HVAC Excellence Certifications
Frequently Asked Questions
Throughout each stage of a person's career in the HVACR industry as a student, technician, contractor, or instructor, they take “Stackable” progressive levels of certification.
They do so to validate if they have the retained knowledge in each area or need additional training. Unlike other organizations that target only students, instructors or technicians,
HVAC Excellence offers progressive levels of portable and stackable credentials at all career levels and stages in the HVACR industry. Having this unique and
highly respected vantage point, HVAC Excellence can track the progress and accomplishments of an individual as they advance in the industry.
How are HVAC Excellence’s Exams Developed and Validated?
HVAC Excellence certifications are developed through the input of subject matter experts, or SMEs. Those interested in learning about the comprehensive exam development and test
validation process can do so here.
Is a Specific Curriculum Required to Use HVAC Excellence Exams?
Organizations that adopt HVAC Excellence certifications are not required to utilize a specific textbook, or curriculum. We provide instructors with access to our
competency and task list that indicates and organizes
the basic knowledge area and skills that need to be incorporated into each subject matter area of the program.
To make utilizing our certifications easier, leading publishers including Cengage, ESCO Press, and Goodheart- Willcox have cross-walked their publications
to our competency and task list. These crosswalks help instructors determine if a training resource covers the competencies required to adequately prepare students to take, and
ultimately pass, a certification examination.
Are There Age Requirements to Take an Exam?
No! The HVAC Excellence series of written and hands-on examinations are intended to validate the abilities of an individual, regardless of age.
What Prerequisites are There to Taking an Exam?
HVAC Excellence's most fundamental level portable and stackable credentials, namely their Student Outcome Assessments, Employment Ready Certifications, and Specialty
Certifications, have no prerequisites.
Some higher-level credentials have field service requirements that must be met prior to sitting for them. For example, once a person has the required field experience, they can
take more advanced examinations designed for technicians (Professional Level and Master Specialist). As they transition from the field to the front of the classroom, HVAC
Excellence offers credentialing exams that validate if an instructor possesses mastery of specific fundamental content areas they will be teaching as well as mastery of teaching
techniques and technical education methodologies.
Certification Received
Upon passing a certification examination, the candidate is issued a certificate of achievement. See the individual certifications to learn more about the credentials earned upon passing.
Does HVAC Excellence Offer Analytical Tools?
To help educators and trainers identify strengths and weaknesses in their instruction, HVAC Excellence proctors can access a variety of
reports. These reports provide the instructor with student test scores, areas of strength and weakness,
a breakdown of the competencies covered in the examination, and statistical data to validate if any identified deficiencies track to a specific student, group of students or a specific
content area in the curriculum.
Can Exams be Used for Dual Enrollment?
Earning college credit while in high school offers great benefits to students, as well as the schools. Whether one is trying to save money, gain college-level experience, or get
a head start on their career, dual enrollment through advanced placement examinations is a popular trend in secondary education. A popular choice for secondary schools is
HVAC Excellence’s series of Employment Ready Certifications, as these certifications are widely used by trade schools and colleges.
By offering the examinations recognized and administered in trade schools and colleges during high school, students have the opportunity to get credit for what they learned in
high school, and fast track their college learning and career preparation.
Can HVAC Excellence Credentials Lead to Advanced Placement?
The Mechanical Service Contractors of America (MSCA)
represents over 2,600 mechanical contractors and top employers in North America. They have named
HVAC Excellence as their recruitment partner, utilizing HVAC Excellence credentials as a tool to create advanced placement opportunities.
The United Association (UA) is the HVACR industry's leading Department of Labor approved apprenticeship program, providing training to the nation's most professional
and best qualified mechanical industry contractors. Through an articulation agreement
between the United Association and HVAC Excellence, a
transitional pathway
was established to provide advanced placement opportunities for students with specified HVAC Excellence credentials.
Does HVAC Excellence Provide Longitudinal Data?
Educational trends are leaning more and more towards the collection of longitudinal data, where an individual’s progress, or lack thereof, is tracked along either a
predetermined or ongoing timeline. The benefits of collecting such data are immeasurable as identifying skills-gaps, instructor strengths and deficiencies,
curriculum strengths and weaknesses, and other rudiments on which the effectiveness of the educational process is grounded, all help move the results-oriented needle in the
direction of improved student outcomes.
At HVAC Excellence, it is our mission to improve the technical competency of the HVACR industry. Using the data collected from our portable and stackable credentials
as input to our uniquely designed, in-house software package, we can accurately identify competency and task-related strengths and weaknesses of individuals, or
groups of individuals, at a specific point in time or as they advance through the various stages of their careers.
What Veterans Benefits are Available for Testing?
HVAC Excellence supports those who have defended, and continue to defend our country. We invite you to learn more
about veterans' benefits, and how to utilize them to help obtain HVAC Excellence certifications.
Does HVAC Excellence Have a Credential Database?
HVAC Excellence, as a member of the ESCO Group, provides a
searchable credential database. This easy-to-navigate database allows employers, consumers, and those
who have passed examinations to quickly locate their credentials.
Does HVAC Excellence Offer Additional Certifications Through Partners?
HVAC Excellence is a member of the ESCO Group, the HVACR industry's largest provider of certifications.
ESCO Group's portal provides registered proctors access to examinations from Carbon Monoxide Safety Association, ESCO Institute, Green Mechanical Council, HVAC Excellence,
and other industry partners.