Certified Apprentice Lighting Technician™ (CALT™)

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 Recertify 

NALMCO offers the Certified Apprentice Lighting Technician™ (CALT™) certification, a home study program that is indispensable for technicians. The CALT teaches basic lighting terminology and lighting management operations and serves as the prerequisite to obtaining the Certified Senior Lighting Technician (CSLT) designation. When you enroll in the CALT program, you will receive the electronic training manual, Lighten Up!, access to take the CALT computer-based exam, and a three-year certification enrollment. Upon enrollment, participants have 90 days to take the exam. 

The CALT exam covers:

  • Introduction to Lighting
  • Incandescent Lighting
  • Fluorescent Lighting
  • High-Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting
  • LED Lighting
  • Lighting Controls
  • Service Basics
  • Safety Codes

Preparing for the Exam

The CALT certification is a self-study course. Some companies offer to teach the course in a group setting, supplementing the lecture with reading and discussion. Others may opt to have technicians read the training manual and then meet in person to review and prepare for the exam. Finally, some candidates study and prepare solely on their own. Be sure to ask your company if they offer a training program. 

Enrolling for the Exam

  1. Purchase the CALT Program. Click on the apply button at the top of this page.
    Certified Apprentice Lighting Technician™ (CALT™):
    $225 per person Non-Members | $165 per person Members - A discount code provided to member company representative when joining or renewing membership is needed to get member pricing.  Codes change from year to year.
    NOTE: Each technician sitting for the exam must register individually. Exam information and training manuals are sent to the individual taking the exam. Technicians may create an Account on nalmco.org by clicking “Create Account” at the top of the page. 
  2. Candidates will receive an email about their testing session within 24-48 business hours. This email will include their NALMCO Identifier and secure URL to access the exam online. Please ensure your program accepts emails from AllianceSafetyCouncil.org, the third-party exam administrator. All exam correspondence is sent electronically.
  3. Candidates have 90 days from the date of online registration to complete the exam.
  4. Candidates will receive their final score upon completion of the exam. To pass, candidates’ score(s) must be 70 percent or higher.
  5. Approximately one week after passing the exam NALMCO Headquarters receives a report from the testing company with candidate scores from the prior week.  If passing, the candidate will receive an email within two weeks with their certificate of completion. The designation CALT will be placed after the candidate’s name.
  6. If a candidate does not pass, examination retakes are available for $50. Retake by clicking on the Apply button at the top of this page.

Review the CALT/CSLT Frequently Asked Questions for detailed information on registration, fees, recertification requirements, computer/technology challenges and contact information for further questions. 

Recertification

All CALTs must recertify every three years to maintain their certification status. Notification will be sent by email and USPS mail when it’s time to recertify. The CALT certification renewal is $150.  9 - CEU's are also required to renew.  Track your CEU hours through your NALMCO profile by logging into your profile and enter in the CEU Tracker.