How do I Upgrade HVAC Certification?
HVAC-certified technicians repair, maintain and install heating, cooling and refrigeration systems. Technicians generally obtain certification in specialty areas ranging from residential air conditioning to combustion analyst.
The two main organizations responsible for administering HVAC certification are HVAC Excellence and North American Technician Excellence (NATE). Moving up the HVAC career ladder often requires additional certification. Each of these organizations offer advanced certification options for HVAC technicians who are seeking advancement in the industry.
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Instructions
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HVAC Excellence Certification
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Work in the HVAC field for a minimum of three years. You must verify your work experience. For example, provide your work history along with employer contact information and references.
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Call HVAC Excellence at 800-394-5268. Arrange to take the Master Specialist Hands-On certification exam. HVAC Excellence conducts certification exams throughout the United States.
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Take the exam. With this exam you must demonstrate your knowledge and competency by performing various installations and repairs.
NATE Senior Level Technician Certification
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Possess NATE certification in two service-sector specialties. For example, if you are certified as an air-conditioning specialist, you must also hold a certification in air distribution (AD), gas heating (GS), oil heating (OL), hydronics gas (HG) or hydronics oil (HO) certification.
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Review the certification study materials. NATE maintains a list of approved study materials on its website that includes textbooks, manuals, websites and a CD-Rom.
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Take the HVAC Efficiency Analyst exam. This is an open-book, pass or fail exam consisting of 100 questions. Schedule the exam with a NATE-authorized testing organization. Locate a testing center using the search feature on the NATE website.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit air conditioner, conditioning image by Greg Pickens from Fotolia.com
