Overview
The Special Operations Work Certificate (特种作业操作证) is the licence that workers in high-risk jobs in China must hold, after passing a safety-technology assessment, before they can work. The Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) sets the rules. Provincial emergency-management departments (and the mine-safety regulators for coal and non-ferrous mines) run the assessment and issue the certificates, and may delegate this to city-level departments or to exam bodies.
The rules are in the Provisions on Safety Technology Training and Assessment of Special Operations Personnel. A fully revised version was signed on 17 December 2025 (Order No. 19 of the Ministry) and took effect on 1 June 2026, replacing the 2010 version. The scope of each special operation is set by a separate list of special operations, and the training outlines and assessment standards are issued separately. Check the current list and standard for your category with your local department before you register.
Who can apply
Under the Provisions, an applicant must:
be at least 18 and not past the statutory retirement age;
be free of the listed medical conditions (organic heart disease, epilepsy, Meniere's disease, vertigo, hysteria, Parkinson's disease, mental illness, dementia and nervous-system diseases affecting the limbs) and any physical defect that would make the work unsafe;
have the safety knowledge and skills needed for the work, and meet any extra conditions for the specific operation.
Education requirements apply only to some categories. Workers in coal and other mines, oil and gas, metallurgy, non-ferrous metals and fireworks need lower secondary schooling or above. Hazardous-chemicals workers, and first-time underground mine workers, need upper secondary schooling or equivalent. The Ministry says the old lower-secondary requirement was dropped for electrical work, welding and thermal cutting, and work at height.
You may skip the training and go straight to the exam if you hold a valid vocational skill level certificate in the matching occupation. Graduates of secondary vocational schools (including technical schools) or above in a matching subject can also be exempted, with the approval of the issuing authority.
You can apply to any issuing authority or its authorised exam body. The Ministry says the old requirement to apply where you are registered as a resident or where you work was removed.
Exam pattern
The safety-technology exam has two parts and is passed only when both are passed.
| Part | Notes |
|---|---|
| Theory exam | Taken first. You can sit the practical exam only after passing it. |
| Practical (operation) exam | No more than 5 attempts. A failed attempt can be retaken free of charge under the local rules. If you still fail after the attempts, you must take the theory exam again. |
The exam uses a single national assessment standard, a national question bank and a national exam system. Exam bodies and exam points must not run training linked to the exams they administer, and exam points must record the whole exam on audio and video.
Apply with an application form, a copy of your identity card, proof of training hours, a health declaration and a statement that your documents are genuine. The authority checks the documents within 5 working days and must hold the exam within 60 days of receiving your application. You must finish the exam within 3 years of the application being accepted. Results are published within 10 working days of the exam.
Marking and results
The Provisions and the Ministry's explanation do not give pass marks or question numbers, so none are given here. Check the assessment standard for your category.
Cheating rules:
A candidate who submits false documents, bribes or cheats loses exam eligibility, any result already earned is void, and the candidate is barred from the exam for 1 year.
A certificate obtained by deception, bribery or cheating is revoked, the person cannot apply again for 3 years, and a fine of 5,000 to 20,000 yuan applies.
After the exam
Once you pass, apply to the issuing authority where you took the exam. It reviews your documents within 20 working days and issues the certificate, which is valid for 6 years across China. Paper and electronic certificates have equal effect.
Renewal is by replacement (换证) instead of the earlier 3-year review. Complete the theory training and theory exam within the 6 months before expiry, and apply at least 60 days before expiry.
If you cannot renew in time because of military service or work or study abroad, you can apply for a delay of up to 2 years, and you may not do the work during the delay.
A certificate that lapses because it was not renewed can be renewed if it has lapsed for no more than 1 year. After more than 1 year, you must apply as a first-time applicant. You may not work while the certificate has lapsed.
Preparation tips
Contact your local emergency-management department, or an authorised exam point, for the current category list and assessment standard before choosing a course.
Be careful of anyone who promises a pass in return for money. The Ministry names this as a form of fraud it is cracking down on.
Can I apply in a province where I do not live or work?
Yes under the revised Provisions: you can apply to any issuing authority or its authorised exam body, and the old residence or workplace requirement was removed.
How long is the certificate valid?
6 years, under the revised Provisions that took effect on 1 June 2026. The earlier 3-year review requirement has been dropped.