NCCCO certification cost calculator: crane operator written, practical and retakes

Pick your written specialties and whether you want the practical exams, then add the retakes you want to plan for. You get your first-attempt total, the cost of each retake and a grand total for crane operator certification.

Your path to certification

Written specialties (0 to 3): Lattice Boom, Telescopic Fixed Cab, Telescopic Swing CabInclude the practical exam for each specialtyTraining course, books and study materials ($)Travel, lodging, test-site or crane-use charges and time off ($)

Fees prefilled by the calculator: Core written $140, each written specialty $80 and each practical $70, from NCCCO’s fee schedule. Training, travel and everything else start at zero. Enter your own prices.

Retakes you want to budget for

Core written retakesSpecialty written retakesPractical retakesFee per Core retake ($)Fee per specialty retake ($)Fee per practical retake ($)Travel and time off per retake ($)

The retake fees start at the listed fee for each exam, which is an assumption: our sources give no separate retake price. Change them if NCCCO quotes you something different. A failed written exam also means a 4-week wait before that exam, unless an alternate form is available.

Your totals

First attempt total

$290

Core written$140
Written specialties (1)$80
Practical exams (1)$70
NCCCO fees subtotal$290
Your prep, training and travel$0

Total with your retakes

$290

Added by 0 retakes: $0
If you retook every exam in your plan once: $580

What your retakes cost

No retakes entered. Add one above to see what it does to the total. Each retake is a second payment plus another trip and another day off.

One page with every fee, your own costs and the totals, with lines for your name and an approver. Hand it to your employer or keep it with your budget.

Studying for NCCCO written? Take the free 10-question check to see exactly which topics to fix first, then close the gaps with the Boom Angle course.

Or read a full free lesson first (no signup).

Studying with a coworker? Send them the free check.

NCCCO certification cost estimate

Name
Employer or approver
Date

Item	Amount
Core written exam	$140
Written specialties (1 × $80)	$80
Practical exams (1 × $70)	$70
Training course, books and study materials	$0
Travel, lodging, test-site or crane-use charges and time off	$0
First attempt total	$290
Total with retakes	$290
If every exam in the plan were retaken once	$580

Exam fees are from NCCCO's CCO Exam Fees (effective 1 January 2024). NCCCO sets the fees and can change them, so confirm the amounts when you apply.

Retakes are priced at the fees entered in the calculator. Training, travel and time off are the candidate's own figures.

Reopen this estimate: https://boomangle.com/tools/nccco-certification-cost-calculator?sp=1&pr=1&prep=0&tr=0&cr=0&sr=0&cf=140&sf=80&ex=0&xr=0&pf=70&utm_source=share&utm_medium=share&utm_campaign=tool_result&utm_content=nccco-certification-cost-calculator

What crane operator certification costs

The cost has two parts. The first is fixed: NCCCO charges $140 for the Core written exam, $80 for each written specialty and $70 for each practical. The second is yours to choose: a training course or none, books, travel to a test site, any test-site or crane-use charge and the days off work. A candidate who studies on their own and tests close to home can stay near the fee total. A candidate who takes a full course and travels will pay far more. This is why the calculator keeps the two apart.

Print a cost estimate for your employer

Press Print this estimate under your totals to get one page with each NCCCO fee, your training and travel, any retakes and the totals. It has lines for your name, an approver and the date, and a link that reopens the same numbers. Hand it in with a reimbursement request or save it as a PDF from the print dialog. Copy a link to this estimate sends the same numbers to a supervisor or a coworker.

How the NCCCO certification cost calculator works

Exam fees = Core ($140) + $80 for each written specialty + $70 for each practical, one practical per specialty.
First attempt total = exam fees + the prep, training and travel you enter.
Retake cost = each retake at its fee, plus the travel and time off you enter for it.
Total = first attempt + retakes. The ceiling shown is one retake of every exam in your plan.

What it assumes and what it leaves out

The fees are the ones on NCCCO's fee schedule effective 1 January 2024. They are the CCO exam fees only. The fee page lists the same written fee across online, proctored and test-center delivery.
The Core has no practical. Each specialty has a matching practical, so the calculator adds one per specialty when the practical box is ticked.
A retake is priced at the listed fee for that exam. That is an assumption, and the fields are editable.
Training, books, travel, lodging, test-site or crane-use charges, medical costs and lost wages all start at zero. Add what applies to you.
Recertification is not modeled. Read the recertification guide for the five-year cycle and its exams.

Three example candidates

Each line uses the same math as the calculator, with prep and first-attempt travel left at zero.

Candidate	Total
A new candidate who sits the Core written only and passes first time	$140
A candidate who takes Core, one written specialty and its practical, and passes everything first time	$290
The same candidate who retakes the Core written once, with $100 of travel and time off for the retake	$530

Worked out: Core alone is $140. Core, one specialty and its practical is $140 + $80 + $70 = $290. One Core retake adds $140 plus $100 of extras, so $290 + $240 = $530. These are original arithmetic examples, not exam questions.

Ways to spend less

Find your weak topic before you pay again. The retake fee, the wait and the trip all come back with a failed exam. The free 10-question check scores you by topic in minutes.
Compare quotes line by line. Ask any school or package to list what it includes and what happens if you need another attempt. The crane school versus online written prep comparison and the post on whether you need a course help you decide what is worth paying for.
Plan the exam set before you book. The certification requirements guide and the specialty written exams guide show which exams your crane type needs, so you do not pay for one you do not need.
Ask your employer. If an employer pays, ask which costs it covers and whether repayment depends on passing. The employers page explains how a team can use the free check.

For the whole path, read the crane operator certification cost guide: exam fees, the costs you choose and who pays. The written test cost and retakes guide has the fee list, the four-week retake rule and the 12-month window in one place.

Frequently asked questions

How much does the NCCCO written test cost?

NCCCO lists the Mobile Crane Operator Core written exam at $140 and each written specialty at $80. Core plus one specialty is $220, before any training, travel or test-site charges.

How much is a crane operator certification, start to finish?

The NCCCO exam fees for Core, one specialty and its practical add up to $290. Your total is that plus what you choose to spend on a course, travel and time off, so the calculator asks you to enter those instead of guessing.

What does it cost if I fail and have to retake?

After a failed written exam you wait 4 weeks before retaking that exam, unless an alternate form is available. This calculator prices a retake at the listed fee for that exam and lets you change it, because our sources do not state a separate retake price. Confirm the amount with NCCCO when you apply.