IPC certification levels: CIS, CIT and MIT. What is the difference?
What each level allows you to do, who it is for, and how to earn it.
Certification level
IPC Specialist (CIS) Certification
The IPC certification for the people who build and inspect. Certify operators, technicians and inspectors to IPC-A-610, J-STD-001, IPC/WHMA-A-620, IPC-7711/7721, IPC-A-600 or IPC-6012.
In short
A Certified IPC Specialist (CIS) has passed IPC’s exam for one standard and is qualified to work and inspect to it. It is the level most operators, technicians and inspectors hold, the one customers and auditors usually ask for, and the starting point for every other level.
What is IPC CIS certification?
CIS stands for Certified IPC Specialist. It is the level of IPC certification that applies a standard: a CIS solders, assembles, reworks or inspects to the criteria the standard sets, and can tell a target condition from an acceptable one, a process indicator and a defect for the class of product being built.
Each CIS certificate covers one standard, and on the modular programs only the modules you passed. Somebody who solders wires and through hole parts can certify to those modules of J-STD-001 without taking the surface mount module. The certificate is issued by IPC to the person, carries a traceable certificate number, and stays with you if you change employer.
Is there an IPC operator certification?
Not under that name. In IPC’s program the operator’s credential is CIS, and there is no separate IPC certificate for operators. When a job posting or a customer asks for IPC operator training, it almost always means CIS on the standard that matches the work: J-STD-001 for soldering, IPC-A-610 for inspection, IPC/WHMA-A-620 for cable and harness.
Blackfox also runs its own operator level courses in soldering, mechanical assembly, component recognition and ESD. They build the hands-on skill behind the standard and carry a Blackfox certificate rather than an IPC one.
By program
CIS in each IPC program
Six standards, each certified on its own. The length is the usual CIS course; modular programs run shorter when you take fewer modules.
| Program | CIS courseTypical length | Live online | Recertification |
|---|---|---|---|
| IPC-A-610 | 3 days | Available | 2 days |
| IPC J-STD-001 | 4 days | Module 1 only | 2 to 3 days |
| IPC/WHMA-A-620 | 3 days | Available | 2 days |
| IPC-7711/7721 | 4.5 days | Not offered | 2 days |
| IPC-A-600 | 2.5 days | Available | On request |
| IPC-6012 | 3.5 days | Available | On request |
J-STD-001 and IPC-7711/7721 are hands on, so their soldering and rework modules are taught at a bench, at a center or at your facility.
Scope
What a CIS can and cannot do
CIS is about applying the standard. Interpreting it for other people and certifying other people are separate levels.
- Can Build, rework or inspect to the standard, for the class of product being built
- Can Accept or reject work against the criteria, and say why
- Can Show a customer or an auditor a current IPC credential
- Cannot Train or certify other people. That is the CIT level
- Cannot Rule on the intent of the standard for engineering and quality. That is CSE
How it works
How to become a Certified IPC Specialist
One standard, one course and its exams. If you are not sure which standard your team needs, tell us what they build and inspect.
- Choose the standard
- The one that matches the work: J-STD-001 to solder, IPC-A-610 to inspect, IPC/WHMA-A-620 for cable and harness, IPC-7711/7721 to rework, IPC-A-600 or IPC-6012 for bare boards.
- Choose the modules
- On J-STD-001 and IPC-7711/7721, module 1 is mandatory and the rest follow the work you do. The other programs are taken whole.
- Check the prerequisite
- None for most programs. J-STD-001 asks for soldering and manufacturing experience, and IPC-7711/7721 for soldering skills including fine pitch.
- Attend
- At one of our six centers, live online for the lecture based programs, or with an instructor at your own facility.
- Pass the exams
- An open book written exam, passed at 70% or better on IPC-A-610 and J-STD-001, plus practical exams on the bench modules.
- Renew every two years
- The certificate is valid for 24 months. A shorter recertification course renews it before it expires.
Questions
IPC CIS certification, asked often
What does CIS stand for in IPC?
Certified IPC Specialist. It is the level of IPC certification for people who apply a standard in their work: operators, technicians, assemblers and inspectors. The other levels are CSE, Certified Standards Expert, for engineers who interpret the standard, and CIT, Certified IPC Trainer, for people who certify specialists inside their own company.
How long does CIS certification take?
Between 2.5 and 5 days, depending on the standard and the modules. IPC-A-600 runs 2.5 days, IPC-A-610 and IPC/WHMA-A-620 run 3 days, IPC-6012 runs 3.5 days, J-STD-001 runs up to 4 days and IPC-7711/7721 up to 4.5 days. The modular programs run shorter when you take fewer modules.
Can I take CIS certification online?
For IPC-A-610, IPC/WHMA-A-620, IPC-A-600 and IPC-6012, yes. The class is taught live online by a Master IPC Trainer in English or Spanish, and the exam is taken on IPC EDGE 2.0 under remote proctoring. For J-STD-001 only module 1 is online, because the soldering modules are done at a bench, and IPC-7711/7721 is hands on throughout.
Is the CIS exam open book?
Yes. On IPC-A-610 and J-STD-001 the CIS written exam is open book and passed at 70% or better. Modules that involve bench work add a practical exam, graded against the standard. One retake is included, and each course page lists what applies to that program.
Does a CIS certificate expire?
Yes, after 24 months. To stay certified, take the recertification course for your program before the certificate expires. It reviews what changed in the current revision and ends with the exams. Recertification runs for IPC-A-610, J-STD-001, IPC/WHMA-A-620 and IPC-7711/7721, and on request for IPC-A-600 and IPC-6012.
Do I need CIS before CIT?
Not formally, but we recommend it. The CIT course assumes you already work to the standard every day, and candidates without that background usually struggle with the taught presentation.
Read more
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Longer reads on which standard and which level fit which role.
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