To get into crane operation school, individuals typically must be at least 17 years old and have a high school diploma or GED, according to Tower Crane School of Phoenix, Arizona. Vocational schools also might require individuals who do not have a high school diploma or GED to complete an admissions test that demonstrates their arithmetic and reading comprehension skills. Aspiring crane operation school students additionally must be physically fit and thus might have to undergo a physical exam with a doctor.
Required practical training courses in crane operation school cover topics such as the operation of mobile hydraulic cranes used in the construction and manufacturing industries, according to Associated Training Services. Students also must learn how to use fixed tower cranes and perform crane rigging. They must master how to extend and retract a boom--the outermost arm of a crane, according to Columbia University in New York--as well as lower and raise hooks linked with load lines, reports the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Crane operation school students additionally must show they can set up a crane properly, install booms and use hand signals or a radio to guide a crane operator. Classes require students to understand crane load charts and how to erect structural steel beams, as well. Students also must complete safety inspections and maintenance under the supervision of instructors, according to West Coast Training in Washington.
Required classroom instruction in crane operation training programs additionally covers the appropriate nomenclature of cranes in addition to wire ropes and attachments, reports West Coast Training. Students also learn crane industry-related rules and regulations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration as well as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, according to California Crane School. In addition, in training programs students prepare to pass not only practical exams for certification but also written exams through the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators. The written exams cover mobile cranes, tower cranes, rigging and working as a signalperson.