- ACI's ATT2 written exam is open-book, two hours, roughly 100 questions across ten standards.
- You need 60% minimum on every standard and 70% overall, plus a separate passing performance exam.
- Three standards - T 96/C131, T 104/C88, and C535 - are written-only, not tested hands-on.
- Both exam components must be passed within one year, or the failed one must be retaken in full.
Quick Facts Snapshot
This is the one-page version of everything you'd otherwise have to dig out of ACI's CPP 620.3-20 policy document and the CP-45 workbook. Keep this page open the week before your exam date and use it as a final gut-check, not a first-time introduction - for that, work through the full ATT2 Study Guide first.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Certifying body | American Concrete Institute (ACI) |
| Prerequisite | Current ACI Aggregate Testing Technician - Level 1 credential |
| Written exam length | Two hours, open-book (ACI-approved references only) |
| Written question count | Approximately 100 multiple-choice questions |
| Questions per standard | 8 to 12 per standard, across 10 standards |
| Passing threshold | 60% minimum per standard, 70% minimum overall |
| Performance exam | Closed-book, separate demonstration/verbal-description component |
| Time limit to pass both parts | One year |
| Certification validity | Five years |
| Governing policy document | CPP 620.3-20, revised September 21, 2020 |
| Job-Task Analysis basis | Approved September 30, 2024 |
| Official workbook | CP-45, seventh edition |
The Ten Standards at a Glance
ACI's Job-Task Analysis (approved September 30, 2024) organizes the exam around ten specific test standards. Each written question pool draws 8-12 questions per standard, so no single domain can be skipped or treated as a rounding error. For a deeper breakdown of what each standard actually asks candidates to know, see the ATT2 Exam Domains Guide.
Domain 1: AASHTO T 19/ASTM C29 - Bulk Density ("Unit Weight") and Voids
Covers rodding, jigging, and shoveling procedures for determining unit weight and calculating voids in aggregate.
- Practical standard - expect a hands-on demonstration station
Domain 2: AASHTO T 96/ASTM C131 - LA Abrasion, Small-Size Coarse Aggregate
Resistance to degradation by abrasion and impact using the Los Angeles machine, for smaller coarse aggregate gradings.
- Written-exam-only standard - no performance station for this one
Domain 3: AASHTO T 104/ASTM C88 - Soundness by Sodium or Magnesium Sulfate
Soundness testing through repeated immersion cycles in sulfate solutions to evaluate weathering resistance.
- Written-exam-only standard - no performance station for this one
Domain 4: AASHTO T 112/ASTM C142 - Clay Lumps and Friable Particles
Identifying and quantifying clay lumps and friable particles that break down under limited manipulation.
- Practical standard
Domain 5: AASHTO T 113/ASTM C123 - Lightweight Pieces
Separating and measuring lightweight particles using heavy liquid to flag potentially weak material.
- Practical standard
Domain 6: AASHTO T 176/ASTM D2419 - Sand Equivalent Test
Assessing plastic fines and clay-like material in graded aggregates and soils via the sand equivalent procedure.
- Practical standard
Domain 7: AASHTO T 304/ASTM C1252 - Uncompacted Void Content of Fine Aggregate
Measuring void content of fine aggregate as an indirect indicator of particle shape and texture.
- Practical standard
Domain 8: ASTM C535 - LA Abrasion, Large-Size Coarse Aggregate
Same abrasion/impact principle as Domain 2, but scaled for large-size coarse aggregate.
- Written-exam-only standard - no performance station for this one
Domain 9: ASTM D4791 - Flat, Elongated Particles in Coarse Aggregate
Using proportional calipers to classify flat, elongated, or flat-and-elongated coarse aggregate particles.
- Practical standard
Domain 10: ASTM D5821 - Percentage of Fractured Particles
Visually determining what portion of coarse aggregate particles show one or more fractured faces.
- Practical standard
Key Takeaway
Seven of the ten domains have a hands-on performance component. Only Domains 2, 3, and 8 (T 96/C131, T 104/C88, and C535) are tested exclusively on paper - memorize that split so you don't over-practice a technique you'll never demonstrate.
Written Exam Mechanics
The written exam is open-book, but "open-book" only means ACI-approved references - not your own annotated printout or a general aggregates textbook. Bring the CP-45 workbook and any other explicitly sanctioned reference your sponsoring group specifies. The two-hour clock covers roughly 100 multiple-choice questions, distributed 8-12 per standard across all ten domains listed above.
Because the question count per domain is a fixed range rather than a single number, a candidate who is weak on even one lower-weighted standard can still fail the overall threshold or, worse, fail that individual standard's 60% floor even while scoring well elsewhere. That's the trap most first-time candidates fall into - treating the exam as one big pool rather than ten separate pass/fail hurdles. The ATT2 Passing Score breakdown walks through exactly how that dual threshold is applied.
Performance Exam Mechanics
The performance exam is closed-book. Candidates must correctly demonstrate the procedure steps for each applicable standard, or in some cases provide a permitted verbal description instead of a physical demonstration. Since three standards (T 96/C131, T 104/C88, C535) never appear in the performance component, your hands-on practice time should concentrate on the remaining seven - Domains 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10.
Scoring Rules to Memorize
Write this down before exam day, because it's the single most misunderstood part of ATT2 certification:
- At least 60% on each of the ten individual standards on the written exam
- At least 70% overall on the written exam
- A separate pass on the performance examination
- Both components - written and performance - passed within a one-year window
Missing any one of these conditions means you don't hold the credential yet, even if your other scores look strong. For an in-depth look at how difficult this actually plays out for real candidates, read How Hard Is the ATT2 Exam? and the companion ATT2 Pass Rate analysis.
Fees and Registration Facts
ATT2 fees are set locally by ACI-approved sponsoring groups, not by ACI as a single national price. Two published 2026 examples illustrate the range:
| Sponsoring Group | Member Price | Nonmember Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACI Intermountain Chapter (Utah) | USD 500 | USD 600 | Includes study guide, review session, written exam, and performance exam |
| CRMCA (Denver, CDOT HQ) | USD 598 | USD 928 | Workbooks sold separately; no on-site training/review; 3.05% credit-card fee applies |
Separately, ACI's standalone CP-45 seventh-edition workbook lists at USD 133 regular or USD 69 for ACI members if you need to buy it apart from a local package. These two examples are local packages, not a fixed national exam fee - always confirm current pricing with your specific sponsoring group. The ATT2 Certification Cost breakdown covers more of these local variations in detail.
Key Takeaway
Ask your sponsoring group exactly what's bundled - some packages include the workbook, review session, and both exam components; others charge for the workbook separately and add a card-processing surcharge.
Reference Materials Allowed
Two equipment and material rules are easy to overlook but frequently show up as trick questions or logistics mistakes on exam day:
- Calculator: A simple-function, nonprogrammable pocket calculator is permitted. Leave scientific or graphing calculators at home.
- References: The written exam is open-book, but only with ACI-approved references - the CP-45 workbook is the core one to know cold.
- Performance exam: Closed-book. No references at the practical stations - you either demonstrate the procedure correctly or describe it verbally when permitted.
Retakes and Recertification
If you fail one component but pass the other, the passed component stays valid for the remainder of the one-year window - you only need to retake the failed piece. But you can't retake half of a failed component: a failed written or performance exam must be retaken in full, not just the weak sections.
Once earned, ATT2 certification lasts five years. Recertification isn't a paperwork renewal - it requires passing both the written and performance examinations again in full. Build that into your long-term career planning rather than treating certification as a one-time task; see ATT2 Requirements for the full eligibility picture, including how your Level 1 credential status factors in.
Last-Mile Review Schedule
If you're inside your final two weeks before an exam date, don't restart your whole study plan - triage. This short schedule assumes you've already built foundational knowledge through a fuller plan like the one in the ATT2 Study Guide.
Written-only standards
- Drill T 96/C131, T 104/C88, and C535 - these never appear on the performance exam, so mastering them now is pure written-score insurance.
Performance-tested standards
- Physically rehearse Domains 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10 step-by-step, including verbal narration for any steps that allow a spoken description.
Weak-domain triage
- Run practice questions per standard and flag any domain trending below the 60% floor - fix those before touching anything you're already strong on.
Full-length simulation
- Take a timed, ~100-question practice run under two-hour open-book conditions, then a full closed-book performance walkthrough of all seven practical standards.
Who Actually Uses This Credential
ATT2 sits above the Level 1 credential and signals that a technician can independently run the more demanding aggregate quality tests - abrasion resistance, soundness, particle shape, and void content among them - without direct supervision. Aggregate producers, ready-mix and asphalt plants, DOT and municipal materials labs, and third-party testing labs typically look for this credential when filling quality control roles that go beyond entry-level sampling. If you're weighing whether the credential fits your career path, the ROI analysis and salary guide dig into that question further, and ATT2 Jobs covers typical roles that request it.
Before you register, double check your Level 1 status is current - ACI requires it as a hard prerequisite, and letting it lapse can delay your Level 2 registration even if you're otherwise ready. Full logistics, including scheduling windows, are covered in ATT2 Exam Dates.
FAQ
Open-book, but only with ACI-approved references. The performance exam is closed-book.
Approximately 100 multiple-choice questions in two hours, with 8 to 12 questions per standard across all ten domains.
AASHTO T 96/ASTM C131 (small-size LA abrasion), AASHTO T 104/ASTM C88 (soundness), and ASTM C535 (large-size LA abrasion) are tested only on the written exam.
At least 60% on each individual standard and at least 70% overall on the written exam, plus a separate pass on the performance examination.
The passed component remains valid for up to one year, so you only need to retake the failed performance exam in full - not the written exam again.
Keep this page bookmarked as your final-review reference, and pair it with focused practice on the exact ten standards above rather than generic aggregate-testing trivia - that distinction is what separates a first-attempt pass from a frustrating retake.