Does your work require acoustical testing according to ASTM, ASA/ANSI, or other standards? Do you have to measure noise levels inside a building or outside in the environment? Consider earning the INCE Technical Badge, a new offering from INCE-USA focused on teaching and assessing the industry standard methodologies for environmental and building noise control.

Technical Badges will be available for various topics.  At this time, the Indoor/Outdoor Noise Measurement Technical Badge is open for enrollment.  INCE is working on a Building Acoustics Technical Badge that shall be available in the summer of 2026.

Parts of the Technical Badge Program

Each Technical badge will contain three parts:

• (Optional) Online Course
• (Mandatory) Online Test
• (Mandatory) Bi-annual update maintenance consisting of:
  • Short online learning, on any changes to the standard, and various details that may have been forgotten.
  • Short online test to show completion of the learning

Why Earn an INCE Technical Badge?

Earning an INCE Technical Badge demonstrates a user’s competency in distilling the technical nuances and methodologies found in acoustics and noise control standards for on-site assessment. As building and environmental standards, ordinances, codes, and other guidelines begin to consider the importance of on-site assessment of noise and acoustics, the INCE Technical Badge offers a standardized approach to demonstrate understanding of the constantly evolving, ever-changing collection of noise measurement standards.

Eligibility is open to any interested person, regardless of their country of residence or professional experience in noise control or acoustics.

If you have any other questions not included in the FAQ below, please contact us at ibo@inceusa.org.

Quick Links:

How was the Program Developed?
What Standards Are Covered In Each Course?
Purchase Standard Bundles
What are the fees for each part of the Technical Badge?
How long are the courses?
What does the final test entail?
What happens when I pass the final test?
How often will I have to take maintenance courses?
How can I showcase my badge?

How was the Program Developed?

Under the supervision of the INCE Board of Directors and INCE Leadership, a committee was formed to oversee the creation of the courses.  The Technical Badge Committee put out an RFP for the creation of the content from leaders in the acoustical industry.  Those involved in the processes have decades of experience in acoustics and noise control and are widely recognized for their expertise in the course topics and standards development.  Many of those involved have earned their INCE Board Certification for Noise Control Engineering and have advanced degrees in acoustics and related fields.

What Standards Are Covered In Each Course?

The Indoor/Outdoor noise measurement technical badge includes content covered by the following standards.

• ASA/ANSI S1.1 - Acoustic Terminology
• ASA/ANSI S12.9 - Quantities and Procedures for Description and Measurement Of Environmental Sound
• ASA/ANSI S12.100 - Methods to define and measure the residual sound in protected natural and quiet residential areas
• ASA/ANSI S12.72 - Procedure of Measuring the Ambient Noise Level in a Room
• ASTM E1503 - Outdoor Measurements with Digital Statistical Analysis System
• ASTM E1780 - Conducting Outdoor Sound Measurements Received from a Fixed Source
• ASA/ANSI S12.2 - Criteria for Evaluating Room Noise

The Building Acoustics noise measurement technical badge includes content covered by the following standards.

• ASTM E336 - Measurement of Airborne Sound Attenuation between Rooms in Buildings
• ASTM E413 - Classification for Rating Sound Insulation
• ASTM E989 - Standard Classification for Determination of Single-Number Metrics for Impact Noise
• ASTM E1007 - Field Measurement of Tapping Machine Impact Sound Transmission Through Floor-Ceiling Assemblies and Associated Support Structures
• ASTM E2235 - Determination of Decay Rate for Sound Insulation Measurements
• ASTM E3207 - Standard Classification for Determination of Low-Frequency Impact Noise Ratings
• ASTM E3222 - Standard Classification for Determination of High-frequency Impact Sound Ratings

Purchase Standard Bundles

INCE has compiled all relevant standards into bundles that are available for purchase.  Agreements have been reached with each standard’s publishers to provide these bundles at a discount.

NOTE: Standards referenced in the courses and assessed on the final test are based on current standards at the time the course was last updated. Any updates made after the date noted in the course will be included in future maintenance courses. 

What are the fees for each part of the Technical Badge?

How long are the courses?

Each Course can be completed comfortably in about four weeks or one month. This assumes a course taker is devoting two hours per week to reviewing applicable materials and taking the associated practice quizzes.

What does the final test entail?

The final test for an INCE Technical Badge includes a series of multiple-choice questions. The Indoor/Outdoor measurement test will have 50 questions. They are randomly drawn from question banks on each of the standards. You must answer 70% correctly to earn the Tech Badge.

What happens when I pass the final test?

Once you have passed the test, the INCE-USA Office will be notified.  They will contact you within 3 business days with your digital badge and add your name to the database.

How often will I have to take maintenance courses?

Your Technical Badge will be required to be renewed every two calendar years, (calendar year ends on December 31st) except for the first time you pass the test. For newly badged individuals, you will not be required to renew until you have had the Badge for at least two full calendar years.  For example, if you earn your Badge in February of 2026, you will not have to renew until December 31, 2028.

How can I showcase my badge?

There are several ways you can show that you have earned a Technical Badge.

• A listing in the INCE-USA Technical Badge Directory, which will include a list of all Badges you have earned and their expiration date.
• A digital badge with your name and expiration date will be sent to you. You may include this digital badge in reports and your email signature.
• Ribbons will be available at INCE-USA conferences to identify you as someone who has earned a Technical Badge.

INCE Technical Badge does not come with the use of any post-nominals. More details will be posted soon.