2026 Edition

HVAC Practice Test

Take this free HVAC practice test to study for your HVAC certification exam. Our HVAC test prep is written by HVAC Excellence, a leading organization in HVAC education and certification. For comprenhensive coverage of HVAC subjects, use our 300 question HVACR Practice Exams. A 100 question EPA 608 practice test comes with our materials. See the links below for free HVAC flash cards, a video of the practice exam and a free HVAC study guide.

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1 Two locations where a cold air return should be installed:

a. Open area of wall and low to the ground.

b. Behind appliances and high on the wall.

c. Open area of wall and high on the wall.

d. Behind appliances and low to the ground.

Incorrect. Please choose another answer.

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2 Which of the following is a law of thermodynamics:

a. Heat is a form of matter.

b. Heat moves toward a place with higher intensity.

c. Heat moves toward a place with lower intensity.

d. Heat moves toward a place with a higher temperature.

Incorrect. Please choose another answer.

3 Sensible heat describes _________________________.

a. How fast heat will travel.

b. The quantity of heat.

c. The volume of heat.

d. How hot something feels.

Incorrect. Please choose another answer.

4 Latent heat measures _______________________.

a. The temperature of heat in a substance.

b. The quantity of heat in a substance.

c. The velocity of heat in a substance.

d. The heat potential of a substance.

Incorrect. Please choose another answer.

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5 Latent heat is measured in ____________________.

a. Degrees Celsius, F ahrenheit and Kelvin

b. International System of Units

c. British Thermal Units

d. Board of Trade Unit

Incorrect. Please choose another answer.

6 If 1 pound of water warms to 60 degrees F from 55 degrees F, what btu of latent heat will it have absorbed?

a. 2.5

b. 5

c. 10

d. 15

Incorrect. Please choose another answer.

7 What is the amount of heat energy required to evaporate 1 pound of water?

a. 370 btu

b. 570 btu

c. 770 btu

d. 970 btu

Incorrect. Please choose another answer.

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8 In an air conditioning and refrigeration system, what occurs in an evaporator?

a. The refrigerant absorbs the latent heat.

b. The refrigerant evaporates latent heat.

c. Latent heat is condensed.

d. Latent heat is released.

Incorrect. Please choose another answer.

9 In an air conditioning and refrigeration system, what occurs in a condenser?

a. The refrigerant absorbs the latent heat.

b. The refrigerant releases the latent heat.

c. Latent heat is pressurized.

d. Latent heat is increased.

Incorrect. Please choose another answer.

10 In a sealed system, pressure and temperature _________________.

a. are inversely proportional

b. go in opposite directions up and down

c. are equal

d. follow each other up and down

Incorrect. Please choose another answer.

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11 Which of the following is not a type of compressor?

a. Lateral

b. Reciprocating

c. Rotary

d. Screw

e. Centrifugal

Incorrect. Please choose another answer.

12 In Fahrenheit, the boiling point of water is _____________.

a. 100 degrees

b. 112 degrees

c. 212 degrees

d. 221 degrees

Incorrect. Please choose another answer.

13 To change Fahrenheit to Celsius, which formula is used?

a. C =(F+32)÷ 1.8

b. C=(F-32) x 1.8

c. C=(F-32) ÷ 1.8

d. C= (F-32)+1.8

Incorrect. Please choose another answer.

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14 Which of the following is not a method by which heat may be transferred from a warmer substance to a colder substance?

a. Conduction

b. Retraction

c. Convection

d. Radiation

Incorrect. Please choose another answer.

15 What btu of heat is required to raise 1 pound of ice 1 degree F when the temperature is below 32 degrees F?

a. .25

b. .5

c. 1

d. 1.5

Incorrect. Please choose another answer.

16 What btu of heat is required to raise 1 pound of steam 1 degree F above the temperature of 212 degrees F?

a. .25

b. .5

c. 1

d. 1.5

Incorrect. Please choose another answer.

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17 A day-ton of refrigeration is the amount of refrigeration produced by melting 1 ton of ice at a temperature of 32 degrees F in 24 hours.

True

False

Incorrect. Please choose another answer.

18 Ice exerts pressure ________________.

a. Upwards

b. Laterally

c. Downwards

d. In all directions

Incorrect. Please choose another answer.

19 Pressure is usually measured in ___________.

a. Pounds per square foot

b. Pressure per square foot

c. Pounds per square inch

d. Pressure per square inch

Incorrect. Please choose another answer.

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20 Atmospheric pressure, at sea level, is 14.7 psia.

True

False

Incorrect. Please choose another answer.

21 When one rises into the atmosphere, the atmospheric pressure decreases by 1 psi for every_________________.

a. 2,343 feet

b. 3,334 feet

c. 2,500 feet

d. 5,280 feet

Incorrect. Please choose another answer.

22 Vaporization can be increased by _____________ the pressure on a liquid.

a. Increasing

b. Equalizing

c. Reducing

Incorrect. Please choose another answer.

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23 Every mechanical refrigeration system has __________ different pressure levels.

a. 2

b. 3

c. 4

d. 5

Incorrect. Please choose another answer.

24 Pressure on the high pressure side of a mechanical refrigeration unit is called _______________.

a. suction pressure

b. discharge or head pressure

c. differential l pressure

d. absolute pressure

Incorrect. Please choose another answer.

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25 The exertion of pressure on a substance with a constant temperature increases its volume in proportion to the increase in pressure.

True

False

Incorrect. Please choose another answer.

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How should I study for my HVAC exam?

Practice tests and flash cards are an effective way to study for an HVAC exam. They help you learn the subject matter and practice your test taking skills. HVAC certification exams, like those of HVAC Excellence and NATE, are taken on a computer, so practicing with online practice tests can boost your chance of success.

What is on an HVAC exam?

The type and level of the HVAC certification exam you are taking will determine what subjects are covered. HVAC Excellence and NATE offer entry level certification, specialty certifications and certification for technicians who have at least two years of experience in the industry. The topics generally covered in these HVAC tech certification exams may include:

electrical theory
electrical safety
electrical components
fundamentals of motors and capacitors
electrical troubleshooting
interpreting electrical diagrams
electrical meter usage
air conditioning and refrigeration theory
air conditioning systems and components
air conditioning equipment service
air conditioning troubleshooting
refrigerant flow control theory and application
heating systems and components
combustion theory and heating fuels
heating safety
furnace installation and service
furnace troubleshooting

To work with refrigerants, the EPA requires a Section 608 certification regardless of state requirements.

The Federal Clean Air Act, under Section 8, requires persons working with regulated refrigerants to be certified.

There are four types of certification:

Type I - limited to small appliances (5 lbs. or less refrigerant)

Type II - limited to medium, high and very high pressure appliances

Type III - limited to low pressure appliances

Universal - for persons who hold all Type I, II and III certificaitons