About Workshops and Exams
What to Know
The program assesses a designer's knowledge of how to transform a schematic into a reliable rigid PCB design, which can be easily manufactured, assembled and tested. The IPC Designers Council recognizes that the most effective designers must have a solid foundation in PCB fabrication and assembly. The certification test is based on several critical IPC documents that link design principles to the end product use of the printed wiring assembly.
Designers may purchase study materials and prepare for the certification exam on their own or they can enroll in a two-day IPC Designer Certification Preparation workshop. All designer certification testing is done on-site at a workshop location the day after a course concludes. Individuals who do not feel prepared to take the test immediately after the training may choose to keep their exam voucher and take the test at a later date. The workshop training provides an in-depth view of the principles contained in the examination and is strongly recommended for anyone interested in obtaining the certification.
Certificates are sent, via standard mail, 2-6 weeks after exam is taken and passed.
Sample CID Preparation Workshop Agenda (.pdf)
Sample CID+ Preparation Workshop Agenda (.pdf)
Objectives
A table listing all objectives of the PCB Certification and the Advanced PCB Certification Module 1 and 2 is available in PDF format. This table lists all objectives broken down by the ten sections listed below:
- Layout
- Electrical Considerations
- Materials
- Component Requirements
- Assembly Requirements
- Board Fabrication
- Physical Board Characteristics
- Documentation
- Inspection and Test
- Reliability
Sample Questions
PCB and Advanced PCB Certification sample questions are available in PDF and interactive formats. Choose a link below to view or download the sample questions:
Examination Process
The two-hour examination is in a multiple choice format. Answer choices are all plausible, therefore, you must indicate the most correct answer. Occasionally, you must indicate the two most correct answers or identify certain characteristics from a diagram. The examination is graded and a review of the test items is conducted on-site. IPC issues and mails the certifications after an exam.
Hosting a Workshop
Organizations interested in holding an in-house Basic or Advanced IPC Designers Certification Workshop and Examination at their facilities have two options – private or public. For both, standard registration procedures and fees apply. A registration form must be filled out for each individual attending and faxed to IPC’s registration department at 847-615-5661. Shipping instructions for the study materials needs to be clearly stated. Workshops need to be conducted in the standard format of two full days of workshops and exam on the third day.
Private
Private workshops are for organizations that wish to keep their doors closed from the public. Only employees from the hosting organization attend. The hosting company pays for the instructor’s honorarium and expenses for the duration of the workshop. Reimbursement is handled through the IPC. A minimum of 10 registrants is required.
Public
Public workshops are open to the general public. They require that you open your doors to anyone who registers through the IPC. IPC will cover the instructor’s honorarium and expenses, and promote these workshops through e-mail and forum postings. All workshops must have a minimum of 5 registrants. Maps of the hosting facility must be provided along with nearby hotel and restaurant information.
Requirements
- All workshops must meet the minimum number of attendees required.
- The hosting facility must be accessible to attendees during workshop hours.
- Meeting room needs to have a projector screen and ample space to hold all the attendees.
- Any special instructions (i.e. security clearances) must be provided.
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