- CEICRA means Council-certified Environmental Infection Control Remediation Assistant, awarded through the American Council for Accredited Certification (ACAC).
- The exam is 50 multiple-choice questions in two hours, closed book, with a 70% passing threshold.
- Initial cost is $400 ($100 examination plus $300 certification); a retake is $100 and renewal is $300.
- Eligibility requires attesting to current employment in infection control; no mandatory training course exists.
What CEICRA Actually Is
CEICRA stands for Council-certified Environmental Infection Control Remediation Assistant. It is a vocational certification aimed at people who work in infection control, particularly where the physical environment of a healthcare facility intersects with construction, demolition, renovation, and everyday control practices. If you have been searching for a plain-language answer to "what is CEICRA," that is the whole definition: a credential, not a degree, not a license, and not a training course.
The name tells you a lot about the intended scope. "Environmental" points at the built surroundings in which patients, staff, and visitors move. "Infection Control" is the discipline. "Remediation Assistant" signals a supporting, hands-on role in addressing environmental risks rather than a supervisory or program-design position. Readers who want to unpack the wording further can see what CEICRA stands for and the meaning of the acronym.
Who Issues It and How It Is Classified
The certifying body is the American Council for Accredited Certification (ACAC). ACAC classifies CEICRA as a vocational certification, which matters for how the exam is administered. Under ACAC's vocational-program policy, preauthorized instructor proctoring is available in addition to the usual testing options. Examination delivery runs through the testing provider Kryterion.
Certification is awarded after two things happen: you pass the examination, and the certification board completes its review. Passing the test alone is not the finish line. That two-step structure is why the fee schedule separates an examination charge from a certification charge, which we cover below.
| Feature | CEICRA detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Council-certified Environmental Infection Control Remediation Assistant |
| Certifying body | American Council for Accredited Certification (ACAC) |
| Testing provider | Kryterion |
| Classification | Vocational certification |
| Validity | Two years |
| Mandatory training course | None |
Who the Credential Fits
The eligibility gate is straightforward: you attest to current employment in infection control, then complete the online application and the required email verifications. There is no prerequisite course and the current application expressly exempts CEICRA from project sheets, which some other ACAC programs require. For a fuller walk-through of qualification, see the CEICRA requirements breakdown.
In practice, that employment attestation tells you who the credential is for: people already working in settings where infection prevention is part of the job. Think of staff in healthcare facilities, facilities and maintenance teams who work near patient-care areas, and contractors or coordinators whose renovation and demolition projects have to be managed with infection risk in mind. If you are exploring the labor-market side, the CEICRA jobs overview and the salary guide cover that ground, and the ROI analysis helps you weigh the credential against its cost.
How the Exam Is Built
The examination is compact by professional-certification standards:
| Element | Specification |
|---|---|
| Questions | 50 multiple-choice |
| Answer choices | At least four per question |
| Time allowed | Two hours |
| Reference materials | Closed book |
| Passing threshold | 70% |
| Standard-setting method | Modified Angoff |
What the 70% threshold means
With 50 questions, a 70% threshold translates to 35 correct answers. The threshold was set using the Modified Angoff method, a standard-setting approach in which subject-matter experts judge how a minimally competent candidate would perform on each item. Practically, that means the passing line reflects a judgment about workplace competence rather than a curve against other test-takers. The passing score article goes deeper, and the difficulty guide addresses how demanding the exam feels in practice. For readers who want a pass-rate figure, the pass-rate discussion explains what can and cannot be said from available information.
Choosing how you test
Delivery options include a computer-based test center or secure online video proctoring. Because CEICRA is a vocational program, preauthorized instructor proctoring is also available under ACAC's policy. If you work alongside an instructor who can serve in that role, ask ACAC how preauthorization works before you schedule. Timing and scheduling specifics are collected in the exam dates and scheduling guide.
The Three Content Areas in Plain Terms
The handbook lists three required-skills competencies. These headings are unweighted, and they do not establish exhaustive exam coverage, so treat them as the backbone of your preparation rather than a complete syllabus. The domains guide expands each one.
Domain 1: Infectious Diseases and Their Modes of Transmission in the Healthcare Setting
This is the "why" behind everything else. Candidates need to understand how infectious agents move so that control measures make sense rather than feeling like arbitrary rules.
- How pathogens spread in a healthcare facility (for example by contact, droplet, or airborne routes)
- Why some patient populations are more vulnerable than others
- How environmental sources, such as air, water, and surfaces, can connect a hazard to a susceptible person
Domain 2: Principles of Infection Control During Construction, Demolition and Renovation
This is the domain that most distinguishes CEICRA from a general infection-prevention credential. Building work stirs up dust, moisture, and debris, and in a healthcare setting those can carry real clinical risk.
- Why dust and moisture disturbance during building work threatens patients
- Containment and barrier concepts used to separate work zones from patient areas
- The idea that project planning should consider infection risk before work begins, not after a problem appears
Domain 3: Effective Infection Control Practices
This domain covers the day-to-day practices that hold the whole system together and that a remediation assistant is expected to carry out consistently.
- Core preventive practices applied reliably in the facility environment
- Recognizing when a situation falls outside routine practice and needs escalation
- Following established guidance rather than improvising
Applying, Fees, and the Paperwork Trail
CEICRA's fee structure is simple and fully published. The full pricing context lives in the certification cost breakdown; here is the summary:
| Item | Amount (USD) |
|---|---|
| Examination fee | $100 |
| Certification fee | $300 |
| Initial total | $400 |
| Retake | $100 |
| Renewal | $300 |
The sequence
- Confirm you are currently employed in infection control.
- Complete the online application and the required email verifications.
- Sit the exam through a Kryterion test center, secure online proctoring, or preauthorized instructor proctoring.
- Await the certification board's review, after which the credential is awarded.
Keeping the Credential Current
Certification is valid for two years. To renew, the handbook requires 40 recertification credits (RCs). Under current central procedures, those break down as 10 RCs for continued field activity plus 30 hours of professional development. Records are subject to audit, so keep documentation of your field activity and training rather than reconstructing it at renewal time. The renewal fee is $300.
A practical habit: start a simple running log the day you are certified. Record the date, the activity, and a short note on what it covered. When renewal approaches, that log is your audit protection.
A Domain-Ordered Study Sequence
Because the exam is only 50 questions but draws on a federal-style guidance document, your preparation should be built around the source material rather than generic memorization. The sequence below ties each week to a specific CEICRA domain and explains why it comes when it does. The full approach is in the CEICRA study guide, and a condensed reference sits in the cheat sheet.
Domain 1: Transmission foundations
- Read the CDC environmental infection control guidance with attention to how pathogens reach patients
- Review the ACAC Code of Conduct so professional-conduct questions are not a surprise
Domain 2: Construction, demolition, and renovation
- Work through the construction-related portions of the guidance, since this is the most distinctive CEICRA content
- Study the highlighted Tables 1, 3, 6, 8, 9, and 10 until you can explain what each one is for
Domain 3: Practices, then full review
- Cover the effective-practice material and connect it back to Domain 1 transmission routes
- Take timed practice sets of 50 questions in two hours to rehearse pacing
Domain 1 comes first because Domains 2 and 3 are easier to retain once you understand the transmission logic they respond to. Domain 2 gets its own week because it is where candidates from general healthcare backgrounds most often have gaps. If you want a place to rehearse under realistic conditions, the CEICRA practice test mirrors the multiple-choice, closed-book style, and you can keep returning to the main practice site for additional question sets as your weak areas shift.
Key Takeaway
Do not treat the three headings as a full syllabus. Use them as anchors, then let the CDC guidance and its highlighted tables drive your reading, since the study guide itself points you there.
Frequently Asked Questions
CEICRA stands for Council-certified Environmental Infection Control Remediation Assistant. It is a vocational certification awarded through the American Council for Accredited Certification (ACAC). See also the pages on what CEICRA certification is and what CEICRA means.
The exam has 50 multiple-choice questions with at least four answer choices each, delivered over two hours in a closed-book format. The passing threshold is 70%, set using the Modified Angoff method.
No. There is no mandatory training course. You must attest to current employment in infection control and complete the online application with its required email verifications. Optional preparation resources are covered under CEICRA training.
The initial total is $400, made up of a $100 examination fee and a $300 certification fee. A retake costs $100 and renewal costs $300.
It is valid for two years. The handbook requires 40 recertification credits; current procedures allocate 10 RCs for continued field activity and 30 hours of professional development, with records subject to audit.