NCCCO Core study guide: study time by domain weight and the CCO reference list
✓ Checked 20 Oct 2026 against CCO's Mobile Crane Operator candidate handbook (cover MCO CH REV 01/25), its January 2024 revision, and OSHA's Subpart CC and 1910.180 pages.
A study plan for the mobile crane Core written exam needs two things: how to split your study time across the four domains, and which reference to open for each task in the outline. This guide builds both from the candidate handbook. For the exam format, fees and how the domains read in practice, start with the Core written exam guide; this page assumes you have read it.
The numbers the plan is built on
✓ The current candidate handbook (printed page 2) lists the Core exam as 95 questions in 90 minutes, calculator not permitted, with four domains weighted at approximately 22%, 28%, 23% and 27%.
The handbook's own outline is the thing to study from, and it has changed. ✓ The January 2024 handbook (printed page 2) listed 90 questions and weights of approximately 20%, 26%, 28% and 26%, and its tasks are numbered differently. If a study guide, school handout or app quotes 90 questions or weights Technical Knowledge heaviest, it was probably built on that earlier revision. Section numbers on this page follow the 01/25 handbook. Check the revision code at the bottom of the cover of whichever handbook you are reading.
| Domain | Weight (01/25) | Weight (01/24) | Tasks in the 01/25 outline | Approx. questions at 95 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Site | 22% | 20% | 6 | about 21 |
| 2. Operations | 28% | 26% | 22 | about 27 |
| 3. Technical Knowledge | 23% | 28% | 15 | about 22 |
| 4. Load Charts | 27% | 26% | 5 | about 26 |
The question column is our arithmetic (95 × weight, rounded), not a published count. The handbook says "approximately", so treat each figure as a range of one or two questions either way.
The task column shows something the percentages hide. Load Charts has only five listed tasks but carries more than a quarter of the exam, so each Load Charts task stands for roughly 5% of the test. Operations spreads 28% over 22 tasks, about 1.3% each. Missing one load chart skill costs far more than missing one operations topic.
Study time by domain weight
NCCCO does not publish a recommended amount of study time, and we don't set one either. Whatever total you have, split it in the same proportions as the 01/25 weights:
| Domain | Share of your study time | Tasks | Share per task |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Site | 22% | 6 | about 3.7% |
| 2. Operations | 28% | 22 | about 1.3% |
| 3. Technical Knowledge | 23% | 15 | about 1.5% |
| 4. Load Charts | 27% | 5 | about 5.4% |
The share column is the published weight. The per-task column is our arithmetic (weight ÷ tasks), so treat it as a guide to where one extra session pays off most, not as a published figure.
Then adjust the split before you start, not halfway through:
- Shift time toward your weakest domain. Take the free 10-question check, note your lowest domain score, and move up to a quarter of your strongest domain's share into it. A quarter of Operations' 28% is 7 points, which would take Site from 22% to 29%. Ten questions is a rough signal, so confirm the weak area with a longer practice set before moving more.
- Protect the Load Charts share. Because each of its five tasks is worth so much, do not cut it below 27% even if you feel confident.
- Set aside hand arithmetic inside Load Charts. Core task 4.2 is about reading, writing and using arithmetic, and the Core exam has no calculator. Give about a fifth of your Load Charts share (roughly 5% of all your study time) to timed pencil-and-paper practice with subtraction, multiplication and percentages.
- Keep a time check. 90 minutes for 95 questions is just under a minute per question. In the last week, do at least one full-length timed session.
The references CCO lists, with editions
✓ The handbook's Reference List (printed page 17) says CCO's Written Examination Management Committee uses the most recent versions of these materials to verify the accuracy of test questions:
| Reference | Edition listed | Where the handbook points |
|---|---|---|
| ASME B30.5, Mobile and Locomotive Cranes | 2021 | asme.org |
| ASME B30.30, Ropes | 2019 | asme.org |
| IHSA Mobile Crane Manual | 2017 | ihsa.ca |
| AEM Mobile Crane Safety Manual | 2014 | shop.aem.org |
| OSHA 1926 Subpart CC, Cranes and Derricks in Construction | none given | osha.gov |
| OSHA 1910.180, listed as Cranes in General Industry | none given | osha.gov |
| IPT's Crane and Rigging Handbook & Manual | 2020 | iptbooks.com |
Three details are worth knowing before you buy anything:
- The years are a floor, not a lock. The same page says the most recent versions are used. If a publisher has issued a newer edition than the one listed, the handbook wording points to the newer one. Check the publisher's site for the current edition before buying.
- The OSHA rules are free. ✓ Subpart CC (sections 1926.1400 to 1926.1443) and 1910.180 are published on osha.gov. On that page, 1910.180 is titled "Crawler locomotive and truck cranes", not the handbook's label, so search for the section number rather than the title.
- The outline names one standard the list leaves out. Core task 3.1 names ASME B30.5, B30.10, OSHA 1910.180 and OSHA 1926 Subpart CC. B30.10 does not appear on the Reference List. If you have access to it, read it alongside the hook block and overhaul ball task (3.7).
Which reference covers which outline task
This map is our own reading, matched by section title. CCO does not publish a task-by-reference map, and a question can draw on more than one source. OSHA section numbers and titles were checked on osha.gov on 20 Oct 2026. For the ASME standards and the three manuals, use each book's own index and table of contents; we do not cite their internal numbering here. Task numbers read as domain then item, so 2.12 is Domain 2, item 12.
Domain 1: Site
| Core task (01/25) | Start with | Then |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1, 1.2 ground stability, mats and cribbing | OSHA 1926.1402 Ground conditions | IHSA or AEM manual index |
| 1.3 power lines during assembly/disassembly | OSHA 1926.1407 | OSHA 1926.1404 |
| 1.4 travel without load | ASME B30.5 | OSHA 1926.1411 (covers travel near power lines only) |
| 1.5 access, pinch/crush points, personnel | OSHA 1926.1424 Work area control | IHSA or AEM manual index |
| 1.6 controlling entity and site conditions | OSHA 1926.1402 | OSHA 1926.1401 definitions |
Domain 2: Operations
| Core task (01/25) | Start with | Then |
|---|---|---|
| 2.1 to 2.4 unsafe conditions, leveling, load data, radius | ASME B30.5 | OSHA 1926.1417 |
| 2.5 power line hazards in travel, operation and assembly | OSHA 1926.1407 to 1926.1411 | 1910.180(j) |
| 2.6 wire rope reeving and parts of line | ASME B30.30 | IPT handbook index |
| 2.7 hand, voice, audible and non-standard signals | OSHA 1926.1419 to 1926.1422 | ASME B30.5 hand signals |
| 2.8 multi-crane, personnel platforms, barge, duty cycle | OSHA 1926.1432, 1926.1431, 1926.1437 | AEM or IHSA manual index |
| 2.11 fall zone | OSHA 1926.1425 Keeping clear of the load | 1926.1401 definitions |
| 2.12, 2.13 operator aids and alternatives when they fail | OSHA 1926.1416 Operational aids | Manufacturer manual |
| 2.14 horn and level indicator | OSHA 1926.1415 Safety devices | ASME B30.5 |
| 2.15 emergency procedures | OSHA 1926.1408 for power line contact | IHSA or AEM manual index |
| 2.16 to 2.19 dynamic and side loading, deflection, weather | IPT handbook index | IHSA manual index |
| 2.20 manufacturer-approved attachments | Manufacturer manual | OSHA 1926.1434 Equipment modifications (title match only) |
| 2.21 authority to stop | OSHA 1926.1418 Authority to stop operation | ASME B30.5 |
| 2.22 securing an unattended crane | OSHA 1926.1417 | ASME B30.5 |
For 2.9 (lifting from beneath water) and 2.10 (tag lines), search the IHSA, AEM and IPT indexes.
Domain 3: Technical Knowledge
| Core task (01/25) | Start with | Then |
|---|---|---|
| 3.1 regulations and standards | The four documents named in the task | |
| 3.2, 3.3 terminology, functions and limitations | OSHA 1926.1401 definitions | ASME B30.5, IPT handbook |
| 3.4 shift, monthly and annual inspections | OSHA 1926.1412 Inspections | 1910.180(d) |
| 3.5 rigging devices | IPT handbook index | |
| 3.6, 3.8 wire rope termination, types, replacement, lubrication | ASME B30.30, OSHA 1926.1413 and 1926.1414 | 1910.180(g) |
| 3.7 hook blocks and overhaul balls | ASME B30.10 (see above) | IPT handbook |
| 3.9 electrical hazard protection | OSHA 1926.1408 | |
| 3.11, 3.14 fall protection | OSHA 1926.1423 Fall protection | |
| 3.12, 3.15 access and egress | ASME B30.5 | OSHA 1926.1423 |
For 3.10 (instruments and gauges) and 3.13 (personnel safety during inspections), start with the manufacturer's operator manual and OSHA 1926.1412.
Domain 4: Load Charts
| Core task (01/25) | Start with | Then |
|---|---|---|
| 4.1, 4.3 terminology, choosing the right chart | OSHA 1926.1417 | 1910.180(c) Load ratings |
| 4.2 arithmetic | Pencil-and-paper practice | |
| 4.4 rated capacity chart, range diagram, work area chart, parts of line, boom angle limits | IPT handbook or IHSA manual index | How to read a crane load chart |
| 4.5 optimizing configuration | Practice charts | IPT handbook or IHSA manual index |
The references explain the rules; the skill comes from working charts. Our load chart practice uses invented charts, not manufacturer or exam charts, so you can repeat the radius, gross capacity and deduction steps until they are routine.
A four-week order of work
This is one way to sequence the shares above. Shorten or stretch it to fit your date, and remember that passing your first exam starts the handbook's 12-month window (see fees, retakes and the 12-month window).
| Week | Focus | Share of your total study time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Free check, then Site (1.1 to 1.6) and the OSHA sections in that table | 22% (Site) |
| 2 | Operations 2.1 to 2.15, signals and power lines first | about 19% (15 of Operations' 22 tasks) |
| 3 | Technical Knowledge, then Operations 2.16 to 2.22 | about 32% (23% plus the other 7 Operations tasks, about 9%) |
| 4 | Load Charts by hand, one timed full-length session, review your wrong-answer log | 27% (Load Charts) |
Splitting Operations across two weeks by task count is our assumption, not a CCO rule. Load Charts is placed last in this order so you finish on it, but do a short block of chart arithmetic in each earlier week as well, taken out of the Load Charts share. Keep a log of every missed practice question with the outline task number beside it. By week 4 the log shows which task numbers to reread, and which reference to open for each.
Sources
Show the list
- Mobile Crane Operator Candidate Handbook, CCO, cover MCO CH REV 01/25, inner pages REV 06/24. Core outline on printed pages 2 to 3; Reference List on printed page 17. Retrieved 20 Oct 2026.
- Mobile Crane Operator Candidate Handbook, January 2024 revision, CCO, MCO CH REV 01/24, printed page 2. Retrieved 20 Oct 2026.
- 29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC: Cranes and Derricks in Construction, OSHA, section numbers and titles. Retrieved 20 Oct 2026.
- 29 CFR 1910.180: Crawler locomotive and truck cranes, OSHA, paragraph headings. Retrieved 20 Oct 2026.
Facts checked 20 October 2026 against the sources listed above. If something has changed, tell us and we will correct it within 2 business days.
Know the requirements? Test the knowledge.Take a free check weighted to the published outline and see your score by domain.