About the BAT Certification Examination
BAT Certification Examination Schedule
Apply for a BAT Certification Examination

Backflow Assembly Tester

Certification Program

About the BAT Certification Examination

The Washington State Backflow Assembly Tester (BAT) certification examination consists of two parts. Applicants must pass both parts of the examination to become a certified BAT in Washington State. Applicants must reapply and pay all applicable fees to retake the part of the examination they do not pass.

Part 1 - Practical (Hands-On) Examination

Practical Hands-On Examination

The practical examination is administered by Washington Certification Services at state testing centers. Applicants must provide picture identification prior to taking the examination. One hour is allowed to demonstrate competency in testing the following four backflow prevention assemblies using field test procedures approved by Department of Health:

Pressure Vacuum Breaker Assembly (PVBA)
Spill-Resistant Pressure Vacuum Breaker Assembly (SVBA)
Double Check Valve Assembly (DCVA)
Reduced Pressure Backflow Assembly (RPBA)

A malfunction may be simulated on the RBPA, DCVA, and PVBA. If a malfunction is simulated it must be correctly identified and diagnosed. There will not be a simulated malfunction on the SVBA.

Practical examination instructions are read aloud to the applicant prior to administration of the examination.

Test Procedures & Test Equipment

Test Procedures & Test Equiptment

Test Procedures

The practical part of the BAT certification examination will be administered following only the field test procedures in the Manual of Cross Connection Control 10^th Edition published by the University of Southern California Foundation for Cross Connection Control and Hydraulic Research. The Non-Illustrated Field Test Procedures 10^th Edition, excerpted from the Manual of Cross Connection Control 10^th Edition, will be available at the examination site for use by applicants during examinations.

For more information about the differences between the test procedures published in the 9th and 10th Editions of the manual, view USC's comparison chart.

Test Equipment

All equipment needed by an applicant to test assemblies is provided at the examination site:

Screw driver
Vertical tube
Bleed-off valve arrangement
Midwest 830 five-valve differential pressure test kit

A lighter model five valve test kit, Midwest 835, may also be available.

Applicants may use their own differential pressure test kit if they provide the examination proctor with a current certificate of accuracy or calibration report. The report must confirm that the field test kit was verified against a reference source that has a calibration traceable to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and/or that the procedures used met criteria published in the 10th Edition of the Manual of Cross Connection Control.

WCS Examination Station — Example of applicant exam stations.

WCS Examination Supplies — Test kit, Non-Illustrated Field Test
Procedures, scratch paper, screw driver, bleed-off valve, & site tube

Examination Results

The state examination proctor will provide the applicant with preliminary results at the end of the practical examination. The results are not considered official until they are evaluated and confirmed by Washington Certification Services, usually within ten (10) business days.

When an applicant passes the practical examination, Washington Certification Services will notify them of the results by email. AMP, the computer-based examination assessment center, will also notify the applicant by email and by mail that they are eligible to apply to AMP to take the computer-based part of the certification examination.

If an applicant does not pass the practical examination, Washington Certification Services will notify them of the results by email.

Part 2 - Computer-Based Examination

Computer-Based Examination

Applicants that pass the practical examination will be notified of their eligibility to apply to Applied Measurement Professionals, Inc. (AMP/ PSI) to take the computer-based examination at one of ten locations in Washington and throughout the United States.

This part of the examination consists of 100 multiple-choice questions developed by the Association of Boards of Certification (ABC). Applicants have three hours to complete the examination. The passing score is 70%. See "Step 1 - Prepare for the BAT Certification Examination" below for more information.

About AMP/ PSI Computer Based Testing

About AMP Computer Based Testing

The Backflow Assembly Tester computer-based examination administered by AMP/ PSI is the same as the written version of the ABC examination previously administered by Washington Certification Services.

Computer-based testing is easy and convenient. Examination applicants, even those with limited computer skills, have had no problem with the computer testing format provided by AMP/ PSI. Before starting the examination an applicant may complete a short exercise to become familiar with the computer, the layout of the questions, and features of the computer-based examination.

An examination proctor is available at all AMP/ PSI Assessment Centers to assist applicants and answer questions about computer-based testing.

For detailed information about the AMP/ PSI computer-based Backflow Assembly Tester Certification examination read the AMP/ PSI Candidate Handbook.

AMP/ PSI Examination Location & Fees

AMP Examination Location & Fees

AMP/ PSI Examination Locations

Eligible applicants have the flexibility to schedule an examination appointment Monday through Saturday at one of 12 convenient locations in Washington and in nearby Portland. Applicants may also take Washington's BAT certification examination in every state nationwide.

Search for AMP/ PSI Assessment Centers

Testing sites in Washington are located in:

Bellingham
Bellevue
East Wenatchee
Everett
Federal Way
Kennewick
Olympia
Seattle
Spokane
Tacoma
Vancouver
Yakima

AMP/ PSI Fees

The fee for the Backflow Assembly Tester computer-based examination is $104.00 and is paid directly to AMP/ PSI. AMP/ PSI will collect the fee each time an eligible applicant applies for the examination.

Retaking an AMP/ PSI Examination

Retaking an AMP Examination

An applicant that does not pass the computer-based examination administered by AMP/ PSI must wait 14 days between attempts of the examination. Applicants are eligible to take the examination for a three month period starting from the date they passed the practical part of the examination through Washington Certification Services.

If an applicant does not pass the computer-based part of the examination during the three month eligibility period, their certification application and practical examination results will be invalid. This means they must apply to Washington Certification Services as a new applicant, pay all associated fees, and take both parts of the certification examination again.

Follow these steps to become certified as a Backflow Assembly Tester in Washington.

Step 1 - Prepare for the BAT Certification Examination

Classroom Training

It is highly recommended that any person interested in becoming certified as a BAT complete an appropriate training course. Training is not required to apply for a BAT certification examination and Department of Health (DOH) does not endorse any training course or sponsor. Applicants that want to attend training prior to taking an examination should contact the BAT training sponsor of their choice and select a course that most closely meets their needs.Washington trainers include WETRC, Evergreen Rural Water of Washington, and BMI (Portland, OR).

Applying for and paying for a BAT examination does not enroll anyone in a training course, nor are BAT examinations in Washington administered as part of any training course. Examinations are not cancelled due to cancellation of a training activity. See Apply for a BAT Certification Examination for transfer and cancellation policies. Attending a training course does not guarantee that an applicant will pass the examination.

Self-Study

Applicants are encouraged to review the written examination Need-to-Know Criteria.

For examples of the types of questions that will be covered on the computer-based examination, view ABC's Sample Exam Questions for Backflow Prevention Assembly Testers.

Applicants can also view a demonstration of ABC's computer-based examinations at Experience ABC's Computerized Exams.

To practice navigating within the computer-based testing environment before an examination date, a free online computer-based testing tutorial is available. Go to the LXR Store online and follow the instructions to access a Sample Web Test.

Applicants may use the BAT Exam References as self-study material.

Step 2 - Apply for BAT Certification

Follow these steps to apply to Washington Certification Services for BAT certification and to take the practical part of the examination:

Select a date and location from the BAT certification examination schedule.
Complete and submit the online BAT Certification Examination Application by the published deadline date.
Pay the $200 fee with a debit or credit card.

Step 3 - Pass the BAT Practical Examination

Applicants for BAT certification must pass the practical examination before being approved to take the computer-based part of the examination.

When an applicant passes the practical examination:

Washington Certification Services and AMP/ PSI will notify the applicant that they are eligible to apply to AMP/ PSI to take the computer-based part of the certification examination.
A separate fee of $100.00 will be payable directly to AMP/ PSI.
See Step 4 - Pass the AMP/ PSI Computer-Based Examination for more information.

If an applicant does not pass:

Applicants will be notified of the official results by email.
Applicants are not eligible to apply for another BAT certification examination until they have received official notification that they did not pass the previous practical examination.
A new online application and $200.00 fee will be required and must be submitted by the published application deadline date.
See Apply for BAT Certification and Practical Examination for more information.

Step 4 - Pass the AMP/ PSI Computer-Based Examination

Step 4 - Pass the AMP Computer-Based Examination

The computer-based part of the BAT certification examination is administered by Applied Measurement Professionals, Inc. (AMP/ PSI). Applicants for BAT certification that have passed the practical part of the examination will be notified of their eligibility to apply to AMP/ PSI to take the computer-based part of the examination. Applicants must apply for and pass this part of the examination within three months from the date of their practical examination. See the AMP/ PSI Candidate Handbook for more information about the computer-based examination.

WCS will notify AMP/ PSI and the applicant of the applicant's eligibility to apply for the examination.
AMP/ PSI will send the applicant an email and postcard confirming eligibility.
AMP/ PSI will provide instructions for applying online or by phone.
The $100.00 fee for this part of the examination must be paid directly to AMP/ PSI.
Applicants will receive results and a diagnostic profile as soon as they finish the examination.

When an applicant passes the computer-based examination:

AMP/ PSI will notify the applicant and WCS of the results.
WCS will issue the BAT certification by email.
The effective date of the BAT certification will be the date the applicant passes the computer-based part of the BAT certification examination.

If an applicant does not pass:

AMP/ PSI will provide the applicant with instructions on how to schedule another examination.
Applicants are required to wait 14 days before retaking the examination and must pay the $100.00 fee again.
The applicant's original application for certification and their practical examination results are valid for three months from the date the applicant passed the practical part of the examination.
Applicants that do not pass the computer-based examination within the eligibility period must apply to WCS as a new applicant, pay the $200.00 fee, and take the practical part of the examination again.