NCCCO Rigger Level I for Canadian millwrights

NCCCO Rigger Level I is a US rigging certification that some Canadian sites ask for. Here is what it is, how it fits Canadian rules, and how to tell if you need it.

As of November 2026. We could not open NCCCO's own website to confirm current details. Figures below come from a training provider and are marked as such. Check current details with NCCCO.

What it is and who it's for

NCCCO (the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators) is a US body. It certifies crane operators, riggers and signalpersons. Rigger Level I is its entry rigging level.

It suits millwrights who travel to US-owned or large industrial sites, shutdowns and turnarounds, where contractors sometimes ask for a third-party rigging card.

Who issues it

NCCCO. Testing is arranged through NCCCO and its approved test sites and training providers.

Required or voluntary?

Voluntary in Canada. No province we checked requires it. Canadian rules focus on being qualified or competent, not on a named card. A site owner or contractor can still make it a condition of work on their site. See our rigging certification by province guide for what Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta require.

Prerequisites and exam format

We could not open NCCCO's own pages. A training provider, ITI, describes it this way (November 2026):

• Level I has a written exam (60 multiple-choice questions, 60 minutes) and a practical exam.
• You must pass both within 12 months of passing the first one.
• You must be at least 18 and follow NCCCO's substance abuse policy and code of ethics.
• A Level I rigger does simple, repeated lifts where the weight, centre of gravity and rigging are already known.
• Level II needs a current Level I.

Treat these as a guide only. Check current details with NCCCO before you book.

Cost and renewal

ITI says the certification is valid five years, renewed by passing the written exam again, with no grace period. We couldn't confirm exam fees. Check current details with NCCCO.

How it connects to the Red Seal exam

Rigging, hoisting/lifting and moving is major work activity B: 14 % of the 135-question Red Seal exam, or about 19 questions (our estimate). The same knowledge carries both: load weight, centre of gravity, sling angles, hardware and hitches. One difference: US certifications use ASME B30 standards. Canadian provinces have their own rules, and the Red Seal exam is written for Canada.

How CrewForge helps

Practise with the free sling angles simulator and block and tackle simulator, and read the free sling angles lesson. They are Red Seal prep, not NCCCO training, and they don't qualify you to rig.

Practice questions

Written by CrewForge for practice. Not taken from any NCCCO exam or material.

1. A 5,000 lb load is lifted with a two-leg bridle. Each leg is at 45° from horizontal. What is the tension in each leg?

About 3,536 lb. Each leg carries 2,500 lb up. Load angle factor at 45° = 1 ÷ sin 45° = 1.414. 2,500 × 1.414 = 3,536 lb.

2. You rig a load with a three-leg bridle, but the legs aren't exactly equal and the load is stiff. How many legs should you plan on carrying the load?

Two. With uneven legs on a stiff load, two legs can end up taking almost all the weight. A common planning rule is to size the bridle as if only two legs carry the load, unless you can prove they share it.

3. A sling's tag is missing. What do you do?

Don't use it. Tag it out and remove it from service. Without the tag you don't know its rating or material.

4. A beam weighs 1,200 kg. You need to find its weight in newtons to check a hoist rated in kN. What is it?

About 11.8 kN. Weight = mass × 9.81 = 1,200 × 9.81 = 11,772 N.

CrewForge is not affiliated with or endorsed by NCCCO or any NCCCO training provider.

Sources

• NCCCO: Rigger certification (could not be opened from our tools; check it directly)
• ITI: how to get CCO certified as a rigger
• Red Seal exam weightings