Overview

Frequently Asked Questions
Certified Glass Installer Program

What does it mean to be NGA certified?
Who is eligible for NGA's Certified Glass Installer examinations?
What is the certification fee?
How do I register for an examination?
How do I schedule an examination?
Where do I take the examination?
Are special accommodations available?
Are readers available for literacy purposes?
Are foreign language interpreters available?
Are study materials available?
What should I expect at the examination?
What should I expect on the day of the examination?
What are the testing center regulations?
What if I don't agree with any of the answers to an examination item?
When will I receive a score report?
When may I retake the examination if I fail it?
How is the examination scored?
How do I submit comments about the testing?
When will my certification be issued?
What are the privileges of NGA certification?
Are examination results ever released?
How can others verify my participation?
Can my employer verify my certification?
How will I know when to renew my certification?
What are the requirements/options for certification renewal?
Why do I need to renew my NGA certification every three years?
Can NGA certification be revoked?

What does it mean to be NGA certified?
Passing an NGA certification examination means that you have met agreed-upon industry standards for knowledge in the field of glass replacement. You will receive a certificate, an identification card and six uniform patches that attest to your successful performance (passing score) on the examination.

Who is eligible for NGA's Certified Glass Installer examinations?
Before you schedule your examination, be certain that you have been employed as a glass installer for one year. The minimum requirement for the Certified Glass Installer examination is a minimum of one year work experience in the glazing industry. This means that you are eligible to sit for the examination, but does not guarantee that you have sufficient knowledge to pass it. Success on this exam requires focused study.

What is the certification fee?
Call NGA at 703/442-4890, ext. 134 for the applicable fee.

How do I register for an examination?
Complete, sign, and mail or fax the registration form, examination checklist, and the examination fee (check or credit card) to: National Glass Association, Certified Glass Installer Program, 8200 Greensboro Drive, Suite 302, McLean, VA 22102-3881, or fax to 703/442-0630. You can also register online with a credit card. Click here to register now.

In all correspondence, be sure to give your name, address, telephone number and certification number (Social Security or other 9-digit identification number).

Note: If you do not wish to provide your Social Security number, NGA will assign a 9-digit identification number.

NGA will mail you a registration confirmation postcard. This will arrive about two weeks after you send in your registration form and payment.

Note: Your examination registration expires after one year. If your registration expires before you take the examination, you must register and pay the fee again.

How do I schedule an examination?
Contact NGA's examination provider, LaserGrade, using the toll-free exam hotline: 800/211-2754. You can also schedule your exam by calling your local LaserGrade testing center directly. You must have ready all of the following information:

• Your personal information: (Last name, first name, and middle initial - Social Security or other 9-digit identification number, Home address, Home phone number)
• Your employment information: (Company name, Company address, Company primary phone number, Company fax number)

NGA's examination provider, LaserGrade, will not schedule an examination for anyone who has not been authorized by the NGA and who does not have an authorization record on file. To be authorized you must have submitted the registration form, checklist and fee to NGA. Once NGA receives these items, a form letter will be mailed to you informing you that you are authorized to schedule the exam. Do not contact the exam-scheduling center until you receive this information.

It is a good idea to schedule your examination as early as you can after receiving your form letter to ensure that the testing center has an appointment available for the date and time you prefer. Once you have scheduled your examination, your examination fee is not refundable.

If for some reason, you cannot keep a scheduled examination appointment; you may re-schedule the appointment without penalty, if you notify the testing center 48 hours in advance.

Where do I take the examination?
Examinations are administered at testing centers nationwide operated by NGA's examination provider. You can learn the location of the center nearest you by using the toll-free exam hotline: 800/211-2754. or by visiting the test center web site at www.lasergrade.com. On this site follow these steps:

• Select "Find a Test Center."
• Select the sponsor "National Glass Association" and your "zip code" and click "next."
• All of the testing locations in the state you selected will be listed and driving directions will be provided if requested.

You will take your NGA examination at the testing center by entering answers to multiple choice items on a computer rather than by using pencil and paper.

Are special accommodations available?
Special testing arrangements are available for candidates with disabilities. To request a special accommodation, send a registration form and a completed accommodation request form to NGA. An accommodation request form is available from NGA.

Note: All registrations requiring special accommodations must receive specific approval from NGA prior to scheduling the examination.

Are readers available for literacy purposes?
An additional fee will be charged for candidates accompanied by a reader for literacy purposes. A request for reader form is available from NGA. Contact NGA at 703/442-4890 for current fees. The reader cannot be an NGA Certified Glass Installer.

To register, forward to NGA a completed registration form, and checklist, accompanied by a written request, completed request for reader form and the reader fee and exam fee. The candidate will be notified of the request's approval and provided with schedule instructions.

Are foreign language interpreters available?
The use of a language interpreter is prohibited. Because NGA cannot guarantee consistent translation of examinations, this practice is not available.

Are study materials available?
You may purchase the optional study materials from NGA by calling 703-442-4890, ext. 134, or click here.

What should I expect at the examination?
Each examination, computer administered, covers a range of topics which glass industry experts have judged appropriate. Exam items (questions) are based on the industry approved exam specifications, which provide an outline of the areas of knowledge required for a Certified Glass Installer.

What should I expect on the day of the examination?
Be sure to arrive at the testing center at least 30 minutes early. Before being admitted, you will be required to show two forms of identification -- one of which must be a photo ID (driver's license, passport, employment ID are examples of photo IDs). Acceptable forms of non-photo ID are Social Security card U.S., valid credit card, bank ATM card. A draft classification card or Student ID card will not be accepted as a valid form of identification.

The candidate will sign his/her name on the Test Center Log, which indicates the time of the day that the candidate is admitted to the test room. Also, the Test Center Administrator will verify that the signature on the test center log matches the signature on the identification presented by the candidate.

Any materials brought to the test center will be kept in a locker during the testing time.

Note: If for any reason, you cannot take the exam on the scheduled date and time, call1-800-348-7573 and reschedule the exam, at least 48 hours in advance to avoid forfeiting your exam fee.

You will be shown to a computer and given operating instructions, and then a practice program, to familiarize you with taking an examination on the computer, will be run. No prior knowledge of computers or typing is needed to take the examination. Once the examination begins, you will have 90 minutes to complete it.

The computerized examination allows you to skip items temporarily, then return to them after you have seen all of the items. Before allowing you to exit the examination, the computer will notify you about the items that you have marked for review or those that remain unanswered. Upon your completion of the examination, you will receive your examination results. You will learn immediately whether you passed the examination.

What are the testing center regulations?

The testing center regulations are:

• Candidates who arrive after their scheduled time will be required to reschedule the examination.
• No electronic devices (pagers, palm pilots or cell phones) are allowed in the examination room. Only non programmable, silent calculators that do not require electrical outlets may be taken into the room. No reference materials or notes of any kind will be permitted.
• No exam materials, documents, or memoranda of any sort may be taken from the examination.
• Visitors will not be permitted in the examination room.
• Testing center personnel will be instructed to answer questions about examination procedures only. They cannot respond to inquiries regarding examination content.
• Any candidate giving or receiving assistance of any kind, or found making a disturbance, will be required to turn in examination materials and leave the testing center. Examinations from candidates who violate these security guidelines, or from those who attempt to impersonate another candidate, will not be scored. The candidate's examination fee will not be refunded.
• Once a date and time have been scheduled to take the exam, the testing center requires 24 hours notification to reschedule. If the candidate fails to notify the testing center at least 24 hours before the scheduled time, the exam fee will not be refunded.

What if I don't agree with any of the answers to an examination item?
You are allowed to challenge an exam item that you feel is incorrect, or if you feel it has no correct answer. You must however, challenge it while at the test center since NGA personnel have no way of submitting a challenge for you. To challenge an item on the exam, ask the Test Center Administrator for the challenge form. After you fill it out, return it to the Test Center Administrator before you leave the test center. You will be notified of the certification committee's decision.

When will I receive a score report?
You will receive immediate pass/fail results when you complete your certification examination. Permanent certification records maintained by NGA contain only a pass/fail indication, not a numeric or scaled score.

When may I retake the examination if I fail it?
If you fail the examination, you must wait 30 days before taking it again. The cost of re-testing is the same as the cost of the original examination. If you fail a second time, you must wait an additional 30 days before taking the next examination. If you fail a third time, you must wait 6 months before taking another exam. After waiting 6 months, the examination retest schedule begins all over again (waiting 30 days, 30 days and 6 months).

How is the examination scored?
The score you receive on the exam is a "scaled score." Since there is more than one form for the glass installer exam, NGA's exam development company has ensured that the exam forms are equal in difficulty. There is a mathematical adjustment across all forms of the exam to ensure that one form is not easier or more difficult than the other forms.

The passing scaled score for the exam is 75. If your reported scaled score is equal to or greater than 75, then "PASS" appears on your score report. If your scaled score is less than 75, "FAIL" appears on your score report. If a failed score appears, your score and the exam topics will be listed with an indication of the acceptable performance or recommended additional study items.

It is important to remember that a 74 on the exam does NOT mean you have missed passing by only one item, because, a scaled score is NOT a percentage score. It is very possible that you have missed passing by more than one item.

A scaled score is a standard method of scoring. It is extremely reliable in ensuring exam fairness.

How do I submit comments about the testing?
Mail your comments to Certified Glass Installer Program, National Glass Association, 8200 Greensboro Drive, Suite 302, McLean, VA 22102-3881. You may also fax your comments to 703/442-0630. Please include:

• Your name, address, Social Security (or other 9-digit identification number) and phone number
• Your test date
• Exam name
• Your testing center location (found on the results form)

Direct all inquiries and comments about eligibility and procedures for registration to NGA as above, or e-mail certification@glass.org.

When will my certification be issued?
When you have met all the certification eligibility criteria, your certification will be issued approximately 8 weeks after NGA receives your official passing notice.

At that time, NGA will mail you the following materials:

• Certification certificate.
• Wallet identification card. (Call NGA for details about replacement of a lost or damaged card.)
• 6 complimentary uniform patches.

Note: Replacement or additional patches can only be obtained by contacting NGA at 703/442-4890 extension 134.

• A card for a complimentary one-year subscription to GlassT. (You must fill out the form, sign it, and mail it in order to get your subscription.)

What are the privileges of NGA certification?

• The right to use (in accordance with specific licensing regulations) the credentials for the certification you have achieved.
• The right to display the appropriate uniform patch.
• The right to purchase optional certification products according to your certification type.

Are examination results ever released?
To maintain confidentiality, NGA does not share, sell, or circulate certification records.

How can others verify my participation?
To provide information without compromising participant privacy, each participant is identified by a specific identifying code that has nine characters:

• First four letters of candidate's last name
• First initial of candidate's first name
• Last four numbers of candidate's Social Security number
  Example: Jonem1234

Note: The release of information is restricted to certification program and company participants. Encrypted code is based upon information provided to NGA on the candidate's registration form.

Can my employer verify my certification?
Employers and consumers may contact NGA for a glass installer's certification status. NGA will release only the following information:

• Certification type
• Status (active or expired)
• Effective date
• Expiration date

Note: Please notify NGA when you change employers.

How will I know when to renew my certification?
Certification renewal is required every three years. NGA will notify you and your employer of record in writing, approximately 60-90 days before the expiration of your certification, so that you may renew your certification.

What are the requirements/options for certification renewal?
A continuing education program for certification renewal is under development. Contact NGA at 703-442-4890 x134 for details and status of the program.

Why do I need to renew my NGA certification every three years?
Glass installers are on the front lines of keeping people safe in their workplaces and residences. They need to show that they are knowledgeable about the latest techniques and information.

Can NGA certification be revoked?
The Certified Glass Installer Program is important to the industry and provides certain entitlements to successful candidates; therefore, it is essential to maintain the integrity and prestige of the program. All certified glass installers are expected to exemplify the highest legal and ethical principles, to abide by the rules promulgated by the NGA Glass Installer Training and Certification Committee, and to comply with applicable laws. Any transgression or violation of these principles, rules or laws may constitute grounds for appropriate disciplinary action, including censure, suspension or revocation of certification. Any violation of this nature affecting the Certified Glass Installer Program should be brought to the attention of the NGA Glass Installer Training and Certification Committee, which may take appropriate disciplinary measures after providing notice of the intended action and an opportunity for the individual in question to be heard. The decision of the NGA Glass Installer Training and Certification Committee shall be final and cannot be appealed.