1. ISA Certified Control Systems Technician® (CCST®) Program
Thank you for inviting me to speak to you today about ISA’s Certified Control Systems Technician (CCST).

2. Why a Certification Program?
Benefits Employers
Ensures a high level of skill and competency
Promotes safe practices
Serves as an objective third-party tool to bring employees to the same level of accountability
Qualification tool for new hires and contractors
Way to establish a pay for performance system
Let’s first answer the question – What’s the Value of a Certification Program to both individuals and industry?
Certification programs provide benefits to the employer and to the individual.
A certification program provides a mechanism for an employer to ensure a high level of skill and competency of employees and set a standard level of knowledge and skill for employees. Highly skilled employees help ensure that proper safety practices are used in a facility, protecting the workplace and public safety.
As you all know, more and more outsourcing of engineering functions has occurred in recent years. A certification program provides a standard tool to qualify new hires and contractors and can be used by industry to establish a pay for performance system.
Certification will have a tremendous impact on the entire industry in the years to come, because as competition for market share increases, so does demand for proven, qualified employees.

3. Sampling of Employers Who Support CCST
Alyeska Pipeline Service
Ashland Chemical
BASF
Bay-Tec Engineering
Bechtel Construction Company
Boehringer-Ingleheim – Roxanne Laboratories
BP Oil
Cargill
Central Maine Power Co.
City of Detroit
Cleveland Electric & Power
Colorado Springs Utilities
Coors Brewing Co.
District of Columbia Sewer & Water Authority
Dupont
Eli Lilly
Emerson Process Management
GE Plastics
Honeywell Inc.
Jacobs Engineering
Kellogg, Brown & Root
Maverick Technologies
Meade Electric Company
Merck
Michigan Consolidated Gas
Motorola
Noramco
Oklahoma Gas & Electric
Pfizer
Rohm & Haas
Southern Company
Total Petrochemical
Tropicana Products Inc.
Valero
Xcel Engery
There are hundreds of companies in a variety of industries that have supported their employees participation in CCST. Here are just a few of those companies.

4. Why a Certification Program?
Benefits Individuals
Establishes a professional identity
Provides documentation and recognition of knowledge, experience and education
Opportunities for promotion, pay increases, job portability
Encourages life long learning and professional development
Certification programs also provide benefits to the individual by establishing a professional identity and providing documentation of the individuals knowledge, experience and education to current and prospective employers.
A recent survey done by NSPE, the National Society for Professional Engineers, confirmed that the more education and certifications that engineers have, the higher their annual income is. So certification provides the individual a greater opportunity for promotion, pay increases, and job portability.
Most individuals study and prepare for certification exams and renewals. So, certification programs encourage life long learning and professional development.

5. About the CCST Program CCST was introduced in 1995
Over 30,000 technicians have applied
70% apply at Level I
12% apply at Level II
18% apply at Level III
Nearly 4,000 currently certified as ISA CCSTs
Eligibility requirements
Level I years education / experience
Level II years education / experience
Level III years education / experience
Pass multiple choice exam (Levels I and III)
or simulation exam (Level II)
ISA’s Certified Control System Technician Program was introduced in Since that time, over 9,000 technicians have applied to become a CCST. As you can see, a majority of applicants apply for Level 1 which accounts for 70% of the applicants. At this time, over 4,000 technicians are qualified as CCST’s.
The CCST program has three levels of certification. Each level has an increasingly higher experience/education level. In order to sit for the Level I exam, a technician must have at least 5 years of related education and experience; for the Level II exam, at least 7 years of education and experience is required; and for the Level III exam, at least 13 years of education and experience are required.

6. Who is a CCST? CCSTs are knowledgeable and skilled in CCSTs understand
pneumatic
mechanical, and
electronic instrumentation
CCSTs understand
process control loops, and
process control systems including computer based systems
An ISA Certified Control Systems Technician or CCST is knowledgeable and skilled in pneumatic, mechanical, and electronic instrumentation.
CCSTs must demonstrate an understanding of process control loops and process control systems including computer based systems.

7. CCST Performance Domains
Calibration
Loop checking
Troubleshooting
Start-up
Maintenance/repair
Project organization
Administration
There are seven key performance domains that CCST’s are tested on. The domains are listed on the slide. The CCST must demonstrate knowledge and skills in
Calibration
Loop checking
Troubleshooting
Start-up
Maintenance and repair
Project organization, and
Administration

8. How Can I Prepare for CCST Exam?
List of Resources on at “Prepare” link
CCST Level I, II, and III Study Guides
CCST Level I Review Course
Technician Guide Series of books

9. How Do I Apply?
Apply online or download an application from
Document your experience and employment history
Complete and return the application to ISA
You will be notified of your eligibility to take the exam and provided an eligibility number
Visit to select a testing center and date to take the exam
Take the exam and receive your score immediately upon completion at the testing center

10. ISA Certification Programs
CSE
CAP
CCST
Available U.S. Only X
Available Globally
Focus on Process Control
Focus on Automation
Engineering License
Work Experience Required
Engineering Degree Required
Varies by State
4 Yr Technical Degree Required X*
No Degree Required
As many of you know, ISA also supports the development of the Control Systems Engineer (CSE) license exam and offers a third certification program for maintenance mechanics called the Certified Industrial Maintenance Mechanic (CIMM) program. Each of these programs address a different audience and market.
This chart helps clarify some of the distinctions among the certification and licensure programs.
The Certified Control Systems Technician program is a certification program for control systems technicians. It is not required that CCST applicants hold an educational degree and most applicants to the program work in a process industry.
The Control Systems Engineer license is offered through state engineering boards and is a legal license to practice engineering. This engineering license can only be granted by a state engineering board. The degree requirements to sit for the CSE vary by state. Some states require an engineering degree and others do not. Again, the focus is on process control and most of the applicants work in process industries.
CAP is a certification, not a legal license to practice engineering. CAP is available globally and focuses not only process control but discrete control, motion control, drive control, systems integration, etc. While CAPs require a 4 year technical degree (except for the initial two years of the program) it must be a technical degree but does not have to be an engineering degree.
CIMM is a certification for maintenance mechanics who perform work that is primarily mechanical in nature such as corrective, preventive and predictive maintenance. CIMMs are not required to have a degree. They must have a combination of 5 years work and education experience to be eligible to sit for the certification exam (a minimum of 3 of the 5 years must be work experience as a maintenance mechanic).
*Without 4 Yr Technical Degree 10 years of Automation experience is required

11. For More Information
Online:
Phone:
For more detailed information on ISA certification programs, visit the ISA website or contact ISA.
Thank you for the opportunity to talk with you about ISA certification programs.