- Passing requires 90% on the 40-question oral component plus 93% on the 15 nongated props.
- All three gated props - heat source hole, non-IC recessed light, full-height metal clearance - must be completed successfully.
- Total combined time for oral and practicum is seven hours, not seven hours per component.
- The practicum measures 51 abilities across 18 performance line items - this is a skills test, not a multiple-choice exam.
Overview: What This Cheat Sheet Covers
This is a condensed, no-fluff reference for the Air Leakage Control Installer credential - officially abbreviated ALC by Building Performance Institute, Inc. (BPI), though "ALCI" remains the common site identifier and search term. Everything below is pulled directly from the Certification Scheme Handbook dated April 9, 2026, and is meant to be a last-week refresher, not a first introduction. If you're just starting out, the ALCI Study Guide 2026 walks through a full preparation plan, and the ALCI Requirements 2026 page covers eligibility in more depth.
Print this page, tape it to your wall, and use it to check your recall the night before test day. Every fact here traces back to the official ALC scheme - nothing is borrowed from any other certification that happens to share the ALCI acronym.
Exam Format at a Glance
The ALC assessment has two components administered together, not separately:
- Oral component: 40 questions, evaluated verbally.
- Hands-on practicum: a physical demonstration of air-sealing skills on staged props.
- Combined time limit: seven hours maximum for both components together - there is no separate seven-hour allowance for each half.
- Materials: notes and manuals are prohibited during the assessment. You either know the material or you don't.
Because the format blends spoken knowledge checks with physical technique, candidates often underestimate how much stamina and pacing matter across a seven-hour session. The How Hard Is the ALCI Exam? guide breaks down why this combined format catches people off guard, and the ALCI Exam Domains 2026 guide details the specific content areas the oral questions draw from.
Passing Score Breakdown
ALC uses three distinct passing thresholds, and you must clear all three - there's no averaging across components:
- Oral component: 90% correct on the 40 questions.
- Gated props: successful completion of all three gates (see below) - this is pass/fail, not a percentage.
- Nongated props: 93% across the 15 nongated performance props.
Key Takeaway
Missing even one gated prop fails the entire practicum regardless of how well you scored on the nongated props or the oral questions. Treat the three gates as non-negotiable, zero-margin tasks.
For a full walkthrough of how these thresholds interact and what "gated" actually means procedurally, see ALCI Passing Score 2026.
The Three Gated Props
The practicum's gated props represent the highest-stakes moments of the entire assessment. There are exactly three, and each targets a distinct real-world air-sealing scenario:
Gate 1: Large Hole Around a Heat Source
Candidates must correctly and safely air-seal a large opening located near a heat source, applying proper clearance and material choices so the seal doesn't create a fire hazard.
- Requires balancing airtightness against combustion safety
Gate 2: Non-IC Recessed Light
Non-IC (not insulation-contact-rated) recessed fixtures generate heat and cannot be buried in insulation or sealed the same way as IC-rated fixtures. This gate tests whether you know the difference and can seal around it without violating clearance rules.
- Tests fixture-type recognition under time pressure
Gate 3: Full-Height Metal Clearance
This gate evaluates whether the candidate maintains required clearance from metal components running full height through an assembly, avoiding both thermal bridging mistakes and unsafe sealing practices.
- Tests spatial judgment and clearance measurement
Because these three gates are pass/fail with zero tolerance, most experienced instructors recommend drilling gate scenarios first and most often. The ALCI Exam Domains 2026 guide expands on the underlying building science each gate is testing.
18 Performance Line Items, 51 Abilities
Beyond the three gates, evaluators assess the practicum against 18 performance line items covering 51 distinct abilities. These are performance tasks - physical actions an evaluator watches you execute correctly - not weighted multiple-choice domains, and they should not be confused with a percentage-based scoring rubric like the oral component.
- Each line item maps to observable technique, not written recall.
- The 15 nongated props draw from these line items and require 93% overall success.
- Consistency across repeated motions matters as much as getting any single task "right" once.
Registration, Eligibility, and Fees
Two facts simplify the entry process considerably:
- No prerequisite credential or mandatory training course is required to sit for ALC.
- BPI Test Centers administer the assessment and set initial examination prices - pricing is set at the test center level rather than centrally advertised as a single national fee.
Because pricing varies by test center, budgeting requires checking with the specific center you plan to use. For a fuller breakdown of what to expect cost-wise and how it fits into your overall preparation budget, see ALCI Certification Cost 2026. And if you're weighing whether the investment is justified given your career goals, the Is the ALCI Certification Worth It? analysis is worth reading before you register.
Retake Rules
If you don't pass on the first attempt, the retake structure differs depending on which component you failed:
- Oral-only retake: limited to one hour.
- Practical retest: addresses only the specific failed leakage points, not a full re-run of every prop.
This targeted retake structure rewards candidates who can pinpoint exactly which gate or line item tripped them up rather than treating a failed attempt as a reason to relearn everything from scratch.
Renewal Cycle and Exemptions
ALC certification is valid for three years. Renewal mechanics change slightly depending on which renewal cycle you're in:
- First two renewals: field-exam exemption available if you log 3,000 relevant practitioner hours or 100 relevant trainer hours during the preceding three years.
- Third consecutive renewal (after nine years): eligible candidates are field-exam exempt but still must submit an application and payment - exemption is not automatic or free.
- CEUs do not apply to ALC renewal - continuing education credits are not part of the renewal pathway, so don't budget time collecting them for this credential specifically.
Key Takeaway
Track your practitioner or trainer hours from day one of certification - the 3,000/100-hour exemption threshold is calculated over the preceding three years, so gaps in documentation can force you back into a full field exam.
Who Hires ALC-Certified Installers
ALC-certified professionals typically work in weatherization, home performance contracting, energy auditing firms, and residential retrofit programs where air-sealing quality directly affects program compliance and energy savings verification. Employers value the credential specifically because it verifies hands-on technique against gated safety scenarios - not just written knowledge. If you're evaluating career paths and compensation expectations tied to this credential, the ALCI Salary Guide 2026 and ALCI Jobs pages cover this in more detail, and ALCI Training outlines preparation pathways beyond self-study.
Quick Reference Table
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Oral questions | 40 questions; 90% required to pass |
| Gated props | 3 gates; all must be completed successfully |
| Nongated props | 15 props; 93% required to pass |
| Performance line items | 18 line items covering 51 abilities |
| Combined time limit | 7 hours maximum for oral + practicum together |
| Materials allowed | None - notes and manuals prohibited |
| Prerequisite credential | None required |
| Certification validity | 3 years |
| Renewal exemption (1st/2nd) | 3,000 practitioner hours or 100 trainer hours |
| CEUs toward renewal | Do not apply |
For a domain-by-domain study plan built around this structure, revisit the ALCI Study Guide 2026, and use our practice test platform to rehearse oral-style questions under realistic time pressure before test day. Reviewing your results against ALCI Pass Rate 2026 data can also help calibrate how much additional practice you need.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The oral component consists of 40 questions answered verbally, and the practicum is a hands-on demonstration - there is no traditional multiple-choice written exam.
No. Notes and manuals are prohibited during the assessment. You must demonstrate knowledge and technique from memory and practice alone.
All three gated props must be completed successfully; failing even one means the practicum is not passed. Retesting on the practical side addresses the specific failed leakage points rather than requiring a full retest of every prop.
No prerequisite credential or mandatory training course applies. Anyone meeting the test center's registration requirements can sit for the assessment.
Certification lasts three years. CEUs do not apply to ALC renewal; instead, renewal relies on either a field exam or documented practitioner/trainer hours depending on your renewal cycle.