Have Questions About Tile Certification?
Here's where we share answers!
We've listed here frequently asked questions about the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation's certification programs.
If your question isn't listed here, please let us know! Use the Contact Us form and we'll get back to you as well as include your question in this list.
FAQs About Tile Certification
Read through the list of FAQs about tile certification and click on the question that is of particular interest to you.
You can also explore the Qualified Labor Series on the CTEF Blog.
What is tile certification?
Certification is the validation of the skills and knowledge of the men and women who presently are installing tile successfully in the United States.
What certifications does CTEF Offer?
CTEF offers two tile installation certification programs:
- The Certified Tile Installer Program (CTI)
>> To learn more about the CTI program, visit the Certified Tile Installer Program.
- Advanced Certifications for Tile Installers (ACT)
To take the ACT certifications, you must be pre-qualified by either being a CTI or a journeyman tile setter who has successfully completed the apprenticeship program conducted by the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers
>> To learn more about the ACT Program, visit Advanced Certifications for Tile Installers.
Is the Certified Tile Installer (CTI) program a training program?
No. The CTI program is strictly a test of the installer’s skills and knowledge and offers no instructional classes.
However, many installers who have completed the CTI tests have said that reading and studying the written materials was very valuable and also assisted in the completion of the hands-on test. Installers have also said that the CTI Manual provided the correct methods for tile installation which may not have been the way they installed tile in the past.
>> See Ensure Proper Tile Installation: Become a Certified Tile Installer
For someone considering the tile trade, becoming a CTI is a valuable goal to work toward.
Who should register for the Certified Tile Installer Program?
Any installer may take the Certified Tile Installer (CTI) exams if he or she has at least two years of experience as the lead installer setting ceramic tile on a full-time basis. Experience as a helper, improver, grouter, or finisher does not qualify for the two-year recommendation.
Experience is defined as having full responsibility for substrate prep, layout, coordinating with other trades along with properly installing underlayment, tile, grouting, and sealant materials.
The CTI designation identifies the professional installer who has reached a level of proficiency to independently and consistently produce a sound tile installation that displays good workmanship.
Our grading procedure allows very little latitude for technical errors or aesthetic flaws, as we pledge to uphold certification as a meaningful symbol that consumers can trust. Typically, three to five years of tile setting experience is recommended to attain the knowledge and skills required.
>> Visit the Certified Tile Installer Program for more information.
What if an installer does not install tile full-time?
A: If an installer isn't installing tile on a full-time basis, the two-year recommendation applies, though more total years of installation are required to make up for the percentage of time not setting tile. For example, an installer who installs ceramic tile about 33% of the time should have six years of this experience.
Experience is defined as having full responsibility for substrate prep, layout, coordinating with other trades along with properly installing tile and underlayment materials.
While we encourage all qualified and interested individuals to take advantage of the certification program, we offer a friendly caution to those who have not been setting tile for the minimum amount of time.
- In order to maintain the integrity of the CTI certification program, CTEF evaluators require strict attention to even the smallest of details.
- The installer must prove he or she can competently execute all phases of installation and consistently produce finished work that is functionally sound and exhibits a high level of workmanship that will satisfy the most discriminating clients.
The grading procedure allows very little latitude for technical errors or aesthetic flaws, as CTEF pledges to uphold certification as a meaningful symbol that consumers can trust. Typically, three to five years of tile setting experience is recommendation to attain the knowledge and skills required.
>> Visit the Certified Tile Installer Program for more information.
What is involved in the Certified Tile Installer (CTI) test?
The CTI test includes two separate tests.
- The first is an online open-book exam which is taken at home or the office as the installer’s schedule allows.
- The second is a hands-on test which is completed in a regional warehouse, normally close to the installer’s residence.
How much does it cost to take the CTI tests?
The registration cost is $629 per installer. Registration covers both the online and hands-on tests. However, thanks to support from Coverings Cares, effective July 1, 2024, through Coverings 2025, registration is $450 per installer.
Note that if you don't provide CTEF written notice via email within 2 weeks of the test date that you won't be present you will be subject to a $200 rescheduling fee.
Are there scholarships available to cover the cost of the tests?
No, but the installers who successfully pass both the online and hands-on tests, will receive a packet that includes manufacturer coupons valued at over $1,000.
These manufacturers see the value in the CTI program which provides the tile industry and the consumer with better-quality tile installations and better qualified tile installers.
Will these coupons really pay me back for my investment in taking the CTI tests?
Yes. If the installer uses all of the coupons’ value of $1,000 minus the cost of registration ($529), minus one day's wages for the hands-on test day (average $300), each installer can put $171 in his or her pocket.
“It Really Pay$ 2 B Certified.”
Are these coupons really valuable or are there a lot of strings attached to redeem them?
There are no strings attached. Some of the coupons are used like cash when paying an invoice, while others are for products that are used in daily tile installation.
How does an installer wanting to become ACT Certified become pre-qualified?-
Installers wishing to become ACT certified must be pre-qualified in one of two ways:
- Be a Certified Tile Installer (CTI) through the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation; or
- Be a journeyman tile setter who has successfully completed the apprenticeship program conducted by the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers
>> To learn more about the ACT Program, visit Advanced Certifications for Tile Installers.
How many of the 9 ACT tests do you need to take to receive an ACT Certification?
ACT Certifications are individual certifications on each of the 9 modules.
For instance, an installer may only focus on B415 shower receptor and LFT installations and can focus on only gaining those two certifications.
All of the ACT certifications require the installer to be a CTI or BAC Journeyman *except* Membranes and Grouts, as those two disciplines are typically performed by finishers, so a finisher may only have those two.
We foresee that an installer would prefer to have all of them, which shows the installer’s commitment to being the best in their craft, but it isn’t a requirement to get individual certifications.
