- Which CIES This Cheat Sheet Covers
- Exam Snapshot: Format, Scoring and Delivery
- The Five Competencies at a Glance
- Regulation Crib Sheet
- Eligibility and Project Sheets in One Page
- Fees, Term and Renewal Numbers
- Where the Issuer Sources Disagree
- What Is Not Published (Do Not Memorize Guesses)
- A Competency-Driven Review Order
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The exam is 120 multiple-choice questions in three hours, closed book, with a 75% passing score.
- Five published competencies: asbestos, lead, hazardous materials, microbial/allergens, and chemicals, each covering controls, removal methods, worker safety...
- Initial cost is $500 for a two-year term; renewal is $400 and retakes are $100.
- Applications need four project sheets covering at least three of the five experience areas.
Which CIES This Cheat Sheet Covers
This page is a one-screen review of the Council-certified Indoor Environmental Supervisor credential issued by the American Council for Accredited Certification (ACAC) through its CIES Certification Board. The program is accredited by the Council for Engineering and Scientific Specialty Boards (CESB). Every fact below refers to that credential only. If you are still orienting yourself, start with What Is CIES? and What Does CIES Stand For? before using this review sheet.
One distinction matters before anything else: certification and licensing are separate tracks. Passing the exam as part of a state licensing route does not by itself confer ACAC certification, and certification does not by itself satisfy a state's licensing requirements. Keep that in mind when you read any forum post or answer-key listing that blurs the two.
Exam Snapshot: Format, Scoring and Delivery
| Item | Must-know fact |
|---|---|
| Questions | 120 multiple-choice, each with at least four answer options |
| Time | Three hours, computer-delivered, closed book |
| Passing score | 75%, set using the Modified Angoff method |
| Scored vs. unscored items | Split not published |
| Practical component | None described |
| Test vendor | Kryterion, Inc. |
| Delivery | Proctored testing center or online with video proctoring |
| Item order | Fixed question set; item and answer order randomized per the handbook |
| Results | Available electronically immediately, confirmed by email |
| Adaptive testing | Not described |
| Calculator policy | Unverified; confirm before test day |
For the math behind the cut score, see CIES Passing Score 2026. For a candid read on difficulty, see How Hard Is the CIES Exam?
The Five Competencies at a Glance
The handbook publishes five competency headings. They are unweighted preparation topics, not an official exam-domain chart, and the board's blueprint is not public. Treat all five as live. The handbook states that each competency addresses engineering controls, cleaning/removal methods, worker safety and applicable regulations. That four-part lens is the single most useful frame for any question you meet. For a longer breakdown, see CIES Exam Domains 2026.
Domain 1: Remediation of Asbestos in the Indoor Environment
Expect scenario questions that ask what control, removal method or protective measure fits a given material and disturbance.
- Anchor regulations: 40 CFR 763, 40 CFR 61 Subpart M and 29 CFR 1926.1101
- Link the work practice to the exposure control and the regulatory trigger
- Know who must do what on a job, not just definitions
Domain 2: Remediation of Lead in the Indoor Environment
Think lead-based paint and lead dust: containment, cleanup and worker protection.
- Anchor regulations: 40 CFR 745 and 29 CFR 1926.62
- Separate the housing and child-occupied facility rules from the worker-exposure rule
- Tie each removal or cleaning method to its control measure
Domain 3: Remediation of Hazardous Materials in the Indoor Environment
The broadest bucket. It draws on hazardous-waste-site and emergency-response standards, plus the guidance documents in the handbook's reference list.
- Anchor regulation: 29 CFR 1910.120
- Listed guidance includes EPA Voluntary Guidelines for Methamphetamine Laboratory Cleanup
- Mercury material appears in the references; see the caveat below on conflicting section citations
Domain 4: Remediation of Microbial Contaminants and Allergens in the Indoor Environment
Mold and allergen remediation is where many candidates feel most comfortable, and where over-confidence costs points on the other four.
- Listed guidance: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Guidelines on Assessment and Remediation of Fungi in Indoor Environments (2008)
- Respiratory protection logic: NIOSH Respirator Selection Logic (2004)
- Apply the controls, removal methods and worker-safety lens just as you would for asbestos
Domain 5: Remediation of Chemicals in the Indoor Environment
Chemical contaminants, toxicology basics and the industrial-hygiene reasoning behind choosing controls and PPE.
- Experience category label: IH/Chemicals/Toxicology
- Expect questions that connect hazard characteristics to respirator and protective-equipment choices
- The handbook's chemical and mercury references are worth a careful read
Regulation Crib Sheet
These are the references ACAC lists for preparation. The public study guide warns that its selected pages are examples, not exhaustive coverage, and advises comprehensive study of the references themselves. Reference publication dates are not exam-version dates, and no separately identified 2026 exam version was verified.
| Reference | Use it for |
|---|---|
| ACAC Code of Conduct | Professional and ethical expectations |
| 40 CFR 763 | Asbestos (Domain 1) |
| 40 CFR 61 Subpart M | Asbestos (Domain 1) |
| 29 CFR 1926.1101 | Asbestos worker protection (Domain 1) |
| 40 CFR 745 | Lead (Domain 2) |
| 29 CFR 1926.62 | Lead worker protection (Domain 2) |
| 29 CFR 1910.120 | Hazardous materials work (Domain 3) |
| EPA Voluntary Guidelines for Methamphetamine Laboratory Cleanup | Hazardous materials / chemicals |
| NYC DOHMH Guidelines on Assessment and Remediation of Fungi in Indoor Environments (2008) | Microbial remediation (Domain 4) |
| NIOSH Respirator Selection Logic (2004) | Respirator choice across all domains |
Eligibility and Project Sheets in One Page
Three alternative pathways exist, and each pairs education with documented indoor environmental remediation experience:
- A related four-year postsecondary degree, or 30 qualifying college credits, plus four years of documented experience.
- A related two-year degree, or 15 qualifying credits, plus six years.
- A high school diploma or GED plus eight years.
Experience must span at least three of five areas: Asbestos; Lead; Hazardous Materials; Microbial/Allergens; and IH/Chemicals/Toxicology. You also submit four project sheets, educational evidence where applicable, and experience verification. ACAC's FAQ requires actual field experience and describes each project sheet as three parts: the problem, your own responsibilities and actions, and the outcome. Write in the first person about what you did, not what the crew did. The full walkthrough is in CIES Requirements 2026.
No mandatory preparation course or minimum training-hour requirement is published, and ACAC does not develop or administer preparation courses. Its prep directory did not explicitly list CIES when checked. For background on training options, see CIES Training.
Fees, Term and Renewal Numbers
| Item | Amount (USD) |
|---|---|
| Examination fee | $100 |
| Certification fee (includes a $100 nonrefundable processing fee) | $400 |
| Initial total, two-year term | $500 |
| Retake | $100 |
| Renewal | $400 |
No separate member or non-member schedule is published. Source: ACAC Fees and Payments. A deeper breakdown lives in CIES Certification Cost 2026, and the value question is covered in Is the CIES Certification Worth It?
Renewal in brief
Certification is valid for two years. The current Recertification Procedures call for 40 recertification credits per term: 10 for continued field activity and 30 for professional development. You attest to the credits and retain evidence in case of audit; a current photo is requested. Older sources phrase this differently (the handbook gives a general 40 RCs, and the program page mentions 20 professional-development hours annually), so follow the Recertification Procedures page and keep your documentation organized from day one of the term.
Where the Issuer Sources Disagree
A good cheat sheet flags uncertainty instead of papering over it. These are the unresolved conflicts in ACAC's own materials:
- Application window: The current application page specifies six months including the examination, with unanimous board approval and a board that meets every four to six weeks. The handbook gives 90 days and describes notarized forms and employer affidavits. Confirm with ACAC before you start the clock.
- Early-arrival time: 15 minutes (Examinations page) versus 30 minutes (handbook).
- Recertification wording: Procedures page versus handbook versus program page, as noted above.
- Mercury reference citation: Two different source and section pairings in the handbook.
Key Takeaway
When two ACAC pages conflict, plan for the stricter version, then email the board for a written answer. Keep that reply with your application records.
What Is Not Published (Do Not Memorize Guesses)
Several numbers that appear confidently in third-party listings are not verified for this credential:
- Domain weights: None are public. Any percentage breakdown you see is not from the issuer.
- Pass rate: No numerical 2025 or 2026 rate was verified. ACAC's year-end 2025 activity report shows dashes for applicants and pass ratio (plus 6 recertifications and 6 current certifications), and CIES is omitted from the 2025 Exam Pass Ratio report. A dash is not 0%. The 2024 reports conflict with each other (one shows 2 taken and 2 passed; another lists 2 applicants and 0%), and with candidate counts this small, neither figure says much. See CIES Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows.
- Salary: No reliable salary survey specific to ACAC CIES holders, and no proven earnings premium, was verified. Read CIES Salary Guide 2026 for how to reason about pay without inventing figures, and CIES Jobs for where the credential shows up.
- Scored/unscored split: Not published.
The Florida footnote
Indexed content from Florida's Department of Business and Professional Regulation has listed CIES among mold-remediation examinations, but a direct retrieval of that page was blocked, so current eligibility could not be confirmed firsthand. The regulator's accessible Mold Remediator initial-license checklist makes the larger point: passing an approved exam is one part of licensing, alongside separate application, education/experience, fingerprinting and insurance requirements. Verify current rules directly with the state.
A Competency-Driven Review Order
Because weights are unpublished, spread your time by familiarity gaps rather than by guessed percentages. A reasonable order starts with the regulation-heavy domains, since they reward precise recall, and saves your strongest area for last. Adjust to your own field background; the full method is in the CIES Study Guide 2026.
Asbestos and Lead
- Read 40 CFR 763, 40 CFR 61 Subpart M and 29 CFR 1926.1101, then 40 CFR 745 and 29 CFR 1926.62
- For each, restate the controls, removal methods, worker protections and regulatory triggers in your own words
Hazardous Materials and Chemicals
- Work through 29 CFR 1910.120, the methamphetamine cleanup guidelines and both mercury references
- Practice respirator selection with the NIOSH logic
Microbial and Allergens, then Mixed Review
- Study the NYC fungi guidelines and apply the four-part lens to mold scenarios
- Finish with mixed-domain questions under a three-hour, 120-question pace; see the CIES practice test
At 120 questions in 180 minutes you have about a minute and a half per item, which leaves a margin for flagging and revisiting. Calibrate your pacing with timed sets on the main practice site, and pair them with reference reading rather than relying on answer-key listings of unknown quality.
Frequently Asked Questions
The exam has 120 multiple-choice questions, each with at least four answer options, and a three-hour time limit. It is computer-delivered and closed book. No separate practical assessment is described.
The passing score is 75%, set using the Modified Angoff method. The split between scored and unscored questions is not published. Details are in the passing score guide.
The total is $500 for the initial two-year term: a $100 examination fee plus a $400 certification fee that includes a $100 nonrefundable processing fee. A retake is $100 and renewal is $400.
No. A licensing-only exam result does not by itself confer CIES certification, and state licensing eligibility is distinct from ACAC certification eligibility. Certification requires meeting the education and experience pathway and submitting four project sheets.
No public weights were verified. The five competencies (asbestos, lead, hazardous materials, microbial/allergens and chemicals) are unweighted preparation topics, and the board's blueprint is not published. Study all five, as outlined in the domains guide.