specific exam through NCCCO's process. The policy expressly says this waiting rule does not affect practical retakes. It does not establish a guaranteed practical appointment date, so confirm practical availability separately.

When the 12-month window starts

✓ The candidate handbook gives candidates 12 months after passing their first exam to pass the corresponding exams for the same designation. The certification overview confirms that written and practical exams can be taken in either order.

Passing the practical first therefore starts the clock just as a written pass does. Track the Core, specialty and practical results together. The overview explains that passes within a qualifying period can count together; an older pass outside that period may need to be retaken. A later pass does not make every earlier result valid indefinitely.

Leave room for a written retake and for practical scheduling when setting your target completion date. Record the date and designation beside each result instead of keeping only a general note that you have “passed the written.”

Plan before booking

Confirm the crane designation you need, then map the required exams and available appointments. Read the certification requirements guide to distinguish the credential from employer evaluation and other job requirements.

Take the free 10-question check to see your score by Core domain before you pick a written test date, with no signup. The free NCCCO practice questions by domain give you more to work through before you book. Compare the result with the published outline, then work on the topics you cannot yet explain or calculate consistently.

Sources

Show the list

• CCO Exam Fees, NCCCO, fees effective 1 January 2024. Retrieved 17 Oct 2026.
• Exam Retake Policy: Frequently Asked Questions, NCCCO. Retrieved 17 Oct 2026.
• Mobile Crane Operator Candidate Handbook, CCO, cover revision 01/25, certification policies on printed page 1. Retrieved 17 Oct 2026; 12-month window on printed page 1 checked 7 Nov 2026.
• Mobile Crane Operator Certification Overview, NCCCO. Retrieved 17 Oct 2026.