The Certified Cost Controller exam is taken by cost and project controls professionals who track budgets, report variances and support scheduling and risk work. This page gives you free practice sets by topic, worked questions with full explanations, the exam facts published by AACE International, a study plan and answers to common candidate questions.
The CCC has 119 questions, takes about 5 hours and costs $525[1] (AACE International, verified Oct 26, 2026).
Numbers in brackets link to the official sources listed under Sources & last verified. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.
| Item | Detail | Source · Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Number of questions | 119 multiple-choice/scenario questions + 1 memo[1] | AACE International · Oct 26, 2026 |
| Time limit | 5 hours maximum[1] | AACE International · Oct 26, 2026 |
| Passing score | 70% overall average[1] | AACE International · Oct 26, 2026 |
| Exam fee | US$525 members / US$690 non-members[1] | AACE International · Oct 26, 2026 |
| Retake fee | US$260 per resit[1] | AACE International · Oct 26, 2026 |
| Retake policy | Up to 3 attempts in a 6-month registration period[2] | AACE International · Oct 26, 2026 |
| Validity | 3 years[1] | AACE International · Oct 26, 2026 |
| Renewal | 12 CEUs in 2+ categories or re-examination[1] | AACE International · Oct 26, 2026 |
| Delivery | Kryterion test center or online proctoring[2] | AACE International · Oct 26, 2026 |
| Eligibility | 8 yrs experience, or 4 yrs + 4-year degree[1] | AACE International · Oct 26, 2026 |
| Score release | Pass/fail by email, about 2-3 weeks after the monthly grading cycle[2] | AACE International · Oct 26, 2026 |
According to AACE International, “An overall average score of 70% or higher is needed to pass the exam”[1]
The exam is run by AACE International and tests day-to-day cost control work: managing project costs, measuring performance, reporting, supporting risk and scheduling, and working with other disciplines. You can sit it at a Kryterion exam center or through online proctoring.
The exam has 119 multiple-choice and scenario questions plus 1 memo, with 5 hours maximum. You need an overall average score of 70% or higher to pass. The fee is US$525 for members and US$690 for non-members. Candidates need 8 years of industry-related experience, or 4 years of experience plus a 4-year industry-related college degree.
If you do not pass, a resit costs US$260 for members and non-members alike. Your registration period lasts 6 months, and you may attempt the exam up to 3 times within it. Results come by email, pass or fail, about 2-3 weeks after the monthly grading cycle starts, so do not expect an answer on test day.
Certification is valid for 3 years. To renew, you either collect 12 CEUs in at least 2 categories or take the exam again. Fees and rules can change, so check AACE International's own candidate handbook and certification pages before you register. This site is not the official body and its content is written with AI tools.
The content areas below are copied from the official CCC content outline published by AACE International. The right-hand column shows which of our practice sets covers it.
| Official content area | Practice on this site |
|---|---|
| Communication[1] | CCC Communication & Stakeholder Engagement Practise choosing what to tell which stakeholder, and how to present cost information so each audience can act on it. |
| Conduct Performance Measurement/Analysis[1] | CCC Schedule Control & Earned Value Manage... Practise earned value calculations, variances and forecasts, and explaining what each result says about the project. |
| Create Reports and Documentation[1] | CCC Documentation & Record Management Practise record keeping, source-document traceability and what a report needs to be accurate and auditable. |
| Inform the Risk Management Process[1] | CCC Risk Management & Cost Optimization Practise linking cost data to risk, including contingency thinking and how cost trends signal emerging problems. |
| Interface with Other Disciplines[1] | CCC Contract Management & Procurement Practise how cost control connects to contracts, procurement and other project functions, and where responsibilities meet. |
| Managing Project Costs[1] | CCC Cost Estimation & Budgeting Practise estimating, building budgets and tracking spending against them as the project changes. |
| Support/Inform the Scheduling Process[1] | CCC Schedule Control & Earned Value Manage... Practise how schedule progress affects cost measures and how cost information feeds back into schedule decisions. |
Prepare for the CCC - Certified Cost Controller exam with our free practice test modules. Each quiz covers key topics to help you pass on your first try.
These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.
Question: In EVM, the Estimate at Completion (EAC) using the Cost Performance Index (CPI) is calculated as:
Answer: A. BAC ÷ CPI
Explanation:
Option A is right. Dividing the budget at completion by the Cost Performance Index forecasts the final cost if future work keeps the same cost efficiency as work done so far. Option B multiplies instead of dividing, which moves the forecast the wrong way: a project running over budget would show a lower final cost. Option C, actual cost plus the remaining budgeted work, assumes the rest of the work will be done at the original planned rate, which is a different assumption. Option D, earned value minus actual cost, is the cost variance, a measure of the past rather than a forecast. The rule to remember: choose the forecast formula by the assumption you make about future performance.
Question: When maintaining cost records for a project subject to government audit, which principle is MOST important?
Answer: A. All costs must be supported by original source documents and traceable to the general ledger
Explanation:
Option A is right. An auditor must be able to follow any reported figure back through the general ledger to the original invoice, timesheet or contract document. Option B is wrong because a licensed accountant's signature does not replace source documents; the summary still has to be traceable. Option C is wrong because electronic records without backup risk loss and cannot be relied on if a system fails. Option D is wrong because estimates cannot stand in for missing support when costs are tested for allowability, allocability and reasonableness. The rule to remember: every cost should be supported by an original document and traceable upward to the ledger and reports.
Question: If a project has Actual Cost (AC) of $600,000 and Earned Value (EV) of $500,000, what is the Cost Variance (CV)?
Answer: A. -$100,000 (over budget)
Explanation:
Option A is right. Cost Variance is Earned Value minus Actual Cost, so $500,000 minus $600,000 gives -$100,000. A negative result means the project has spent more than the value of the work accomplished, so it is over budget. Option B flips the sign; a positive variance would need actual cost below earned value. Option C would only apply if the two values were equal. Option D is wrong because Cost Variance uses only earned value and actual cost, so the budget at completion is not needed. The rule to remember: negative cost variance means over budget, positive means under budget.
Start by reading the AACE International candidate handbook and exam details so you know the format, the topic list and the rules for resits. Then take a short practice set from each topic in our list without checking answers as you go. Note which topics feel slow or uncertain.
Close to test day, sit a mixed session in one sitting to build stamina for a long exam, and leave time to rest. Our questions are written by us with AI tools and are not real exam questions, so treat them as practice for reasoning, and use the official material as your source for what is tested.
The exam has 119 multiple-choice and scenario questions plus 1 memo. You have 5 hours maximum. You can take it at a Kryterion exam center or through online proctoring. Check the AACE International candidate handbook before booking, because delivery details and rules can change.
You need an overall average score of 70% or higher. Results are sent by email as pass or fail, about 2-3 weeks after the monthly grading cycle starts, so the answer does not appear on test day. The exact timing depends on when you sit the exam within that cycle.
The fee is US$525 for members and US$690 for non-members. A resit costs US$260 for both groups. Your registration period lasts 6 months, and you may take the exam up to 3 times within it. Confirm current fees with AACE International before you pay.
AACE International asks for 8 years of industry-related experience, or 4 years of industry-related experience plus a 4-year industry-related college degree. The wording of what counts as related experience is set by the official body, so read its certification page and handbook before you apply.
Certification is valid for 3 years. You renew it by accumulating 12 CEUs in at least 2 categories, or by taking the exam again. Start tracking your CEUs early rather than leaving it to the end, and check the official site for which activities count.
No. The practice questions on this site are written by us with AI tools and are not real exam questions. They are meant to build the reasoning and calculation habits the exam content areas call for. Use the official AACE International material to confirm what is tested.
How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.