Asphalt Paving Level 1 (Challenge Exam)

With the Asphalt Paving Level I – Challenge Exam you get the same qualification as with the Asphalt Paving Level 1 (Course & Exam) course. But being a “Challenge Exam” type qualification, it does not include taking the course, but going directly to the exam.

But you can also choose the regular route and before the exam pass the Asphalt Paving Level I – Course & Exam course, which lasts no more than one day and is the route that is usually recommended. However, we put both links up to leave the decision in your hands.

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) generally encourages technicians to take the course, as it ensures they receive a wealth of important information that internships alone may not provide. Regulations and road infrastructure construction materials and techniques change very frequently, and it is good to receive updated information from specialized instructors in our Encobridge courses.

Asphalt Paving Level 1 Course at a glance (summary table)

If you are going to opt for the Asphalt Paving Level I – Challenge Exam modality, the points of greatest interest will not be those that refer to the course itself, since you will not take it. In this case, the most important points will be those related to the type of exam, its duration, the form of evaluation, the location of the official course manuals, the qualification time, etc. From this point of view, it will probably be very useful for you to have the table that we now provide you, since it includes in a summarized way all the evaluative details and other data about the Asphalt Paving Level I Certification, which are common to the modalities of “Challenge Exam” and “Course & Exam”.

The following table is from the official document from the FDOT called “Qualification Table Quick Reference”, it gives a synopsis of all the courses relating to the Construction Training Qualification Program (CTQP).

ASPHALT PAVING LEVEL 1 COURSE AT A GLANCE
PARAMETER	DESCRIPTION
Objective	To assure that test results used for quality control, verification, dispute resolution, and acceptance of asphalt pavements are performed in accordance with the standard test methods.
Course Content	– Practice for Random Sampling of Construction Materials (ASTM D3665). – Rolling Straight Edge.- Core Sampling and Temperature Measurement.- Density of Soils and Bituminous Concrete Mixtures in Place by the Nuclear Method (FM 1-T-238)
Duration of Class	One day, including the course and examination.
Examinations	For exam details, review the Qualifications Table Quick Reference: Written: Required. 2-hour closed book exam comprised of 32 questions Proficiency: Required. The trainee will take a proficiency examination and is expected to correctly demonstrate skills in measurement of surface tolerance, cross slope and nuclear density. The trainee has two chances to pass each test. Two failures in one area will constitute failure of the proficiency examination.
Prerequisites	None. recommends taking the Plan Reading and Construction Math self study courses.
Student responsibility	Current Florida driver license. Be on time.
que we will provide	Florida specific training materials. Exam .

What is the Asphalt Paving Level I – Challenge Exam that Encobridge offers you

Even if you have opted for the Asphalt Paving Level I Challenge Exam, you will want to know some details about the course that you will not be taking. This will surely be useful to you when studying before the exams (the written exam and the proficiency exam). At the end of the day, the information is the same, whether you receive it directly from the manual, from experience, or from the course instructor.

Asphalt Paving Level 1 Course Descriptions

The FDOT Asphalt Paving Level 1 Certification is part of the set of courses designed to qualify and train personnel who are responsible for preparing, applying and supervising asphalt concrete (or asphalt concrete) material within FDOT projects. Specifically, Level 1 of the course deals with a basic introduction to asphalt, its typology, and its different uses, with a special focus on the construction of asphalt pavements.

An opportune question is: Which professionals and technicians, according to their job functions, need the Asphalt Paving Level 1 Certification? This certification is intended for technicians, private laboratories, or contractors who need to be qualified to perform acceptance tests, such as surface tolerance (rolling rule and cross slope), random sampling, core sampling and testing, and density calculation. In addition, Asphalt Paving Level 1 Certification is required for entry-level FDOT employees who take the tests just listed.

Course Objectives

The purpose of the Asphalt Paving Level 1 Certification is to qualify technicians and professionals, whether they belong directly to FDOT or will have joint projects with the Department. This ensures that all test results used for quality control, verification, dispute resolution, and acceptance of asphalt mixtures are in accordance with standard test methods and reflect the actual characteristics of today’s asphalt.

The Asphalt Paving Level 1 Certification is one of those that require both a written exam and a practical competency exam. That is why all applicants for the FDOT Asphalt Paving Level 1 Certification must:

1. Pass the Asphalt Paving Level 1 written examination.
2. Pass the Asphalt Paving Level 1 proficiency examination.

Something else that is recommended, but not required, is to take a self-study course and lectures in applied construction mathematics. After the applicant has successfully met these 2 qualification requirements, the date of their qualification will be added to the FDOT Qualification and Training Database System, and they will officially appear as a qualified individual on this certification. The Asphalt Paving Level 1 Certification is valid for 5 years (60 months). The exact count is made from the date on which the person passes the exam.

Course Content

As a level 1 course, Asphalt Paving L-1 focuses on testing and provides the applicant with an important entry point into the asphalt industry. The course content is taught as directed by the Construction Training & Qualification Program Administration of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT-CTQP). Asphalt Paving Level 1 content is divided into 5 modules. Being clear about this structure can facilitate individual study if you are going to opt for the “Challenge Exam” without passing the course:

modules

1. Introduction
2. Mix Temperatures and Cross Slope
3. Tack Coat and Mix Spread Rate
4. Rolling Straightedge and Manual Straightedge
5. Random Sampling, Core Layout, and Coring

In addition to the five modules which we have just highlighted, there are five appendices which complete the course content for Asphalt Paving Level 1:

Appendices

• A-1 Additional Practice Problems for Tack Coat, Mix Spread Rate, and Cross-Slope
• A-2 FDOT Specifications
• A-3 Asphalt Forms and Reports
• A-4 CTQM Chapter 3
• A-5 Calibration and Temperature Charts

Duration of Challenge Exam

The Asphalt Paving Level 1 course is very short and (as you may already know) it is not required to take it in order to take the exams and obtain the Asphalt Paving Level 1 Certification. Through the Challenge Exam route, only a written exam and a proficiency exam are taken on the same day. The total exam time, adding the written and proficiency exams, is 3.5 hours: 2 hours for the written exam, and approximately 1.5 hours for the proficiency exam (although this depends on the number of participants).

Exam Requirements 

The applicant does not need to meet any prerequisites to take the Asphalt Paving Level I – Challenge Exam, although it is suggested that he or she take a self-study course and readings in applied mathematics for construction. To qualify, it is necessary to meet the two requirements that we saw in summary form in the table above, and that we see in more detail below:

1) Written Examination 

As we said, the written exam lasts 2 hours. The written exam is open book, and its system is multiple choice. Exams are scored electronically by the CTQP administrator. The minimum score to pass the exam is to get 70% of the answers correct. After taking the written test, please allow up to 2 weeks for scores to be ready and results to be posted.

2) Proficiency Examination

When the applicant finishes taking the written exam, a practical competency exam is also taken, which lasts approximately 1.5 hours. The goal of this competency exam is for each applicant to demonstrate their skills in surface tolerance and cross slope measurement. Each applicant has two opportunities to pass each part of the competency exam. Failure by a student to successfully complete a test on either occasion constitutes failure of the competency examination. The proficiency exam is closed book. But the student can refer to the course manual after a failed attempt and before the second attempt.

Our instructors

Our Encobridge instructors for Asphalt Paving Level 1 Certification are highly qualified, with extensive theoretical and practical experience in civil engineering, transportation infrastructure and road projects, as well as in teaching and instruction. of the FDOT- CTQP Certification.

People who have taken the CTQP Certification courses that we teach at Encobridge have given very good opinions about the instructors, the content, the pace of classes and exams, the competitiveness of prices, and the importance of taking these courses by individuals or companies that wish to do business with the Florida Department of Transportation or participate in its projects. Following this link, you can read some opinions issued by Encobridge course participants regarding the courses and the instructors.

Course cancellation information

You can complete the initial procedure online to register and take one of the “Challenge Exams” that Encobridge offers you to obtain a CTQP Certification, including Asphalt Paving Level 1. On our website, registration is done in a similar way to any digital purchase. Once you choose the month, day, and time of the “Challenge Exam” and provide your name and email, by clicking or tapping on the registration button, you add the course to the cart, and you can proceed to checkout. (In the FAQ we will give you more details about the process of registering for a “Challenge Exam”.)

As long as there is still capacity, you can register more than 1 participant (by inserting their name and email address), and each of them will be added to the cart as a product and added to the total cost of the purchase. We receive credit card payments through Stripe, a 100% secure and internationally renowned digital banking platform. Encobridge does not process or store your credit card data: The entire transaction occurs encrypted through Stripe, with the high levels of security of a financial institution.

If you need to cancel your participation in the “Challenge Exam” for which you have registered, use our data and contact us. You can do it by phone or through our contact form . It is advisable that cancellations be made as early as possible before the day of the exam. The capacity is limited, and if you cancel early enough, it opens up the opportunity for someone else to get tested.

Difference between “Challenge Exam” and “Course & Exam” modalities

We offer you a wide range of courses to achieve the CTQP Certification. Encobridge Inc. is an authorized provider of FDOT-CTQP certifications. Choose Encobridge for your CTQP Certification, as we have been approved by Miami Dade County in several technical categories, and we are listed as Approved CTQP Providers & Instructors on the official FDOT website.

We have 10 years experience in the sector. Countless professionals and technicians have been trained and qualified with our courses for the FDOT CTQP Certification. At Encobridge, we have two qualification modalities to obtain each of the CTPQ Certifications, as established by the Florida Department of Transportation. If you are interested in seeing our CTPQ Challenge Exam modality courses, follow one of these links:

• Asphalt Paving Level I – Challenge Exam
• Asphalt Paving Level II – Challenge Exam
• Asphalt Plant Level I – Challenge Exam
• Asphalt Plant Level II – Challenge Exam
• Concrete Batch Plant – Challenge Exam
• Concrete Field Inspector Specs – Challenge Exam
• Drilled Shaft Inspection – Challenge Exam
• Earthwork Construction Inspection Level I – Challenge Exam
• Earthwork Construction Inspection Level II – Challenge Exam
• Pile Driving Inspection – Challenge Exam
• QC Manager – Challenge Exam

In the following two headings, we will explain the difference between the “Challenge Exam” and “Course & Exam” modalities so that you can better understand everything we are saying about the Asphalt Paving Level I – Challenge Exam.

1) “Course & Exam” mode :

The “Course & Exam” modality is the classic and most recommended way to acquire one of the CTPQ Certifications. It involves firstly taking the course at the Encobridge facilities led by a specialized and authorized instructor, and only at the end of the instruction taking the exam. The FDOT frequently recommends this route, since to acquire or solidify knowledge, it is ideal to be in the classroom with classmates, the FDOT printed manual, didactic videos, slideshows of multimedia content, and the possibility of asking questions. and clarify all doubts in a timely manner. As they say, an instructor is the one who guides the learning, and that speeds up the process.

2) “Challenge Exam” mode :

The Challenge Exam modality, as its name suggests, is based on the challenge of taking the exam without having taken the course. It is understood that the applicant already has all the knowledge, practice, and experience required, or that he will acquire them by self-study without the tutorship of the authorized instructor. Especially in the case of Asphalt Paving Level I, the Challenge Exam implies having a high level of expertise. This qualification includes a double exam: the written exam and the competence exam, in which the applicant must demonstrate practical knowledge of the subject.

FAQ about Asphalt Paving Level I – Challenge Exam

If the FDOT -CTPQ Qualification courses raise doubts and questions, you may have more doubts if you do not take the course or have the direct tutoring of an instructor. To support you in the process, we have created this Frequently Asked Questions section. As you will see, many of these FAQs are common to the “Challenge Exam” and “Course & Exam” modalities of Asphalt Paving Level I. But in most cases we have focused the answers on the relevant details for those who opt for the “ Challenge Exam.”

How to register for Asphalt Paving Level I – Challenge Exam?

1) Go to the Challenge Exam page. Go to the Asphalt Paving Level I – Challenge Exam page by following the link. Below the course description, you will find a box called “Pick a date”.

2) Pick a date. Pick a date by clicking or tapping on the “Pick a date” box, and then making your selection from one of the available days on the calendar (unavailable days will be grayed out and inactive).

3) Pick on time. When you choose the date and time, a new box will appear called “Pick a time”. Click or tap on that box and choose one of the available times for the “Challenge Exam”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4) Write your name and email. Now a map will appear with the location of the venue where you will take the exam at the time and on the day you have chosen. Fill in the name and email boxes.

5) Register other people (if there’s capacity). You can register more people if you use the product counter and increase the quantity. You will only have to enter your data in the new boxes that will appear and pay the full amount at the end. But you must see if there is still capacity (while you choose the time that information will appear). The number of people per exam is limited.

6) Proceed to checkout. Finally, you can click on the registration button, examine the cart to see if all the details of your purchase are correct, and go to checkout to complete the payment, first filling in the information that the platform asks you for at that time.

How do I get the Asphalt Paving – Level 1 manual?

All CTPQ certification manuals have been developed specifically for FDOT qualifications. In these manuals, the content of each course is arranged point by point. Within the “Challenge Exam” modality, it is of the utmost importance to have the materials with the content that will evaluate you in the exam available. Therefore, pay attention to what we are going to explain, because it refers to how to access the manuals.

Normally, the cost of a course takes into account that when you attend the Encobridge facilities, you will receive the printed manual of the course you are going to take, in this case, the Asphalt Paving Level I manual. There is a possibility that, even if you were to take the course, you could ask for the printed manual in advance. Contact us if you are interested in purchasing the Asphalt Paving Level I manual.

The other way to purchase the Asphalt Paving Level I course manual is online, by downloading it in digital format from the official FDOT website server. You can access the FDOT server by following this link . To enter the download directory, two types of authentication can be used:

• Those who are already clients, must access using the username and password of their FTP account.
• Visitors who are not customers can access using the username ” Guest “, and leaving the password box blank.

After entering the download directory of the FDOT server, all that remains is to click or tap on the desired document, and the download will automatically begin, or your browser will ask you for the location where you want to save the file (this depends on your device or your browser settings). The vast majority of the entries in the directory (for example, the one that corresponds to Asphalt Paving Level 1), are actually packages that contain several compacted documents, which you will have to download and unpack on your device or computer before you can read them. That is why in most cases you will not be able to read the documents in the browser itself before downloading them.

IMPORTANT: You must have enough free space on your device or on your hard drive since the Asphalt Paving Level 1 manual package is large (+14 MB), and as we say, due to its format (usually a . ZIP containing several PDF documents), you will not be able to read them online.

How long does it take to grade the exam?

Exams are scored electronically by the CTQP Administrator. Once the applicant finishes the exam, they must allow up to 2 weeks before obtaining the qualification. Results will be posted on the website and/or emailed to the student.

What happens if I don’t pass the exam?

Any applicant who does not pass the written exam or who fails the two opportunities given for the competency exam can request to take a new exam. Before being eligible to retake the exam, the applicant must complete the application and pay the appropriate fee.

How to verify a CTQP Certification?

Checking a CTQP certification is useful both to find out if a certain instructor is trained and authorized by the FDOT or even to locate newly authorized instructors. By following the link that we are going to provide you below, you can verify a CTQP Certificate at any time using the search engine on the official website of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT):

• Verify a CTQP Certify you on the official FDOT website

Once you access the search page of the official FDOT website, you will be presented with a drop-down menu that allows you to select whether to search based on a name or a TIN (Taxpayer Identification Number). After choosing between these two variants, you will only have to enter in the form the name and surname of the owner of the CTQP Certificate that you need to verify, or the first nine digits or letters of their driving license.