Study for SPRAT Level II from the current CRC 01 25A and EC 01 25A documents: know the Level 1 maneuvers you must remain proficient in, the Level 2 additions from system analysis to rescue, the free-fall and swing-fall limits, and the written test's 50-question, 80-percent format. Practice decisions on paper, and practice skills only under a trainer.
What the Level II credential certifies
SPRAT certification is a performance-based credential verifying safe use of rope access systems across three levels, and Level II requires passing both a written test and a rope access evaluation.
SPRAT's Certification Requirements document (CRC 01) establishes a certification built on performance-based criteria that evaluate safe use of rope access systems, with three levels each defining a minimum baseline of knowledge and skill. The Level II requirements in section 7 assume you are already proficient in everything assessed at Level I.
Certification is not granted by the evaluation alone. You must successfully complete both a rope access evaluation and the associated written test. An independent evaluator administers the evaluation, an Evaluation Session Host provides the venue, and SPRAT issues the certification after reviewing documentation of successful completion. You receive a provisional result when the evaluation ends.
Sources: Rope Access Certification Requirements CRC 01 25A — Sections 1-8, version 25A, Board and SOC approved January 2025; Certification | SPRAT — Certification overview, direct entry, and session calendar
Eligibility and progression to Level II
For a normal first upgrade to Level II, document at least 500 hours obtained with a valid Level I certification and at least six months holding that level. General eligibility and initial training requirements also apply.
The general eligibility rules are straightforward: you shall be at least 18 years of age, provide proof of identification, and sign an affidavit agreeing to the Evaluations Committee's policies. Training is mandatory before initial certification: a trainer shall train you within six months prior to initial certification at any level, and SPRAT recommends the same within six months before any subsequent evaluation. Training must at minimum cover the systems and equipment used in the evaluation, the section 4 performance principles, Safe Practices for Rope Access Work, and the Evaluation Guidelines.
Advancement follows a consecutive path unless the Evaluations Committee approves an exception. To upgrade from Level I to Level II, you must document at least 500 hours of rope access experience obtained while holding a valid certification at your current level, and you must have held that level for a minimum of six months. If you downgraded your certification, you must hold the current level for at least three months before upgrading.
SPRAT also offers a direct entry route for experienced rope access technicians who can prove their experience, with a pre-approval process described at sprat.org/direct-entry. Direct entry is an approved exception with its own process, not something you can claim by self-declaring hours.
Sources: Rope Access Certification Requirements CRC 01 25A — Sections 1-8, version 25A, Board and SOC approved January 2025; Certification | SPRAT — Certification overview, direct entry, and session calendar
Written test format and retake rules
The written test has 50 multiple-choice and true-false questions with one correct answer each, a passing score of 80 percent, and a one-hour limit, and you may consult SPRAT standards during the test.
The written test evaluates your understanding of five SPRAT publications: Safe Practices for Rope Access Work, the Certification Requirements, Defined Terms, the Evaluation Guidelines, and the Clearance Requirement Guidelines. Questions are multiple choice or true-false, only one answer is correct, and 80 percent or better passes.
Sequencing matters. You shall complete the written test before the rope access evaluation, and no more than 10 days before the evaluation date. You are permitted one attempt before the evaluation. Failing that first attempt does not bar you from the evaluation: if you then pass the evaluation, you may attempt the written test a second time within 10 days of the evaluation date to certify without repeating the practical. After a successful second attempt, the evaluation date sets your certification's expiration.
If you fail the second attempt, or miss the 10-day window, you must retake both the written test and the rope access evaluation in their entirety. Tests are usually taken online and may be paper-based, administered by an evaluator or a designated proctor who verifies identity and prevents discussion or copying.
How the performance evaluation is graded
The evaluator grades each exercise Pass, Fail, or Discrepancy; one Fail or three Discrepancies fails the evaluation, and the evaluator alone decides.
Grading measures adherence to the section 4 performance principles, not style. A Pass means satisfactory performance in an exercise. A single Fail fails the whole evaluation. Three Discrepancies also fail it, and the evaluator may issue multiple discrepancies within one exercise. The evaluator has sole authority to issue fails and discrepancies, must explain any that are issued, and must issue them before assigning your next exercise.
If you pass, your initial certification is valid for three years from the evaluation date. Renewing within the last six months of a current certification makes the new certification valid for three years from the original expiration date, preserving your anniversary. Complete a renewal outside that window and the three years run from the new evaluation date instead. SPRAT can revoke a certification for causes including fraud, deceit, or inaccurate data.
What the Level II evaluation assesses
Level II keeps every Level I requirement and adds system analysis, vertical aid climbing, edge-system rigging, a retrievable two-rope system, suspended raising and lowering, cross-haul, and three distinct rescue tasks.
Section 7 of CRC-01 sets out the Level II requirements in addition to Level I proficiency. The three rescue requirements address different situations: remote lowering, rescue on the same rope set with a rope-to-rope transfer, and rescue from an energy absorbing lanyard. Prepare for each requirement rather than assuming one demonstration covers every situation.
| Evaluation task | Requirement in CRC 01 |
|---|---|
| System analysis | Estimate potential forces and clearance requirements within the rope access systems you use |
| Aid climbing: vertical | Aid climb vertically or at an angle for at least 3 m (10 ft) |
| Two-rope system for edge negotiation | Rig a two-rope system past an edge obstruction with an interior angle under 120 degrees, with each rope's anchorage system built from two anchorages or connectors 1 m to 4 m apart |
| Retrievable two-rope system | Build a retrievable two-rope system, descend at least 2 m on it, then retrieve it without returning to the anchorage |
| Raising and lowering: suspended candidate | While suspended, construct and operate a system to raise and lower an individual or load at least 3 m along an unobstructed fall line |
| Raising and lowering: suspended load | From the anchorage systems, lower an individual or load on a fixed-anchor two-rope system to the next lower level, starting suspended at least 1 m above it |
| Lateral operations: cross-haul | Use multiple raising and lowering systems to move an individual or load laterally between two designated locations |
| Remote rescue system | Construct a system permitting lowering of an individual located anywhere along a two-rope system, then lower that individual from ascent or descent mode to the next lower level |
| Rescue: same rope set, rope-to-rope transfer | Reach an individual in ascent mode on your own two-rope system, bring them onto one system, then transfer with them to another system at least 2 m away before reaching the next lower level |
| Rescue: from fall arrest system | While supported by a rope access system, rescue an individual suspended from energy-absorbing lanyards |
Performance principles that decide your grade
Every exercise is graded against section 4: fall-zone protection, backup systems, free-fall and swing-fall limits, helmet use, and rescue-specific backup requirements, with shall marking mandatory limits and should marking recommended ones.
These principles apply throughout the evaluation, so an error in any exercise can cost you a discrepancy even if the task itself is done. Learn the numbers with their exact wording, because the document mixes mandatory limits (shall) with recommendations (should), and the written test draws on these same publications.
Apply the requirements within the evaluation site's safety arrangements. For actual work, the employer must determine the training and suitability required for the specific systems and task; an assessment result does not replace that responsibility.
- A candidate or load is in a fall zone when moving or suspended at any height above the next lower level, or within 2 m (6.6 ft) of an unprotected edge.
- A backup or other fall protection system shall be used in a fall zone and shall be used in conjunction with any main system.
- Free fall potential in a backup or other fall protection system shall not exceed 1.2 m (4 ft) and should not exceed 0.6 m (2 ft); in a main system it shall not exceed 0.6 m and should not exceed 0.3 m (1 ft).
- Potential swing fall shall not exceed 0.6 m and should not exceed 0.3 m. If a main or directional anchorage system shifts the fall line by more than 0.6 m and creates a swing fall with a pendulum angle over 20 degrees, a second system shall be used to protect against failure of the first.
- Helmets shall be worn in a hazard zone, with chinstraps fastened in a fall zone, and harness connections shall follow the manufacturer's instructions.
- Rescue requirements shall be completed with an appropriate backup or other fall protection system, and you shall maintain an appropriate backup or secondary system for the rescue subject throughout.
Paper practice: check an eligibility record
A short worked case applying the 500-hour and six-month requirements to two candidate records.
Eligibility questions are answerable from the document alone, which makes them good written-test practice. Work the case below before reading the answer, and note that the assumptions do the work: change any one of them and the conclusion can change.
Paper practice case
Two technicians hold current, valid SPRAT Level I certifications and have completed their levels consecutively with no Evaluations Committee exceptions. All other general eligibility criteria are met for both. Technician A has documented 505 hours of rope access experience obtained at Level I but has held the certification for only 4 months. Technician B has documented 510 hours at Level I and has held the certification for 7 months. Under CRC 01, who is eligible to advance to Level II, and why?
Show answer
Only Technician B. Advancement requires documentation of at least 500 hours of rope access experience obtained with a valid certification at the current level, and holding the current level for a minimum of six months prior to advancement. Technician A meets the hour minimum but not the six-month holding requirement. Technician B meets both.
Two separate conditions apply and both must be satisfied: the 500-hour experience documentation and the six-month minimum holding period. Technician A shows why checking one condition is not enough; 505 hours satisfies the experience rule, but the 4-month holding period does not. Technician A becomes eligible once the six months complete, assuming the certification remains valid. In real applications, hours are documented in accordance with Safe Practices for Rope Access Work, and progression is consecutive unless the Evaluations Committee approves otherwise.
Paper practice: review a rescue plan against section 4
A worked case identifying a missing backup requirement in a draft remote rescue plan.
This original paper case asks you to connect a proposed rescue plan to a stated performance principle. Identify the missing protection before reading the answer.
Paper practice case
A candidate drafts a plan for the remote rescue system task: a system that permits lowering an individual located anywhere along a two-rope system, with the subject lowered to the next lower level from ascent or descent mode. In the draft, the subject is lowered on a single system with no secondary system or other fall protection assigned to the subject during the lower. Which performance principle is unmet, and what is the correct preparation response?
Show answer
The draft omits the protection required by section 4.4. Rescue requirements must be completed with an appropriate backup or other fall protection system, and an appropriate backup or other secondary system must be maintained for the rescue subject. Revise the paper plan to show how that requirement will be met, then review the equipment and method with the trainer before practical rehearsal.
The rescue backup rules in section 4.4 are mandatory (shall), so a plan that lowers the subject on a single unprotected system cannot be graded as satisfactory regardless of how well the rest works. The remedy is a planning and training fix, not improvised changes during the evaluation. Note also that this plan targets the remote rescue task specifically; the same-rope-set rescue with rope-to-rope transfer and the fall-arrest rescue are separate requirements with their own steps, so review each against section 4 on its own terms. This case is a paper exercise: it identifies a principle and a study action, and it is not a live rigging instruction.
Preparing for both components
Study the five publications listed for the written test and use supervised training to develop the required practical skills.
The written test permits consultation of SPRAT standards and supplements. Practice locating the relevant clause and explaining its application, using Safe Practices, CRC-01, Defined Terms, the Evaluation Guidelines and the Clearance Requirement Guidelines. Combine this with understanding the principles so you can use the references within the one-hour limit.
Training is mandatory before initial certification and should be refreshed before subsequent evaluations. Your trainer covers the evaluation systems and equipment, the section 4 performance principles at your level, Safe Practices, and the Evaluation Guidelines. Use supervised training time for the physical tasks in the table above; reading about them builds vocabulary, but rope skills are graded live and paper preparation cannot establish practical competence.
Sources: Rope Access Certification Requirements CRC 01 25A — Sections 1-8, version 25A, Board and SOC approved January 2025; Rope Access Evaluation Guidelines EC 01 25A — Section 3, Written Test Information, version 25A, Board approved January 2025
Next steps and official documents
Download CRC 01 25A and EC 01 25A from SPRAT's public documents, find a session on the online calendar, and confirm any administrative details with SPRAT or the session host.
SPRAT lists certification sessions on its online calendar and provides a Training Companies List. Confirm current fees, dates and arrangements with SPRAT or the Evaluation Session Host.
Before your evaluation date, work backward from the 10-day written test window: the test must be attempted no more than 10 days before the evaluation, so plan travel and preparation with that constraint in mind. Keep your training records and hour documentation current, since the 500-hour and six-month rules are checked against documentation.
- Download the current Rope Access Certification Requirements (CRC 01 25A) and Evaluation Guidelines (EC 01 25A) from SPRAT's Public Documents page.
- Confirm your eligibility arithmetic: 500 hours at a valid Level I, held at least six months, or an approved direct-entry pre-approval.
- Locate a session on the SPRAT calendar and confirm fees and logistics with the host.
- Schedule your written test attempt within the 10 days before the evaluation.
- Complete training with a trainer within six months of initial certification if you have not already.
Sources: Certification | SPRAT — Certification overview, direct entry, and session calendar
Sources
Key facts verified against SPRAT's published CRC 01 25A and EC 01 25A documents.: