The HVACR industry is continually changing, adding new products and technology. With that in mind, North American Technician Excellence (NATE) certification tests also change with the times.

To retain NATE certification, technicians need to recertify every five years.

“Nothing stays the same and the knowledge needs to change as the units change,” said Carl Smith, NATE director of marketing and public relations. “NATE tests mirror the industry. At least every five years there is an advantage with new technology and new efficiencies. The test changes to reflect those changes.”

Ways To Recertify

There are three ways technicians can recertify with NATE.

1. While their certification is still valid, technicians can retake and pass their specialty test only. If their certification has lapsed, they will also need to retake the core test.

2. While their certification is still valid, technicians can receive 60 hours of training (this is an average of about one hour per month) which directly relates to the area in which they are certified.

3. If technicians have at least 30 hours of training in the area they are certified — but less than 60 hours — technicians can take a short version of the recertification specialty test, provided they submit proof of their 30 hours as a pre-condition to taking the short version.

“I don’t believe anyone has chosen the third option,” Smith said.

Training is broken down into two sections: NATE-recognized training and non-NATE-recognized training.

Smith is quick to point out that one is not necessarily better than the other. NATE-recognized training means the trainers have submitted to NATE the correlation the training course has to a specific area of certification. The trainer does the legwork for technicians, showing how a course relates to an area of certification.

If technicians take a non-NATE-recognized class, the burden of proof lies with them. They have to show how the course relates to their certification in a 25-50-word written statement.

“[Taking] non-NATE-recognized classes does not mean we won’t accept it. It just means we need written proof. Basically, instead of the legwork being done by the trainers, it is being done by the technicians,” Smith said.

The NATE test is always evolving. The NATE technical committee meets twice a year to review the test. They look at how questions are worded, and how many times the test takers got the question right.

“It really is a living document,” Smith said. “If 98 percent of the people got the question right, there is a very good chance the information that question covers is something all techs were trained on and know. If 98 percent of the people got the question wrong, it could mean that it is badly worded, or it could mean that there is not sufficient training in that area.”

In addition, every five years NATE employs an independent, outside organization to re-evaluate the test.

“These are not your father’s heating and air conditioning products,” Smith said. “Much like automotive technicians have had to keep up with technology in the last 40, 30, and even 20 years, so do technicians in the HVACR industry.”

NATE works hard to make sure all technicians are aware of when they need to recertify. When they are certified, technicians receive a wallet card that has the date they were certified as well as their certification’s expiration date. In addition, NATE sends out cards reminding technicians when they need to recertify, and calls them three months in advance of their expiration date. Cards are sent to a technician’s last address of record. It is the technician’s responsibility to keep their contact information current.

“The RECERTIFICATION area of our Web site spells out how the recertification process works,” Smith said. “It walks technicians through how to recertify.”

However they find out about the recertification, Smith wants the technicians to know the importance.

“The real reason to recertify is for the technicians to show their knowledge is still current,” Smith said.

To learn more about NATE and find out how to become tested or recertified, visit www.natex.org.