CPDT Bulletin of Information

The Certified Plumbing Design Technician Examination was developed by the American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE) to provide professional recognition of qualified individuals who design plumbing systems. The CPDT certification was developed to articulate with the Certified in Plumbing Design (CPD) certification. The Certified Plumbing Design Technician program has four primary objectives:

1. Provide a standard of professional competence in the practice of plumbing design at the technician level.
2. Identify and recognize those individuals who successfully complete the certification examination, thereby demonstrating their acquired knowledge and abilities in the field of plumbing design.
3. Encourage plumbing designers to become lifelong learners and participate in a continuing program of professional development.
4. Provide a standard for educational programs in plumbing design and encourage implementation of such programs.

The Certified Plumbing Design Technician program is under the guidance of an independent committee appointed by the Society’s Board of Directors. The CPDT is the first step toward a CPD (Certified in Plumbing Design) designation. ASPE encourages all CPDTs to continue their education and work toward a CPD designation. 

Note: The CPDT designation does not allow individuals the right to sign drawings or specifications or to use the title “Engineer” in states where this is restricted by law.  

To be eligible to take the CPDT Examination, a candidate must:

• Have a bachelor’s degree in engineering and have one year of experience designing plumbing systems; or
• Have an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in a field related to engineering (physics, mathematics, architecture, environmental studies, construction, HVAC, etc.) and have a minimum of two years of experience designing plumbing systems; or
• Have four years minimum of plumbing design experience 

Approved experience may include: 

• Internship
• Co-op programs/cooperative education programs
• Documented and approved employer-based internship or work experience 
• Plumbing Journeyman, Plumbing Master

Individuals who have passed the CPDT Examination and have achieved the CPDT designation are required to maintain the designation through a biennial recertification program. 

The Certified Plumbing Design Technician Examination consists of 100 multiple-choice questions and is administered by a remote proctoring service. Candidates will take the exam from the comfort of their home or office at a date and time convenient to them. The CPDT Examination score is based on the number of correct answers. No penalties are assessed for wrong answers. Therefore, it is advantageous to answer every question, even if it is a guess. If time is left when you have finished the test, you can go back and review the questions of which you were unsure.

ASPE invests in the long-term reliability of the CPDT Examination by pretesting examination questions. Most of the questions answered by candidates are used to determine the candidate’s score on the test. Some of the questions are evaluated for future use as scored questions and are not included in candidates’ scores. Pretesting questions is a common practice that increases the validity of professional assessments.

The questions in the CPDT Examination are linked to 10 broad job domains or job categories of a plumbing design technician. These job domains include: 

A) 12% Set up small projects or a portion of large projects

B) 7% Collect utility data prior to layout

C) 4% Research codes, ordinances, and building certifications

D) 16% Lay out general systems

E) 16% Coordinate with other disciplines

F) 16% Perform sizing calculations

G) 12% Select equipment

H) 5% Prepare documentation for submission

I) 7% Support construction administration

J) 5% Prepare project closeout documentation

Once eligibility is determined, you will receive a registration link via email. Complete the exam registration and submit the fee, and include your middle name and suffix if applicable during checkout. Your name during checkout will be shared with the exam proctor to verify your identity on your identification. Five to seven business days before your exam you’ll receive information from the exam proctor about how to sign on to take your exam when the testing window has begun.

ASPE Members: $225

Nonmembers: $450

Examination fees are not transferable to another test date.

Candidates will to take the exam on a day and time they select via remote proctoring. Registered candidates will receive confirmation emails from ProctorExam (via Strasz) with more information about technical specifications and requirements to take their exam. Candidates select a date and time for their examination. Candidates launch the remote proctoring software through Google Chrome web browser and begin their exam session. More information about the technical requirements: 

• Your computer is required to have a webcam (internal or external) which will be used to monitor you during the exam process.
• You’re required to download an app to your Android or Apple phone or table. This will be placed behind you in the room which you’ll be taking the exam to monitor your surroundings. 
• You’re required to use Google Chrome and download a browser extension which records your monitor. Nothing is downloaded or stored to your computer. Upon the conclusion of your exam session you may remove Google Chrome from your computer if you wish.
• Your internet speed should be consistent enough as to not time out during your exam session. It’s recommended that your internet speeds be at least 5 MB down and up. If you need to determine this please visit speedtest.net and run a test on the computer and internet connection you will use for the exam. 

Each CPDT Examination candidate is permitted 3.5 hours to complete the CPDT exam. No one will be permitted to work on the test beyond the allotted time. 

Any individual who has a physical or cognitive limitation that prevents him/her from taking the test under standard conditions may request special testing arrangements. For the electronic examination, ASPE and the testing company require written documentation of the special condition with a minimum of 45 days advance notice prior to registration closing. Documentation should be in the form of a letter on the official letterhead of a licensed or certified professional qualified to diagnose and treat special conditions. The written documentation must be emailed to the Certification Department at certification@aspe.org. Candidates with religious beliefs that preclude taking examinations on certain days should send an email to the Certification Department explaining their situation. This email should include a self-certification confirming their affiliation with a recognized religious organization.

The American Society of Plumbing Engineers or its testing company will send an email confirming the special arrangements (an alternate date and time, if appropriate) for the examination to the candidate approximately 10 days prior the examination date. There is no additional fee for special arrangements or accommodations.

Changes, additions, and modifications to registration information and data can be done by contacting certification@aspe.org. Candidates will be assessed a $20 cancellation fee. 

You will be required to present two forms of identification. Proper forms of identification include a driver’s license, a state-issued identification card, a credit card issued with your name on it, or a passport.

To ensure equality and the quality of the CPDT Examination, all remote proctors follow standard procedures and policies that will be explained prior to launching your online exam. General information is as follows:

• The examination will end on time; candidates are not permitted to continue beyond the established time limit for any reason. The candidate is responsible for his/her test-taking pace. Candidates leaving the examination seat for personal reasons must first obtain the proctor’s permission; there will be no examination time extension for any reason.
• No books or papers of any kind may be used during the exam. 
• Information such as charts, equations, and tables are included within the questions.
• Examination candidates may only bring and use silent, hand-held solar or battery-operated, nonprogrammable calculators; no portable or laptop computers are permitted.
• Examination candidates determined to be engaging in any kind of misconduct by the test supervisor will be dismissed from the examination and not permitted to return.

It is the responsibility of the examination candidate to inform the test supervisor of any special arrangements that have been approved. Examination candidates are encouraged to provide feedback about the CPDT Examination or a question. 

CPDT Examination results will be available approximately six to eight weeks after the exam testing window. Candidates will receive either a pass or fail notification. Examination results are mailed simultaneously to all candidates. The CPDT Examination results are confidential and reported only to the candidate. As the certifying organization, ASPE will issue each successful candidate a Certified Plumbing Design Technician (CPDT) certificate approximately six to eight weeks after the examination results have been received. Names of successful candidates will be included in an online CPDT directory at aspe.org.

The Credentialing Committee, under the guidance and direction of a psychometrician, established the level of overall examination performance/passing score that the CPDT Examination candidate must demonstrate to be entitled to the CPDT designation. 

ASPE reserves the right to cancel or withhold test results if, in its opinion, there is adequate reason to question the examination’s validity or a candidate’s conduct, such as:

• An examination being rendered invalid because of circumstances beyond the examination candidate’s control, such as faulty test materials or mistiming. When warranted, the testing company will conduct an investigation. In the event examination results are ruled invalid, arrangements will be made for a no-cost re–examination.
• Doubts raised about the validity of an examination candidate’s test results because of suspected misconduct. In such circumstances, the candidate will be notified of established testing company and ASPE procedures for ensuring fair treatment. An examination candidate is expected to cooperate in a certification investigation. Examples of misconduct include giving or receiving help, using notes or unauthorized books or papers, removing test material or notes from the testing room, or attempting to take the test for someone else. 

CPDT Examination candidates who failed a test and wish to retake it, must submit a new examination registration form and include the complete examination fee. The CPDT Examination is only held once per year.

Complaints or comments about examination center facilities, examination supervision, examination content, or any other matter related to the CPDT Examination should be reported immediately on an examination candidate’s comment form available from the examination supervisor or in a letter sent to ASPE in care of the Certification Department. When writing to ASPE regarding the CPDT Examination, please be sure to identify the examination date, and your complete name, address, and examination candidate identification number. ASPE and/or the testing company will investigate and respond to all complaints and comments.