Frequently asked Questions
Where are the courses held?
Most courses are held in Santa Cruz, CA however theory based confined space courses can be scheduled anywhere.
Where is Santa Cruz?
1.5 hours from San Francisco; 45 minutes from SJC international airport; and 1.25 hours from Monterey/Carmel, CA. If you are flying in from out of state or out of the country, we suggest you tack on an extra weekend and visit one of the most beautiful corners of the U.S.
Where Can I stay while in Santa Cruz?
We have a local information sheet that provides detailed information on local lodging, restaurants, entertainment. Download this sheet here.
Can I get away without renting a car?
Yes. It is moderately easy to get through the week without a car as there are hotels and restaurants within walking distance of the training center. You can even walk to the beach in the evening. To do this the Mission Inn and the Sunset Inn are the places to stay. The bus to Santa Cruz has internet and the trip is quite scenic, but it will take 2.5 hours rather than 50 minutes. See the training accommodations sheet for detailed information on shuttles and public transport options.
Who runs the evaluations on the 5th day of the course?
Rope Partner hires an outside (not affiliated with Rope Partner), SPRAT certified evaluator for all level II/III courses. For level I courses, Rope Partner is permitted by SPRAT guidelines to utilize either internal or outside SPRAT certified evaluators. The evaluator runs the last days schedule with occasional help from a Rope Partner employee. These evaluations can end by mid-afternoon for a level one candidate and last up to 12 hours for a level III candidate. The length of the evaluation depends on the skill and speed of the candidates, the style of the evaluator and the number of candidates being evaluated.
What happens if I don’t pass one portion of the evaluation?
Failure of the Field Evaluation:
A candidate who fails the Field Evaluation must wait at least seven days before retesting. The candidate is not required to retake a successfully completed written test if the field evaluation is conducted within 60 days of the original evaluation session.
Failure of the written examination:
A score of 80% or better constitutes a passing score for the written test (Example: 32/40 or better is needed to pass the written test). A candidate who fails the written test but passes the field evaluation component of the course can retake the written test between seven (7) and sixty (60) days from the date of the evaluation without being required to retake the Field Examination.
Do people fail regularly?
The majority of course evaluations at Rope Partner have no failures, but the rigorous standards set by SPRAT means that failures do happen. Being a SPRAT certified technician means that the individual has demonstrated the skills and knowledge at the level of their certification to an independent, professional evaluator. Because of the seriousness of work-at-height, this approach is mandatory. There is a clear analogy to motor vehicle licenses and the testing required to get them. As with the driving test, there are certain mistakes that result in automatic failure – it doesn’t necessarily mean you are bad driver, but under testing conditions, you made a serious mistake or couldn’t perform a certain operation. Luckily, like the driving test, you are allowed to retake an evaluation.
Does Rope Partner hire from its courses?
Rope Partner is always looking for talented technicians and encourages independent rope access technicians to submit a resume if they are interested in being considered for work at Rope Partner. In particular, Rope Partner seeks rope access technicians with trade training or experience in composite repair, welding, non-destructive testing, industrial coatings inspection and application.
As a training company, Rope Partner seeks to develop a high level of trust with companies that send their employees to us for training. Rope Partner does not recruit/hire from the companies that send their workers to its trainings.
Please see our employment webpage for more information.
