CCO Rigger Level I, Rigger Level II and Signalperson Certification written exams
The written exams for CCO Rigger Level I, Rigger Level II and Signalperson — slings and hardware, sling angles and load weights, inspection, and hand and voice signals.
About the exam
OSHA requires a qualified rigger whenever workers are in the fall zone hooking, unhooking or guiding a load (29 CFR 1926.1425), and a qualified signal person whenever the operator can't see the load or the travel path (1926.1419 and 1926.1428). NCCCO's CCO Rigger and Signalperson certifications are the most widely recognized way to prove both. Each one needs a written and a practical exam, passed within 12 months of each other.
Rigger Level I (60 questions, 60 minutes) is for workers who rig routine lifts with the weight and center of gravity given to them: selecting and using slings and hardware, hitches, knots and pre-use inspection. Rigger Level II (50 questions, 60 minutes) adds planning: calculating load weight and center of gravity, sling tensions at an angle, selecting components and periodic inspection. Neither allows a calculator. The Signalperson exam (60 questions, 60 minutes) covers the standard hand signals, voice signals, basic crane dynamics, situational awareness and the OSHA and ASME rules.
The practical exams are hands-on — rigging tasks for riggers, signaling scenarios for signalpersons — and taken separately; we cover them only through scenarios. Our practice uses original questions, sling-angle and weight math solved step by step without a calculator, hand signals described in words, and timed 60-question tests at the real pace.
How we track your progress
Every blueprint domain moves through five levels as you study:
- Not startedNo questions answered in this domain yet.
- Getting startedFirst questions answered — not enough yet to judge.
- DevelopingAt least 5 answered and 50% or better on your recent questions.
- ProficientAt least 15 answered and 70% or better on your recent questions.
- Exam readyAt least 25 answered, 80% or better recently, and holding up on hard questions.
The exam blueprint
CCO Rigger Candidate Handbook (RIG CH REV 01/24) and Signalperson Candidate Handbook (SGP CH REV 06/23) exam outlines — Three exams: Rigger Level I (60 items; execution 42%, inspection 30%), Rigger Level II (50 items; component selection 34%, planning 15%) and Signalperson (60 items; hand signals 31%, crane knowledge 24%). Our 9 practice areas cover all three; weights are QuizMe estimates. Tap a domain to see its topics.
1 Rigging Hardware and Below-the-Hook Devices about 12% (est.) of the exam
28 practice questions in this domain so far
2 Slings, Sling Angles and Tension about 13% (est.) of the exam
32 practice questions in this domain so far
3 Load Weight, Center of Gravity and Lift Planning about 10% (est.) of the exam
24 practice questions in this domain so far
4 Hitches, Knots and Rigging Practices about 13% (est.) of the exam
32 practice questions in this domain so far
5 Inspection and Removal Criteria about 12% (est.) of the exam
28 practice questions in this domain so far
6 Standard Hand Signals about 13% (est.) of the exam
32 practice questions in this domain so far
7 Voice Signals and Communication about 7% (est.) of the exam
16 practice questions in this domain so far
8 Crane Operations Knowledge for Signalpersons about 10% (est.) of the exam
24 practice questions in this domain so far
9 Regulations, Roles and Power Lines about 10% (est.) of the exam
24 practice questions in this domain so far
What you get when you access this exam
Free with your QuizMe account.
Rigging and signaling questions aligned to the outlines
Every question is original and tagged to a rigging or signaling area and its topics — hardware, slings, hitches, inspection, hand and voice signals and the rules.
Hints and worked rigging math
Reveal the rule or formula when you're stuck. Every weight, center-of-gravity and sling-tension problem is solved step by step, the no-calculator way.
Adaptive testing
Questions steer toward your weakest areas, weighted like the real exams, and get harder as you get stronger.
Timed practice exams
Blueprint-weighted exams at the real pace — 60 questions in 60 minutes — with a live pacing indicator and a full review.
Flashcards, lift cases and guides
100 flashcards, 6 rigging and signaling cases where you plan the lift and call it decision by decision, and interactive illustrated guides you explore hotspot by hotspot.
Progress for every outline area
Each area moves from Not started to Getting started, Developing, Proficient and Exam ready — so you know exactly what to study next.
Test at home or at a center
Apply and schedule through your myCCO Portal or a training provider. All three written-exam options use the same on-screen platform, with a whiteboard instead of scratch paper.
Online — Online Proctored Testing (OPT)
- A live proctor watches through your webcam for the whole exam; sessions are available around the clock.
- Use a computer with a webcam, microphone and steady internet, and run the system check well before exam day.
- Test alone in a quiet room with a clear desk — no phone, notes or second screen.
- You may use a dry-erase whiteboard no larger than 8.5 × 11 in., or the on-screen whiteboard.
- Schedule at least two days ahead.
At a test center (TCT) or a training event (EOT)
- Test Center Testing: book a seat in the myCCO Portal at least two days ahead; changes are free up to 48 hours before.
- Event Online Testing: take the same online exam at an authorized site, often at the end of a rigging or signalperson course.
- Bring current government-issued photo ID that matches your application.
- No calculator on the Rigger exams — practice sling-angle math by hand.
Exam-day game plan
How to walk in ready — and how to pace 60 questions in 60 minutes.
Pacing checkpoints
Hit these and you finish with time to revisit your flagged questions. Our timed practice exams run at this same pace.
The week before
- Take one full timed practice exam 3–5 days out, then rest.
- Memorize the load angle factors — 1.000 at 90°, 1.155 at 60°, 1.414 at 45°, 2.000 at 30° — and practice tension per leg by hand.
- Review removal criteria for wire rope, synthetic and chain slings and hardware.
- Signalperson: run through every standard hand signal and the voice signal order out loud.
- Testing online? Run the system check and set up your room.
Exam morning
- Eat a real breakfast; go easy on caffeine.
- Test center or event: arrive early with your photo ID. Online: log in early and close every other program.
- Have a clean whiteboard and marker if you're testing online.
During the exam
- For sling questions, sketch the rig: leg length, height, angle, and where the center of gravity sits.
- Remember that a lower sling angle means more tension, and a choker has less capacity than a vertical hitch.
- When a sling or fitting has a missing tag or a removal defect, the answer is to remove it from service.
- Answer every question — there's no penalty for guessing. Flag hard ones and come back.
Keep your head
- A few nerves sharpen focus. If you freeze, take three slow breaths and reread the question.
- You're measured against a fixed standard, not other candidates.
- Change an answer only when you find a real reason in the question.
Keeping your certification
- CCO Rigger and Signalperson certifications last 5 years.
- Recertify in the 12 months before expiration; there's no grace period.
- Riggers recertify with the written exam only. Passing the Rigger Level II written keeps both Level I and Level II.
- Signalpersons recertify with the practical exam only — no written exam.
- Keep your card handy on the job — OSHA requires a signal person's qualification documentation to be available at the site (1926.1428).
Official sources and further reading
- NCCCO — Rigger Candidate Handbook ↗Level I and Level II exam lengths, outlines, practicals and recertification.
- NCCCO — Signalperson Candidate Handbook ↗Written and practical exams, outline and recertification.
- OSHA — 29 CFR 1926.1428 signal person qualifications ↗What a qualified signal person must know and show.
- OSHA — Subpart CC Appendix A standard hand signals ↗The Standard Method hand signals for cranes.
- OSHA — 29 CFR 1926.1425 keeping clear of the load ↗Fall zone rules and the qualified rigger requirement.
Ready to start?
240 questions and scenarios across the blueprint — and growing.
NCCCO and CCO are trademarks of the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators. QuizMe and thinQtank Learning are not affiliated with or endorsed by NCCCO. All questions are original; hand signals are described in our own words, and any load charts or sling tables are fictional practice data — always use the actual manufacturer's charts and tags for your equipment. Exam details are summarized from NCCCO's published handbooks and OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC; fees and rules change — always confirm at nccco.org. NCCCO doesn't publish a passing score; our Exam ready level asks for 80% or better.