Rigger Level II Exam Prep: Weights, Centers of Gravity and Complex Picks

What the prep covers

• Estimating load weights from dimensions and material densities
• Locating the center of gravity on irregular loads
• Sling tension with unequal leg lengths and multiple pick points
• Spreader bars, lifting beams and equalizer arrangements
• Load turning, flipping and tandem considerations
• Below-the-hook devices and their rated capacities
• Rigging for hoists, come-alongs and jacks
• Reviewing a lift plan from the rigging side
• Communication with operators and lift directors

What separates Level II from Level I

A Level I rigger is expected to handle routine work when the weight and center of gravity are known. A Level II rigger is expected to figure those things out. That means calculating weights from drawings or dimensions, finding the center of gravity of an odd-shaped load, picking the right combination of slings and below-the-hook devices, and understanding how tension changes when legs are different lengths or attached at different heights.

NCCCO lists the Level II written exam at 50 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes. Fewer questions does not mean easier; many of them require a calculation. The practical exam asks you to demonstrate advanced rigging tasks in person.

Exam rules worth knowing before you register

Your Rigger Level II certification is only valid while your Rigger Level I certification is current. NCCCO lets candidates schedule both levels at the same time, and it encourages those stepping up to Level II to take the written and practical together or to take the practical first.

The general rule for both levels is that the written and practical can be done in either order, and once you pass one, you have 12 months to pass the other. Certification lasts five years, and a lapse means taking the full exams again.

Because many Level II candidates already hold Level I, renewal timing is worth planning. Lining up both expirations means one round of recertification instead of two, and avoids a Level II card that becomes invalid because Level I quietly expired.

A quick look at the math

Rigging calculations on the Level II exam tend to come back to a few ideas. Weight equals volume times density, so you should be comfortable working out the volume of plate, solid round bar, pipe and simple concrete shapes. Center of gravity for a load with two pick points determines how weight splits between the slings, and the closer pick point carries more. Sling angle then multiplies that share: as the angle from horizontal gets smaller, tension in each leg climbs quickly.

None of this is advanced math, but it has to be done correctly and in the right order. The course drills each step separately, then combines them into full lift problems like the ones riggers face on the job.

Arizona work that calls for Level II thinking

Large manufacturing projects in the Phoenix area have brought a wave of precision lifts: heavy process equipment, modular units and long pipe-rack sections set by large crawler cranes, often with spreader beams and multiple attachment points. Data center construction adds generators, switchgear and cooling equipment that need careful center-of-gravity work. At mines and smelters, maintenance shutdowns mean rigging worn components out of tight spaces with hoists and jacks, sometimes without a crane at all.

Heat and wind play into planning, too. A long, flat module catches wind in a way a compact load does not, and summer heat shortens the safe working window for crews doing strenuous rigging. Level II riggers are often the ones helping decide when a pick should wait.

How the course prepares you

Lessons walk through the calculations step by step. You will work out weights of steel shapes, plate, pipe and concrete, then move into center-of-gravity problems and sling tension with unequal legs. Sections on spreader bars, lifting beams and equalizing arrangements explain how those devices change the forces in the rigging. Practice questions let you rehearse the math before test day.

Online study covers the knowledge; it does not replace hands-on experience or the practical exam, which is given by an accredited examiner. Most Level II candidates already rig every day and use the course to sharpen the calculations and formal rules.