How long do IPAF and PASMA courses take?

Question Answer

Most headline IPAF MEWP categories (3A scissor, 3B boom, 1B static boom) are one-day courses. Combined IPAF 3A + 3B is 1.5 days. IPAF Harness Awareness is half a day. PASMA Towers for Users is one day. Towers for Stairs is half a day. Towers for Managers is one day. Renewal courses are the same length as the original.

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Key facts

IPAF 3A (scissor): 1 day.
IPAF 3B (boom): 1 day.
IPAF 1B (static boom): 1 day.
IPAF combined 3A + 3B: 1.5 days.
IPAF Harness Awareness: half a day.
IPAF Harness Awareness & Inspection (combined): 1 day.
PASMA Towers for Users: 1 day.
PASMA Towers for Stairs: half a day.
PASMA Towers for Managers: 1 day.
PASMA Combined Low Level Access + Towers for Users: 1 day.
Renewals are the same length as the original course.

How IPAF and PASMA set course durations

Course lengths are set by IPAF and PASMA against the syllabus and the practical assessment requirements for each category. Accredited centres run the course at the prescribed duration; running shorter would compromise the assessment and the standard. Both schemes audit their accredited centres to confirm courses run at the proper length. The good news is that, unlike CPCS and NPORS plant courses where novice durations vary by candidate, IPAF and PASMA course lengths are predictable.

IPAF course lengths by category

Each IPAF MEWP category runs as a one-day course at our Cannock centre or on site.

3A Mobile Vertical (scissor lifts): 1 day. The most-booked single IPAF category.
3B Mobile Boom (boom lifts and cherry pickers): 1 day. Often booked alongside Harness Awareness.
1B Static Boom: 1 day. Used by tree surgery, line work, telecoms and vehicle-mounted access.
Combined 3A + 3B: 1.5 days. The most efficient option for operators who use both machine types. Same operator, same PAL Card, two endorsements.
PAV Push-Around Vertical: half a day. Lower-risk; shorter syllabus.
MR Mast Climbing Rigger / MO Mast Climbing Operator: 1–2 days depending on configuration.

MPTT delivers the IPAF Access Platform Operators training across the 1B, 3A and 3B categories. Combined and add-on bookings are scheduled together where possible.

IPAF Harness Awareness course lengths

IPAF Harness Awareness covers safe harness use and pre-use inspection when operating MEWPs, particularly 3B booms. Two course formats:

Harness Awareness (User): half a day. Booking page.
Harness Awareness & Inspection (User + Inspection combined): 1 day. Used by personnel responsible for inspecting harnesses as well as wearing them. Booking page.

Operators booking IPAF 3B (boom) for the first time typically add Harness Awareness on the day before or after, taking the combined course block to 1.5 days. Full detail of the course content is in our harness-on-a-MEWP FAQ.

PASMA course lengths

The PASMA programme has a similar profile.

Towers for Users: 1 day. The headline course. Most operatives doing tower work hold this. Booking page.
Towers for Stairs: half a day. Often booked alongside Towers for Users. Booking page.
Towers for Managers: 1 day. For supervisors and managers who specify or oversee tower work. Booking page.
Combined Low Level Access + Towers for Users: 1 day. Adds podiums and mini-towers to the standard Towers for Users course. Booking page.

Operatives needing Towers for Users and Towers for Stairs together typically book them back-to-back: 1.5 days total.

Renewal course lengths

Renewal courses are the same length as the original. There is no shortened theory-only renewal route on either scheme. A 3A renewal is one day; a Towers for Users renewal is one day; combined renewals (3A + 3B; Towers for Users + Towers for Stairs) run at the same combined length as the original. The benefit of booking renewals at the same time as new candidates is that the instructor can run one course attended by both groups, which gives the employer flexibility on dates.

Typical multi-course blocks

Most employers book IPAF and PASMA in blocks. Common patterns:

2 days: PASMA Towers for Users (day 1) + IPAF 3A (day 2). The work-at-height baseline.
3 days: Towers for Users + IPAF 3A + IPAF 3B + Harness Awareness, sequenced together. Suits a mixed access fleet.
2.5 days: IPAF 3A + 3B combined (1.5 days) + PASMA Towers for Users (1 day). Common for civils, M&E and high-rise fit-out teams.

Multi-course blocks are typically delivered on-site for groups of three or more operatives. Tell us the categories and the operative count and we will sequence the block efficiently.

Quick answers to related questions

Is IPAF 3A or 3B faster to complete?

Both are one-day courses run to the same IPAF syllabus length. The combined 3A + 3B course (1.5 days) is the most time-efficient option for an operator who needs both.

Why is the IPAF combined 3A + 3B course only 1.5 days, not 2?

The shared theory content is delivered once. The practical assessment is taken on each machine separately. The 1.5-day length is set by IPAF as the proper duration for combined assessment to a competent standard.

Can I do PASMA Towers for Users and Towers for Stairs together?

Yes. Most operatives book them back-to-back as a 1.5-day block. The same PASMA card endorses both courses.

Last updated: 2026-05-21. Reviewed by the MPTT work-at-height training team, IPAF- and PASMA-approved instructors.

Need a Course Plan for Your Team?

Midland Plant Training & Testing schedules IPAF and PASMA courses singly or in blocks. Send us the categories your operatives need and the operative count, and we will come back with the smallest number of attendance days that delivers every card. Combined IPAF 3A + 3B, multi-PASMA renewals and mixed IPAF + PASMA blocks all delivered at our Cannock centre or on-site across England.

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