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New CBO exams

Kao Chen

Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2009
Messages
28
Location
Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri
How many of you have decided that the best path to a CBO certification has been to become an ICC Combination Inspector or a Combination Plans Examiner before you take the Legal/Management Module? Guess what? All your hard work will not count towards your CBO certification (see the new exam bulletin). From what I read you will now be required to take 3 exams: Management Module, Legal Module and Building Codes & Standard Module. Your Combination certifications will no longer count.

I can see the logic in splitting up the Legal & Management into 2 exams but to no longer count your Combination certification as equal to the new technology exam is beyond logic. To top it all off, the new CBO exams are based only on the 2015 codes which my jurisdiction will never adopt (6 year cycle currently on the 2012 codes). If you have not all ready started the 'old' process (taken the old legal/management or technology module) before 1/1/2015 then you have to go through the new process. I'm feeling screwed!

I hope that I'm misunderstanding this new approach.
 
Kao Chen said:
I hope that I'm misunderstanding this new approach.
Nope, you've got it.

The goal of the ICC was to place more "value" on the CBO cert.

Making it more "challenging" to achieve, places the CBO holder in higher esteem with his colleagues ;)
 
I agree JCraver, then the torture of them checking everyone one to make sure they were on the list:)
 
Thank goodness I went through it with the legacy codes, just needed the four trades, and the legal management test..........
 
It would have been nice to have been treated to a movie and dinner before I got screwed too! I'm hoping that enough of us can complain to ICC to change this stupid rule. I've all ready contacted the certification team to lodge a protest!
 
http://media.iccsafe.org/news/eNews/2014v11n16/faq.pdf

Excerpt:

Why



o In efforts to support coordination between the Fire Services and Building groups within

ICC, the former Board for International Professional Standards directed the CBO and Fire

Services Exam Development Committees to look for ways to work together in

developing content that could be used by individuals seeking either a CBO or CFM. The

two committees met in July to create new shared modules, as well as fire‐ and building‐

specific technical modules.



o Expansion of the modules required for the CBO and CFM also strengthens both

credentials, raising the bar of competency required to attain and maintain these

designations.
 
mjesse said:
http://media.iccsafe.org/news/eNews/2014v11n16/faq.pdfExcerpt:

Why



o In efforts to support coordination between the Fire Services and Building groups within

ICC, the former Board for International Professional Standards directed the CBO and Fire

Services Exam Development Committees to look for ways to work together in

developing content that could be used by individuals seeking either a CBO or CFM. The

two committees met in July to create new shared modules, as well as fire‐ and building‐

specific technical modules.
That might make sense to someone who's smarter than me.
 
When the three code groups became one they threw out one of my certifications. At the time I only needed one more certification and I would have had the CBO. I was a bit p.o'd and will not ever take another certification test.
 
Congratulations ICC, you just made me feel incompetent! Was that the intent?
 
I am in line to become the BO after 10 years in the Housing Department. I have my B-1, working on my B-2. My question, what is the best, sure fire way, to study for the 'tech module and legal' (01 & 02). I know the path has changed if I have not already started for 2015. The advice I am looking for......what's the best strategy before taking the CBO exam? Anyone have any useful 'tools'?
 
Well, first off, welcome bubbah123!

Same thing I always say.........indexes and table of contents are your very close friends, visit them often. The "codes" are all assembled pretty much the same, the other non-code books are more of a challenge, one of them didn't have an index back in the day. So, I would say get to know those better..........and good luck! Keep us posted!
 
I have helped out several people with exams and found the most useful advice (and personal experience) is to worry less about remembering specific code requirements and much more about learning the locations of items in the books. Using critical thinking and logic about where the answer might be in the book is invaluable. HOWEVER, that advice might not serve for the CBO exam. For that one I don't think you can rely on having time to look stuff up in the 6 or 7 books they use for reference. I sure didn't have time, I pretty much had to know the answers for most of the questions because there wasn't much time.
 
Disclaimer: I only had to take the legal module but I imagine the technical is the same with all the books.
 
Thanks for the advice fellas......Every bit helps. So I guess the best 'avenue' to obtaining the CBO is to just know the material and be very speedy - its really just a race against the clock. It is just a crazy amount of reference material to come into the exam with. Even back in engineering school, they WANTED you to pass the exams. I feel the ICC puts up obstacles to make it 'difficult' to pass. They really can make the tests VERY difficult by burying the answers in the code book or make them relevant to general code issue's we deal with daily. This 'new path vs old path' to the CBO really has me erked. Our jurisdiction just adopted the 2012 code (Nov 1st 2014). All my references are for 2012, Fire , Mechanical, IRC, IBC.....etc. We may NEVER adopt the 2015 code. So I called the ICC and asked them about starting on the Legal and Tech Module 'path' since all the codes we use are 2012 now. We just spent thousands on the BRAND NEW (2012) code books for our department. ICC said that it is NOT an option. So they want me to spend more $$$$ on 9 to 11, 2015 code books I may NEVER use after the test. So.....is this just a grab at selling more code books by the ICC?

My question to all......anyone have any pull with the ICC, to ask them, to allow jurisdictions to take exams pertinent to their states and not pertinent to the ICC's guidelines? Our job is to enforce our adopted code.
 
I just got off the phone with ICC testing center and explained my frustration with the new CBO format. Reiterating the fact that our jurisdiction just adopted the 2012 code and will probably NEVER adopt the 2015. So what is the logic in having to buy $800 in 2015 code books to use for the test - then never opening them again? If they are going to use the MM, MG, BC format, they should incorporate the 2009 and 2012 code into the test. So.....the gal at the testing center said, NOPE they will not budge on this. So it is very clear now that it has become not us enforcing our adopted code but rather buying code books we will never have to enforce.

Has anyone else talked to ICC on this?
 
I just took another exam at prisonvue err, um I mean pearsonvue. I was treated like a criminal, had to "pat" myself down, turn my pockets inside out...., once I had to unwrap a cough drop and put it in a friggin napkin. I go through far less at the TSA line. Wait, guess I better not give them any ideas or next thing you know they will be using the same scanners that don't work at the airport. I was also told I could not remove the index or TOC, something I have done in every test I have ever taken. I used to try to give prisonvue and ICC the benefit of the doubt but I simply don't believe there are that many cheaters and I do think ICC has a vested interest in having people fail. 189.00 per test if you pass the first time just doesn't pay the bills I guess! BTW, I passed the test so it's not sour grapes, just frustration at an ever increasing feeling that ICC only has one thing in mind.....This latest "improvement" only reinforces that notion. I like studying and testing but I am largely doing it for my own self improvement and education now, but I am starting to wonder if it's worth it. END OF RANT! Thanks for indulging me.
 
Back in the "old days" the CBO was three parts all on the same day. Pass or fail it all. I was kind of bummed when it was changed to two seperate tests and a time frame to pass them both. But progress is pro... something. :p Things change, I got old and crotchety.
 
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