NATE Certified Technician
Construction
NATE (HVAC)
Practical uses
- 01
Legally handle and recover refrigerants on AC and refrigeration units.
- 02
Install, service, and troubleshoot residential and commercial HVAC systems.
- 03
Qualify for HVAC technician roles and service-call work.
How to get it
- 1.
Build 1–2 years of hands-on HVAC field experience (recommended, not a hard gate).
- 2.
Pick your Specialty track — Installation or Service — and your system type: AC, heat pump, gas heat, and so on.
- 3.
Schedule the Core exam: 50 questions, 2-hour limit, at a NATE Testing Organization or via live online proctoring.
- 4.
Pass Core, then schedule and pass the Specialty exam: 100 questions.
- 5.
Certification lasts 2 years; renew with 16 CEU hours or retake.
Study tips
- Practice the superheat/subcooling math until it is automatic — it appears across both exams.
- Learn electrical diagnostics on contactors, capacitors, and control boards; service specialty leans hard on it.