ETCP Certification

[Edrick]

Hey, So I'd like to get an ETCP Certification sometime down the road in the Electrical side of it. Now is anyone where certified with ETCP for the Electrician one? How long did it take you to get it?

I noticed it says you need 30 points to take the exam. I believe I can get 7 points from my Bachelors in Film Production since it's an industry related undergrad degree. So now from there I'll need 23 more points so that's 2,300 trade hours of experience needed.

What type of work qualified for that trade experience and how would I prove it?
Do the events I work need to be Union, or ETCP approved?
Could I use the hours I've spent working in TV studios, and at a production company for those hours?

What are some basic areas that are covered in the exam? I'm thinking about just taking the 50 question sample test online to see where I stand.

I did find the outline of the course http://etcp.plasa.org/candidateinfo/electricalexams/ElectricalContentOutline.htm

 

[Footer]

Derekleffew is a listed ETCP Trainer along with other CB members such as Steve Terry and John Huntington. For a list of CB members who are ETCP certified take a look at this: ETCP - ControlBooth. We have a few CB members who are "double threats" or have the "trifecta".

Personally, I am putting off taking the exam until I either want to change jobs or I have a reason to get either exam done within my current job.

As far as the "what hours count" thing, any work you are paid to do related to entertainment electrics or entertainment rigging count. Now, that does not mean you can can count the 8 hour call you worked overhire at the IA local where you pushed boxes containing lights. It has to be real, actual, electrical work. Be it hanging lights, patching, programming a console, etc. It then has to be backed up with pay stubs. The goal of this requirement it to weed out people that have the knowledge to past the test but not the skills to actually put that knowledge to practice. ETCP is designed to establish a base line for crew heads. As far as the 7 points for your degree, as long as it was from an accredited institution you should be fine. Added to that, if you have a journeyman's electrician license that adds 7 points and a master electricians license adds 10. Study over the material. Beyond the formulas for a refresher, if you have to study for the exam you probably should not be taking it.

 

[Edrick]

Well I'm defiantly a far way off from meeting the criteria. I only wish I had a job that could help put me on the right track to getting it. I thought about working to get an apprenticeship in the electrical field while focusing on the live venue side of it.

But that'd be kind of nonbenificial to my film degree.

 

[BryanKacz]

I took mine about 2 years ago, I don't remember exactly where my points came from, other than my BA in theater, but the work credit ones were easy to document, at least for me, I was able to use the fact that I held a full time house electrician job for over 4 years prior to that at 40 hours per week 48 weeks per year (accounting for vacation time) for 4 years at 40 hours per week is around 7600 hours. I'm in a non-union house (well non-IATSE, we're in the University Union).

When I took the test I didn't really study per-se, just read through the outline from the ETCP website and used google to brush up on anything that I wasn't 100% on the night before.

 

[Edrick]

Would you say it's worth having the ETCP Certification? I mean it's one thing when you meet the requirements and just take the test. But being that I need to do all the work towards getting it, is it a worthy goal to do? Or is it like those certifications that people just look at like whatever (Like A+ in computers).

 

[Footer]

Would you say it's worth having the ETCP Certification? I mean it's one thing when you meet the requirements and just take the test. But being that I need to do all the work towards getting it, is it a worthy goal to do? Or is it like those certifications that people just look at like whatever (Like A+ in computers).

Its heald in high regard in the industry. Within the last year or so, many places are requiring all their crew heads to be certified. I know of a few people who have been hired onto gigs just to be their ETCP person. It has made money for them. However, being ETCP certified should not really be your goal. Instead, you should aim to be qualified to take the ETCP test. ETCP is a badge that says you have a baseline of expereince and knowledge. Its not the end goal. In fact, even after certifiaction you still have to do training in order to keep your cert current.

The reason that the A+ and CCNA certs that are in the tech industry are looked at as useless is that they show that you can take a test. You can take a weekend class to teach you how to take the test, never have touched anything pertaining to the subject. The reason ESTA put in the hour requirement is to avoid that situation. They assume if you have work 3,000 hours in your field that you know your stuff. Added to that, you should have gathered the required knowledge in your day to day activities in your field. You should not have to cram for this test and if you do, you should not be taking it.

Its possible that over time if the ETCP cert becomes fully accepted by the industry that they will add sub groups or levels. In such, the hour requirement would be lowered for a given level allowing more people to take advantage of the program. However, for right now ETCP is reserved for the top tier of the industry. Right now you should go out and learn as much as possible as well as learn as much as possible. The day that you have enough hours to take the test should be the day when you have the knowledge to take the test.

 

[Edrick]

Very true, in general I'm looking for what goals personal goals I want to set for my self in the industry. Not so much "in order for me to be anything I need to do this", but more so of a goal to learn more and broaden my horizons. The big reason I ask about the ETCP stuff is because I've long gone between working as an Electrician on Commercial jobs as a goal, and working in the Entertainment Industry. I've been wondering if it'd be beneficial for myself to get an Apprenticeship in the Electrical field or if that would take away from my focus in Entertainment and should just focus on working on entertainment electric jobs.

 

[Footer]

Very true, in general I'm looking for what goals personal goals I want to set for my self in the industry. Not so much "in order for me to be anything I need to do this", but more so of a goal to learn more and broaden my horizons. The big reason I ask about the ETCP stuff is because I've long gone between working as an Electrician on Commercial jobs as a goal, and working in the Entertainment Industry. I've been wondering if it'd be beneficial for myself to get an Apprenticeship in the Electrical field or if that would take away from my focus in Entertainment and should just focus on working on entertainment electric jobs.

I don't know if I would spend a good deal of time working in the data or residential sector. If you could get a job as an industrial electrician those skills would take you pretty far. ESTA does count experience as a commercial electrician as hours. My father who was a licensed Master Electrician in 1976 and has worked as an electrician for 25 years after that. He could take the test and become ETCP certified, even though he has never worked on a stage in his life.

 

[derekleffew]

...My father who was a licensed Master Electrician in 1976 and has worked as an electrician for 25 years after that. He could take the test and become ETCP certified, even though he has never worked on a stage in his life.

No offense intended toward your father, but I disagree. I know many "real" journeyman electricians who would not pass, as they have no knowledge of, nor experience with, sections 1A3, 1A8, 1B, 1C3-5, 1D, 1E6-9, (to name a few), of the test content.

It is specifically for this reason that the ETCP program was created--entertainment is an animal like no other. One shouldn't (necessarily) expect a crane operator to pass the rigger's exam, nor a licensed electrician to pass the entertainment electrician exam.

One final thought (and I don't mean to be overly harsh here): if you're (not directed to anyone in particular) struggling to scrounge the minimum points required to sit for the exam, be it education or experience or whatever, you shouldn't be taking the exam.

 

[Edrick]

No offense taken, I'm not struggling to scrounge them up. I'm only 21 and just starting off in the industry. Which is why I'm asking these questions now, so I'm not trying to take the exam now or even worried about it. More so just interested if it's a good certification and not like an IT cert that means nothing.

 

[Footer]

No offense intended toward your father, but I disagree. I know many "real" journeyman electricians who would not pass, as they have no knowledge of, nor experience with, sections 1A3, 1A8, 1B, 1C3-5, 1D, 1E6-9, (to name a few), of the test content.

Sorry, meant he would be able to take the test and if he passed it he could become certified. All in all, what I was trying to say is ETCP recognizes that industrial electricians can bring something to the entertainment industry.

 

[museav]

It is specifically for this reason that the ETCP program was created--entertainment is an animal like no other. One shouldn't (necessarily) expect a crane operator to pass the rigger's exam, nor a licensed electrician to pass the entertainment electrician exam.

That also works both ways, an ETCP certified Entertainment Electrician may not be able to pass an Electrical Contractor exam or know all of the aspects involved in site and facility power. Someone who is both ETCP certified as an Entertainment Electrician and a Licensed Electrical Contractor, especially if there is a General or 'umbrella' license, may have a better perspective of how the two aspects interact. We could also get into how "Electrician" or "Electrical Contractor" usually relates to application and "Electrical Engineer" to system design. In the construction world EEs design the power systems, ECs install them. Two different roles, two different professional licenses.