HVAC Practice Test: 60 License Exam Questions With Answers
Practice the trade knowledge that HVAC license exams test with the 60 original questions from our practice-test video, then see how three real state exams are set up, since there is no single national HVAC license exam.
There is no national HVAC license exam: states, and sometimes cities, license HVAC contractors, journeymen and masters, usually through a testing vendor such as PSI. Virginia's journeyman HVAC exam, for example, has 85 questions in 210 minutes and needs 60 correct. The one federal requirement is EPA Section 608 certification to handle refrigerant, which does not expire.
HVAC facts at a glance
| National exam | None: licensing is set by each state or locality, with its own levels and names |
|---|---|
| Practice questions | 60: six areas of 10, original questions from our video |
| Virginia journeyman | 85 Qs · 210 min: 60 correct to pass (master: 64); PSI bulletin dated 7/23/2026 |
| Texas Class A | 120 Qs · 230 min: 70% to pass; environmental air contractor, given by PSI |
| Federal requirement | EPA 608: for work on equipment that could release refrigerant; does not expire |
| Book policy | Varies: Virginia, Texas and North Carolina exams are open book with strict tab rules |
Checked against the official Virginia DPOR page and the sources listed at the end of this page on 2026-10-26.
Watch: HVAC videos
HVAC Practice Test 2026: 60 Exam Questions With Answers (Contractor & Journeyman)
How Hard Is the HVAC Exam? How to Study and Pass Your HVAC License Test (2026)
HVAC practice test: 60 questions
Six sections of 10: refrigeration cycle, electrical basics, airflow and psychrometrics, heating, safety and refrigerant handling, and codes, load calculation and controls. Code answers use model-code values from the International Mechanical Code and International Fuel Gas Code; your state may adopt a different edition. Every question is original, not from a real exam.
48 or more correct (about 80%) is a comfortable target in our estimate. It is not an official passing score; your state's exam sets its own.
Three real HVAC license exams compared
These are examples, not a national standard. Your own board's candidate bulletin sets your exam's questions, time, passing score, fee and allowed books.
| Exam | Format | Passing score | Exam fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Journeyman HVAC (DPOR, via PSI) | 85 questions, 210 minutes, open book | 60 correct | $100 |
| Virginia Master HVAC (DPOR, via PSI) | 85 questions, 210 minutes, open book | 64 correct | $125 |
| Virginia Residential HVAC (DPOR, via PSI) | 55 questions, 120 minutes, open book | 39 correct | $100 |
| Texas Environmental Air Class A (TDLR, via PSI) | 120 scored questions, 230 minutes, open book | 70% | $74 |
| Texas Environmental Air Class B (TDLR, via PSI) | 100 scored questions, 170 minutes, open book | 70% | $60 |
| North Carolina heating contractor (NC board, via PSI) | 4 hours technical plus 1.5 hours business and law | See the board's bulletin | $75 |
Source: PSI / Virginia DPOR candidate information bulletin (7/23/2026)
No national HVAC exam: how licensing works
HVAC licensing is set by states, and sometimes by cities and counties, so the exam you take depends on where you work. Many places have apprentice, journeyman, master, and contractor levels, with different names and rules from state to state. Start by finding your licensing board and its candidate information bulletin: it lists the content outline, the number of questions, the time, the passing score, the fee, and which books you may bring.
PSI delivers the exams in the three examples above. In Texas, TDLR first verifies your eligibility, and PSI then emails scheduling instructions. In Virginia you apply to DPOR for eligibility first; eligibility is good for one year, with unlimited retests in that year. North Carolina gives its exams daily at seven PSI testing centers.
EPA 608 and industry certifications
The one federal piece is EPA Section 608 certification. EPA requires it for anyone who maintains, services, repairs or disposes of equipment that could release refrigerant, and the certification does not expire. If you are going to work on refrigerant circuits, get it before or alongside your license exam.
NATE and HVAC Excellence are industry certifications. They can help with employers, but they are not government licenses.
Open-book exam habits
Open book does not mean anything goes. Virginia's bulletin lets you highlight, underline and index your references beforehand, but you may not write in them, and only permanent tabs are allowed. North Carolina allows highlighting only, no notes, and only commercially available non-removable tabs. Texas lists the 2024 IMC, IFGC and UMC as references from September 1, 2026.
Do your tabbing during practice, not the night before. Tab the tables you use most, practice finding an answer against a timer, and aim for lookups well under a minute. Keep the core formulas memorized anyway: sensible heat equals 1.08 × CFM × ΔT, and Ohm's law.
How hard is the HVAC exam, and how to study
Difficulty depends on your state and license level, and there is no official national pass rate. Virginia's journeyman bar of 60 of 85 is about 71%. Common weak spots are code lookup speed, electrical (Ohm's law, power, troubleshooting), refrigerant-cycle math such as superheat and subcooling, and the business and law questions people skip.
Our planning estimate is six to ten weeks at six to eight hours a week, more if you are new to the trade or the codes: fundamentals, electrical and the refrigeration cycle first; codes, tabbing and lookups next; timed practice exams last. Many candidates wait until they score 80% or more on several timed practice sets before booking.
If you fail
Retake rules vary. North Carolina's board says a failing applicant waits 90 days and submits a re-examination application, and a failed portion can be retaken within 6 months without retaking the portion you passed. In Virginia, retests are unlimited during your one-year eligibility. Check your own board's rules before you book again.
Sample HVAC questions with answers
One question from each content area of the practice set above, with the answer and explanation. Try it before you open the answer.
Refrigeration cycle and components
The refrigerant leaving the compressor of a working A/C system is a:
- High-pressure, superheated vapor
- Low-pressure, subcooled liquid
- High-pressure, subcooled liquid
- Low-pressure, saturated vapor
Show answer
A. High-pressure, superheated vapor
The compressor squeezes low-pressure vapor into hot, high-pressure, superheated vapor. That vapor goes to the condenser, where it sheds heat and turns to liquid. Subcooled liquid is what you find at the condenser outlet, not at the compressor discharge.
Electrical basics
A 240 V heating element has 20 Ω of resistance. The current it draws is:
- 4,800 A
- 0.08 A
- 220 A
- 12 A
Show answer
D. 12 A
Ohm's law says current equals voltage divided by resistance. 240 divided by 20 is 12 amps. Multiplying the two numbers, which gives 4800, is the common slip.
Airflow and psychrometrics
Airflow is 1,200 CFM with an 18°F temperature difference. Sensible heat is about:
- 21,600 BTU/h
- 23,328 BTU/h
- 25,920 BTU/h
- 1,296 BTU/h
Show answer
B. 23,328 BTU/h
Sensible heat equals 1.08 times CFM times delta T. 1.08 times 1200 times 18 is 23,328 BTU per hour. Leaving out the 1.08 gives 21,600, which is the trap.
Heating systems
In an induced-draft gas furnace, what usually happens right after a call for heat?
- The gas valve opens
- The blower starts
- The inducer motor starts
- The flame sensor proves flame
Show answer
C. The inducer motor starts
The usual order is: call for heat, inducer starts, pressure switch closes, igniter warms up, gas valve opens, flame is sensed, and after a short delay the blower starts. The inducer comes first because the furnace must prove draft before gas flows.
Safety and refrigerant handling
Which EPA 608 certification covers servicing small appliances only?
- Type II
- Type III
- Type I
- Universal
Show answer
C. Type I
Under EPA Section 608, Type one covers small appliances. Type two covers high-pressure and very-high-pressure appliances, Type three covers low-pressure appliances, and Universal covers all of them.
Codes, load calculation and controls
Under the IMC, working space in front of an appliance's control side is at least:
- 18 in. deep by 18 in. wide
- 30 in. deep by 30 in. wide
- 24 in. deep by 24 in. wide
- 36 in. deep by 36 in. wide
Show answer
B. 30 in. deep by 30 in. wide
Under the International Mechanical Code, a level working space at least 30 inches deep and 30 inches wide is required in front of the control side of an appliance. The aim is safe access for service.
Three more HVAC sample questions
These original questions come from our "How hard is the HVAC exam?" video.
A 9.6 kW, 240 V heater is a continuous load. What is the minimum circuit ampacity at 125%?
- 40 A
- 45 A
- 50 A
- 60 A
Show answer
C. 50 A
9,600 W ÷ 240 V = 40 A, and 40 A × 1.25 = 50 A. 60 A is the next breaker size, not the minimum ampacity.
On a system with a thermostatic expansion valve, where does the sensing bulb attach?
- The suction line near the evaporator outlet
- The liquid line near the condenser
- The discharge line
- The condensate drain
Show answer
A. The suction line near the evaporator outlet
The bulb senses suction line temperature at the evaporator outlet, which tells the valve how much superheat the refrigerant has.
A duct with 1.5 square feet of area carries 600 CFM. What is the air velocity?
- 250 feet per minute
- 600 feet per minute
- 900 feet per minute
- 400 feet per minute
Show answer
D. 400 feet per minute
Velocity = CFM ÷ area: 600 ÷ 1.5 = 400 feet per minute. Multiplying instead gives 900, a classic mistake.
HVAC FAQ
Is there a national HVAC license exam?
No. HVAC licensing is handled by states and sometimes cities or counties, each with its own exam, levels, and passing score. The federal requirement is EPA Section 608 certification for work on equipment that could release refrigerant.
How many questions are on the HVAC exam?
It depends on the state and license. Virginia's journeyman and master HVAC exam has 85 questions in 210 minutes; its residential HVAC exam has 55 questions in 120 minutes. Texas's Environmental Air Class A exam has 120 scored questions in 230 minutes.
What score do you need to pass an HVAC exam?
Each state sets its own. Virginia requires 60 of 85 for journeyman (64 for master); Texas requires 70% on its Environmental Air exams. Check your board's candidate bulletin.
Are HVAC license exams open book?
Many are. Virginia, Texas and North Carolina all allow approved references, with rules: Virginia allows highlighting, underlining and indexing but no writing and only permanent tabs; North Carolina allows highlighting and commercially made permanent tabs only.
Does EPA 608 certification expire?
No. EPA says Section 608 technician certification does not expire.
Related practice and guides
Sources
Exam facts on this page were checked against these official pages on 2026-10-26.
- PSI / Virginia DPOR: Individual License and Certification candidate information bulletin (7/23/2026)
- Virginia DPOR: Board for Contractors, Tradesmen
- PSI / TDLR: Air Conditioning and Refrigeration candidate information bulletin
- TDLR: Air Conditioning and Refrigeration examination
- NC State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors: Applicant Information
- NC Board: Exam Information 2026 (PDF)
- PSI / North Carolina candidate information bulletin
- EPA: Section 608 Technician Certification Requirements
OpenExamHub is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with any state licensing board, PSI, the EPA, NATE or HVAC Excellence. All practice questions are original, not from a real exam. Exam formats, fees, passing scores and code editions are set by each board and can change; confirm them in your board's current candidate bulletin.