- Cost: $1070.00 for Members/$1450.00 for Non-Members
- Course: Five days classroom and laboratory
- Class Size: 10 - 20
- Examination: Written and Performance
- Certification Course Schedule
- Re-Certification Course Schedule
Certification Process
- Meet the prerequisites below for taking the Hot Mix Asphalt Plant Technician Certification Course.
- Select a course and register online or forward Registration Form and check to NETTCP to secure a position in an upcoming course and examination.
- Attend the Hot Mix Asphalt Plant Technician Certification Course in its entirety.
- Successfully pass the written and performance examinations.
- High School Diploma, G.E.D. or prior approval from NETTCP
- It is strongly recommended that the candidate have at least six (6) months experience working in an asphalt laboratory performing those tests that the candidate will be examined on at the course.
- The registration form must be signed by a NETTCP certified HMA Plant Technician or the candidate’s supervisor that indicates they are aware of the experience recommendations.
AASHTO | Process | Recommended Experience |
Test |
Characteristics of PGAB | NO | W | |
T 2 | Sampling of Aggregates | YES | W |
T 248 | Reducing Field Sample of Aggregates to Testing Size | YES | W |
Batch Plants & Drum Plants, an Overview | NO | W | |
Hot Bin, Cold Feed & Composite Samples | YES | W | |
Daily Inspection Activities at a HMA Plant | NO | W | |
T 27 | Sieve Analysis for Fine and Coarse Aggregate | YES | W |
T 11 | Material Finer than the 0.075mm (No. 200) in Mineral Aggregates Sieve by Washing | NO | W |
T 168 | Sampling Bituminous Paving Mixtures | YES | W |
T 164 or T 308 | Quantitative Centrifuge Extraction or Asphalt Content by the Ignition Method |
YES | W |
T 30 | Mechanical Analysis of Extracted Aggregate | YES | W |
T 312 | Preparing and Determining the Density of HMA Specimens with the Gyratory Compactor | YES | W,P |
HMA, PGAB, Air Temperature | YES | W | |
T 245 | Resistance to Plastic Flow of Bituminous Mixtures Using Marshall Apparatus | NO | W,P** |
T 40 | Sampling Bituminous Materials | NO | W |
T 304, D 5321, T 176, D 4791 |
Consensus Aggregate Tests | NO | W |
T 84 |
Specific Gravity and Absorption of Fine Aggregate | NO | W |
T 166 |
Bulk Specific Gravity of Compacted Bituminous Mixtures using Saturated Surface-Dry Specimens | YES | W,P |
PP 19 |
Air Void/V.M.A./V.F.A. Calculations | NO | W |
T 255 |
Total Moisture Content of Aggregate by Drying | YES | W |
T 209 |
Maximum Specific Gravity of Bituminous Paving Mixtures | YES | W,P |
D 3549 |
Thickness of Compacted Paving Specimens | NO | W |
ASTM D 3665 |
Standard Test Method for Random Sampling | NO | W |
- Written Examination For New Certification and Re-certification
- Closed book examination
- The exam is divided into four sections
- Materials & Facilities (20 points)
- Aggregate Testing & Sampling (40 points)
- Hot Mix Asphalt and Binder Sampling (20 points)
- Hot Mix Asphalt Testing (60 points)
- Written examination must be completed within ninety (90) minutes.
- Performance Examination for New Certification and Re-Certification
- Each candidate must perform the following test procedures within the time limits shown:
- SuperPave Specimen Fabrication and Testing, 10 min. (AASHTO T 312)
- Marshall Specimen Fabrication and Testing, 20 min. (AASHTO T 245) (optional for re-certification only)
- Maximum Theoretical Density (AASHTO T 209), 10 min.
- Bulk Specific Gravity and Thickness of Compacted Bituminous Mixtures, 5 min. (AASHTO T 166)
- An examiner will utilize a score sheet that will document the candidate’s performance on the various steps within a test procedure.
- Passing Grades for New Certification and Re-certification
- Certification or re-certification will be granted to a candidate who achieves the following:
- Written Examination - a minimum grade of 60% must be achieved for each of the four sections in the examination with an overall minimum grade of 70% for the entire examination
- Performance Examination - a minimum grade of 90% for each test procedure
- Re-examination Policies
- A person failing the written examination but passing the performance examination will be required to retake the written examination only. Only one (1) re-examination will be allowed.
- A person failing one (1) performance test and passing the written examination will be required to retake that one (1) performance test only. Only one (1) re-examination is allowed.
- A person failing more than one (1) performance test and passing the written examination will be required to retake the entire performance examination. Only one (1) re-examination is allowed.
- A person failing one (1) or more of the performance tests and failing the written examination will be required to retake the entire certification course and examinations at full cost.
- The cost of a re-examination is $100.00 and re-examinations must be completed within six (6) months of the candidate’s initial examination date.
Re-Certification
Required course and examination for continued certification as a Hot Mix Asphalt Plant Technician. The course will include a review of important topics and instruction on changes in the industry, equipment, specifications and test procedures.- Cost: $660.00 for Members/$875.00 for Non-Members
- Course: Three days classroom and laboratory
- Class Size: 10 - 20
- Examination: Written and Performance
- NETTCP Certified HMA Plant Technicians wanting to maintain their certification are required to attend a re-certification course in its entirety and successfully pass the written and performance examinations. Select a course and register online or forward the Registration Form and check to NETTCP. Please note the Marshall Test Procedure (AASHTO T245) is an option for re-certification.
- Any candidate who fails the re-certification exam(s) and subsequent re-test is required to attend a new full certification course and pass the examinations.