CET® Education Program Requirements and Eligibility
The National Association of Elevator Contractors (NAEC) Certified Elevator Technician (CET) Education and Certification Program was developed in early 2001. They enlisted specialists within the elevator and escalator industry, certification and testing authorities, as well as adult education consultants to ensure that the three-tiered program is implemented as designed and that the specific needs of interested individuals are met.
The goal of the CET® Certification Program is to provide the elevator industry and its technical, mechanical, construction, and maintenance workforces the means of obtaining and verifying critical education and training requirements related to compliance with industry codes, elevator and escalator specific technical theory, components, and competencies.
Recent News: In 2011, the CET® Education Program was accredited by ANSI, the American National Standards Institute. ANSI is the hallmark of a quality certification program, and its accreditation recognizes the hard work of the CET® Education Program to promote safety and standards in the elevator industry. Learn more about ANSI’s accreditation here.
The First Program Element
The first element of the program was the CET Grandparent Option, designed to meet the clarification needs of a primary group of professionals who are the core of the elevator industry. Thousands of professionals who had been actively involved in the installation and maintenance of elevators and escalators had the opportunity to demonstrate mastery and knowledge gained during their many years of employment in the industry. An individual who had 10,000 documented hours of on-the-job successful completion of any related instructional program within the elevator industry could demonstrate their mastery through a comprehensive competency-based examination. An individual who had the approved qualifications and passed the CET Grandparent Exam became a Certified Elevator Technician through this process. The CET Grandparent Option ended December 31, 2004.
The Second Program Element
The second element was to provide the interested CET, who became certified, the opportunity to obtain the designation of the CET Supervisor (CET-S) to assist the newer and less experienced employees of the respective company through the CET Education Program under the CET Candidate Option. Now that the CET Grandparent Option has expired the CET-S Program is ongoing.
The Third Program Element
The third element of the CET Program is the CET Candidate Option for individuals who are fairly new to the elevator industry and do not have the requisite in-field experience time to qualify.
There are several basic eligibility requirements that an employee must meet to be considered for the CET Program. Specifically, the CET:
- Must be a current employee of, and be sponsored by, an employer that has a CET-S in place.
- Must have a high school diploma from a regionally accredited high school or have a GED.
- Must be at least 18 years of age at the time of submission to the CET Candidate application.
- Must have taken the CET Basic Skills Assessment through the NAEC prior to submitting the CET
- Candidate application. In addition to strong reading skills, NAEC recommends that potential
- Candidates have demonstrated knowledge of basic algebra. In the event that a potential candidate requires supplemental instruction in either reading or algebra, the NAEC will provide member companies with information on helping the company locate these services in their area.
- Must be a citizen of the United States or be legally authorized by the United States government to work and participate in a training program.
- Must sign and secure the signature of an authorized representative of a sponsoring company on the completed application mailed to the applicant by the NAEC and return the signed application, along with a copy of his or her high school diploma or GED.
The CET Option consists of two levels: (1) Level I (the Core Curriculum) and (2) Level II (the Advanced Curriculum). Summary information for Level I is as follows:
- Includes four courses.
- The program is designed for a minimum estimated study time of 290 clock hours.
- The program is designed for a minimum estimated field time or on-the-job training of 4,000 hours.
- The program is designed to be completed by most qualified employees in two years.
- There are two types of examinations: (1) Unit examinations that are taken after the completion of a program unit. The maximum amount of time the CET Candidate can spend on a unit examination is 45 minutes. And (2) CET Level I examination taken after the completion of all four courses and related unit examinations. The maximum amount of time the CET Candidate can spend on the final level examination is three hours. All examinations are closed book and a score of 85 percent or higher is required to pass each of these examinations.
- All examinations must be proctored in accordance with the information provided in the CET
- Supervisor Manual.
- All unit examinations can be taken multiple times until passed, however, the CET Candidate cannot move on to the next unit of study until the previous unit exam has been successfully completed. CET Candidates who fail the exam must be re-evaluated by the CET-S.
- If a CET Candidate fails the CET Level I final exam on the first attempt, then a second attempt may be taken after a waiting period. The waiting period is provided so that the CET Candidate can study under the closer supervision of the CET-S.
- Once a CET Candidate has completed all of the Level I core curriculum, passed all units and Level I examinations, properly completed all skills verification requirements specified in the CET Skills Verification Portfolio, an Associate Elevator Technician (AET) Certificate of Completion will be awarded.
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