Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC)

Certified Production Technician (CPT(AE))

Credential: Certified Production Technician (CPT(AE))  GI Bill resource  IAS resource
Credentialing Agency: Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC)

Renewal Period: 5 years

The Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC), The Certified ProductionTechnician (CPTAE) assesses and certifies skills of front-line manufacturing production workers. This certification recognizes those who demonstrate mastery of core competencies of manufacturing production at the front-line level (entry-level through supervisor) through successful completion of the certification assessments. The CPTAE consists of five individual certificate modules: Safety; Quality Practices & Measurement; Manufacturing Processes & Production; Maintenance Awareness and Green Production. Candidates must earn the first four certificates to receive the full CPTAE certification. Candidates must pass a written exam.

More information can be found on the certifying agency's website.

Certified Production Technician (CPT(AE))

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Attainability:    high

Eligibility Requirements (View Details)

  • Credential Prerequisite
  • Experience
  • Education
  • Training
  • Membership
  • Other
  • Fee

Note: This credential may have multiple options for a Service member to meet eligibility requirements. Requirements listed here are based on the minimum degree required.

Exam Requirements (View Details)

  • Exam
  • Written Exam
  • Oral Exam
  • Practical Exam
  • Performance Assessment

Exam Administration (View Details)

  • In-person exam
  • Remote proctored on-line exam
  • Third-party test vendor

RECERTIFICATION SUMMARY

Renewal Period: 5 years

  • Continuing Education
  • Exam
  • Continuing Education OR Exam
  • Fee
  • Other

AGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION

Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC)

901 N Washington St.
Suite 600
Alexandria, VA  22314

Phone: 703-739-9000

Fax: 703-739-9008
Email: info@msscusa.org

Show Written Exam Requirements / Hide Written Exam Requirements

  • Work in a Safe and Productive Manufacturing Workplace (5%)
  • Perform Safety and Environmental Inspections (11.5%)
  • Peform Emergency Drills and Participate in Emergency Teams (6%)
  • Identify Unsafe Conditions and Take Corrective Action (9%)
  • Provide Safety Orientation for All Employees (11.5%)
  • Train Personnel to Use Equipment Safely (15%)
  • Suggest Processes and Procedures that Support Safety of Work Environment (8%)
  • Fulfill Safety and Health Requirements for Maintenance, Installation, and Repair (13%)
  • Monitor Safe Equipment and Operator Peformance (14%)
  • Utilize Effective, Safety-Enhancing Workplace Practices (7%)

  • Partcipate in Periodic or Statistically Based Internal Quality Audit Activities (11%)
  • Check Calibration of Gages and other Data Collection Equipment (6%)
  • Suggest Continuous Improvements (6%)
  • Inspect Materials and Product/Process at All Stages to Ensure they Meet Specifications (17%)
  • Document the Results of Quality Tests (9%)
  • Communicate Quality Problems (8%)
  • Take Corrective Actions to Restore or Maintain Quality (13%)
  • Record Process Outcomes and Trends (11%)
  • Identfy Fundamentals of Blueprint Reading (9%)
  • Use Common Measurement Systems and Precision Measurement Tools (10%)

  • Identify Customer Needs (10%)
  • Determine Resources Available for Production Process (10%)
  • Set Up Equipment for the Production Process (11.5%)
  • Set Team Production Goals (8%)
  • Make Job Assignments (8%)
  • Coordinate Work Flow with Team Members and Other Work Groups (11.5%)
  • Communicate Production and Material Requirements and Product Specifications (11.5%)
  • Perform and Monitor the Process to Make the Product (9%)
  • Document Product and Process Compliance with Customer Requirements (9%)
  • Prepare Final Product for Shipping or Distribution (11.5%)

  • Perform Preventative Maintenance and Routine Repair (26%)
  • Monitor Indicators to Ensure Correct Operations (16%)
  • Peform all Housekeeping to Maintain Production Schedule (23%)
  • Recognize Potential Maintenance Issues with Basic Production Systems (35%)

  • Train Workers in Environmental Issues (13%)
  • Implement and Promote Environmental Programs, Projects, Policies or Procedures (12%)
  • Conduct Environmental Incident and Hazard Investigations (10%)
  • Conduct Preventive Environmental Inspections (10%)
  • Monitor Environmental Aspects at each Stage of Production (16%)
  • Implement Continuous Improvement in Environmental Assurance Practices (7%)
  • Use Advanced Materials in Production to Reduce Weight and Increase Life (18%)
  • Reprocess Materials by Recycling and Reuse throughout Product Life Cycle to Optimize Waste Reduction (13%)

Exam Preparation Resources

There are a number of resources available to help you prepare for the Certified Production Technician (CPT(AE)) examination:

An additional resource is O'Reilly Learning Safari Books Online, a searchable digital library that provides online access to thousands of books, training videos and conference sessions. See the Educational Resources section on the Related Sites page here on COOL to learn how to get free access.

Testing Information

  • Exam Administration

    Credential exams may be administered in-person at a testing site, proctored on-line remotely, or have options for both. If an exam is administered through a test vendor, the third-party test vendor box will be checked. The following test administration options apply to the Certified Production Technician (CPT(AE)) credential where checked:

    • In-person exam
    • Remote proctored on-line exam
    • Third-party test vendor

  • For more information on the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC) testing process, visit the agency website.

  • Third-Party Test Vendor Information

    Testing for this credential is handled by the following vendor:

    ProctorU

    The test centers are located in the U.S.

    To find out more, use the following links on the ProctorU website:


RECERTIFICATION

Certified Production Technician (CPT(AE))

Renewal Period: 5 years

The Certified Production Technician (CPT(AE)) credential has the following recertification information:

  • Individuals must accumulate at least 100 recertification points over the five years since certification to qualify for recertification.
  • Note: Marine Corps COOL will only pay recertification fees for the current year, no arrears will be paid. Voucher requests for recertification fees must be submitted with proof of the current status of the certification (for example, a screen shot of your credentialing agency dashboard or a copy of a current fee receipt).

Additional considerations for the Certified Production Technician (CPT(AE)) include:

  • MSSC does not have any other specific educational requirements in order to sit for the CPTAE assessment. However, MSSC strongly suggests that candidates possess at least a 10th grade reading (English) and 9th grade math level.
  • MSSC does not require candidates to take a specific course or training program in order to sit for an assessment. There are many training programs available and many used MSSC’s own Authorized Courses.

In Demand

This certification is considered in demand. The U.S. Department of Labor sponsored CareerOneStop's analysis indicates the certification is frequently mentioned in online job postings.

Click for external link to CareerOneStop's Credentials Center.

COOL Bucks

See your installation Education Service Officer for credential exam information and coordinating instructions.

COOL Summary

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COOL Summary

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Some

Credential is related to some tasks associated with the duties of the military occupation (at least one critical task but less than 80%)

Most

Credential is directly related to most of the major duties associated with the military occupation (at least 80%)

Other

Credential is related to this military occupation, but is more advanced or specialized and therefore will likely require additional education, training, or experience

CA Eligible

This certification is eligible for CA.

Star

Star credentials are MOS enhancing, as designated by the Proponent. MOS enhancing credentials are directly related to an MOS or ASI, are taught either partially or completely as part of a Program of Instruction (POI), and improves the MOS technical proficiency.

Skill Level

The Skill Level reflects the level, based on MOS training and/or experience, the Soldier should be the most prepared to successfully earn the credential. See the Table Legend for details about each level.

Navy Bucks

Credential voucher or reimbursement for credential exam, re-certification, or maintenance fee has been approved for payment through the Navy's Credential Program Office. To get a voucher request form, click Menu at the top of any page, then click "2 Complete Voucher and Apply" under Credentialing Steps.

CG Bucks

Current Coast Guard policy states all credentials listed on CG COOL may be reimbursed assuming the enlisted service member meets the eligibility requirements as outlined in the Coast Guard Voluntary Credentialing Program Policy (COMDTINST 1540.1(series))

Early Career

1-3 years experience; Enlisted E1 through E4

Mid Career

4-10 years experience; Enlisted E5 through E6

Late Career

10+ years experience; Enlisted E7 through E9

Early Career

1-3 years experience; Enlisted “A” School through E5

Mid Career

4-10 years experience; Enlisted E6 through E7

Late Career

10+ years experience; Enlisted E8 through E9

Early Career

1-6 years experience; Officer O1 through O2

Mid Career

6-12 years experience; Officer O3 through O5

Late Career

12+ years experience; Officer O6 and Above

GI Bill®

Reimbursement for exam fees has been approved for payment through the GI Bill.

Note: GI Bill approval data is updated quarterly. For the latest information, visit the WEAMS Licenses/Certifications Search page. Make sure to select "Both" in the LAC Category Type drop-down before searching.

Click to go to the external link for GI Bill licensing and certification information.

ANAB (ANSI)

This credential has been accredited by ANAB (ANSI).

Click to go to the external ANAB web site.

ICAC

This credential has been accredited by ICAC.

Click to go to the external ICAC web site.

ABSNC

This credential has been accredited by ABSNC.

Click to go to the external ABSNC web site.

NCCA

This credentialing program has been accredited by NCCA.

Click to go to the external NCCA web site.

IAS

This credential has been accredited by IAS.

Click to go to the external IAS web site.

Low

May be difficult to attain: minimum education requirement is a Bachelor's degree, and/or minimum experience is 10 or more years.

Note: In some cases “years of experience” refers to time actively on duty or while holding a certain occupation or prior certification and not always in consecutive calendar years. Additional years required for certain preliminary stages may not be included in this classification. For requirements measured in hours, 1080 hours was considered a year. For days, 365 days was considered a year. Please review all prerequisites and requirements for eligibility, and additional information for details.

Medium

Moderate ease of attainment: minimum education requirement = Associate's and/or prerequisite and/or minimum experience = more than 2 years and less than 10 years of experience.

Note: In some cases “years of experience” refers to time actively on duty or while holding a certain occupation or prior certification and not always in consecutive calendar years. Additional years required for certain preliminary stages may not be included in this classification. For requirements measured in hours, 1080 hours was considered a year. For days, 365 days was considered a year. Please review all prerequisites and requirements for eligibility, and additional information for details.

High

Highly attainable: minimum education requirement = HS or less and/or minimum experience = 2 years or less experience and no additional requirements.

Note: In some cases “years of experience” refers to time actively on duty or while holding a certain occupation or prior certification and not always in consecutive calendar years. Additional years required for certain preliminary stages may not be included in this classification. For requirements measured in hours, 1080 hours was considered a year. For days, 365 days was considered a year. Please review all prerequisites and requirements for eligibility, and additional information for details.

MOS is Military Occupational Specialty
ASI is Additional Skill Identifier
WOMOS is Warrant Officer Military Occupational Specialty
AOC is Area Of Concentration Officer
Functional Area
Branch

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Bright Outlook – new job opportunities are very likely in the future for this job

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Updated: February 26, 2021
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