- What the Title Actually Means
- Who Issues the Credential and Who Delivers the Exam
- What a CEICC Does on Real Projects
- The Four Competency Areas
- Exam Format and Question Style
- Who Qualifies to Apply
- Fees, Paperwork, and Process Mechanics
- Reference Materials and the Discrepancies to Note
- Keeping the Credential Active
- Who Hires CEICC Holders
- Sequencing Your Preparation Around the Four Domains
- Frequently Asked Questions
- CEICC means Council-certified Environmental Infection Control Consultant, issued by the American Council for Accredited Certification (ACAC).
- The exam has 120 multiple-choice questions, three hours, closed book, and a 75% passing threshold.
- Initial cost is $500 total: $100 for the examination plus $400 for certification.
- Applicants must submit four distinct project sheets with verification; no training course is mandatory.
What the Title Actually Means
A CEICC is a Council-certified Environmental Infection Control Consultant: a professional who has been vetted by the American Council for Accredited Certification to advise on how the built environment affects the spread of infection in healthcare settings. The credential sits at the intersection of infection prevention, facilities work, and construction management. It is not a clinical nursing credential, and it is not a general safety certificate. It targets people who understand how dust, water, air movement, and human traffic during building work can put vulnerable patients at risk.
Because "CEICC" is an acronym that can appear in other contexts, it is worth being precise: everything on this page concerns the ACAC credential only. If you want other angles on the same question, see our related explainers on what CEICC stands for and the CEICC meaning, or the broader overview at CEICC certification.
Who Issues the Credential and Who Delivers the Exam
The certifying body is ACAC. Examination delivery is handled by a separate testing provider, Kryterion, which means the organization that grants the credential is not the one that proctors your test. Candidates can sit the exam either at a computer-based test center or through secure online video proctoring, and results are available immediately after you finish.
One governance detail worth knowing: the award of the credential requires unanimous board approval. Passing the exam is therefore one gate among several. Your documented experience and your project sheets are reviewed as part of the same process, so a passing score alone does not complete certification.
What a CEICC Does on Real Projects
The title says "consultant," and the four competency areas make the day-to-day picture clear. A CEICC is the person who can walk into a hospital renovation or demolition plan and ask the questions that protect patients: Which units are adjacent to the work zone? What barriers, pressure relationships, and traffic routes will contain dust? Who verifies that the controls stay in place? How are lapses documented and corrected?
That work draws on two knowledge bases at once. First, you need clinical-environmental literacy: how pathogens move and which patient populations are most at risk. Second, you need project discipline: planning, communication, documentation, and enforcement on active sites. The credential exists because few professionals are strong in both.
The Four Competency Areas
The four headings below come from the handbook's Required Skills competencies, corroborated by the optional study guide. They are unweighted, meaning ACAC does not publish percentage allocations, and they should not be treated as proof of exhaustive exam coverage. Treat them as the confirmed backbone of what you need to know. For a deeper walkthrough, see our complete guide to all four CEICC content areas.
Domain 1: Infectious Diseases and Their Modes of Transmission in the Healthcare Setting
This is the foundation. You must understand how infectious agents move so that every control you later recommend has a rationale.
- Airborne, droplet, and contact transmission pathways and how building conditions influence each
- Waterborne and environmental reservoirs that matter in healthcare facilities
- Which patient populations face the greatest risk from construction-related exposure
- Occupational exposure considerations, including the bloodborne pathogens standard (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1030)
Domain 2: Principles of Infection Control During Construction, Demolition and Renovation
This is the domain most specific to the credential's identity. It covers how to keep building work from becoming a patient hazard.
- Containment strategies, barriers, and pressure relationships around work areas
- Ventilation and air-handling concerns during disruptive work
- Traffic control for workers, materials, and debris
- Respiratory protection decisions, including the logic in NIOSH's Respirator Selection Logic (2004)
Domain 3: Infection Control Project Management
Knowing the right controls is not enough; you must organize people to implement them.
- Planning and risk assessment before work begins
- Coordinating among facilities, clinical staff, infection prevention, and contractors
- Documentation, monitoring, and verification of controls on site
- Escalation and corrective action when controls fail
Domain 4: Effective Infection Control Practices
This area covers the broader practices that support a safe environment beyond a single construction event.
- Environmental infection control principles drawn from the CDC environmental infection control guideline (2003, updated 2019)
- Applying guidelines consistently and defensibly
- Professional conduct expectations, including the ACAC Code of Conduct
Exam Format and Question Style
| Feature | CEICC Detail |
|---|---|
| Questions | 120 multiple-choice |
| Answer choices | At least four per question |
| Time allowed | Three hours |
| Reference materials | Closed book |
| Passing threshold | 75%, set using Modified Angoff |
| Delivery | Test center or secure online video proctoring |
| Results | Available immediately |
Three hours for 120 questions averages about a minute and a half per item, which is comfortable for recall questions but tighter for scenario-style items that require you to weigh several plausible controls. Because the test is closed book, you cannot look up guideline details; you must carry the logic in your head.
The 75% threshold was set using the Modified Angoff method, in which subject-matter experts judge how a minimally competent candidate would perform on each item. The practical implication is that the bar reflects a defined competence standard rather than a curve against other test takers. For more on this, see what you need to pass and our assessment of how difficult the exam is.
Who Qualifies to Apply
ACAC offers three eligibility routes that trade education against documented field experience:
| Education Background | Qualifying Coursework | Field Experience |
|---|---|---|
| Relevant four-year degree | Or equivalent 30 qualifying semester credits | Four years documented |
| Relevant two-year degree | Or equivalent 15 qualifying credits | Six years documented |
| High-school diploma or GED | None required | Eight years documented |
There is no mandatory training course, so you do not need to buy a prescribed program to become eligible. That said, structured preparation can still be valuable; see our overview of CEICC training. For the full qualification picture, read CEICC requirements and eligibility.
Fees, Paperwork, and Process Mechanics
| Item | USD |
|---|---|
| Examination fee | $100 |
| Certification fee | $400 |
| Initial total | $500 |
| Retake | $100 |
| Renewal | $400 |
A full breakdown, including how these costs fit a budget, is in our CEICC certification cost guide.
Reference Materials and the Discrepancies to Note
The handbook and optional study guide point you toward a specific set of reference documents:
- CDC environmental infection control guideline (2003, updated 2019)
- OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1030, the bloodborne pathogens standard
- NIOSH Respirator Selection Logic (2004)
- ACAC Code of Conduct
- ASHRAE 170-2008, listed in the handbook
Note the inconsistency: the handbook lists ASHRAE 170-2008, but the linked 2020 study guide omits it. Rather than guessing which is authoritative, prepare for both. Review the ventilation concepts associated with healthcare facility design, and use the study guide for its structure. Our CEICC study guide and one-page cheat sheet help you organize these sources.
Keeping the Credential Active
CEICC certification is valid for two years. Renewal requires 40 RCs: 10 for continued field activity and 30 hours of professional development. Records are subject to audit, so keep documentation of every activity rather than reconstructing it later.
Who Hires CEICC Holders
Demand comes from organizations where construction, renovation, or facility upkeep intersects with vulnerable patients. Typical employers and engagement types include:
- Hospitals and health systems with active capital projects
- Construction firms and general contractors working in healthcare settings
- Consulting practices that advise on infection risk during building work
- Facilities and engineering departments that coordinate with infection prevention teams
Because the holder base is small (ACAC's December 31, 2025 activity report lists 25 current CEICC certifications, which is a count of holders rather than exam volume), the credential can differentiate you in a specialized niche. We deliberately avoid quoting earnings here; for a qualitative discussion, see our salary guide, CEICC jobs, and ROI analysis.
Sequencing Your Preparation Around the Four Domains
Rather than a generic schedule, order your study so that each domain builds on the previous one. Domain 1 explains why controls exist, Domain 2 explains what they are, Domain 3 explains how to manage them, and Domain 4 ties them to broader practice.
Domain 1: Transmission Foundations
- Map each transmission route to the building conditions that amplify it
- Review OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1030 essentials
Domain 2: Construction Controls
- Study containment, pressure, and traffic control logic
- Work through NIOSH respirator selection reasoning
- Review ASHRAE 170-2008 ventilation concepts
Domain 3: Project Management
- Draw on your own project sheets as worked examples
- Practice documentation and escalation scenarios
Domain 4 and Full-Length Practice
- Revisit the CDC guideline and ACAC Code of Conduct
- Take timed practice sets at our practice test site
Key Takeaway
Because the exam is closed book with at least four answer choices per item, drill elimination: for each practice question, explain why the three wrong options fail. Use CEICC practice questions to build that habit under the three-hour time limit.
For a fuller plan, see our study guide, and explore other pages such as what is CEICC, what is CEICC certification, and what CEICC means. You can also try free practice questions at any point.
Frequently Asked Questions
It stands for Council-certified Environmental Infection Control Consultant, a credential issued by the American Council for Accredited Certification (ACAC).
The exam has 120 multiple-choice questions with at least four answer choices each, to be completed in three hours, closed book. The passing threshold is 75%, set using the Modified Angoff method.
The initial total is $500: a $100 examination fee plus a $400 certification fee. A retake costs $100, and renewal costs $400.
No. There is no mandatory training course. You must meet one of the three education-plus-experience routes and submit four distinct project sheets with verification.
It is valid for two years. Renewal requires 40 RCs, made up of 10 for continued field activity and 30 hours of professional development, with records subject to audit. Because the credential page describes 20 professional-development hours annually, confirm the exact expectation with ACAC.