AACE-CCT Exam Information and Outline
Certified Cost Technician (CCT)
Syllabus Update Checked on: November 9, 2026
AACE-CCT Exam Syllabus & Study Guide
Before you start practicing with our exam simulator, it is essential to understand the
official AACE-CCT exam objectives. This course outline serves as your roadmap.
The information below reflects the 2026 syllabus defined by
AACE.
Below are complete topics detail with latest syllabus and course outline, that will help you good knowledge about exam objectives and topics that you have to prepare. These contents are covered in questions and answers pool of exam.
- Exam Format
- 100 multiple-choice questions
- Duration: up to 3 hours
- Open book: AACE CCT Primer and Skills & Knowledge of Cost Engineering (in binder)
- Battery-operated calculator permitted
- Passing score: 70% overall
- Domain 1: Supporting Skills & Knowledge (50%)
- Cost Elements
- Labor, materials, equipment, subcontracts
- Direct vs. indirect costs; fixed vs. variable costs
- Overhead, contingency and escalation
- Basic Mathematics and Statistics
- Ratios, percentages, unit conversions
- Mean, median, mode, standard deviation
- Probability basics and distributions
- Engineering Economics
- Time value of money and cash flow diagrams
- Present worth, future worth, annual equivalent
- Simple and compound interest; depreciation
- Labor and Productivity
- Productivity measurement and factors
- Labor rates, burdens and crew composition
- Communication and Reporting
- Cost reports, charts and graphs
- Professional ethics
- Cost Elements
- Domain 2: Process & Technical Skills Knowledge (50%)
- Cost Estimating
- Estimate classes and accuracy ranges
- Quantity take-off and pricing
- Parametric, factored and detailed estimating methods
- Cost indexes and capacity factoring
- Planning and Scheduling
- Work breakdown structure (WBS)
- Activity duration and logic; critical path method (CPM)
- Bar charts and network diagrams
- Cost and Project Control
- Budgeting and baselining
- Earned value management (PV, EV, AC, CPI, SPI, EAC)
- Variance analysis and forecasting
- Change management and trend analysis
- Total Cost Management (TCM) Framework
- Strategic asset management vs. project control cycles
- Plan, do, check, assess process
- Cost Estimating