Ready to become IICRC certified? This quick 5-step guide to becoming restoration certified will walk you through the process!
Step 1. Determine which IICRC certification you would like to take.
There are tons of certifications available to choose from. These range from Water Restoration Technician (WRT), to Fire & Smoke Restoration (FSRT), to Contents Processing (CPT), and so many more!
The course(s) you will want to take should relate to the work you do, for example, if you do Water Damage Cleanup, take the WRT course.
Many people start with the WRT course, our most popular course, and earn more certifications as their business grows and they start seeing more jobs in a certain category. If you start with WRT, and start getting a lot of mold remediation jobs, then take the Applied Microbial Remediation Technician (AMRT) course.
Or you can start off by taking several courses to learn different technical restoration aspects of the industry.
A question we commonly get asked is, Do I need any experience before taking an IICRC course? No, our IICRC certification courses are great for complete beginners to individuals with years of experience!
With the exception of the AMRT course, the ASD course, and the CDS course, there are no pre-requisites you must complete first. For the three courses mentioned above, you do need to earn your WRT certification prior to completing them. (We do have a WRT/ASD combo course though! This is the only course the IICRC allows to take the prerequisite at the same time.)
Step 2. Attend an IICRC approved certification course!
Most IICRC certification courses can be taken in our online live-steam format. We use Zoom for these classes, which allows the instructor to see and interact with the students, and the students can ask questions and interact with the instructor and other students. We teach the same class and material as in-person courses, with the only difference being the class is spread out all over the world. Our students love the live-stream format!
There are two classes the IICRC has not approved to be completed online. These classes are Applied Strucutral Drying and Applied Microbial Remediation Technician. They must be completed in person because they are “applied” which means they have several hands on elements.
You can also choose to take any IICRC certification course in-person as well.
Step 3. Take and pass the certification exam.
After taking the course, there is a corresponding exam you will take to demonstrate your learning and understanding of the subject. The exam is multiple choice and closed book. The number of questions on the exam, and the time limit to complete the exam is different for each course.
If you take an IICRC live-stream course, you will complete the exam online as well through the IICRC exam portal. You have 45–days to complete the exam after the class ends. If you take an in-person course, you will complete the exam on the last day of course using a scantron.
Step 4. Congratulations, your now IICRC certified!
After completing the course and passing the exam, you become an IICRC certified technician. The IICRC will mail you a certificate, wallet card and patch to show off your achievement!
Step 5. Renew your certification, and continue your education.
To keep your certification(s) active, the IICRC charges a small yearly fee. They will send you an automatic invoice each year. The fee varies depending on how many certifications you hold.
In addition to the yearly fee, you must also earn 14 Continuing Education Credits (CECs) every four years.
As you can see, the process to become IICRC certified is simple! As a recap you must:
- Determine which IICRC certification you would like to take.
- Attend an IICRC approved certification course.
- Take and pass the certification exam.
- Congratulations, your now IICRC certified!
- Renew your certification, and continue your education.
LearnToRestore.com is an IICRC approved school and teaches all the courses mentioned above. We’ll see you in class!
