The NICET webpage seems to have undergone a little remodel... It took me forever to find this link containing the information you HAVE TO HAVE about the test topics and what materials you are allowed to bring into the test. This should have been much easier to find...

http://www.nicet.org/become-certified/how-do-i-get-certified/technician-certification-programs/electrical-and-mechanical-systems/water-based-fire-protection-systems-layout/

LEVEL 3.1 AND 3.2

LEVEL 4

Before I share the link to the next Study Guide section, I want to complain a little about the NTC Grey book. I hope you haven't wasted any money on this publication yourself, or if you have, I hope they've improved. I ordered this book in 2013 and was LIVID at how useless it really was. The NTC description is so far from accurate its not even funny. 

Just as the title says, This is a "CERTIFICATION GUIDE", not a study guide for test prep. I expected a large book with lots of useful information and what I got was a book of sample test questions and directions on how to apply for your NICET. 

The book is $150.00 direct from NTC (over priced) and on Amazon and Ebay sells for a little over $200... Haven't figured that one out yet... 

Check out this guys Amazon review...

He seems to share the same sentiment I do regarding this book.. and it seems he way over payed purchasing on Amazon. NTC does not have a way to rate or review the book on its own page so there's no way to warn other designers of what they are really getting.

The link below is to one of the various companies offering online courses to earn the credits necessary to maintain NICET certification. The great thing about Jensen Hughes is that they actually offer one basic course for FREE. You earn one credit and you get a feel for what the rest of the courses are like.

The necessity to continually earn credit hours seems like a noble cause, you want educated and skilled people designing systems that may one day save a life. But to think for the next 20, 30, 40 years you will need to find ways to earn these credits seems nearly impossible. How many different ways are there to continue to earn these credits while working in the field full time already? I believe this side of NICET Certification is very much about the money and not so much about the level of expertise.

Now, I don't want to sound like I am whining when it comes to earning the extra 18 hours needed if you've actively worked full time for the 3 year certification period, but unfortunately the company I work for has lost its most experienced designers to other companies... So I no longer have the group of professionals just across the hall to seek advice from. And, as stated in my first post, I'm not finding any easy answers online.

Check out the course below, it is not timed. There are short review sessions in between the course sections. And for being such a basic subject, it was actually very useful to refresh myself on some of the subject matter. Once completed you have access to review the courses whenever you want and upon receiving a passing grade you receive a printable certificate for the credit hour.

https://www.jensenhughesacademy.com/catalog/product/sprinklers_fire_behavior_introduction_to_fire_suppression

To start, I'm a NICET Level 2 designer. Certified in Water Based Systems Layout. I began working as a fire suppression designer in February of 2007. I passed my level 1 test in November of 2008 and my level 2 test in October of 2009. I have yet to venture into Level 3... but we're not getting into the reasons for that just yet... My Level 1 and 2 testing were on the now outmoded WORK ELEMENT format.

I've created this page in the hopes that other entry level, to moderately experienced, sprinkler systems designers can find some useful information that I myself have found to be seriously lacking despite the vast expanse of information available on this thing we call "THE INTERNET."

It may take some time to post everything (though not much) I'd like to share with other young designers looking for an inexpensive way to gain knowledge and prepare for NICET certifications, but I genuinely want this to help you find the information that you have been unable to locate yourself without spending money blindly hoping what your paying for is what you get... because sometimes you have no idea what you're actually paying for.