Certification

What is to be “certified”?
Accreditation makes certification programs legitimate.

How important do you think it is to be certified? If you believe that being certified simply means that a person passed a test, then accreditation won’t be important.

There is a difference between simply passing a test and being certified by an accredited certification scheme.

Any organization can create an exam and issue a certificate but if you believe there should be more to being certified than just passing the test, then accreditation is important.

Accredited certification programs include certain elements that together ensure that the certification process:

·       Meets the needs of industry.
·       Follows International standards.
·       Fairness established by rigid processes.
·       Security around examination processes.
·       Auditing by independent body to ensure high standards are met.
·       Independently invigilated certification exam.

Certification body

There is a Scheme Committee that establishes the rules, policies, and guidelines. They also oversee the quality control process which includes detailed statistical analysis to ensure that the examination and verification process is fair and independent. It also ensures that the program is open to everyone and that it meets the needs of the industry. Plus, it ensures that the examination process is secure; there can be no question about the validity of exam results.

There is also a Technical Committee that defines the technical content of training courses and exams. The committee offers the questions and audits the questions. The Technical Committee also handles any grievances, should they arise, and any breaches of the rules.

Many organisations around the world that offer “certification” programs, but they do not offer any of the above.

Auditing process

To ensure that all the certification body is fair and independent, and that it follows international standards, and does what it says it will do, there are Government appointed organisations in each country that audit certification programs. i.e. JAS-ANZ, the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand.

Each certification program offered must be established in a consistent manner and will be audited against ISO/IEC 17024.

The certification process

According to ISO standards, there are certain requirements that must be met for a person to be certified. The three core requirements are: training, examination, and experience.

Training requirements

• Which topics must be covered and the approximate duration that the topic must be discussed.
• The minimum training hours for a training course.
• Where training is performed, a classroom, hotel seminar room, or in a company training facility, or online via videos.

The examination requirements

The examination process is conducted with the utmost security. CMI is not able to view the contents of an exam before or after the exam.

The exam can be conducted online or via a paper-based exam. Either way, the examination process must be securely monitored by a person known as the “invigilator”. The invigilator ensures that the candidate cannot cheat, they cannot copy exam questions, and they cannot gain any form of assistance during the exam.

The experience requirements

Each of the certification standards defines the experience requirements of the candidates before they can be officially certified. See detailed requirements on the course description.

 

Certification requirements per course:

Vibration Analysis CAT-I

In order to be certified you must:

• Achieve 70% or higher on the certification exam (60 multiple choice questions, duration 2 hours).
• Have six (6) months of practical vibration analysis work experience, verified by an independent person.

Certification is valid for 5 years.

If you do not have the experience, you will still receive a certificate, but you will not be officially certified. When you pass the 6-month milestone you will be upgraded to full certification.

 Vibration Analysis CAT-II

To be certified you must:

• Achieve 70% or higher on the certification exam (100 multiple choice questions, duration 3 hours).
• Have eighteen (18) months of practical vibration analysis work experience, verified by an independent person.

Certification is valid for 5 years.

If you do not have the experience, you will still receive a certificate, but you will not be officially certified. When you pass the 18-month milestone you will be upgraded to full certification.

Vibration Analysis CAT-III

To be certified you must:

• Achieve 70% or higher on the certification exam (100 multiple choice questions, duration 4 hours).
• Have thirty-six (36) months of practical vibration analysis work experience, verified by an independent person.
• Have previously been certified to VCAT-II.

Certification is valid for 5 years.

If you do not have the experience, you will still receive a certificate, but you will not be officially certified. When you pass the 36-month milestone you will be upgraded to full certification.

Vibration Analysis CAT-IV

To be certified you must:

• Achieve 70% or higher on the certification exam (60 multiple choice questions, duration 5 hours).
• Have sixty (60) months of practical vibration analysis work experience, verified by an independent person.
• Have previously been VCAT-III certified.

Certification is valid for 5 years.

If you do not have the experience, you will still receive a certificate, but you will not be officially certified. When you pass the 60-month milestone you will be upgraded to full certification.

Ultrasound-I

To be certified you must:

• Achieve 70% or higher on the exam (60 multiple choice questions, duration 2 hours).
• Have six (6) months practical ultrasound work experience, verified by an independent person.
• Provide evidence of passing a hearing test administered by a licensed professional.

Certification is valid for 5 years.

If you do not provide evidence of passing a hearing test, but you meet the other certification requirements, you will be issued conditional certification.

If you do not have the experience, you will still receive a certificate, but you will not be officially certified. When you pass the 6-month milestone you will be upgraded to full certification.

Infrared Thermography-CAT I

To be certified you must:

• Achieve 75% or higher on the exam (60 multiple choice questions, duration 2 hours).
• Have twelve (12) months practical work experience in the field of thermography-based machinery condition monitoring and diagnostics.
• Pass an online colour test.

Certification is valid for 5 years.

If you do not have the experience, you will still receive a certificate, but you will not be officially certified. When you pass the 12-month milestone you will be upgraded to full certification.

The 4 steps of learning

‘The four steps of learning’ or ‘The Hierarchy of Competence’ relates to the psychological states involved in the process of progressing from incompetence to competence in a skill.

The four stages suggest that individuals are initially unaware of how little they know, or unconscious of their incompetence. As they recognize their incompetence, they consciously acquire a skill, then consciously use it. Eventually, the skill can be utilized without it being consciously thought through: the individual is said to have then acquired unconscious competence.

Unconscious competence is seen as the ultimate goal within the Four Stages of Learning.

The 4 steps are:

1 Unconscious Incompetence – meaning you don’t know that you don’t know something i.e. you do not know the skill exists, or if you do, you do not see the value of it. Not understanding or knowing how to do something and not recognising the deficit.

2 Conscious Incompetence – meaning you know what you don’t know but are not doing it i.e. you know the skill exists, but you are bad at it. You see its value but are struggling to learn it.

You know you’re lacking a skill or knowledge, but you still don’t know how to do it or understand it.

Understanding or knowing how to do something, and recognising the deficit, The making of mistakes can be integral to the learning process at this stage.

3 Conscious Competence – meaning you now know what you are doing, usually after training, but are still having to concentrate to do it i.e. you can perform the skill but need to focus.

Understanding or knowing how to do something. However, demonstrating the skill or knowledge requires concentration, and if it is broken there’s a lapse into incompetence.

4 Unconscious Competence – meaning, with training and competence, the knowledge has become second nature to you i.e. you know what you are doing so well that it comes naturally without much thought.

Terms and Conditions:

Cancellation and Refund Policy

• The Recipient shall, unless otherwise agreed, have the right to cancel ordered training without charge. If Condition Monitoring Institute receives a written cancellation notice at least 30 days prior to scheduled commencement day of the Training. Thereafter, the Recipient will be charged the following:

30 - 15 days’ notice = 25%charge.

14 - 7 days’ notice = 50% charge.

<7 days’ notice = 100% charge.

• Condition Monitoring Institute reserves the right to offer a refund or proportional refund in circumstances it believes are warranted.
• Where a refund is due to a candidate, the applicable refund amount will be provided within thirty days.

Substitutions and Transfers

• Up until 30 days prior to the course commencement students may transfer their registration to another course date by making a request in writing to admin@www.cm-institute.au.
• Within 30 days of course commencement transfer requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
• Note that, unless there are exceptional circumstances, only one transfer is permitted per student.
• A second request to transfer may be deemed as a cancellation.
• Up to 14 days until the course commencement you may substitute another student from the same organisation. The new student will need to submit a completed registration form before their enrolment can be processed.

Non-attendance

• Non-attendance at a course by students who have not arranged a transfer or substitution with Condition Monitoring Institute will be deemed a Failure to Give Notice of Cancellation.
• Full course fees will be forfeited.

Course Cancellation (Initiated by CM Institute)

• Where Condition Monitoring Institute is forced to cancel a course, learners will be entitled to transfer to another Condition Monitoring Institute course or receive a refund.
• Condition Monitoring Institute accepts no liability for losses incurred because of changes to, or cancellation of, a course. This includes costs incurred for travel or accommodation that must be cancelled or amended. 

Payment

• Payment is due in full 10 days before the start of all courses, unless otherwise agreed.
• Condition Monitoring Institute accepts, bank transfer, Visa and MasterCard.
• Until payment is received, a student is not guaranteed a seat in a class.