What Is A ATT2?

What Is an ATT2?

ATT2 stands for Aggregate Testing Technician - Level 2, a certification issued by the American Concrete Institute (ACI). It recognizes technicians who can correctly perform, interpret, and describe a wider set of aggregate testing procedures than are covered at the entry level. Exams are not administered directly by ACI headquarters; instead, they run through ACI-approved sponsoring groups and examiners, which is why the exact testing experience (price, schedule, location) varies by chapter or agency even though the underlying requirements are national.

If you're researching this credential for the first time, it helps to separate the acronym from other unrelated certifications that happen to share the same letters in other industries. On this site, every reference to ATT2 refers specifically to ACI's aggregate testing credential - nothing else.

Prerequisites: Why Level 1 Comes First

You cannot walk into an ATT2 exam without prior standing. ACI requires candidates to hold a current ACI Aggregate Testing Technician - Level 1 credential before they're eligible to sit for Level 2. This prerequisite exists because Level 2 assumes familiarity with basic aggregate sampling and testing concepts, then layers on more technical standards and stricter scoring requirements.

If you're unsure whether your current standing qualifies you, or you want a full breakdown of eligibility rules, the ATT2 Requirements guide walks through exactly what's needed before you register.

How the ATT2 Exam Is Structured

The ATT2 written exam is open-book, but only ACI-approved references are permitted during the session. It runs two hours and contains approximately 100 multiple-choice questions. Those questions aren't distributed evenly by chance - they map to the ten standards, with eight to 12 questions drawn from each one. That structure matters strategically: a candidate can't coast through the exam by mastering only a few favorite standards, because every standard carries a meaningful block of questions.

Scoring is also standard-by-standard, not just overall. You need:

• At least 60% correct on every individual standard
• At least 70% correct on the exam overall

This dual threshold is one of the more distinctive features of the ATT2 exam compared to single-cutoff tests. A high overall score doesn't save you if one standard falls below 60%. For a deeper look at how this scoring actually plays out for candidates, see the ATT2 Passing Score breakdown.

The Ten Study Domains

ATT2's content is organized around ten aggregate testing standards, following ACI's Job-Task Analysis approved September 30, 2024. Three of these are tested only on the written exam and have no corresponding hands-on task, leaving seven standards as practical (performance-exam) areas.

For a fuller walkthrough of how these ten standards interconnect and where candidates commonly lose points, the ATT2 Exam Domains Guide goes standard-by-standard in more depth than a single overview article can.

The Performance Examination

Passing the written exam is only half the requirement. ATT2 candidates must also pass a separate performance examination, which is closed-book. During this component, you either physically demonstrate the correct procedure steps for a given standard or, where permitted, describe them verbally in the prescribed order. This is where the seven practical standards (all domains except T 96/C131, T 104/C88, and C535) come into direct play.

Because the performance exam is closed-book, memorizing sequencing - not just recognizing correct answers on a multiple-choice screen - becomes essential. Candidates who only study for recognition (as in open-book written questions) sometimes struggle here, since they must recall each step unaided.

A simple-function, nonprogrammable pocket calculator is permitted for calculations during testing - advanced or programmable calculators are not allowed.

Registration, Fees, and Local Chapters

Because ACI certifies through approved local sponsoring groups rather than a single national testing center, fees and package inclusions vary by chapter. Two published 2026 examples illustrate the range:

These are named local packages, not a fixed national ACI price - expect meaningful variation depending on which chapter or agency you register through. Separately, ACI's standalone CP-45 seventh-edition preparation workbook can be purchased directly for USD 133 at the regular price or USD 69 for ACI members.

For a complete breakdown of what these numbers mean for your total out-of-pocket cost, including how workbook purchases and chapter fees stack, read the ATT2 Certification Cost breakdown. If you're still deciding between chapters and windows, the ATT2 Exam Dates guide covers how scheduling typically works through sponsoring groups.

Who Hires ATT2-Certified Technicians

ATT2 credentials are typically sought by technicians working in materials testing labs, aggregate producers, ready-mix and asphalt quality control departments, and agencies that require independent verification of aggregate properties for construction projects. Because the certification spans ten standards rather than a narrow slice of testing, ATT2 holders are often trusted with a broader range of lab and field tasks than Level 1 technicians, including particle shape analysis, soundness-adjacent calculations, and void content testing.

If you're weighing whether pursuing this credential fits your career plans, the ROI analysis on ATT2 certification and the ATT2 Salary Guide both look at how the credential tends to factor into job qualifications and compensation conversations.

Building a Study Plan Around the Ten Standards

A generic study calendar won't reflect the way ATT2 scoring actually works - per-standard minimums mean you can't neglect any single domain, even ones with fewer questions. A more useful approach is to sequence study weeks around the three written-only standards first (since they require no hands-on rehearsal), then dedicate remaining weeks to the seven practical standards where procedure sequencing needs repetition.

The last week matters most for the performance exam, since closed-book recall is a different skill than open-book recognition. For a structured version of this kind of plan with more granular daily tasks, see the ATT2 Study Guide. Practicing with realistic multiple-choice questions across all ten domains - rather than only reviewing notes - is one of the more efficient ways to surface which standard needs another pass; you can run through domain-organized practice questions on the main practice test site to check readiness before exam day.

Certification Length and Recertification

ATT2 certification is valid for five years. Recertifying at the end of that period isn't a formality - it requires passing both the written and performance examinations again in full, under whatever version of CPP 620.3-20 and the Job-Task Analysis is current at that time. Standards and reference documents can be revised between certification cycles, so recertification candidates should treat it as a genuine re-test rather than a renewal paperwork exercise.

Governing documentation for exam administration and certification requirements sits in ACI's CPP 620.3-20 (revised September 21, 2020), which also outlines annex material on sponsoring group responsibilities. If exam difficulty is a concern going in - whether for a first attempt or a recertification cycle - the ATT2 Difficulty Guide and ATT2 Pass Rate article both address what tends to trip candidates up.

Frequently Asked Questions