Employment Ready Certifications

These exams are often used by community colleges, trade schools, apprenticeship programs, manufacturers, and wholesalers to validate a person’s retained knowledge necessary for employment or career advancement. Employment Ready Certifications are discipline-specific exams, administered at the end of a training module or course. This provides instructors with valuable feedback to validate each participant’s understanding of the course materials. Employment Ready Certifications provide employers with a standardized measurement of a job applicant’s knowledge and readiness, regardless of where they were trained.

Note: HVAC Excellence’s Heat Pump Installer and Heat Pump Service programs have been recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy as “Energy Skilled” respectively in the categories of Heat Pump Installation and Heat Pump Comfort Advisor.


Prerequisite

None

While the people you are training are not yet technicians, and do not meet the requirements to sit for technician-level exams, HVAC Excellence offers Employment Ready Certifications, designed specifically for students and entry level technicians.

Employment Ready Certifications are discipline-specific exams, administered at the end of a training module or course. This provides instructors with valuable feedback to validate each participant’s understanding of the course materials, if they need additional training, and if so, in what area.

Employment Ready Certifications provide employers with a standardized measurement of a job applicant’s knowledge and readiness, regardless of where they were trained.

Unlike grades earned during a course, standardized tests can be used repeatedly to measure change and growth or for "comparing" student achievement. The stimulus for nationally-recognized, Employment Ready Certification arose from the challenges associated with creating uniformity from non-uniform, inconsistent grading practices.

Using these exam results, student achievement can be easily assessed and compared by subject matter categories within an institution, throughout a state, or across the entire nation.

Although some examinations are intended to be offered at the completion of a program, the Employment Ready Certifications are intended to be administered at the end of teaching each course or module. This allows the instructor to measure a participant’s understanding of the course materials, and provide remedial training in a timely matter, when needed.


Certification Received

Upon passing, candidate is issued a certificate of achievement. Some credentials may lead to additional patches awarded.


Easy to Integrate

Leading publishers have cross walked their publications to the HVAC Excellence competency and task list, making incorporating our exams simple. Look for the HVAC Excellence logo on their cover, or cross walk on their website.


Publisher Links

Look for the HVAC Excellence logo on the book cover, or ask your publisher to provide you with their crosswalk to the HVAC Excellence Competency and Task List.


Additional Credentials Available

Looking for additional credentials that go beyond the basics? HVAC Excellence Specialty Certifications are available to students, technicians and instructors.


Employment Ready Certifications


Air Conditioning *

This 100-question exam covers: air conditioning and refrigeration theory, equipment service, systems and components, troubleshooting, refrigerant flow control theory and application.


Basic Refrigeration and Charging Procedures *

This 50-question exam covers: AC&R theory, AC&R systems and components, air supply and delivery, refrigeration AC troubleshooting, refrigeration systems and components, refrigeration theory and application, special refrigeration system components, system charging.


Brazing and Soldering *

This 50-question exam covers: types of copper tubing, processes (such as cutting, bending, and swaging), proper tool use, torch safety, brazing, soldering, flaring, and leak testing.


Building Automation Systems

This 100-question exam covers: DDC Fundamentals, Building Automation Networks, Building Automation Controllers, Digital Logic and Programming, Sensor Installation and Applications, Actuator Installation and Applications


Carbon Monoxide & Combustion Analysis

This 100-question exam covers combustion theory and heating fuels, carbon monoxide safety, building pressure measurements, building pressure general knowledge, combustion gas, combustion general knowledge, carbon monoxide general knowledge, carbon monoxide measurements and health effects.


Carbon Monoxide Safety

This 50-question exam covers: alarms and response, building pressure measurements, building pressure general knowledge, combustion gas, combustion general knowledge, general knowledge, measurements, medial and tools.


Combustion Appliance Zone

This 50-question exam covers building pressure general knowledge, building pressure measurements, static pressure, pressure imbalances and combustion appliance zone testing.


Electrical *

This 100-question exam covers: components, meter usage, safety, theory, troubleshooting, fundamentals of motors and capacitors, interpreting electrical diagrams.


Electric Heat *

This 100-question exam covers: systems & components, equipment - installation & service, heating systems & components, safety, theory & application, troubleshooting.


Fuel Oil Combustion

This 50-question exam covers: general combustion knowledge, fuel properties, advanced combustion knowledge, combustion analysis, draft.


Gas Heat

This 100-question exam covers: combustion theory, electrical troubleshooting, furnace installation & service, furnace troubleshooting, heating safety, heating system & components.


Geothermal Heat Pumps

This 100-question exam covers: components, controls, geothermal loops, heat pump cycle, service, theory, troubleshooting, interpreting heat pump schematics.


Heat Pumps *

This 100-question exam covers: components, controls, heat pump cycle, service, theory, troubleshooting, interpreting heat pump schematics.


Light Commercial Air Conditioning

This 100-question exam covers: commercial AC systems & components, equipment installation & service, refrigeration theory & application, troubleshooting.


Light Commercial Refrigeration

This 100-question exam covers: equipment installation & service, refrigeration systems & components, refrigeration theory & application, troubleshooting.


Mini-Split Core Essentials

This 100-question exam covers the basic operation, concepts, and installation of Mini-Split systems.


Natural Gas Combustion

This 50-question exam covers: general combustion knowledge, fuel properties, advanced combustion knowledge, combustion analysis, draft.


Oil Heat

This 100-question exam covers: combustion theory and heating fuels, safety, heating systems and components, installation & service, troubleshooting.


Pressure Enthalpy

This 50-question exam covers: the basic refrigeration system as a repeating cycle, determining system parameters and characteristics, system capacity and efficiency, system evaluation and troubleshooting


Residential & Light Commercial Hydronic Heat

This 100-question exam covers: theory & principle, installation, design & function, system service, component recognition.


System Diagnostics & Troubleshooting

This 50-question exam covers: recovery requirements, AC&R Theory, air supply and delivery, AC&R equipment and tools, AC&R systems and components, system evacuation.


System Recovery and Evacuation *

The 50-question System Recovery and Evacuation certification exam covers: safety, the refrigerant recovery process, recycling and reclamation, the evacuation process, proper tool use, measuring a deep vacuum, and filter drier use.


Water Heaters

This 50-question exam covers: safety, sizing, components, theory, typical operation and installation, meter usage, servicing and troubleshooting.


* Also available in Spanish

Becoming a Proctor is Easy!

HVACR wholesalers, educators and trainers interested in proctoring exams should email their completed proctor application to customerservice@escogroup.org or fax it to 1-800-546-3726.

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Comparative Analysis Reports

Proctors can log in to review candidate test results and access detailed statistical reports.

Comparative Analysis Report