Certified Maintenance and Reliability Technician
Certified Maintenance and Reliability Technician
Certified Maintenance and Reliability Technician
CERTIFYING ORGANIZATION
CMRT10
Recertification
Certification .......................................................................................................................................... 3
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D.
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F.
II.
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C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
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Number of Times and Intervals Candidates May Take the Examination ......................................... 9
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Q.
III.
IV.
Re-certification ................................................................................................................................... 16
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VI.
VII.
I.
Certification
A. Statement of Purpose
The Society for Maintenance and Reliability Professionals Certifying Organization (SMRPCO) is
organized for the purpose of fostering high standards of ethical and professional practice in the delivery of
services through a recognized, credible credentialing program that assures the competency of practitioners
of Profession. The underlying ethic upon which the certification process rests is absolute fairness and
equity in the administration of examinations and recertification for all applicants without discrimination
(i.e. because of age, color, creed, gender, ethnic or religious background, lifestyle, marital status, national
origin or political affiliation, race or sexual orientation).
C. Benefits of Certification
The benefits of certification are apparent for many fields and very attractive to maintenance technicians in
many organizations. The following is a short summary of the benefits:
Many are aware of other organizations that offer similarly titled certifications in this or other related
subjects. How does SMRPCOs process differ from these?
SMRPCO was set up by SMRP and continues to be sponsored by SMRP, the leading
organization for maintenance and reliability practitioners. SMRPCO has its own budget, Board of
Directors and Staff and operates its program with minimal oversight from its sponsoring
organization. No other organization in our field has that distinction.
SMRPCO plans to enhance the value of certification to certified practitioners through other
advanced certifications.
D. Exam Venues
Paper and Pencil Based Tests: The examination for certification as a maintenance and reliability
technician has been offered at many venues each calendar year, with one of the venues always being the
SMRP annual conference, held each Fall. Where possible and practical, examinations will be coordinated
with other SMRP activities, such as SMRP Chapter events, Executive Meetings and in conjunction with
SMRP sponsored workshops to reduce travel for persons who plan to participate. Third party venues are
also scheduled when proper conditions for conducting an exam are assured. All currently scheduled
venues are listed on the SMRP website. The examination registration form is available on the SMRP web
site by clicking on the SMRP Certification tab and following the Register for the CMRT Exams.
Click on the venue chosen and the registration form will be made available for downloading. At the
present time you must access and download the form for mail or Fax submission.
Development and administration of examinations that reflect, to the degree possible, the current
CMRT Body of Knowledge
Administration and conveyance of results and credentials associated with certification
examinations and subsequent re-certification requirements
SMRPCO has developed and keeps current a list of publications on industrial maintenance subjects. The
list is available for downloading from the SMRP web site. See the SMRP Certification Page of the web
This is a controlled document.
Printed copies are not controlled; for reference purposes the original is maintained in electronic format at the SMRPCO office.
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site for information. SMRPCO does not endorse any outside person, preparation course or product (such
as a book, compact disc-based offering or other publication including those mentioned above on its web
site) in connection with any certification program.
II.
C. Denial of Eligibility
In the interest of serving the public trust, SMRPCO shall review all applicants self-reported past and
present criminal activities. SMRPCO reserves the right to perform a criminal history background check
on applicants. Failure to provide accurate, true and correct information shall constitute grounds for denial
of an application or removal of a credential. SMRPCO shall deny access to the certification examination
from applicants who have pled guilty to, nolo contender or have received deferred adjudication or are
found guilty of charges of moral turpitude.
When any application for eligibility into a certification examination is denied, the applicant will be
notified in writing (including e-mail), and the application fee, less a 10% processing fee, will be returned.
Denied applications may be appealed or resubmitted, with full fees, upon completion of all eligibility
criteria.
Eligibility for entry into the certification examination for the maintenance and reliability technician may
be denied when:
The applicant submits a written (including e-mail) or faxed notice of appeal to the SMRPCO
Staff who will forward it to the Certification Committee Chairman. The notice shall include the
name, current address (including e-mail address), phone numbers and fax number (if applicable)
of the applicant.
The applicant submits additional written, (including by e-mail) factual documentation to support
their appeal with an explanation of why he/she believes the decision is erroneous. The applicant
shall bear the burden of proving the denial of eligibility was based on erroneous factual.
An initial review of an appeal is conducted by the Certification Committee Chair to ensure the applicant
has met the above conditions. If the Certification Committee Chair determines that the appeal meets the
above conditions and the denial of eligibility was due to prior criminal history or misconduct, the case
will be referred to the Executive Committee of SMRPCO. If the denial of eligibility was due to other
circumstances the case will be referred to the Certification Committee. If the Certification Committee
Chair determines that the appeal has not met the above conditions, the applicant will be notified that the
appeal is disallowed and forward the record to the Executive Committee of SMRPCO for final
determination.
The decision of the Executive Committee of SMRPCO is final and will be communicated to the
Certification Committee Chair in writing. The Certification Committee Chair will notify the applicant of
the decision in writing.
There is no appeal allowed on the basis of incomplete applications.
This policy does not apply to certificants who have their certification or re-certification denied, suspended
or revoked for fraud, misrepresentation, violation of testing procedures or other conduct in violation of
the SMRPCO Code of Ethics, Standards of Conduct, Rules, Policies and Procedures.
If added expense is involved in accommodating the person with a physical disability, such
expense (beyond requirements of law such as contained in the Americans with Disabilities Act) is
borne by the candidate or the candidates sponsor (e.g., employer or foundation providing support
for persons with specific disabilities).
If accommodation requires the presence of one or more persons to support the candidate because
of the disability, they may not assist the candidate in any way in understanding exam content in
such a way so as to give the candidate an unfair advantage over candidates without disabilities.
Supporting personnel must sign a SMRPCO non-disclosure agreement and agree not to sit for the
certification exam for that designation for a period of five (5) years.
H. Examination Statistics
Official statistics regarding any certification examination for the maintenance profession, including all
item performance data, individual and demographic group data will be considered confidential unless
officially released by the Society for Maintenance and Reliability Professionals Certifying Organization.
Candidates scores will always remain confidential unless released with the express written permission of
a candidate to the employer, or a representative of the sponsoring organization, or an authorized agency in
response to legal requirements.
Statistics will be stored at the SMRPCO office headquarters by the SMRPCO Certification
Administrative Manager or other authorized staff member. The Exam Director will be provided with
copies of statistics for review purposes and for purposes of reporting to the Certification Committee or
Board of Directors. Exam Team and Certification Committee members will have access to such statistics
as required to fulfill their duties, but shall keep them under strict control to prevent release to
unauthorized persons. Statistics may be maintained by any authorized testing company for the duration of
any contract with SMRPCO. In the event that a contract is not renewed, any and all copies of statistical
information shall be returned to the SMRPCO offices. Statistics remain property of SMRPCO.
Yearly, SMRPCO will release, at a minimum, statistics regarding the total number of candidates tested
and the percent of candidates passing. The Board will release additional information at its own discretion.
I. Candidate Confidentiality
A candidates application and performance on any certification examination shall remain confidential
unless otherwise stipulated by the examinee. Requests for score transfers to state licensing boards,
regulatory commissions or government legal officials in pursuit of their duties and authority prescribed on
law, must be made in writing (not by e-mail) by the candidate and submitted directly to SMRPCO. Scores
will be sent directly to the state licensing/credentialing board or legal authority in the form of either a
sealed transcript or a password protected electronic file.
N. Examination Security
The Society for Maintenance and Reliability Professionals Certifying Organization maintains strict
policies to insure the security of the examination.
Candidates or Certificants, who apply to take the test for reasons other than for initial certification
or recertification, will be considered in violation of the SMRPCO Code of Ethics and will be
subject to disciplinary procedures and/or legal action to mitigate the harm done to the certification
process. Sanctions for Certificants could result in the termination of certification.
Any individual who removes or attempts to remove exam materials from the testing site,
including memorizing exam questions, will be prosecuted. Any Certificant who removes or
attempts to remove examination materials, including memorizing exam questions, will be subject
to disciplinary procedures in addition to legal action. Sanctions for Certificants could result in the
removal of certification.
Any unauthorized individual found in possession of exam materials will be prosecuted. Any
unauthorized Certificant who is found in possession of exam materials will be subject to
disciplinary procedures in addition to legal action. Sanctions for Certificants could result in the
removal of certification.
Appropriate and specific test information will be provided to our stakeholders, if and when any are
identified and verified to the satisfaction of the SMRPCO Board to have such an interest based on law of
state, territory or country or Sustaining Sponsorship.
III.
The Code of Ethics of the Society for Maintenance and Reliability Professionals Certifying Organization
(SMRPCO) requires those who sit for the certification examination (Candidates), Certificants, Special
Members, Staff, and Consultants to uphold professional standards that allow for the proper discharge of
their responsibilities to those served, protect the integrity of the profession, and safeguard the interest of
individual clients.
All persons who sit for any SMRPCO examination shall:
Agree to maintain the confidentially of the examination content and to never disclose
examination content to others. Prohibited conduct includes disclosure of exam content, removal
of exam materials from the examination room, copying by photography, use of audio recording
equipment, or any other means that could be used to transfer the content to others.
Attest to their identity as the registered examinee, and not represent anyone other than themselves
in the taking of the exam.
Attest that the work and selections made on the subject examination are theirs and theirs alone.
Pledge to represent their profession ethically and honorably. Conduct by a Certificant that is
detrimental to the SMRPCO Certification program may result in revocation of said Certification.
Examples of detrimental conduct include but are not limited to dishonesty, misrepresentation of
professional qualifications, and certain illegal acts leading to felony conviction. Certificants have
the right to appeal revocations of Certification through due process that as is described in the
SMRPCO Policies and Procedures Document.
Represent their qualifications honestly, including their educational achievements and professional
affiliations, and provide only those services which they are qualified to perform.
Consistently maintain and improve professional knowledge and competence, striving for
professional excellence through regular assessment of personal and professional strengths and
weaknesses and through continued education training.
Conduct their business and professional activities with honesty and integrity, and respect the
inherent worth of all persons.
Refuse to unjustly discriminate against clients.
Safeguard the confidentiality of all client information, unless disclosure is required by law, court
order, or is absolutely necessary for the protection of the public.
Refrain, under all circumstances, from initiating or engaging in any act of moral turpitude
Avoid any interest, activity or influence which might be in conflict with the Certificants
obligation to act in the best interests of the client or the profession.
IV.
Follow all policies, procedures, guidelines and requirements promulgated by the Society for
Maintenance and Reliability Professionals Certifying Organization
Four major performance domains account for the examinations content. These four domains, as well as
the task statements for each domain, are listed below.
Domain I: Maintenance Practices
Task 1: Adhere to safety, health, and environmental standards and policies by taking personal
responsibility in order to prevent injury or illness from exposure to hazards. The candidate must
demonstrate knowledge in the following:
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Task 2: Inform production control personnel about the maintenance activity required in accordance with
company protocol in order to adjust the operations schedules. The candidate must demonstrate knowledge
in the following:
1. Lockout/tagout procedures
2. Process overview
3. Work permits
Task 3: Perform the proper lockout/tagout procedures on equipment in accordance with applicable
standards in order to ensure zero energy state prior to commencing maintenance work and minimize
health, safety, and environmental hazards to employees and the community. The candidate must
demonstrate knowledge in the following:
1. Lockout/tagout procedures
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Printed copies are not controlled; for reference purposes the original is maintained in electronic format at the SMRPCO office.
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Task 5: Use maintenance tools and equipment in accordance with manufacturers specifications and
established safety policies in order to ensure safety and efficiency. The candidate must demonstrate
knowledge in the following:
1. Equipment and tool specifications
2. Established equipment and tool-safety policies and procedures
Task 6: Use measuring tools and equipment in a manner that will ensure accurate measurements in order
to perform maintenance tasks properly. The candidate must demonstrate knowledge in the following:
1.
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6.
Task 7: Handle all maintenance materials and parts in accordance with established standards and
procedures in order to prevent damage to the parts and equipment. The candidate must demonstrate
knowledge in the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Task 8: Maintain housekeeping by adhering to established site standards and by removing all
maintenance-related parts and waste in order to ensure a safe and orderly job site. The candidate must
demonstrate knowledge in the following:
1. Facility and regulatory policies on housekeeping
2. Hazards of improper housekeeping
3. Proper organization and cleaning of job site
Task 9: Document maintenance activities using the facilitys maintenance management system in order to
record history, assist with planning and scheduling, and support root-cause failure analysis. The candidate
must demonstrate knowledge in the following:
1. Documentation systems (e.g., paper filing systems, computer filing systems, email)
2. Maintenance planning and scheduling
Domain II: Preventive and Predictive Maintenance
Task 1: Perform preventive and/or predictive maintenance according to the work plan in order to
maximize mean time between failures. The candidate must demonstrate knowledge in the following:
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Task 2: Apply predictive maintenance techniques by observing equipment performance and collecting
ongoing performance data in order to maximize mean time between failures. The candidate must
demonstrate knowledge in the following:
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Task 3: Lubricate equipment in accordance with the lubrication schedule and equipment specifications in
order to ensure reliable performance and prevent damage. The candidate must demonstrate knowledge in
the following:
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5.
6.
7.
Task 4: Perform alignment checks on rotating equipment (e.g., pumps, fans, blowers, turbines, gear
boxes, compressors) in accordance with equipment specifications in order to ensure reliable performance
and prevent damage. The candidate must demonstrate knowledge in the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Task 5: Perform checks on safety systems and devices in accordance with equipment design
specifications in order to ensure reliable operation and protect employees. The candidate must
demonstrate knowledge in the following:
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V.
Re-certification
Option 1 Continuing professional education in areas relevant to the four (4) domains of the
exam Actual hours spent in the classroom are counted.
Option 2 - Complete educational workshops or seminars relevant to subject areas in the body of
knowledge used to develop this exam Actual hours spent in the workshop or seminar.
Option 3 Participate as an active member of an SMRP or SMRPCO Board or Committee
Actual hours spent in such meeting activity.
The SMRPCO recognizes that many certificants also provide hands-on work as volunteers of one or more
professional societies. Therefore, certificants may claim hours for hands-on volunteer service in support
of the M & R Profession.
Application Process
Within the period from six (6) months to one (1) year before the end of their current certification cycle,
applicants may submit a completed Application for Recertification form electronically along with a nonrefundable fee. The SMRPCO staff will review each application for re-certification to determine whether
the applicant has met the re-certification requirements. SMRPCO staff will contact the applicant if further
information is needed and a deadline will be given for submitting the additional materials. If the
application is incomplete, the applicant will receive a letter specifically detailing the items that are
missing. He/she will have up to 90 days from the date of the expiration of their certification to submit the
missing items. If the applicant does not submit the missing items within this period, the SMRPCO will
send a second letter informing the applicant that the applicants certification status has expired. The
applicants certification status will also be terminated. If the Certificant requests to cancel the application
within the period after submittal up to 90 days of certification expiration, the application and
documentation will be returned and the Certificant will forfeit all fees.
Actions Taken Regarding Re-certification Applications
Once an application has been reviewed, the following actions can be taken:
Approved - When the application has been reviewed and it is determined that all requirements for
recertification have been met, the application will be approved. Upon approval, a certificate for
another three (3) year period will be issued to the applicant within 30 days.
Deferred - If a recertification application is deferred (e.g., because it was chosen for audit), the
specific reason(s) for that action will be made available to the Certificant in writing. Certificants
who have their recertification deferred will be given the opportunity to submit additional
requested materials.
Denied - If a Certificant has not met the requirements for recertification, the application will be
denied. In addition, should it be determined that the applicant has provided false or misleading
information when applying for recertification, the Chairperson of the Certification Committee
may deny recertification and begin disciplinary proceedings in accordance with the SMRPCOs
established Rules and Procedures Regarding Ethical and Professional Complaints..
Appeals Process
A Certificant who disagrees with a ruling regarding their specific re-certification status may ask for
review by the Certification Committee members who did not review the initial application. This must be
accomplished within 30 days of the initial ruling and the request must be made in writing (including email) to the Certification Committee Chair along with reasons for requesting the appeal stating the
reasons for the disagreement.
If the Certificant does not agree with the subsequent ruling, the applicant may appeal that decision in
writing to the Executive Committee of SMRPCO within 30 days. The Executive Committee of SMRPCO
has the final authority in ruling on all appeals.
Communications sent to the applicants during the appeals process will include instructions for or have
attached a means to substantiate proof of response to an appeal request.
Extension Requests
An extension of the recertification deadline, for extenuating circumstances, may be granted for up to six
(6) months beyond the expiration date. The Certificant must submit the following information in writing
before the expiration date: a statement of the extenuating circumstances, the number of completed
recertification credits, the number of work hours completed and a detailed plan stating how all
requirements will be fulfilled by the requested extended deadline. The Certification Committee Chair
reserves the right to modify the extension. If an extension is granted, the original expiration date will
remain constant. During this extension period, the individual is not certified, cannot claim to be, nor use
the CMRT or other credential issued by SMRPCO. Should re-certification ultimately be granted, the
original expiration date shall be the date of the beginning of the new certification cycle.
Waiver of Recertification Requirement
The Recertification requirement may be temporarily waived by the Certification Committee under either
of the following circumstances:
The individual has experienced catastrophic health or medical problems or has been caring for
someone with catastrophic health or medical problems
The individual has been called to active military duty.
The Certification Committee will review all requests to waive the recertification requirements meeting the
criteria above, but all requests must be in writing.
If the Certification Committee approves the Recertification Waiver request, the individual must meet
requirements for recertification when either of the following occurs:
Once the conditions upon which the recertification waiver was approved no longer exist, the individual
must complete the recertification process in the time that the recertification was required prior to the
request for the waiver.
As an example, if an individuals recertification is due within three months and the individuals
request for a recertification waiver is approved, the requirement to recertify is temporarily
suspended. When the relevant conditions no longer exist, the individual must notify SMRPCO
and the individual will have three months to complete the recertification process.
B. Inactive Status
Inactive status can be granted to candidates on a case-by-case basis for special circumstances. A
Certificants request for inactive status will be reviewed and granted at the discretion of the Certification
Committee. Examples of conditions that might necessitate inactive status include: pregnancy, illness,
injury, military duties or personal hardship. An inactive status may be granted to a Certificant for up to a
maximum of three years. During this time, the individual is not certified, cannot claim to be, nor use the
CMRT or other credential issued by SMRPCO. However, any recertification credit hours taken during
this period will count toward recertification. Once an applicant applies to reactivate their status, the
This is a controlled document.
Printed copies are not controlled; for reference purposes the original is maintained in electronic format at the SMRPCO office.
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Certification Committee will determine the length of time that the applicant has to meet the recertification
requirements. If the inactive status goes beyond three years after the expiration date of the original
certification or subsequent recertification, the individuals record will be annotated as certification having
expired. If within this three year time frame, the individual desires to recertify, pay current recertification
fee, and meet all current recertification requirements with appropriate documentation. Furthermore, the
original expiration date will remain valid. If nothing has occurred within those three years, the
individuals record will be identified in the SMRPCOs files as not certified.
C. Lapsed Status
Certification will enter lapsed status for up to three months (90 days) after the expiration date of the
original certification or subsequent recertification period. If within this time frame the lapsed Certificant
wishes to recertify, he/she must pay the current recertification fee and meet all current recertification
requirements with appropriate documentation. The Certificants original date of expiration will remain
valid as the starting point for the new certification period when the new certificate is issued. If the
individual whos certification has lapsed takes no action within the 90 day time frame, that persons
record will be annotated in the SMRPCOs files as not being certified and, if recognition is authorized,
the listing will be removed from the SMRP website. If at a future time the formerly certified applicant
wishes to become certified, they must register as a candidate, meet all eligibility requirements, and
successfully complete a current form of the certification examination.
VI.
1. The Best way to assure that a full-face respirator has a positive seal is to place the palms of your
hands:
A. Over the discharge and inhale
B. Over the inlet and inhale
C. On the front and press toward your face
D. On the bottom and push up
2. According to industry standards, at which minimum working height would an individual be required
to wear a safety harness?
A. 3 feet
B. 4 feet
C. 5 feet
D. 6 feet
3. In OSHA regulations, the term point-of-operation protection device refers to what feature in
maintenance?
A. Lockout-tagout
B. Machine guarding
C. Personal protective equipment
D. Pre-operational inspection
4. Which of the following is an example of predictive maintenance task?
A. Changing oil on an hour meter set point
B. Changing V belts once a year on a fan drive
C. Lubricating equipment on a set schedule
D. Monitoring with a vibration equipment
5. The opening of a relief valve is caused due to an increase in:
A. Pressure
B. Temperature
C. Valve
D. Flow
6. There are often multiple reasons when equipment fails. What is the appropriate tool use to determine
the reason?
A. Cause and effect analysis
B. Equipment failure analysis
C. Process failure analysis
D. Root cause analysis
7. What instrument is used to check the quality of an electric motors insulation resistance?
A. A megohmmeter
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Printed copies are not controlled; for reference purposes the original is maintained in electronic format at the SMRPCO office.
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B. A multimeter
C. A volt-ohmmeter
D. A light meter
8. What is the main advantage of a flexible coupling over a rigid one?
A. They are able to accept shock loads
B. They are easier to install
C. They are less expensive
D. They compensate for some misalignment
9. What type of mechanical damage to a centrifugal pump can be caused by cavitation?
A. Pitting and erosion
B. Motor current under load
C. Premature gasket failure
D. Scaling and clogging
10. When performing an alignment on a new idler pulley on a belt conveyor, you must start with the belt
in what load condition?
A. full
B. full
C. Empty
D. Under-full
Question
Key
10
VII.
Appendix B Resources