What is a Certified Cost Consultant (CCC)/Certified Cost Engineer (CCE)?

Since 1976, AACE’s CCC/CCE has recognized several thousand certified individuals as Certified Cost
Consultant / Certified Cost Engineer. AACE’s CCC/CCE is independently accredited by the Council of
Engineering & Scientific Specialty Boards (CESB). The intent is to recognize specialists who meet a
demanding set of cost and management criteria by a rigorous examination, experience, education and
ethical qualifications. The CCC/CCE requirements reflect the sophistication of individuals in today's cost
and management industry and it fairly measures their knowledge, experience and adherence to best
management practices.

CCC/CCE certification distinguishes cost and management professionals who have the knowledge and
skills that impact the bottom line. AACE certification ensures a high quality standard. 

Summary of CCC/CCE Certification Process

Candidates for the CCC/CCE designation must meet these minimum requirements:

1. Experience requirements
At least 8 full years of professional experience, of which up to 4 years may be substituted by a
college/university degree. Related degrees include: engineering, building construction,
construction technology, business, economics, accounting, construction management,
architecture, computer science, mathematics, etc.

2. Submit Application Instructions and fees

There are three steps in making a complete application for the CCC/CCE exam: Apply & Make
Payment, Submit Supporting Documentation and Submit Technical Paper & Affidavit.

a. STEP ONE: All candidates must apply and make payment online or submit a
downloadable application with payment information provided.
Certification fees are US$450 for AACE Members, and US$575 for Non-Members. All
fees are non-refundable.

b. STEP TWO: All candidates must submit experience/education verification

documentation* to AACE Certification Staff.
*Please note: if you are retesting, chances are you will not have to resubmit your eligibility verification documentation. If you
want to be sure, please contact certificationsubmittals@aacei.org.

c. STEP THREE: All candidates must submit a required MS Word formatted 2,500

minimum word technical paper and affidavit to AACE Certification staff.

After we have received ALL of your information to complete an application, it will

take approximately 45 days to properly verify your eligibility to sit for our exam and
enroll you in the program. Once you have been cleared to sit for the exam and enrolled,
you will receive instructions on how to schedule your examination with our computer
based testing (CBT) vendor, Kryterion and an access voucher code valid for 6 months. 

NOTE THE FOLLOWING:

 If you have not completed all three steps within 6 months of applying, you will be
required to reapply, paying full fees again.
 If you are unsuccessful at passing the exam the first time, you can apply to resit
at a reduced fee (within 6 months of your enrollment).

3. Pass the examination

To become a CCC/CCE, an overall passing score of 70% must be achieved in the multiple choice
exam AND a 70% score for the technical paper, as determined by the Certification Board.
 4. Designation
In accordance with our accreditation by The Council of Scientific and Engineering Boards
(CESB), a CCC or CCE designation is awarded based upon a candidate’s education/experience.
The most common designation is CCC, but guidelines state a CCE designation is awarded to
those with a baccalaureate, or master, engineering degree, by an EAC/ABET accredited
university. A candidate cannot select a designation; it is awarded based upon the CESB
guidelines. Please be sure to read CCC-CCE Designation Guidelines document located in the
links area (on the right side) for more detailed information.

It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure they have met the experience requirements prior to
submission. AACE reserves the right to deny any candidate if it has been determined, after review of
documentation, they are not eligible to sit for the exam. By registering and submitting payment you are
claiming you have met the minimum requirements to take the exam. All fees are non-refundable.

EXAM STRUCTURE
The CCC/CCE exam contains two components: the multiple choice written exam and the 2,500 word
technical paper. Both components must meet the minimum overall score of 70% in order to successfully
pass the exam.

1. MULTIPLE CHOICE EXAM: The exam is delivered through computer based testing (CBT) and is
comprised of multiple-choice and compound, scenario questions. The topics covered in the exam
are: Basic Cost Engineering Skills & Knowledge, Economic Analysis, Project Management, and
Cost Estimating and Control.
2. TECHNICAL PAPER: The Certification Board recommends your technical paper topic be
something with which you are already familiar, such as a project you have done at work or
something in which you have acquired a great deal of expertise in your professional career. The
chosen topic is not as important as your ability to communicate through your paper. Be sure to
follow the recommendations described in the Certification Paper Requirements (How to Write
a Technical Paper) guide.

The exam is closed book, but an onscreen formula sheet is accessible during the exam, if needed.
Candidates are also permitted to bring any style of calculator, including programmable calculators, to use
during the exam.

If you want to know what our CBT exam will look like, please view the CBT Certification Exam
Tutorial by selecting the link on the right hand side. 

Recommended texts for study for CCC/CCE:

Most recommended texts, available in our Online Store:

 AACE International CCC/CCE Certification Study Guide, 3rd edition (or 2nd edition if you
already have it)
 Recommended Practices (specifically RP 11R-88 and RP 10S-90)
 Skills & Knowledge of Cost Engineering, 5th edition (4th edition if you already have it)
 Total Cost Management Framework, An Integrated Approach to Portfolio, Program, and
Project Management

As your career advances, CCC/CCE goes with you

The CCC/CCE designation is versatile. It is a mark of distinction. As with any specialty certification, a
primary concern is to ensure that all credentials are always up to date. That is why the program requires
you to recertify every 3 years by either professional credit plan or re-testing. The recertification program is
designed to ensure that you have maintained continued expertise through work experience, continuing
education, professional development, and active involvement in the profession

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Effective October 1, 2012 AACE International is now offering computer based testing (CBT) as the
standard delivery for all certification examinations. The transition from paper based testing to
computer based testing has eliminated the need for selected examination dates and restricted
locations. We can now offer examinations for virtually any time of the year through Kryterion, our
CBT vendor, and their testing centers located throughout the world, based upon their availability.

In order to take an AACE Certification Examination, there are two steps each candidate must
follow: Registration and Scheduling

1. REGISTRATION
A certification candidate must first register for an AACE Certification exam by submitting
an application, payment and all eligibility requirements related for the exam by going to
the AACE portal, and login to their account or create an account. After we have
received ALL of your information to complete an application, it will take
approximately 45 days to properly verify your eligibility to sit for the exam.

2. SCHEDULING
Once you have been cleared to sit for the exam by AACE Certification Staff, you will
receive customized instructions on how to schedule an examination at a Kryterion testing
center located near you. This will require you to create a test taker profile in AACE's
computer based testing (CBT) environment, Webassessor, and schedule your exam on a
date and time, and at a location most convenient for you, based upon the testing center's
availability. A customized, one-time-use voucher code will be given to act as payment
when scheduling with Kryterion for your exam. No one will be permitted to schedule for an
AACE exam without a valid voucher code assigned by AACE Headquarters staff. A CBT
exam scheduling tutorial is available for viewing here

We're happy to provide AACE certification opportunities with more flexibility and convenience for
exam candidates and trust you'll agree!

If you're ready to register, click here!

WANT TO KNOW THE LOCATIONS NEAR YOU BEFORE REGISTERING?

To see the nearest Kryterion's testing center for you, go
to:http://www.kryteriononline.com/host_locations/

Select your country and state/province from the drop down menu, and click "Show Centers" (see
graphic below):
Based upon your selection, all centers in the vicinity will be shown (see graphic below):

CANCELLATION POLICY
Once your payment and application have been processed at AACE Headquarters, there are no
refunds.

If you find you need to reschedule or postpone your exam, after you've scheduled your exam with
a Kryterion testing center, you have the ability to login to your Kryterion test taker profile and
reschedule your exam to another date, time and location if desired at any time greater then 72
hours (3 days) before your originally scheduled exam at no extra charge.
For any changes 72 hours or less you will be required to contact AACE to make the
necessary change. A fee will apply.
 Technical Paper Submittal Requirement

The AACE Headquarters Certification Staff and the Certification Board are committed to offering a quality exam product by improving the
overall Certification process, as well as the ability to release exam results faster.

In order to accomplish these goals, the Certification Board has changed the deadline for submitting the Technical Paper required with the
CCC/CCE certification.

The submittal of the Technical Paper now coincides with the registration deadline date as posted on the website. Candidates failing to submit
the Technical Paper by the registration deadline will not be permitted to sit for the CCC/CCE exam.

The requirements due by exam registration deadline are as follows:

Technical Paper for CCC/CCE certification
Certification Application
Education &/or Employment Verification
Registration/Payment
Affidavit for Certification
NOTICE OF RECENT CHANGE TO TECHNICAL PAPER AFFIDAVIT

The Certification Board of AACE International has announced a change to the Affidavit for AACE International Certification Paper. 

Effective February 15, 2011, collaborative work will no longer be permitted for the required 2,500 minimum word technical paper. An
acceptable technical paper must be authored solely by the candidate, and be less than three years old. 

It is still acceptable to submit a technical paper used for the purpose of a thesis or dissertation, presentation or publication, as long as it is:

 authored solely by the candidate,

 less than three years old,
 meets the technical paper format as shown in the Technical Paper Template & Guide document listed on the website, and
 disclosed as such on the affidavit.

The new affidavit form is available for immediate use; all technical papers must include a signed affidavit to be accepted. 

It is also important to note, proprietary and confidential information is not permitted to be included in technical papers as stated in the AACE
International Canons of Ethics, Section II, Item F, numbers 1-4:
 F. Members shall treat information coming to them in the course of their assignments as confidential and shall not use such information as a
means of making personal profit if such action is adverse to the interests of their clients, their employers, or the public.

1. Members will not disclose confidential information concerning the business affairs or technical processes of any present or former
employer or client or bidder under evaluation, without consent, unless required by law.
2. Members shall not reveal confidential information or finding of any commission or board of which they are members, unless
required by law.
3. Members shall not duplicate for others, without express permission of the client(s), designs, calculations, sketches, etc., supplied to
them by clients.
4. Members shall not use confidential information coming to them in the course of their assignments as a means of making personal
profit if such action is adverse to the interests of their clients, employers, or the public.

By signing the Affidavit, you are verifying you understand and agree to subscribe to the Canons of Ethics and you are the sole author of the
submitted technical paper. Any violations will result in disciplinary action.

Want to have your technical paper checked before submitting?

Click here to use our recommended plagiarism software for a minimal fee.

All certification requirements, including the Technical Paper, should be sent to certificationsubmittals@aacei.org.

Once submittal of all requirements is verified, candidates will be issued a confirmation via email.