The journeyman's exam as a crane operator — how you prepare for the final exam

After basic course and main course, driver's license and certificates, the last hurdle awaits: the journeyman exam. This is where you show that you can combine everything you have learned to plan and execute a safe lift without being held by the hand. A passed journeyman exam is proof that you are ready to assume full responsibility as a skilled crane operator.

From 1 August 2026, a new executive order on the crane operator vocational programme applies (BEK no. 176 of 28/01/2026). It says that the journeyman's test is held by the school in cooperation with the trade committee as part of the last school period, and that the test is organised as stated in the programme regulations (§ 6). The regulations come from the trade committee, TUR — Transporterhvervets Uddannelser. This ensures that a passed journeyman's test means the same, whichever school you attended.

• 01A practical task with oral elements. You have 3 hours. The task is chosen by drawing lots among tasks set by the school.
• 02A written test of 45 minutes with 35 multiple-choice questions spread over fixed categories. The test is internet-based.
• 03The two sub-tests are taken separately, and the school decides the order.
• 04You get one overall grade on the 7-point scale. The grade for the practical task counts double, and you must get at least 02 in each sub-test.

In the practical task you must show that you can plan, document and carry out a task from your specialisation: safe crane work of varying types, handling and securing different types of goods, inspection and maintenance of the crane and other transport equipment, planning transports and delivering service and quality. In practice the examiners look at, among other things:

• 01Planning the lift — load, reach and load chart
• 02Setup and assessment of base and stability
• 03Selection and inspection of lifting gear and correct attachment
• 04Communication and signalling with the buyer
• 05The actual performance of the lift calm and controlled
• 06Ability to explain and justify your professional choices

Before the journeyman's test you must have the driving licences and certificates that the programme regulations require (BEK 176/2026 § 6, subsection 2). Already before the main course, the regulations require you to have forklift certificate B, first aid according to the Danish First Aid Council's training plans, basic firefighting according to DBI's guidelines and a van driver training certificate (VUB).

To get a school certificate, you must have at least 2.0 on average in all subjects of the main course and at least 02 in the final exam (§ 6, subsection 3).

An important point many apprentices underestimate: a clear safety breach during the exam — for example violating a basic safety rule, ignoring a stop signal or lifting without checking the base — can in itself cause the exam not to pass regardless of how well the rest of the lift was otherwise performed. It reflects the trade itself: a lift that looks good but is performed unsafely is not a good lift.

The best preparation is not to cram at the last moment, but to have made the professional routines a habit throughout the main course: know your load curve so it's a reflex, practice rigging and signaling with a partner, and ask your training supervisor or school early if there's anything in the guide you're unsure about. Come to the test calmly and routinely, it's not a surprise — it's a final, formal confirmation of something you already can do.

“The journeyman's exam tests not whether you can lift nicely once. It tests whether you can think like a crane operator every time.”