AIMS Maintenance Technician Level I confirms maintenance-field knowledge and requires documented eligibility plus a passing exam result. Prepare from the ASTM standards and industry knowledge relevant to your work, while keeping initial eligibility separate from renewal coursework. Level I has quarterly online exams as well as in-person testing.
What the Level I certification confirms
Level I is the entry level of AIMS International's three-level maintenance certification program for people who inspect, maintain, repair and operate amusement rides and attractions.
AIMS International offers maintenance certification at three levels: Certified Maintenance Technician Level I, Certified Maintenance Technician Level II, and Certified Maintenance Professional Level III. The program is aimed at maintenance technicians, mechanics, electricians and supervisors involved in the inspection, upkeep, repair and safe operation of amusement rides and attractions.
Level I eligibility rules
Check the education and experience routes on AIMS's application page. The standard experience route is 12 months of amusement maintenance employment; without education documentation the page lists 36 months. Initial Level I certification requires neither coursework nor an eye exam.
Education: you must attest to holding a high school diploma, college diploma or GED. If you cannot document your education, you instead need at least 36 months of employment in the amusement ride inspection field.
Experience: you must document employment in the amusement maintenance field totaling at least 12 months. That rises to 36 months if you cannot provide proof of education.
An eye exam is not required for this maintenance certification or its renewal. Coursework is not required before the initial Level I exam; approved learning hours are required for renewal.
Exam formats, 2026 dates and fees
Level I is the only AIMS maintenance level with an online exam, offered quarterly, and it is also available in person at three industry events. Application fees are $85 at a seminar, $110 at regional events, and $135 online.
Online exams run quarterly. AIMS listed four 2026 windows: March 17–18, May 19–20, August 18–19 and October 20–21. The first three windows have now passed; as of mid-September 2026, the remaining listed window is October 20–21, with applications due by 5:00 pm ET on October 15, 2026. Check AIMS's certification page for windows added after this guide was written.
If you prefer in-person testing, the Level I exam is offered at the AIMS International Safety Seminar, the AIMS Asia Pacific Seminar and the SafeConnect Conference. Application fees differ by format: $85 to test during an AIMS seminar, $110 for on-the-road or regional events, and $135 for the online exam.
If you are unsuccessful, you can reapply 60 days after your initial exam date. One detail to confirm elsewhere: the AIMS pages reviewed do not state the number of questions, time limit or passing score for the Level I exam, so check your application materials or ask AIMS directly before test day.
Sources: Maintenance Technician Certification | AIMS Safety Training — Level I qualifications, exam dates, formats and fees; Amusement Safety FAQs | AIMS Certifications & Seminars — Exam availability, CEU and renewal, standards authorship, course-derived questions
What to study: ASTM standards, state rules and your facility
AIMS tests applicable ASTM standards, state standards and accepted industry practices. There is no single national ride-inspection standard, so your study list depends on the attractions and jurisdiction you work under.
AIMS directs candidates to the ASTM standards relevant to their facility and operations, along with state standards and accepted industry practices. The retrieved certification page does not publish a numbered or weighted maintenance-topic blueprint.
AIMS uses standards in its education and testing; ASTM International develops the standards. Use the subject list below to organize reading, then check the actual document and its applicability. AIMS marks F1159 as withdrawn; a list of standard titles is not a technical maintenance procedure.
| ASTM reference | Subject on the AIMS list |
|---|---|
| F747 | Terminology for amusement rides and devices |
| F770 | Ownership, operation, maintenance and inspection of amusement rides and devices |
| F2374 | Design, manufacture, operation and maintenance of inflatable amusement devices |
| F2461 | Manufacture, construction, operation and maintenance of aquatic play equipment |
| F2970 | Design, manufacture, installation, operation, maintenance, inspection and major modification of trampoline courts |
Sources: Maintenance Technician Certification | AIMS Safety Training — Level I qualifications, exam dates, formats and fees; ASTM Standards | Amusement Ride Safety, Design & Compliance — List of common ASTM F24 standards; Amusement Safety FAQs | AIMS Certifications & Seminars — Exam availability, CEU and renewal, standards authorship, course-derived questions
Turn your reading into a checkable written answer
Practise connecting a stated observation to the exact information supplied, without inventing a diagnosis or next action.
AIMS says its exams draw on general education, experience and industry knowledge rather than particular mandatory classes. Review the applicable references, then write short practice answers supported by the passages you have read.
The following paper exercise uses a fictional log instruction. It practices reading and arithmetic only; its dimensions and reporting instruction do not apply to an actual ride.
Practice exercise
A fictional worksheet states: "Record the location, date, measured thickness and named recorder. For this worksheet only, the minimum thickness is 13.0 mm; label smaller measurements Below worksheet minimum." On 12 October 2026, Alex Ray records 12.2 mm for guide wheel 3, left rear bogie. Write the entry and calculate how far the measurement is below the worksheet minimum.
Show answer
Guide wheel 3, left rear bogie; 12 October 2026; 12.2 mm; recorded by Alex Ray. Below worksheet minimum by 0.8 mm.
13.0 − 12.2 = 0.8 mm. The entry includes every field requested by the fictional instruction. One measurement does not establish a trend or diagnose the cause, and the worksheet supplies no repair or return-to-service decision.
Plan the two-year renewal
The certification is valid for two years. Renewal requires four CEUs (40 hours) of AIMS-approved coursework earned during each two-year period and a $75 renewal fee.
You earn renewal CEUs through seminar attendance or AIMS ConnectED online courses during the renewal period. Both applications and renewals require documentation of your education and employment experience. If a certification has been expired for five years or more, AIMS requires retesting rather than simple renewal.
Sources: Maintenance Technician Certification | AIMS Safety Training — Level I qualifications, exam dates, formats and fees; Amusement Safety FAQs | AIMS Certifications & Seminars — Exam availability, CEU and renewal, standards authorship, course-derived questions
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