Pre-hire practical screen
Give candidates bounded machine requirements and observe whether their program handles normal, boundary and unsafe cases.
Performance-based evidence
One brief. One machine. Observable decisions.
Candidates receive functional requirements or a faulted control system, then produce working logic or a diagnosis. The same deterministic test cases make results comparable without reducing the exercise to multiple choice.
Skills-gap baseline
Separate ladder fundamentals, I/O diagnosis, motor control, sequencing and process-control gaps before assigning training.
Post-training verification
Re-assess with equivalent scenarios and objective test cases instead of relying on attendance or self-reported confidence.
Certification preparation
Use the 40-scenario CCST practice pack for broader controls-technician preparation and a timed mock exam.
Scenario library
Assess implementation, diagnosis and recovery separately.
Functional Description to Ladder
Translate a complete functional specification into working PLC logic and satisfy the full grader.
capstoneassessment
Open scenario Scan-Order Race
Identify a defect caused by execution order rather than obvious Boolean logic.
diagnosisscan cycle
Open scenario Timer Not Resetting
Diagnose retentive behavior and prove the correction through repeated cycles.
timerrecovery
Open scenario Counter Never Resets
Find a production-count fault that emerges only after the sequence repeats.
counterboundary
Open scenario Forward / Reverse Motor
Implement mutually exclusive direction control with safe stop and fault behavior.
motorinterlock
Open scenario Level Alarms with Hysteresis
Scale process feedback and prevent alarm chatter around operating thresholds.
analogalarms
Open scenario Training outcomes
Evidence beyond course completion
Assignments can grade normal operation, unsafe demands, boundary conditions and recovery behavior against the same machine model.
- Compare candidates against identical practical test cases
- Identify specific control-skill gaps by scenario family
- Verify recovery behavior rather than one successful cycle
- Export credible evidence into a wider maintenance competency process
Scope, stated plainly
This assesses PLC and automation-control competence only. It is not a complete maintenance-technician selection instrument and does not assess mechanical fitting, hydraulics, pneumatics, welding, refrigeration, site permits or hands-on electrical safety. Employment decisions should combine it with structured interviews and supervised practical checks.
Related training solutions
Industrial maintenance training
Close the control-skill gaps exposed by the assessment.
Explore solutionPLC interview preparation
Prepare candidates for mixed knowledge and hands-on interview rounds.
Explore solutionCCST practice pack
Use the 40-scenario certification-preparation pathway.
Explore solutionPilot with your standards
Build a practical technician screen around the controls work you actually assign
Use the existing labs immediately, then map assignments and pass criteria to the equipment, failure modes and competencies your team owns.