ASTM Soil Laboratory Technician Level I

Test your knowledge and the ability to properly perform, calculate, and report the results of laboratory procedures for soil, particularly as it pertains to:

liquid limit
plastic limit and plasticity index of soils
field and laboratory determinations of moisture content
Proctor compaction
in-place determinations of moisture and percent compaction

This certification program has been approved by the AASHTO Accreditation Program (AAP) for use in meeting the certification requirements of ASTM D3740 and E329.

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Program Fee

$250 USD - this fee includes both the written exam and the performance evaluation

ASTM Standards Covered

ASTM D698 Standard Test Methods for Laboratory Compaction of Soil Standard Effort
ASTM D1140 Standard Test Methods for Determining the Amount of Material Finer than 75-μm (No. 200) Sieve in Soils by Washing
ASTM D1557 Standard Test Methods for Laboratory Compaction of Soil Modified Effort
ASTM D2216 Standard Test Methods for Laboratory Determination of Water (Moisture) Content of Soil and Rock by Mass
ASTM D4318 Standard Test Methods for Liquid Limit, Plastic Limit, and Plasticity Index of Soils

ASTM D6938 Standard Test Methods for In-Place Density and Water Content of Soil and Soil-Aggregate by Nuclear Methods (Shallow Depth)

Certification Requirements

ASTM will grant certification only to those applicants who meet both of the following requirements: a passing grade on the ASTM written examination, and successful completion of the ASTM performance evaluation.
The 90-minute written examination is closed-book and consists of approximately 90 questions.
To pass the written examination, both of the following conditions must be met:
1. Score at least 60% correct for each of the required standards, and
2. Score a minimum of 70% overall.
The performance examination requires actual demonstration of the required standards. The examinee is judged on their ability to correctly perform or describe all of the required procedures for each standard.
Recertification is necessary every five years and requires successful completion of both the written and performance examinations.

Study Materials and Training

A convenient bundle of the standards is available for use in studying for the written exam. We also offer several related live plus on-demand, self-paced training options.

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