Welcome Nav
MSSC Frequently Asked Questions
Becoming an Assessment Center:
Q: What is an MSSC Assessment Center?
A: Assessment Centers are authorized testing locations for all of MSSC's credentials (CPT & CLA/CLT).
Q: How much does it cost to become a certified assessment center?
A: The cost is $500 for non-industry, non-secondary only institutions. It is free to become an assessment center for secondary-only institutions. For statewide initiatives adding 10+ assessment centers the cost is $250 per center.
Q. Can our teachers also be proctors?
A. No, according to ISO Personnel Accreditation Standard 17024 there has to be a clear firewall between training and certification assessment.
Q. Is there a renewal fee for Assessment Centers?
A. Yes, there is a renewal fee every 3 years. This fee is based on what your organization was charged to become a center initially and is typically 50% of the original costs.
Q: I'm with industry; can my company become an Assessment Center?
A: Yes, industry members can become testing centers as long as they maintain the same strict guidelines as required of our other centers.
Q: Who provides your testing services?
A: NOCTI - The National Occupational Competencies Testing Institute
Q: I am already a NOCTI-certified Secondary Testing Site, do I have to go through the proctor training and register to become a site with MSSC?
A: Yes, in order to administer an MSSC exam, a site must register and go through proctor training.
Certification Assessment
Q: Where can I find an Assessment Center?
A: Please visit this interactive map of Certified MSSC Assessment Center Locations.
Q: What is your policy on retakes?
A: A student must wait a full 30 days before he or she can retake a failed assessment.
Q: Are your retakes free?
A: No each test, regardless if it is a retake or not, must be paid for.
Q. Do I have to register before I can take a test?
A. Yes, MSSC requires that each "Certificant" register and agree to the MSSC certification system requirements prior to taking assessments. Upon registering, you will be issued a unique MSSC ID number.
Q: Can I test, without having taken a prior course?
A: A course is not a prerequisite for testing. Any one can take an MSSC assessment as long as the exam is administered by a certified proctor from a Certified MSSC Assessment Center in a secure testing environment.
Q: If I take and pass an exam, how long do I have to wait for my certificate to arrive?
A: Certificate processing usually takes four to six weeks from the time you test to the time you receive your certificate.
Q: I have taken and passed all four of my modular exams, do I have to take a cumulative fifth exam to receive my CPT?
A: No, upon passing all four exams, you would automatically earn the full CPT. When you receive your foutth modular certificate, you will also receive your full CPT credential.
MSSC Recertification Policy:
Q. Does the new MSSC Certification/Re-certification Policy apply equally to the Certified Production Technician (CPT) and Certified Logistics Technician (CLT) MSSC Certifications?
A. Yes.
Q. Does this change the credentialing of the modular assessment that individuals need to pass to secure those certifications?
A. No. Individuals will continue to
- (a) receive separate MSSC Certificates for the four Modular Assessments for CPT (Safety; Quality Practices & Measurement; Manufacturing Processes & Production; Maintenance Awareness) and two Modular Assessments for CLT (Logistics Associate; Logistics Technician) and will
- (b) need to succeed in all four CPT Modular Assessments to receive the full CPT Certification and succeed in both CLT Modular Assessments to receive the full CLT Certification.
Q. Will there be a recertification requirement for each of the Modules?
A. No. The new recertification requirement will apply only to the holders of the full CPT and CLT Certifications.
Q. What is the purpose of the new recertification requirement?
A. MSSC must ensure that holders of full MSSC Certified Production Technician (CPT) and Certified Logistics Technician (CLT) Certifications (“Certificants”) take a recertification assessment every five years to ensure that their skills are current with industry best practices. This is a requirement of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Standard 17024 under which MSSC formally began all of its operations on October 1, 2011.
Q. Are there any other purposes for this change?
A. Under ANSI-ISO 17024 requirements, MSSC must also ensure that it can reach every Certificant. This is not the case with all those that MSSC has certified since the inception of its certifications in 2004.
Q. Will CPT and CLT Certificants need to take the full battery of assessments for each Module to be re-certified?
A. No. The recertification assessment will be based on reinforcing the most critical skills in each Module and any changes in the MSSC national standards based upon annual reviews by the National Experts Panels (NEPs) for CPT and CLT. The recertification assessment is expected to be shorter than any one of the current Modular Assessments.
Q. When will the first recertification tests be available?
A. Since the National Experts Panels began annual meetings in 2010 to review the MSSC national standards, we are expecting the first recertification assessments to take place in 2015 and to continue thereafter annually.
Q. When will CPT and CLT certificants be expected to take this recertification assessment?
A. Five years from the date of the issuance of their last full certification under the new certification names: “CPTAE” and “CLTAE”. Effective October 1, 2011, MSSC will begin issuing its certifications under these new names. “AE” stands for “ANSI Edition.”
Q. What is the impact of this new policy on individuals that received their full CPT or CLT Certifications before October 1, 2011?
A. MSSC will not invalidate those certifications, and you will still be listed in the MSSC database of full CPT or CLT Certificants. However, we will notify all of those former CPT and CLT Certificants that we are able to locate about the new certification/recertification policies and ask them to apply for the new “CPTAE” and “CLTAE” Certifications. We will also ask them to provide MSSC with their current email and mail addresses.
Q. If my existing CPT or CLT Certification is still valid, what reason would I have to apply for the new Certifications?
A. Most importantly, certificants will be better able to enhance the value of their MSSC Certification by demonstrating that they are keeping their certifications current and that those certifications are ISO-accredited—both strong selling points with most industrial employers. Through the inclusion of individual registration numbers on the certificates and the MSSC requirement that certifications provide MSSC with their current email and mail address, certificants will also have a stronger, continuing connection with MSSC Community and be kept current about MSSC developments and opportunities.
Q. Will holders of full CPT and CLT Certifications issued before October 1, 2011 be expected to take the recertification assessment?
A. All CPT and CLT certificants with certifications bearing an expiration date and/or holding the new “AE” certifications will be expected to take their recertification assessment in 2015 or by their five-year expiration date, whichever is later.
Q. How does ANSI relate to ISO?
A. ANSI is the U.S. branch of ISO. ISO Standard 17024 is the international standard for an organization to be ISO-accredited to certify individuals.
Q. How do I apply for a new "CPTAE" and "CLTAE" certification?
A. Contact MSSC with your name and MSSC ID or testing location via email at orders@msscusa.org or phone at (703) 739-9000 x221. There is a $10.00 shipping and handling fee for each new certification. This fee will cover the issuance of the “AE” certification plus an updated wallet card with the date of expiration and registration number on it.
MSSC Training:
Q: Do you offer training to help people pass their certification?
A: Yes, we offer blended courseware, which is both instructor-led and computer-based learning, along with E-Learning solutions. You can learn more about our learning options by visiting our training page.
Q. I am interested in setting up an MSSC training class. Is the Glencoe McGraw-Hill textbook alone sufficient for training my students in the MSSC CPT program?
A. No, while the textbook is a great reference book, it does not address the "Basic Technical" skills in our Standards that need to be learned.
Q: If I am an MSSC instructor can I also proctor assessments?
A: No, we are following ANSI/ISO Personnel Accreditation standards according to ISO Personnel Accreditation Standard No. 17024 which requires a clear "fire-wall" between training and "certification."
Q: I am a student, where can I get trained with MSSC's materials?
A: Please visit this interactive map to find a Certified Assessment Center near you. You can also contact our coordinator, Cornelius Kearns, for more options in your area. We will have an updated list of our CLT and CPT instructors on this webpage shortly.
Q: How can I offer training at my location?
A: In order to offer training, an institution must have at least one instructor Attend our 3-day Instructor training session, held monthly in Jeffersonville, IN, or purchase an Instructor's package. If you would like to train more than 6 instructors we can send a master trainer to your place of business. For more information on our instructor training options, as well as registration forms for each, please contact Cornelius Kearns or Kathy Clayton.
Q: What are the requirements of your monthly instructor training class?
A: As long as there are four or more registrants for the monthly class, we will host it. If this criterion is not met, we will not hold a class that month. If a class is not held, we will give 2 weeks notice and thus individuals should not make travel arrangements until they have confirmed a class has not been cancelled.
Q: I am an instructor, but I can't make it all the way to Indiana, can you come to me?
A: If you have 6 or more instructors being trained, the MSSC will send a master trainer out to your location at no extra charge.
Q: Are the cost of the tests included in your instructor training courses?
A: No, they are not. Our courses and assessments are priced and given separately.
Quick Links
Training Schedules
Follow Us On...
