CET Programs
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CET Programs = Nationally Recognized
The Certified Elevator Technician (CET®) Education Program is sponsored and administered by the National Association of Elevator Contractors (NAEC). The purpose of the CET® Education Program is to provide the elevator industry technical, mechanical, construction, and maintenance workforces with a means of obtaining and verifying critical education and training requirements related to compliance with industry codes, elevator and escalator specific technical theory, components, and competencies.
It is a program which spans four years and 12 courses of study. The program consists of two levels, the core curriculum (Courses 1-4) and the advanced curriculum (Courses 5- 12). In addition to unit exams given during the coursework, an exam will be given at the completion of each level. Each course will include skills verifications related to the coursework. The skills must be completed in the presence of a CET or CET-S before going onto the next course.
The CET® Education Program is the nationally recognized training program included in NAEC’s National Guidelines for Apprenticeship Standards (C2011-03) approved by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship.
Once a candidate has met all requirements of the program and has passed the level 2 exam, he or she will be issued a certificate of completion.
CET™ Level 1 is the program’s Core Curriculum. CET™ Level 1 is the first of 4 courses of the program consisting of 11 units and will take approximately 2 years to complete. Course units consist of 3 basic parts: text-based workbook, on-the-job skills verification, and unit/course exams. Upon successful completion of the Core Curriculum, all the Unit Exams, all required Skills Verifications, all required courses, required on-the-job training, and the CET™ Level 1 Exam, the candidate will become an AET™ (Associate Elevator Technician) and receive a certificate.
CET™ Level 2 is the program’s Advanced Curriculum. Level 2 consists of 8 courses and will take approximately 2 years to complete. Course units consist of 3 basic parts: text-based workbook, on-the-job skills verification, and unit/course exams Upon successful completion of the Advanced Curriculum, all the Unit Exams, all required Skills Verifications, all required courses, required on-the-job training, and the CET™ Level 2 Exam, the candidate will be awarded a Certificate of Completion and can apply for CET® Certification.




CET Applicant Handbook
Download the CET Applicant Handbook to view details about the application process
CET Program Timeframe
LEVEL 1
CET Year 1
Course 1 – Introduction to Elevators (Field Hrs. – 1,000) | Class Hours |
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Unit 1: Elevator History and Basic Safety | 35 |
Unit 2: Basic Print Reading | 24 |
Unit 3: Handling Materials and Tools * Rigging and Hoisting | 20 |
Course 2 – Basics of Installing Elevator Components (Field Hrs. – 1,000) | Class Hours |
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Unit 4: Pit Equipment | 25 |
Unit 5: Guide Rails | 10 |
Unit 6: Machine Room Equipment | 30 |
Unit 7: Hoistway Equipment | 25 |
CET Year 2
Course 3 – Maintenance Practices and Testing (Field Hrs. – 1,000) | Class Hours |
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Unit 8: General Maintenance Practices | 22 |
Unit 9: Maintenance of Traction Elevators | 30 |
Unit 10: Maintenance of Hydraulic Elevators | 20 |
Unit 11: Maintenance of Escalators and Moving Walks | 15 |
Course 4 – Electrical Safety and Electrical Theory (Field Hrs. – 1,000) | Class Hours |
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Unit: Delmars Standard Textbook of Electricity (selected chapters), National Electrical Code | 65 |
LEVEL 2 – ADVANCED CURRICULUM
CET Year 3
Course 5 – Elevator Doors and Equipment (Field Hrs. – 1,000) | Class Hours |
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Unit 12: Elevator Doors and Equipment | 30 |
Course 6 – Traction Elevators, Motor Control and Fault Finding (Field Hrs. – 1,400) | Class Hours |
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Part 1: AC and DC Motors, Generators and Motor Control | 65 |
Part 2: Elevator Related Circuits and Basic Circuit Analysis | 40 |
Course 7 - Electrical Wiring and Equipment (Field Hrs. – 300) | Class Hours |
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Unit 13: Construction, Wiring and Equipment | 2 |
Course 8 – Hydraulic Theory and Installation (Field Hrs. – 400) | Class Hours |
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Unit 14: Hydraulic Theory and Installation | 35 |
CET Year 4
Course 9 – Basic Electronics and Fundamentals (Field Hrs. – 800) | Class Hours |
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Unit 15: Study Questions and Skills for Electronics and Solid State | 40 |
Course 10 – Machinery Troubleshooting and Rope Replacement (Field Hrs. – 400) | Class Hours |
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Unit 16: Elevator Rope Replacement | 6 |
Unit 17: Machinery Troubleshooting/Repair | 24 |
Course 11 – Escalators and Moving Walks (Field Hrs. – 300) | Class Hours |
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Unit 18: Escalators and Moving Walks | 20 |
Course 12 – Accessibility (Field Hrs. – 300) | Class Hours |
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Unit 19: Introduction to the Vertical Transportation Industry (CAT Unit 1) | 20 |