Just got my CTI certification results and I passed. Wanted to give a detailed breakdown of the practical component since the written portion gets more coverage online but the hands-on assessment is really the heart of this exam and there's not much out there about what to actually expect.
The practical portion at my testing site was two and a half hours. You're expected to bring your own tools, and the list in the candidate handbook is accurate but read it carefully — I almost didn't bring my notched trowel in the correct size and that would have been a real problem. Materials were provided at the site. The assessors are watching your technique throughout, not just the final product — how you handle the substrate prep, your trowel angle, how consistent your trowel ridges are. It's not just about whether the tile ends up flat.
I've been setting tile professionally for about 9 years and I still practiced my layout planning specifically for the exam format because the conditions are different from a job site. You don't have a crew, you're being watched, and you're working in an unfamiliar space. Doing a few dry runs at home on a practice board helped me work out the nervous energy before the real thing. Lippage control was emphasized heavily — make sure your leveling technique is dialed in before you go.
The written portion covers ANSI and TCNA standards extensively. I'd say 30-35% of the written questions I saw were directly about installation standards and specifications. Industry knowledge — substrate types, setting materials, grouting chemistry — made up most of the rest. It's not trick questions, it's just very specific and the terminology matters.
At my testing site we worked on a pre-prepared cement board substrate. The prep work was mostly about checking for level, addressing any high spots, and applying membrane correctly before setting. Not a full substrate install from scratch but enough to assess whether you know what you're doing before the tile even touches the surface.
What substrate prep did they have you do? I've heard it varies by testing site — some have you working on an existing substrate and some involve more of a fresh setup. Trying to prepare for both scenarios but wondering what was most common.
The tool list thing is no joke. I knew someone who showed up without an appropriate grout float and had to improvise. He passed but it definitely affected his confidence and probably his technique. Go through the list item by item and check it twice before you leave the house.
Nine years in and you still practiced on a board before the exam — that's exactly the right call. I went in thinking my experience would carry me through the practical and I passed but it was closer than it should have been. The assessor pressure is real and you don't want your first time working under observation to be the exam itself.