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Technician Certification Program



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This is part of ODOT's effort to ensure quality control and quality assurance for the construction of transportation facilities. 

This program is designed to develop and maintain a pool of well-trained technicians to perform material field tests. It covers both quality assurance and quality control purposes.

All technician certification programs must be approved by the Certification Advisory Committee.

ODOT’s Quality Assurance Program requires all personnel and laboratories performing materials testing to be certified. This requirement applies to project personnel working as a technician for the state, contractors or consultants on such projects.

Certification Database

​ODOT is a member of the Western Alliance for Quality Transportation Construction. WAQTC consists of 9 western states. It also includes the Western and Central Federal Lands Highway Division (WFLHD / CFLHD) of the Federal Highway Administration.​ The WAQTC organization is dedicated to improving the quality of the transportation products and services. This is achieved through membership collaboration and innovative training techniques. WAQTC has developed a technician training program designed to educate and train material testing technicians. The focus of this training is the measurement of construction material properties. Instructional and student modules are used to train material field-tested procedures and processes. ODOT has adopted most of the WAQTC training program, except for ODOT-specific certifications or requirements such as:

  • Certified Asphalt Technician, Level II (ACP Troubleshooting)
  • Concrete Control Technician, Concrete Mix Design (ACI 211)
  • Concrete Mix Design Technician, ACP Mix Design (Superpave)
  • Quality Control Technician, Addition to ACI Grade Level I Certification

For more information on the Technician Certification Program or test procedures used in Oregon, refer to the Manual of Field Test Procedures.

Technicians must pass a written and/or a practical test. This is to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of how to perform the specific tests. They must also use the specifications that apply to the material being tested for the desired certification. 

All tests are administered and assessed by evaluators approved by the Certification Advisory Committee Chair, or their designated representative.

Attend Training

You may register for training through the approved training service provider. Links to register are listed at the bottom of this page under Technician Certifications. The exam will be administered as part of the class, or you may submit an application to challenge the exam.

If you fail an exam from a technical training class, you may retake the failed element. The procedure is outlined in the Manual of Field Test Procedures (MFTP), Section 2, under the Technician Certification Program: 

A failed element of the exam is defined as a phase:

  1. WAQTC written exam
  2. ODOT written exam
  3. Combined ODOT and WAQTC performance exam.​ 

If you don't pass the second time, you must retake training before being allowed to retake the exam element(s).

Challenge Exams​

Applications to challenge an exam will be submitted through the approved training program to facilitate scheduling. See Technician Certifications at the bottom of this page with the training program for specific certifications.

Appropriate fees will be charged for the challenge exams to cover scheduling, overhead and facility use. Applicants will be scheduled for examination through a cooperative effort between ODOT and the appropriate training program service provider.

If you fail a challenge exam and you have never been certified in the discipline, you must attend training before attempting the exam again.

As a technician, you must recertify prior to the expiration date of an existing certification to maintain your credential. Recertification is obtained by passing the written and/or​ practical test required for a given certification.

You are responsible for scheduling your own recertification exam.

If you fail to complete a certification renewal in a specialty area, you will be disqualified in that area until renewal requirements have been met.​

All certifications shall be contingent upon the technician signing a rights and responsibilities agreement.

This agreement details the expectations for technician conduct. it also outlines the consequences of the abuse and or neglect of these responsibilities. Signed agreements are due at the time a technician takes the certification exam and are required for each certification discipline.

The following language is a typical Rights and Responsibilities document that must be signed by the technician.​


Certification carries inherent rights and responsibilities. These rights include being exclusively sanctioned along with others so Qualified by Transportation Technician Qualification Program (TTQP) to perform sampling, testing, and reporting of test results for quality control and quality assurance programs. These responsibilities include performing and reporting tests with the accuracy and precision expected of the Technician in accordance with the required test procedures. By signing this document, the Technician agrees to abide by all of the terms of the TTQP included in the Registration, Policies, & Information Handbook and as set forth by the contracting Agency.

Findings of negligence or abuse of these rights and responsibilities will be penalized by recommendation of the Certification Advisory Committee (CAC) and any appeal to the CAC Chair. Penalties, as prescribed herein, may be assessed for Technician abuse or negligence. Negligence is defined as unintentional deviations from approved procedures which may or may not cause erroneous results.

If negligence is determined:

  1. On the first finding, employee receives a letter of reprimand sent to both the employee and the employer. 
  2. The second finding includes a thirty (30) da​y suspension of certification. 
  3. The third finding results in a one hundred eighty (180) day suspension of certification. 
  4. The fourth finding prompts a permanent suspension of certification.

Abuse is defined as intentional deviations from approved procedures. First finding of abuse results in a minimum one-year suspension and up to permanent revocation of an individual's certification. Any subsequent finding of abuse will result in permanent revocation of certification. Revocation or suspension of one certification will be considered revocation or suspension of all certifications held by the Technician. Permanent revocation of certification will result in that person being ineligible for any TTQP certification. The penalties are guidelines and the CAC may impose harsher penalties if warranted for findings of abuse or negligence.

The Technician should be aware that both State and Federal laws may govern construction projects. This includes the Title 18, United States Code, Section 1020. Briefly stated, anyone making falsifications on Federal-aid projects, "Shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both."


I, ____________________, have read, understand and agree to abide by the rights, responsibilities and penalties associated with receipt of this certification.


Signature) ______________________________
(Date) _____________________ 

With successful completion of exam process, the technician is added to the official registry of certified technicians for the appropriate certification.​

Transportation Curriculum Coordination Council (TC3)​

Quality Assurance Series​ - Free to ODOT employees using PROMO Code: D5X3-B3D9-52CB-4XCX (You must use a government email address for promo code to activate). 

Customers external to ODOT may pay full rate to access the training.



Contact the Construction Section

800 Airport Road SE
Salem, Oregon 97301

Program Contacts

For general program questions:
 
For certification database questions:



Technician Certifications

Technician Training Program Document

IMPORTANT - ODOT Employees: Please review the registration instructions before enrolling in a training course.