Asset Reliability Practitioner® [ARP] Training and Certification

A growth path for Asset Reliability Leaders and Practitioners. The only way to gain a first-class education and achieve recognition for knowledge and experience.

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A growth path for Asset Reliability Leaders and Practitioners

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The only way to enjoy success in a reliability improvement initiative is to appreciate what it takes to achieve culture change and the process improvements necessary to change the current practices into those that ensure equipment is maintained and operated in a manner that achieves peak performance. Mobius Institute™ has developed a series of training courses that provide the breadth and depth of knowledge necessary to achieve success.

Everyone needs to play their role in the initiative, and we offer training, and in some cases accredited certification, on the growth path from technician to leader:

  • Precision maintenance skills: alignment, balancing, fastening, and lubrication
  • Condition monitoring program establishment and technology expertise: vibration, ultrasound, oil analysis, infrared, and motor current analysis
  • Reliability engineering with the technical skills to implement the technical elements
  • Reliability leadership with the leadership skills to make the business case, build a strategy, and develop a motivated culture
  • Asset reliability strategy: the plan to ensure the initiative delivers sustained business value

A foundation built on mechanical skills

If the machine is not precision aligned and balanced, if it is not lubricated correctly, and if the fasteners are too tight or loose, the machine is destined for a short and disappointing life. It will be another asset that does not deliver its true value, it will interrupt operations, add to your maintenance costs, at worst, result in injury or environmental hard.

You can solve that problem with specific skills training, and you will learn all about it in the Asset Reliability Practitioner [ARP]  courses.

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See the future with condition monitoring

Condition monitoring is a key ingredient in any successful reliability improvement initiative, but while it can drastically reduce costs and improve plant reliability and dependability, it does not necessarily contribute to improved equipment reliability.

You can take specific training on the technologies according to ISO standards, or you can learn how to design and lead the condition monitoring program in the Asset Reliability Practitioner [ARP] courses.

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Asset Reliability Practitioner [ARP] training and certification

To enjoy a truly successful reliability improvement initiative, you need both depth and breadth of knowledge.

The leader of the initiative must have a clear view of the entire scope of the initiative, with a detailed understanding of the business proposition, the culture change process, and the individual steps required to implement the strategy. The reliability engineer must have a depth of knowledge in reliability analysis, maintenance strategy, and best practice, plus condition monitoring (and other topics). And they both must be surrounded by a workforce of people who are engaged and enthusiastic about the initiative.

The Asset Reliability Practitioner [ARP] training and accredited certification program provides the knowledge, qualifications, and growth path to enable a program to be run successfully.  Mobius Institute Board of Certification (MIBoC) is accredited by the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ) to provide personnel certification for Asset Reliability Practitioners according to ISO/IEC 17024, ED161-1 and ED161-2.

ARP-A® Reliability Advocate

Everyone must start somewhere. Whether you are new to reliability improvement and need a way to get up to speed, or if you wish to understand the complete holistic view of reliability and performance improvement because you are considering beginning a program, the ARP-A “Reliability Advocate” course is the perfect place to start.

Quick facts:

  • Gain a business overview of the benefits of reliability improvement
  • Understand the need for culture change and to educate everyone
  • Understand the strategy to implement a successful program
  • Gain a technical overview of the required precision maintenance practices and condition monitoring
  • Understand what it will take to develop the asset strategy (maintenance plan)
  • 3-day live course, also available in video format, and can be delivered at your site
  • Accredited certification to ISO/IEC 17024

Note: Modified versions of this course are available for different audiences: different durations and different levels of detail.

FREE DEMO: See a preview of the ARP-A course. Included is segments from our instructional videos and a chapter from our comprehensive ARP-A manual. You can access the training demo with your student credentials or create a new account using this link – ARP-A Course Demonstration Link.

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ARP-E® Reliability Engineer

This course is perfect for the technical reliability engineer. If you are the person who needs to understand how to implement the technical elements of reliability improvement and perform the analysis that will drive the key decisions, this is the ideal course for you.

Quick facts:

  • You will learn reliability data analysis techniques: criticality analysis, Pareto analysis, statistical analysis, Weibull analysis, and others
  • You will learn how to establish the asset strategy with fault tree analysis, RCM, FMECA, and PMO
  • You will learn how to perform and utilize root cause analysis
  • You will understand condition-based maintenance and the core technologies: vibration, ultrasound, oil analysis, infrared thermography, motor testing, and others
  • You will understand planning and scheduling, spares management, and precision/proactive maintenance: lubrication, alignment, balancing, and others
  • 5-day live course, also available in video format, and can be delivered at your site
  • Accredited certification to ISO/IEC 17024

FREE DEMO: See a preview of the ARP-E course. Included is segments from our instructional videos and a chapter from our comprehensive ARP-E manual. You can access the training demo with your student credentials or create a new account using this link – ARP-E Course Demonstration Link.

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ARP-L® Reliability Program Leader

If the responsibility for running a successful reliability and performance improvement initiative rests on your shoulders (or you wish it did), this is the course for you. The emphasis on this course is how to generate business value, develop and implement a strategy, and create the right culture, although we do summarize the technical elements.

Quick facts:

  • You will learn about the economics of reliability: aligning the strategy to business goals, economic justification (NPV, ROI, and others), measuring value, and more
  • You will learn about how to implement a successful strategy, with an emphasis on the Asset Reliability Transformation [ART] process
  • You will learn about how to change the culture: leadership, human psychology, human error, culture change, skills/education assessment, and more
  • You will receive an overview of the technical aspects of reliability improvement
  • 5-day live course, also available in video format, and can be delivered at your site
  • Accredited certification to ISO/IEC 17024

FREE DEMO: See a preview of the ARP-L course. Included is segments from our instructional videos and a chapter from our comprehensive ARP-L manual. You can access the training demo with your student credentials or create a new account using this link – ARP-L Course Demonstration Link.

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ARP Accredited Certification

Respected, accredited certification

Everyone should be recognized for their knowledge and experience, and that is certainly true for the champions of reliability improvement. There is so much to know across such a broad range of topics, that it takes a special person to be successful. The Asset Reliability Practitioner® certification program recognizes people in two ways: for their knowledge and for their experience.

Recognition for your knowledge

Following the guidelines established by international standards (IEC and ISO) and adhering to the highest standard of IEC/ISO 17024, the Asset Reliability Practitioner ARP-A “Reliability Advocate”ARP-E “Reliability Engineer”, and ARP-L “Reliability Program Leader” recognizes your knowledge and general experience.

If you are educated, pass the examination, and can verify your experience, you will join the ranks of the international fraternity of Mobius Institute™ certified practitioners.

This is a legitimate certification.

Mobius Institute Board of Certification (MIBoC) is accredited by the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ) to provide personnel certification for Asset Reliability Practitioners according to ISO/IEC 17024, ED161-1 and ED161-2.

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ART®: The Practical and Detailed Strategy

One of the keys to success: a practical, detailed strategy

You must have a strategy to be successful. Improving reliability and achieving target levels of performance is not easy. Many have tried and many have failed. The most common reason for failure is a lack of strategy: a plan that avoids the bear traps and keeps everyone motivated and aligned.

We have built the Asset Reliability Transformation [ART] process that will guide you, step-by-step through the initiative:

  • 10 phases, 64 steps, and 365 documented recommended practices – no stone left unturned
  • We help you ask the right questions at the right time so you make the right moves
  • VALUE, PEOPLE, and STRATEGY: Build a solid foundation
  • CONTROL: Overcome reactive maintenance
  • ACQUIRE, DISCIPLINE, CARE, ANALYTICS, EOL, and OPTIMIZE: Don’t create problems, make data-driven decisions, and continually improve

Regardless of your starting point, regardless of your industry, ART will enable you to run a successful reliability and performance improvement initiative.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Some of the more common questions regarding Asset Reliability Practitioner

  • IS THE ARP CERTIFICATION ACCREDITED TO ISO/IEC 17024?

    As of this writing, the ARP certification scheme has passed the final audit and has been formally accredited by the government-appointed body. The auditing body has also stated that everyone who has already been certified will automatically be enrolled in the accredited program.

    Mobius Institute Board of Certification (MIBoC) is accredited by the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ) to provide personnel certification for Asset Reliability Practitioners according to ISO/IEC 17024, ED161-1 and ED161-2.

  • WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ARP CATEGORY I, II, AND III AND ARP A, E, AND L?

    When the Mobius Institute Board of Certification™ [MIBoC] Scheme Committee initially established the Asset Reliability Practitioner certification scheme, it was decided that it should follow the same naming process as the condition monitoring ISO 18436 certification program. Therefore, it was decided that each level should be Category I, II, and III.

    The problem was, it caused confusion because whereas there is a definite growth path from Category I to II and III in vibration analysis, for example, and the fact that you needed to be Category II before you could apply for Category III, the same rules did not apply for ARP.

    The Scheme Committee decided that a person should be able to transition directly to the highest certification level of the ARP without being required to be certified at lower levels. The reason why is described in separate FAQ questions.

    The same is true for the second-highest level. The scheme committee determined that a person should be able to go directly to Category II.

    To avoid confusion, the certification levels were renamed as follows:

    • Category I became ARP-A “Reliability Advocate”
    • Category II became ARP-E “Reliability Engineer”
    • Category III became ARP-L “Reliability Program Leader”
  • WHY DOES ARP HAVE THREE LEVELS?

    Certain people in the industry, and the practitioners who formed the Mobius Institute Board of Certification Scheme Committee and Technical Committee believed that there should be more than one level of certification in recognition of the challenging task involved with improving reliability, maintenance, operational performance, and asset health monitoring. Thus, the three-level system was devised:

    • ARP-A: For engineers, managers, and practitioners who need to understand the entire picture of reliability and performance improvement without getting bogged down in any of the details in any one area
    • ARP-E: For reliability engineers who are focused on the technical aspects of reliability, maintenance, and asset health monitoring – the requirements go well beyond CMRP or any other certification program
    • ARP L: For the reliability program leaders who must primarily understand the business case, the requirements to change the culture, the strategy, and the leadership skills necessary to make such an initiative successful – the requirements, once again, go well beyond CMRP or any other certification program
  • WHY DO YOU NOT REQUIRE PEOPLE TO BE CERTIFIED ARP-E BEFORE THEY CAN BE CERTIFIED ARP-L?

    Generally speaking, there are two types of people in the role of a Reliability Program Leader.

    • There are people who have come up through the ranks, potentially beginning in a condition monitoring role, then working in reliability engineering, and finally being promoted into a role where they lead the reliability program. That person will have the technical skills and experience but will have to develop the knowledge necessary to create the business case, change the culture, develop the strategy, and implement a successful program. And that is what ARP-L is for.
    • However, there are also people who come into the role because they have already demonstrated leadership skills. They understand the business case, and they know how to lead people. They are organized project managers, and therefore have the skills to implement a successful program. In many cases, those people do not wish to delve deeply into the technical side of reliability engineering. Instead, they make sure that they have competent Reliability Engineers reporting to them who are able to make the right technical decisions and provide accurate information.

    Although this second group of people would benefit from having a deeper knowledge of reliability engineering, it was decided that they should not be forced to gain that knowledge. Instead, the ARP-L training provides a solid overview of the technical aspects so that they understand the terminology and main issues.

  • WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ARP AND CMRP?

    The SMRP CMRP certification has been around for a long time and it is generally respected in the industry. The SMRP CMRP certification program is accredited to IEC/ISO 17024 so it is fair, independent, and legitimate – just like ARP.

    Certain people in the industry and the practitioners who formed the Mobius Institute Board of Certification Scheme Committee and Technical Committee believed that there should be more than one level of certification in recognition of the challenging task involved with improving reliability, maintenance, operational performance, and asset health monitoring. Thus the three-level system was devised.

    The Scheme Committee and Technical Committee also believed there should be a structured training program to support the certification program and that people should be encouraged to take the training. Many people are only given the opportunity to take training if it is associated with the certification program. Unfortunately, SMRP actively discourages organizations from offering training that prepares a person for the CMRP certification, instead requesting people to read a variety of books.

    While certification is important, the education gained in achieving that certification is arguably more important.

  • WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ARP AND CRL?

    The structure, independence, discipline, and fairness behind the Asset Reliability Practitioner training and certification are very different from those that exist for CRL. While the training associated with CRL is closely related to that covered on the ARP-A course, that is where the similarities end.

  • WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ARP AND CRE?

    CRE certification is highly respected in the industry. CRE is focused on reliability engineering, however, the vast majority of CRE certified personnel are focused on product reliability; ensuring that your television does not fail, and determining warranty requirements, for example.

    ARP-E “Reliability Engineer” is focused on the role performed by personnel working with industrial equipment (rotating machinery, electrical equipment, mobile assets, etc.) with the goal of ensuring that equipment is available to be used when called upon, and to minimize the maintenance costs associated with those assets.

  • DO I NEED TO BE ARP A CERTIFIED IN ORDER TO TAKE THE ARP E COURSE AND EXAM?

    No. While the ARP-A course will provide a useful introduction which will make it far easier to understand the topics covered in ARP-E, the ARP-E course does not assume prior knowledge.

  • DO I NEED TO BE ARP-A or ARP-E CERTIFIED IN ORDER TO TAKE THE ARP-L COURSE AND EXAM?

    No. While the ARP-A and ARP-E courses provide a useful introduction which will make it far easier to understand the topics covered in ARP-L, and while ARP-E will be tremendously valuable to the Reliability Program Leader, the ARP-L course does not assume prior knowledge.

  • WHAT DO I RECEIVE WHEN I AM CERTIFIED?

    You will be issued a digital certificate, personalized logo, and certification card. The certificate will acknowledge that the recipient has completed training,  passed the exam, and if they have sufficient practical work experience relevant to the technology to be fully certified. This will be available to share online as needed by the candidate. Your name will also appear on the Mobius Institute website (unless you would prefer to remain anonymous).

  • WHAT ARE THE EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS FOR ARP A, E, AND L?

    (From the MIBoC guide ED161-2) The requirements are:

    • ARP-A – 6 months
    • ARP-E – 24 months
    • ARP-L – 48 months
  • WHAT TYPE OF EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED FOR ARP-A, E, AND L?

    The experience requirements exist simply to ensure that you have experienced the issues related to poor reliability: downtime, lower than desired production output, frustration with breakdowns, etc. In the case of ARP-E and ARP-L, the experience requirements also exist to ensure that you have some experience improving reliability. It is not expected that you have been a full-time reliability engineer or program leader, but it is expected that you may have been involved with some of the common activities, such as condition monitoring, the acquisition of laser alignment or other precision maintenance tools, root cause failure analysis, and so on.

  • HOW LONG ARE THE EXAMS?

    (From the MIBoC guide ED161-2) The requirements are:

    • ARP-A: 60 questions, duration 2 hours, 70% passing grade
    • ARP-E: 100 questions, duration 3 hours, 70% passing grade
    • ARP-L: 100 questions, duration 3 hours, 70% passing grade.
  • HOW ARE THE EXAM QUESTIONS DEVELOPED?

    The Mobius Institute Board of Certification (MIBoC) has established an independent Technical Committee (TC) and questions have been submitted for approval from other industry experts. Questions are proposed, audited, and reviewed by the TC. MIBoC has developed a process that utilizes software developed for the task so that the exam questions are protected, and so that all changes are tracked. The TC is made up of industry experts and experienced people who work in the field from around the world.

    Once a question has been used in an exam, special statistical processes, called psychometrics, are used to check if any questions are too easy, too hard, or too confusing. Those questions are then reviewed by the TC and either improved or rejected.

  • IS THE ASSET RELIABILITY PRACTITIONER CERTIFICATION SCHEME BASED ON AN ISO STANDARD?

    Yes and no. Unfortunately, there is not an ISO standard for the certification of reliability practitioners or anything close to it.

    However, the Mobius Institute Board of Certification [MIBoC] ED-161 scheme is modeled on the ISO 18436 standards; the topics are mapped to the ISO 55000 standards; the scheme follows ISO/IEC 17024, and the core knowledge and vocabulary/terminology is based on definitions developed in a variety of ISO standards (and other international standards). The topics themselves, and the requirements, were developed over a long time by the MIBoC Scheme Committee and Technical Committee. SC and TC are made up of industry experts and experienced people who work in the field from around the world.

  • IF MOBIUS CERTIFIES ME AT ARP A, E, OR L, DOES THAT MEAN THAT I AM QUALIFIED TO DO MY JOB AND THUS DO NOT REQUIRE ANY SUPERVISION?

    No. Certification at ARP A, E, and L demonstrates that you have some experience in an industrial setting and that you understand certain facts, concepts, and principles, but it does not mean that an employer should not take responsibility for the tasks that you are assigned to perform.

    Having said that, a person who has passed ARP-E should have the knowledge necessary to become an effective reliability engineer, and a person who passes ARP-L should be able to manage and lead a reliability improvement initiative.

  • IF I HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED EQUIVALENT TRAINING, CAN I TAKE THE EXAM?

    Yes. We will need to see some evidence that you have taken the training, but it is not necessary to retake any training.  For a list of recognized courses, refer to ED169 .  You can email certification@mobiusinstitute.com for questions or submitting training for verification.

  • WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MOBIUS INSTITUTE AND THE MOBIUS INSTITUTE BOARD OF CERTIFICATION (MIBOC)?

    Mobius Institute is a private training, conference, and media organization. Some of the training offered by Mobius Institute has been approved by the Mobius Institute Board of Certification. At the time of this writing, there were approximately 130 organizations in 60 countries that have been approved to teach the Mobius Institute courses in 23 languages.

    Mobius Institute Board of Certification (MIBoC) is a private organization, however it operates in the same way as a not-for-profit organization (except that, due to Australian taxation law, we do not have not-for-profit status because we service organizations outside Australia, therefore we pay tax on all revenue received, unlike other not-for-profit organizations.) MIBoC is governed by the MIBoC Governing Body, and all of its procedures are defined by independent Scheme Committees. All technical matters are defined by independent Technical Committees.

  • IS THE TRAINING AND EXAM SPECIFIC TO MOBIUS INSTITUTE THEORY?

    No. For many years there has been a body of knowledge associated with reliability and performance improvement, including best practices in maintenance, condition monitoring, asset strategy development, reliability engineering, and other related topics. While a Mobius Institute course may have a unique way of presenting the material, Mobius Institute courses simply teach well documented best practices.

  • CAN I TAKE A MOBIUS INSTITUTE COURSE, AND THEN TAKE THE CMRP OR CMRT EXAM?

    Yes. The topics covered in the Mobius Institute courses will prepare you for the SMRP certification exams. You will simply have to make arrangements with the organization providing that training, and SMRP, to ensure that you can take an exam after you have been trained.

  • IF I HAVE TAKEN THE CRL COURSE CAN I TAKE THE ARP-A EXAM?

    Yes. If you have evidence that you took the course, then you are welcome to take the ARP-A exam so that you are certified by an accredited certification body.

  • CAN THE ARP EXAMS BE TAKEN ONLINE?

    Yes. It will be necessary to coordinate with the Mobius Institute Board of Certification (MIBoC) as there are certain procedures that must be followed.

  • IS IT POSSIBLE TO TAKE THE ARP EXAMS AT THE MOBIUS CONNECT TRAINING CONFERENCES?

    Yes, many people take the ARP (and other) exams at our training conferences. Please contact the certification manager to organize the exam.

  • WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ASSET RELIABILITY PRACTITIONER CERTIFICATIONS AND THE SMRP CMRP CERTIFICATION?

    If you have knowledge and experience in the field of reliability and performance improvement, then the ARP-A course may aid you in the preparation for the CMRP exam. However, given that the main aim of the ARP-A course is to create detailed awareness rather than detailed knowledge, you are best advised to take the longer ARP-E course to fully understand Reliability Engineering.

    It should be stated that the SMRP certification scheme has been developed with the highest standards, and the CMRP scheme is accredited to ISO/IEC 17024. The Mobius Institute Board of Certification [MIBoC] processes mirror the SMRP processes, and MIBoC is accredited to the same standard.

  • CAN I HAVE THE TRAINING COURSE I HAVE DEVELOPED RECOGNIZED BY THE MOBIUS INSTITUTE BOARD OF CERTIFICATION AND THEN ORGANIZE FOR PEOPLE TO TAKE THE ARP EXAM AFTERWARDS?

    Yes. Your training material will need to be approved by the independent Technical Committee established by MIBoC, and the Technical Committee members to review your course are chosen to ensure there is no conflict of interest.

  • CAN I BE APPROVED TO TEACH THE MOBIUS INSTITUTE COURSES AND THEN OFFER THE MOBIUS INSTITUTE BOARD OF CERTIFICATION EXAM?

    Yes. We have a simple but proven method to become an Approved Training Center. We have been working with companies in 60 countries around the world to teach other Mobius Institute courses, and we would certainly like the opportunity to work with you as well. As you can imagine, we need to ensure that you are qualified in the subject areas, that you have experience teaching courses, and you have a business capable of supporting these activities. And once you are approved, you will take additional training to ensure you are confident and competent in teaching the Mobius Institute courses.

  • WHY DOES MOBIUS INSTITUTE USE THE PHRASE “RELIABILITY AND PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT” RATHER THAN SIMPLY “RELIABILITY IMPROVEMENT” OR “MAINTENANCE AND RELIABILITY IMPROVEMENT”?

    The reason that most organizations seek to improve reliability is to improve the performance of the organization.

    Ultimately most organizations wish to improve financial performance; whether that’s increased profits, or reduced expenses in the case of a government organization, for example. Organizations must also seek to improve their safety and environmental performance. In order to achieve the company’s goals, the organization must perform better in many departments of the company, including maintenance, operations/production, procurement, materials and work management, and engineering.

    While we seek to improve reliability, we are not improving reliability for reliability’s sake; we are making improvements that add value to the organization, ultimately by improving performance.

  • CAN THE ARP COURSES BE DELIVERED AT OUR SITE?

    Yes. The ARP-A “Reliability Advocate” course would be perfect for an on-site course, and it has been delivered on-site many times. We can either “simply” teach the course or we can work with you to expand the course so that you can relate the topics of the course, and the issues raised during the course, to the reality in your plant. In that case, we could team up with someone within your organization who can ask the ideal questions at the ideal time.

    There are actually two versions of the ARP-A course. The standard course which is taught during conferences and public training sessions, and a course that we call the ARP-A “PLANT-WIDE AWARENESS” course. This course was developed for people who will not actually work in the role of which the primary goal is to improve reliability, who therefore need to understand how to implement the program, the challenges of culture change, the business case, and other issues. The “PLANT-WIDE AWARENESS” is perfect for people who work in the plant and simply need to know why reliability should be improved, how they will benefit, how they can contribute to the program, and to demystify all of the technologies and terminology.

    It is an excellent course if you want to ensure that everyone is on the same page, pulling in the same direction.

  • DO YOU RECOGNIZE OTHER COURSES?

    For a list of recognized courses, you can refer to the document ED169

  • HOW LONG IS THE CERTIFICATION VALID?

    ARP-A certification is valid for three (3) years.

  • HOW DO I RENEW MY CERTIFICATION?

    We will endeavor to contact you before your certification expires, therefore it is important that you keep your TMS records up to date (TMS is the training management system you will use to register for the course and for certification). If you change roles, it is essential that you update your records. We also invite you to set a reminder in your calendar for five years hence to contact us.