- Which Credential This Article Covers
- The Three Eligibility Pathways
- Documenting Field Experience and Project Sheets
- Application Mechanics, Fees and Deadlines
- What You Are Qualifying To Sit
- The Four Competency Areas Behind the Requirements
- Sequencing Your Preparation Around the Application
- After Qualifying: Validity and Renewal
- Published Discrepancies To Confirm With ACAC
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Three eligibility pathways exist: four-year degree plus four years of experience, two-year degree plus six years, or high school/GED plus eight years.
- No mandatory training course is required, but four distinct project sheets with verification are.
- Initial cost is $500: a $100 examination fee plus a $400 certification fee.
- The exam is 120 multiple-choice questions in three hours with a 75% passing threshold.
Which Credential This Article Covers
Several unrelated credentials share a similar acronym, so precision matters. This article covers the Council-certified Environmental Infection Control Consultant (CEICC), administered by the American Council for Accredited Certification (ACAC), with exams delivered through the testing provider Kryterion. Everything below, including fees, eligibility, format and renewal, applies only to that ACAC credential. If you want a broader orientation first, see What Is CEICC Certification? or What Does CEICC Stand For?.
The credential is built for professionals who manage infection risk where the built environment meets patient care: construction, demolition and renovation in healthcare settings, project coordination, and the day-to-day practices that keep patients safe while the work happens. Because it is experience-driven, the requirements are less about a single classroom milestone and more about documented, verifiable field work.
The Three Eligibility Pathways
ACAC sets eligibility by combining formal education with documented field experience. More schooling shortens the required experience; less schooling lengthens it. There are three routes:
| Pathway | Education | Qualifying Credits | Documented Field Experience |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pathway 1 | Relevant four-year degree | Or equivalent 30 qualifying semester credits | Four years |
| Pathway 2 | Relevant two-year degree | Or equivalent 15 qualifying credits | Six years |
| Pathway 3 | High-school diploma or GED | None required | Eight years |
Note the "or equivalent" language on the first two pathways. A candidate without the degree itself can still qualify by accumulating the stated number of qualifying credits, which matters for experienced practitioners who took coursework in pieces rather than finishing a degree. What counts as "relevant" or "qualifying" is determined by ACAC, so a candidate whose degree sits in an adjacent field should ask ACAC to confirm how their transcript will be evaluated before investing time in the application.
Documenting Field Experience and Project Sheets
Experience is the heart of the CEICC requirements. ACAC does not accept a bare statement that you have worked in the field; it requires four distinct project sheets and verification of your experience. Treat these as the real gate of the application, because the exam is something you can prepare for on a schedule, while documentation depends on other people responding.
Building Strong Project Sheets
Each of the four project sheets should describe a separate, distinct project. Because the credential is oriented toward environmental infection control in healthcare construction and renovation contexts, strong sheets typically show the specific infection control decisions you made or supported rather than just listing a job site. Think about what a reviewer needs to see:
- The setting and scope of the work, such as renovation or construction adjacent to patient care areas.
- Your specific role and responsibilities on that project.
- The infection control measures involved and how they were planned, monitored or enforced.
- A way for ACAC to verify the information with someone who can attest to it.
Choose four projects that are meaningfully different from one another. Submitting near-duplicates undercuts the "distinct" requirement and gives reviewers little to evaluate.
Verification
Verification means a third party can confirm your experience. Start early by identifying supervisors, project owners or colleagues who can vouch for your involvement, and give them enough lead time. A delay in getting a verifier to respond is one of the most common reasons an otherwise strong application stalls, which becomes more important given the deadline question discussed below.
Key Takeaway
Start with the project sheets and verifiers, not the exam. Your four project sheets and third-party verification are the slowest part of the process because they depend on other people. Line them up before you pay any fees or schedule a test.
Application Mechanics, Fees and Deadlines
The CEICC application runs through ACAC. Once you pass the exam and your documentation is reviewed, the award itself requires unanimous board approval, so a complete, clearly verified file protects you from avoidable delays at the final stage.
Fee Breakdown
| Fee | Amount (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Examination fee | $100 | Part of the initial total |
| Certification fee | $400 | Part of the initial total |
| Initial total | $500 | Examination plus certification |
| Retake | $100 | If you do not pass on an attempt |
| Renewal | $400 | Due on the renewal cycle |
The structure is worth noticing: the bulk of the cost is the certification fee, while a retake costs only the examination portion. For a fuller walkthrough of lifetime spending, see the CEICC certification cost breakdown.
Completion Deadline: Two Different Numbers
ACAC's published materials do not agree on how long you have to finish the process. The current application page allows six months to complete the process, while the candidate handbook says 90 days. Do not assume the longer window. Confirm the applicable deadline with ACAC in writing before you submit, and plan your project sheets, verification and exam date to fit the shorter of the two if you cannot get clarity. For scheduling specifics, the CEICC exam dates and scheduling guide covers testing windows in more detail.
What You Are Qualifying To Sit
Meeting the eligibility requirements earns you the right to take the exam, so it helps to know what you are preparing for:
- Format: 120 multiple-choice questions, each with at least four answer choices.
- Time: three hours.
- Rules: closed book.
- Passing threshold: 75%, set using the Modified Angoff method.
- Delivery: at a computer-based test center or through secure online video proctoring.
- Results: available immediately.
The Modified Angoff method means the cut score reflects expert judgment about how a minimally competent consultant would perform, rather than a curve against other candidates. The practical implication is that your result depends on your own command of the material. Read more in the CEICC passing score guide, and for a realistic sense of challenge see how hard the CEICC exam is.
ACAC does not mandate a specific training course. You can prepare through self-study, employer training or coursework, but the requirement is the documented experience and the exam, not a particular class. If you want structure, our CEICC training overview outlines the options.
The Four Competency Areas Behind the Requirements
The exam content aligns to four competencies listed in the handbook's Required Skills section and corroborated by ACAC's optional study guide. These headings are unweighted, and they do not establish exhaustive exam coverage, so treat them as the confirmed skeleton of what you should know rather than a precise blueprint. Your field experience and project sheets should naturally touch most of them.
Domain 1: Infectious Diseases and Their Modes of Transmission in the Healthcare Setting
Understanding how pathogens spread in healthcare environments underpins every control decision.
- Routes of transmission and why they matter for environmental controls
- How construction and renovation activity can disturb or spread contaminants near patients
- Applying the CDC environmental infection control guideline (2003, updated 2019)
Domain 2: Principles of Infection Control During Construction, Demolition and Renovation
This is the most distinctive area of the credential and the one your project sheets will lean on most.
- Containment and barrier concepts for work near occupied care areas
- Air handling and pressure relationships, with reference to ASHRAE 170 as listed in the handbook
- Respiratory protection for workers, including NIOSH Respirator Selection Logic (2004)
Domain 3: Infection Control Project Management
Planning, coordinating and documenting infection control across the life of a project.
- Coordinating among facility staff, contractors and infection prevention personnel
- Monitoring, documentation and enforcement of project controls
- Professional conduct in line with the ACAC Code of Conduct
Domain 4: Effective Infection Control Practices
The ongoing practices and standards that keep controls working day to day.
- Occupational exposure expectations under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1030
- Practical safeguards for patients, staff and workers
- Translating guideline language into on-site routines
For a deeper treatment of each area, read the complete guide to the four CEICC exam domains.
Sequencing Your Preparation Around the Application
Because eligibility is documentation-heavy, the smartest sequence differs from a typical exam plan. Paperwork comes first, content review second, and the exam last. A CEICC-specific rhythm might look like this:
Eligibility and documentation
- Pick your pathway and tally documented field years
- Select four distinct projects and contact verifiers
- Email ACAC to settle the six-month versus 90-day question
Domain 2 and Domain 3 first
- Construction, demolition and renovation principles are the credential's core
- Project management ties directly to the project sheets you are writing
Domain 1 and Domain 4
- Transmission fundamentals and practice standards
- Read the OSHA bloodborne pathogens standard and the CDC guideline directly
Timed practice
- Sit full 120-question, three-hour mock exams
- Review misses against the reference documents
Our CEICC study guide expands this plan, and you can pressure-test your readiness with timed questions on the CEICC practice test site. For a quick last-day refresher, the CEICC cheat sheet condenses the must-know facts.
After Qualifying: Validity and Renewal
Earning the credential is not the end of the requirements. CEICC certification is valid for two years. Renewal requires 40 recertification credits (RCs), made up of:
- 10 RCs for continued field activity
- 30 hours of professional development
Renewal records are subject to audit, so keep certificates, attendance records and project documentation organized as you go rather than reconstructing them at the end. The renewal fee is $400.
The credential page describes the professional-development expectation differently, as 20 hours annually. That is a published discrepancy, so confirm the current rule with ACAC when you plan your renewal cycle rather than relying on either statement alone.
If you are weighing whether the ongoing commitment pays off, see whether the CEICC certification is worth it and the CEICC jobs overview for the kinds of employers and roles where the credential carries weight.
Published Discrepancies To Confirm With ACAC
ACAC's own materials contain a few inconsistencies. They are easy to miss and costly to get wrong, so verify each directly:
| Topic | Source A | Source B | What To Do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application completion window | Application page: six months | Handbook: 90 days | Confirm the governing deadline with ACAC before submitting |
| Professional development for renewal | Handbook and procedures: 30 hours within 40 RCs | Credential page: 20 hours annually | Confirm the current renewal rule before planning |
| ASHRAE 170 reference | Handbook lists ASHRAE 170-2008 | 2020 study guide omits it | Study ASHRAE 170 anyway; do not drop it because the guide leaves it out |
Frequently Asked Questions
No. A high-school diploma or GED combined with eight years of documented field experience qualifies you. A relevant two-year degree (or 15 qualifying credits) needs six years, and a relevant four-year degree (or 30 qualifying semester credits) needs four years.
No. ACAC does not mandate a specific training course. What it requires is documented field experience, four distinct project sheets with verification, and a passing exam result.
The initial total is $500, made up of a $100 examination fee and a $400 certification fee. A retake costs $100, and renewal costs $400. Training or study materials you choose to buy are separate.
The sources conflict: the current application page allows six months, while the handbook says 90 days. Confirm the applicable deadline with ACAC, and plan around the shorter window if you cannot get clarification.
The credential is valid for two years. Renewal requires 40 recertification credits: 10 for continued field activity and 30 hours of professional development, with records subject to audit. The credential page mentions 20 hours annually, so confirm the current rule with ACAC.
Meeting the CEICC requirements is mainly an exercise in organization: choose the right pathway, line up four distinct and verifiable project sheets, resolve the deadline question with ACAC, and then prepare for a 120-question, three-hour exam. For a broader orientation, start with the main CEICC certification overview, and when you are ready to test your knowledge, try the practice exams at CEICC Exam Prep.