CONDITIONS OF APPLICATION

A few possible methods for preparing for the PEARL certification exam are suggested. Since the applicants and sponsoring PEARL member companies are the most familiar with the applicant’s abilities, they are responsible for determining the best method for preparing for the certification exam. Following the suggestions does not guarantee an applicant will pass the certification exam.

Determining Applicant’s Preparedness

An individual’s preparedness for the certification test depends on a number of things, including amount of practical experience in the vocation and years of education. If you are unsure how prepared you are for the exam, you should review the Exam Content Areas for the associated PEARL Technician Certification level. If the applicant is not familiar with the required subjects for that level, he/she should consider reviewing some of the material listed in the Selected References section of the Candidates Handbook.

Using the Selected References

After reviewing the Exam Content Areas, the applicant may want to review some of the Selected References. The references provided were selected to supplement the applicant’s knowledge in relevant Exam Content Areas. Experienced candidates only may have to brush-up on a few topics while those with less practical experience may have to study extensively.

Using the Exam Content Areas as a Guide to Your Study

The Exam Content Areas are a basic outline of the exam subject matter. You can use the Exam Content Areas as your study guide by referring to them in the primary selected study references. For example, if the applicant is unfamiliar with area #5 (Recognize lock-out and tag-out (LOTO)), he/she may review that material in NFPA 70E, Article 120, or OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147 (listed in the Selected References section of the Candidates Handbook). Many of the selected study references can be found on the internet at no cost. Other sources not listed also may be helpful in reviewing these subjects. The best preparation for the exam is practical industry experience in an electrical equipment reconditioning and repair facility. No single book is adequate to prepare individuals with the varied experiences they can receive working in an electrical equipment reconditioning and repair facility.

PEARL also offers exam preparation classes at their annual conference. These classes are approximately four hours in length and offer the applicant a very good overview of the content areas that will be included on the exam. Taking this class does not ensure that an applicant will be able to pass the exam, but will help the applicant determine areas of weakness that they may want to concentrate additional study time toward.