OHShub.com:  When did you decide to take the CIH exam?

Examinee:  I decided in 2003 to make it a goal of mine to obtain the CIH certification.

OHShub.com:  When did you obtain certification?

Examinee:  I actually obtained certification in May 2010.

OHShub.com:  What is your current career field and how do you feel it prepared you?

Examinee:  Currently I am in the consulting field.  I feel that it (i.e. being a consultant) prepared me by having the ability to complete a multitude of traditional IH projects.  The great thing about being a consultant is that there is always something new and fresh in meeting the needs of the client, which exposes you to a variety of the traditional “IH rubrics”.

OHShub.com:  How long had you been in the IH/Safety career field when you sat for the CIH exam?

Examinee:  Less than 10 years.  I believe it was actually 9 years.  While you can take the test after 5 years, I have always personally regarded the CIH designation highly.  I felt that it was important and wanted to have a certain “skillset” prior to sitting for the exam.

OHShub.com:  Are you saying that you did not just want to have a “certification” but wanted to be able to exemplify the characteristics of most CIH’s in the field?

Examinee:  Exactly.  That is precisely my thoughts and feelings.

OHShub.com:  What was/is your work/career-life like?

Examinee:  I consider myself very fortunate to have a very well qualified mentor (who is a CIH) and excellent IH support staff around me.  Personally, I feel that it would have been much more difficult to obtain such a high level IH skillset without those continuing resources.

OHShub.com:  Personally, how many hours do you think you studied in preparation for the CIH exam?

Examinee:  Great question.  But one that I thought about many times after many months of studying.  I’d imagine that I studied somewhere in the range of 700-800 hours in all.  Granted, this was over a few years.  However, over the final year leading up to the exam, the final breakdown was probably somewhere in the range of:

• > 12 months out = 120 hours
• 12 – 6 months out = 200 hours
• 6  - 3 months out = 200 hours
• 3 – 1 months out = 120 hours
• < 1 month out = 60-90 hours

OHShub.com:  How would you breakdown your study time?

Examinee:  By…

Reading & Studying:

• White Book
• NSC Fundamentals Book
• AIHA IH Reference & Study Guide

Completing:

• UNC Comprehensive IH Review
• Burton Elemental Industrial Hygiene Review

Practicing:

• OHShub.com CIH Exam Prep Questions
• BowenEHS Free Study Questions
• DataChem Software

OHShub.com:  What did you think of OHShub.com’s CIH Exam Prep Questions?

Examinee:  Is this a loaded question?  Actually, the questions in OHShub.com’s resources very closely represented the questions presented in the CIH exam.

OHShub.com:  How about DataChem’s software?

Examinee:  Being a statistical “nerd”, I actually kept stats on the accuracy of the questions I got correct while practicing with DataChem.  While using the software, over the course of approximately 2000 questions, I achieved approximately 71%.  While this number may not translate exactly to the CIH exam, I can tell you that I did score higher, as an average, over the rubrics on the CIH exam.  And, I passed the CIH exam on the first attempt.  Therefore, I tell you this because I feel that if you can study intensely, then prior to taking the CIH exam work DataChem and score > 70%, I’d feel comfortable in telling you that you should pass the exam.

OHShub.com:  Hasn’t DataChem been acquired by another company?

Examinee:  Yes, I believe it has been acquired by another laboratory group.  However, if you have considered the CIH exam in the last 15+ years, you have heard about “DataChem” and their software.

OHShub.com:  What can you tell us about the exam?

Examinee:  It is 250 questions, broken up into 2 parts (125 questions each part) of 3.5 hours each (i.e. 7 hours for the full exam).  When you end the first section, you have exactly one hour to get back into the exam room to start section 2 or else your time starts automatically.  So, prepare for lunch (e.g. have somewhere close-by to pick up lunch, bring a packed lunch, etc.).

You are now given pencil and paper, instead of the whiteboards that were given a few years back.  Much more conducive to IH’s who want to work out problems and reference equations/examples later on.  Believe me, you will repeat formulas, question-types, etc. throughout the exam (i.e. so keep up with past equations).

Based upon the exam that I completed, I walked out and compiled the following:  Of the 250 questions, I answered approximately:

• 30-35 equations (10-12 ventilation, 7-10 noise, 5 radiation, 1-2 asbestos, 3 parts per million, 2 mg/m3 conversion to ppm)
• 10 TLV guide questions
• 15 Toxicology questions
• 8-10 mold questions
• 3-5 ethics questions
• 0 history questions
• 5-8 workplace hazard questions
• 3 heat stress questions
• 5-8 chemistry questions
• 5 ventilation questions
• 5 noise questions
• 5 minimum sample volume (MSV) questions / sampling time
• 5 fan questions
• 3 fan type questions
• & whole lot of other questions that I can not remember exactly

OHShub.com:  Generally, would you say that the equations you encountered were difficult IH equations?

Examinee:  Absolutely not.  On the exam that I completed, very few of the equations needed were complicated.  Probably the most difficult dealt with contaminant generation and resultant concentration.  Radiation, noise, etc. equations were of the more “simple” variety.

OHShub.com:  What was the portion of the exam that created the most anxiety?

Examinee:  Actually, you may be suprised.  But, when you complete the exam and you press submit after section 2, the computer delivers a pause of approximately 60-90 seconds.  Very heart wrenching.  At that time, you find out if you passed (or not, I presume).

OHShub.com:  Any parting words?

Examinee:  Study hard, don’t take it lightly, and have faith!  While only 35-40% on average, in recent years, have passed the exam, you can do it!  Prepare, prepare & prepare some more!  It is well worth it!

• Confidence Limits (CL’s)
• CL’s and Compliance / Non-compliance Classifications
• Statistics and Classifications for: full period sampling, partial period sampling, consecutive sampling, grab sampling, comparison to ceiling standards, and more.

If you are looking for a (free) guide that details “real world” occupational exposure statistical analyses, download NIOSH’s guide HERE (NIOSH Occupational Exposure Sampling Strategy Manual (325)).

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Some of the chapters in the book include such topics as:

• Workers’ compensation and recordkeeping
• Accident investigation
• Intro to Industrial Hygiene
• Ergonomics
• System Safety
• Hazardous Materials,
• Multiemployer worksite doctrine
• Required written programs
• etc.

(Continue reading past the break for a download link to the book)

Great reference material for the practicing Health & Safety professional!

A copy of the book can be downloaded here: (Fundamentals of Occupational Safety and Health (2108))

or via File2Box.com

Source: @NIOSH (via Twitter)