AMRT Certification (IICRC): The Complete Guide

What is the AMRT certification?

AMRT — Applied Microbial Remediation Technician — is the IICRC certification for technicians who contain and remove mold contamination, covering the topics in the ANSI/IICRC S520 standard. Holding it means you completed an approved course and passed a standardized exam on that standard.

It is a technician credential, not a license and not a business qualification. The IICRC issues it; the school teaches the class. AMRTTraining.com does neither — we are independent exam prep, not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the IICRC.

Who needs AMRT?

Anyone performing or supervising mold remediation in the field. It is the credential restoration firms hire against, and the one adjusters and property managers recognize.

• Restoration technicians moving from water damage into mold work.
• Crew leads who need to defend a scope to an IEP or adjuster.
• Owners of small restoration firms who need certified staff to win work.
• Anyone in a licensing state where approved training is part of the license path — see the state licensing table.

Do you need WRT before AMRT?

Yes — WRT is the IICRC prerequisite for AMRT, so you take Water Damage Restoration Technician first. There is no route into AMRT that skips it.

It is also the right order to learn in. Mold follows moisture, and the AMRT material assumes you can already read a moisture meter, classify water and understand drying. If WRT is still ahead of you, prep it at WRTTraining.com first.

How does the AMRT class work?

Four days with an IICRC-approved instructor at a third-party school, with the exam sat at the end. Days one to three cover the S520 body of knowledge; the last day wraps up and tests you.

As listed on Jon-Don's AMRT course page, the class is a 4-day course, offered in person only, and is approved for 14 IICRC CECs. Those are the school's published details; individual schools set their own schedule, so confirm the format and CEC credit with whichever provider you book.

Expect lecture, discussion of real jobs, and — in person — hands-on time with containment materials, negative air machines and respirators. Because the exam lands on day four, the students who do best are the ones who already knew Conditions 1/2/3 and the containment logic walking in. Our study modules exist for exactly that.

Where can I take the AMRT class?

Through IICRC-approved schools — the next scheduled dates are below, pulled from the live class feed. These are independent third-party schools; we neither teach the class nor issue the certification.

State-required mold training (Texas, Florida, New York, Louisiana, DC)

In five jurisdictions, the AMRT class alone is not enough — the state licenses the work and sets its own training requirement. Confirm every detail on the agency's page before you enroll.

• Texas (TDLR). Both mold remediation and mold assessment are licensed, and approved training is part of the process; hours and approved providers are listed at tdlr.texas.gov.
• Florida (DBPR). Remediators and assessors are licensed separately, with training and experience conditions set out at myfloridalicense.com.
• New York (Department of Labor). Mold work is licensed, and the state publishes an approved mold training provider list and course hours at dol.ny.gov.
• Louisiana (State Licensing Board for Contractors). Licensing runs through the contractors' board, which publishes the training and exam requirements at lslbc.gov.
• District of Columbia (DOEE). Mold assessment and remediation professionals are licensed by DOEE, with approved training and renewal terms at doee.dc.gov.

Full agency links are in the state licensing table, and course formats are compared in the training guide.

What's on the AMRT exam?

Everything the S520 covers, weighted toward decisions rather than trivia. Expect scenario questions — a described job site, four plausible responses, one that matches the standard.

• Mold biology and growth requirements — moisture, food source, temperature; why moisture is the controllable one.
• Health effects and exposure — allergenic, irritant and toxigenic potential, and why dead spores still matter.
• Conditions 1, 2 and 3 — definitions, examples, and returning a space to Condition 1.
• Containment — source, limited and full; critical barriers; decon chambers.
• Engineering controls — negative pressure, HEPA filtration at 99.97% / 0.3 micron, ACH targets, NAM sizing.
• PPE — assigned protection factors, when to upgrade, fit testing and doffing.
• Remediation methods — source removal, HEPA vacuuming, damp wiping, porous vs non-porous materials.
• Biocides and antimicrobials — supporting role only, label directions, never a substitute for removal.
• Moisture and inspection — finding the source, meters, and drying before rebuild.
• Sampling — air and surface sampling basics and who performs them.
• Post-remediation verification — visual inspection, agreed sampling, the independent IEP.
• Documentation and professional responsibility — records, occupant communication, conflict of interest.

Each of these maps to a topic in our practice exam bank, so a low score in one area tells you exactly which module to reread.

How is the exam scored?

The IICRC sets the number of questions, the time limit and the passing score; confirm current details when you register for the exam at iicrc.org. There is no scoring structure that rewards leaving a question blank, so never leave one blank.

Our timed simulator drills the same pacing pressure, including no backtracking once an answer is submitted. Treat the simulator score as a readiness signal, not as a prediction of the official result.

A 2-week AMRT study plan

Two weeks at 30–45 minutes a day is enough for most technicians who already hold WRT. The structure matters more than the hours: learn the framework first, drill vocabulary daily, and spend the second week under the clock.

• Days 1–2. Conditions 1/2/3 and mold biology. Read the S520 explainer, then drill the flashcards.
• Days 3–4. Containment types and engineering controls. Work the NAM sizing and ACH calculators until the formula is automatic.
• Day 5. PPE and safety — APFs, fit testing, doffing sequence.
• Days 6–7. Remediation methods, biocides, porous vs non-porous. First untimed practice set.
• Days 8–9. PRV, the IEP relationship, sampling and documentation.
• Days 10–11. Timed full-length simulations. Review every miss and note the topic.
• Days 12–13. Topic drills on your two weakest areas only.
• Day 14. One final timed run, then stop. Sleep beats cramming the night before.

How much does AMRT certification cost?

There is no single AMRT price. Costs come from four places, and only one of them is the IICRC.

• Class tuition — set by the school, varies by market and format; ask the schools you are considering.
• Exam / certification fee — charged by the IICRC and paid directly to them. As listed by Reets Drying Academy and The Academy of Textiles and Flooring, the AMRT exam fee is $150. That is their published figure, not ours — confirm the current fee at iicrc.org.
• The ANSI/IICRC S520 — purchased from the IICRC.
• Annual renewal and CECs — ongoing, with current terms at iicrc.org.
• Travel and lost field days — four days off the truck is the real hidden cost.

Exam prep here is $9/month, which is the one number on this page we can state without a caveat — see pricing.

Renewal and CECs

IICRC certifications do not last forever. They renew on a published cycle that requires continuing education credits and a maintenance fee, and letting a certification lapse means dealing with the IICRC's reinstatement rules rather than simply paying late.

CECs come from IICRC-approved courses, conferences and approved provider content. The current CEC requirement, renewal period, fees and lapse policy are published at iicrc.org.

AMRT vs MRS vs ACAC CMR

Full comparison, including NORMI and the state licenses, is on the mold remediation certification pillar.

Frequently asked questions