NCCCO Mobile Crane Operator Core Exam Pass Rate, Format & Study Guide

The NCCCO Mobile Crane Operator Core exam is the Core part of the written examination for the CCO Mobile Crane Operator certification. It is issued by the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO). The Core exam has 95 questions and you are given 90 minutes; calculators are not permitted.

Under OSHA's cranes and derricks standard (29 CFR 1926.1427), employers must ensure operators are certified by an accredited testing organization; NCCCO is a widely used certification. Passing the Core exam is a required step toward the CCO Mobile Crane Operator certification.

Crane operators and trainees preparing for NCCCO mobile crane certification, and candidates retaking the Core exam. Specialty exams are separate; check the NCCCO handbook for your designation.

The certifying body does not publicly publish an official pass rate for this exam. Be wary of third-party sites citing a specific number here — treat any pass-rate claim you see elsewhere for this exam as unverified.

NCCCO sets the retest rules and fees for failed written exams; check the current CCO Mobile Crane Operator candidate handbook before you reschedule.

Passing standard: NCCCO reports results as a scaled score, and a score of 70 is the minimum passing score (search extract of the NCCCO exam outline page; the 2025 candidate handbook confirms the format but its scoring section could not be read). The Core exam has 95 questions and you are given 90 minutes; calculators are not permitted. No official pass rate for this exam was available in the sources we reviewed, so none is quoted here.

The Core exam has 95 questions and you are given 90 minutes; calculators are not permitted. Format: 95 questions · 90 minutes · calculator not permitted. Passing standard: NCCCO reports results as a scaled score, and a score of 70 is the minimum passing score (search extract of the NCCCO exam outline page; the 2025 candidate handbook confirms the format but its scoring section could not be read).

• Site22%
• Operations28%
• Technical Knowledge23%
• Load Charts27%

The content outline spreads questions across 4 areas: Site (22.0%); Operations (28.0%); Technical Knowledge (23.0%); Load Charts (27.0%).

NCCCO requires candidates to be at least 18 years old, comply with its Substance Abuse Policy and Code of Ethics, and pass the written and practical examinations; the CCO certification is valid for five years.

The NCCCO Core written exam fee is reported as US$140 (search extract; the NCCCO fee page could not be opened). Specialty written exams, practical exams and application fees are separate.

NCCCO certifications are valid for five years and recertification has its own requirements; check NCCCO for the current rules.

Start with the heaviest areas of the content outline: Operations (28.0%); Load Charts (27.0%); Technical Knowledge (23.0%). Then work through the remaining areas, practise jurisdiction-specific rules separately from the general content, and finish with timed full-length practice runs of 95 questions in 90 minutes.

Content outlines, fees and passing standards change; this guide follows the materials listed under Verification as of October 2026. Check the licensing authority and test administrator before you register.