NCCCO written exam prep course: what to look for

Here is a checklist you can apply to any option, including ours. At the end, we say where Boom Angle fits.

1. It follows the current outline

The Core written exam is 95 questions in 90 minutes with no calculator, across four domains: about 22% Site, 28% Operations, 23% Technical Knowledge and 27% Load Charts. Specialties (LAT, TLL, TSS) are 28 questions in 60 minutes with a calculator, with about 35% on load charts. A course should say which handbook revision it was written to and should weight its content to match.

Red flag: a question count that does not match the current handbook. An older revision listed different counts and weights, so material built on it will not match what you sit.

2. Every answer is explained

You learn from the miss, not the score. A good course explains why the key is right and why each wrong option is wrong. It also points at the topic, so a miss on a power line question sends you to the power line lesson. See crane power line safety explained for the sort of topic explanation that should sit behind the question.

3. It has timed exams and a score by domain

Untimed practice builds knowledge, and timed practice builds pace. Core gives you under a minute per question, so you need at least a couple of full-length timed runs. The report afterward should break your result down by domain, because a single percentage hides the one area that is sinking you. A score is a study signal. NCCCO reports a scaled score, so no practice percentage converts to a pass or a fail.

4. It makes you do load charts by hand

Load charts are the biggest single domain, and Core has no calculator. A course that only shows you finished chart solutions is not teaching the skill. Look for repeated practice on varied, clearly labeled teaching charts, with each step (configuration, radius, boom length, gross capacity, deductions, net capacity) written out. Try the method yourself in the load chart practice tool, and read how to read a crane load chart first if the steps are new.

5. It is honest about price, access and refunds

Check these before checkout:

• What you pay and whether it renews. Monthly plans keep billing until you cancel. One-time passes expire. Know which you are buying.
• How long you have access. Exam dates move. Access that ends before your retake is a cost.
• The refund rule. Some sellers say all sales are final. Others spell out terms. Read them.
• What it promises. Anyone who promises a result is selling something they cannot deliver. Avoid it.

We compared the main online options on price, access, renewal and refund wording on one page, each figure read from the seller's own page on 22 Oct 2026.

Where Boom Angle fits

Boom Angle is built to those five checks, and you can judge it before paying.

• Outline: questions are original and written to the published Core and specialty outlines.
• Content: 8 lessons, 2 worked calculations, a study plan, a 400-question bank, 2 timed practice exams with your score by domain, and an exam-day guide.
• Price: $99 once for the Core and Specialty course, with lifetime access and nothing that renews. If your test is days away, there is a 7-day pass for $19. Refund eligibility depends on the plan and use, so read the terms and refunds.
• Try first: the free 10-question check explains each answer and needs no signup.

What it is not: a substitute for the practical exam, which is done on a crane with an examiner, and not a promise of a result.

A course is only as good as how you use it

Even a strong course fails if you skim it. Take the diagnostic first, put your weakest domain at the front of your week and redo missed topics a few days later. The 8-week plan for people new to cranes shows one way to schedule it, and studying while working full time fits it around shifts. If you are weighing whether you need a classroom course at all, read do you need a crane operator course before the NCCCO written.

Next step

Take the free 10-question check at /nccco-written to see exactly which topics to fix. It takes a few minutes, explains every answer and shows your score by Core domain, so you know whether a full course is worth it for you or whether a few weeks of targeted practice will do.

FAQ

How much does an NCCCO written exam prep course cost?

It varies widely, from monthly subscriptions to one-time passes. Boom Angle's Core and Specialty course is $99 once with lifetime access, or $19 for a 7-day pass. Compare price, access, renewal and refunds side by side before you buy.

Is a prep course required before the NCCCO written exam?

No. NCCCO does not require a course before you sit the written exam. A course is a way to organize practice and find weak areas.

Does a prep course cover the practical exam?

Written prep does not. The practical is done on a crane with an examiner, so ask your employer or a training provider about practical preparation.

Can a course promise a result?

No. NCCCO reports a scaled score, and no course can promise a result. Judge a course on what it includes and how it explains answers.