Free practice test — 12 questions with full explanations
Original CraftPATH practice questions. These are not real exam questions. Every answer includes the reasoning, why each wrong option fails, the code area it comes from, and the misconception it targets.
Question 1. Statewide HVAC contractor licensing in Ohio is administered by:
Ohio Law, OCILB Rules and Scope · Easy · Objective: Identify the Ohio HVAC licensing authority.
- A. Each county auditor
- B. The Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board within the Department of Commerce (correct)
- C. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
- D. The local building department that issues the permit
Correct answer: B. The Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board within the Department of Commerce
Why this is right: The OCILB, staffed by the Division of Industrial Compliance, issues HVAC contractor licenses statewide under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 4740.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. Each county auditor — County auditors handle property records, not trade licensure.
- C. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency — Ohio EPA regulates environmental compliance, not contractor licensure.
- D. The local building department that issues the permit — Local building departments issue permits and inspect but do not issue the state license.
Where this shows up on the job: Applications, examinations and renewals all route through the OCILB even though your permits come from the city.
Code reference: Ohio Revised Code Chapter 4740
Common misconception: Assuming the city that issues the permit also issues the license.
Question 2. An HVAC technician in Ohio who wants to contract directly with homeowners must:
Ohio Law, OCILB Rules and Scope · Medium · Objective: Understand Ohio's licensing structure for technicians.
- A. Hold an Ohio state journeyman HVAC license
- B. Register with the county health department
- C. Hold an OCILB HVAC contractor license or work for a company that does (correct)
- D. Complete EPA Section 608 certification only
Correct answer: C. Hold an OCILB HVAC contractor license or work for a company that does
Why this is right: Ohio does not issue a statewide journeyman HVAC license. The state credential is the contractor license, so contracting requires that license or employment by a licensed contractor.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. Hold an Ohio state journeyman HVAC license — There is no statewide Ohio journeyman HVAC license; some cities register technicians locally.
- B. Register with the county health department — County health departments do not license HVAC contracting.
- D. Complete EPA Section 608 certification only — Section 608 covers refrigerant handling, not the authority to contract.
Where this shows up on the job: Technicians often build their years of experience under a licensed contractor, then sit for the contractor exam themselves.
Code reference: Ohio Revised Code Chapter 4740
Common misconception: Believing a Section 608 card is a business license.
Question 3. The correct primary charging measurement for a split system with a thermostatic expansion valve is:
Refrigeration Cycle and System Diagnostics · Medium · Objective: Charge a TXV system correctly.
- A. Evaporator superheat
- B. Condenser subcooling (correct)
- C. Suction line temperature alone
- D. Compressor amp draw
Correct answer: B. Condenser subcooling
Why this is right: A TXV maintains evaporator superheat on its own, so superheat cannot tell you the charge. Subcooling at the condenser outlet reflects the refrigerant inventory and is the manufacturer's charging target.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. Evaporator superheat — Superheat is the charging target for fixed-orifice systems, not TXV systems.
- C. Suction line temperature alone — Suction temperature without pressure gives you no saturation reference.
- D. Compressor amp draw — Amp draw shifts with load and voltage and is a poor charge indicator.
Where this shows up on the job: Charging a TXV system by superheat routinely leaves it overcharged, which raises head pressure and shortens compressor life.
Code reference: Manufacturer charging data and Ohio Mechanical Code Chapter 11
Common misconception: Using one charging method for every system type.
Question 4. A system shows low suction pressure, high superheat, and normal to low subcooling with a normal condenser. The most likely cause is:
Refrigeration Cycle and System Diagnostics · Medium · Objective: Diagnose a restricted metering device.
- A. Overcharge
- B. A restricted or underfeeding metering device (correct)
- C. A dirty condenser coil
- D. An oversized evaporator
Correct answer: B. A restricted or underfeeding metering device
Why this is right: Starving the evaporator drops suction pressure and drives superheat up while the condenser is not backing up liquid, which is the signature of a restriction or underfeeding metering device.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. Overcharge — An overcharge raises subcooling and head pressure.
- C. A dirty condenser coil — A dirty condenser raises head pressure and subcooling, not high superheat with low head.
- D. An oversized evaporator — An oversized evaporator would tend to lower superheat, not raise it.
Where this shows up on the job: A plugged filter drier upstream of the metering device produces the same readings and is worth checking for a temperature split across it.
Code reference: Refrigeration diagnostic fundamentals
Common misconception: Adding refrigerant whenever suction pressure reads low.
Question 5. Before opening a sealed refrigerant circuit for service, the technician must:
Refrigeration Cycle and System Diagnostics · Easy · Objective: Apply federal refrigerant rules in Ohio work.
- A. Vent the refrigerant slowly to the atmosphere
- B. Recover the refrigerant with certified recovery equipment (correct)
- C. Only recover if the charge exceeds 50 pounds
- D. Notify the local building department
Correct answer: B. Recover the refrigerant with certified recovery equipment
Why this is right: Knowingly venting regulated refrigerant is prohibited. The refrigerant must be recovered into approved equipment by a Section 608 certified technician regardless of charge size.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. Vent the refrigerant slowly to the atmosphere — Venting regulated refrigerant is a federal violation.
- C. Only recover if the charge exceeds 50 pounds — The prohibition on venting applies regardless of system charge.
- D. Notify the local building department — The building department has no role in routine refrigerant recovery.
Where this shows up on the job: Recovery records and cylinder tracking are the first thing an auditor asks to see.
Code reference: EPA Section 608 refrigerant management requirements
Common misconception: Assuming small charges are exempt from recovery.
Question 6. Equipment for an Ohio residence should be sized using:
Load Calculation and Duct Design · Medium · Objective: Select the correct sizing basis for Ohio homes.
- A. A fixed number of square feet per ton
- B. The size of the equipment being replaced
- C. A room-by-room load calculation using local design temperatures (correct)
- D. The largest unit that fits the closet
Correct answer: C. A room-by-room load calculation using local design temperatures
Why this is right: A room-by-room load calculation using Ohio's winter and summer design conditions is what produces correct sensible and latent capacity and duct airflow. Ohio is heating dominant, so the heating load usually governs.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. A fixed number of square feet per ton — Square-feet-per-ton ignores insulation, glazing, orientation and infiltration.
- B. The size of the equipment being replaced — The old unit may have been wrong, and the envelope may have changed since.
- D. The largest unit that fits the closet — Physical fit has nothing to do with load.
Where this shows up on the job: Oversized cooling equipment short-cycles and never runs long enough to pull humidity out of an Ohio summer.
Code reference: Ohio Mechanical Code Chapter 3 and ACCA Manual J
Common misconception: Treating like-for-like replacement as a load calculation.
Question 7. A properly sized residential duct system delivering rated airflow will normally operate at:
Load Calculation and Duct Design · Hard · Objective: Relate duct sizing to external static pressure.
- A. Whatever static pressure the blower produces at top speed
- B. Total external static pressure at or below the blower's rated value (correct)
- C. Zero static pressure in the return
- D. The same static pressure in supply and return regardless of design
Correct answer: B. Total external static pressure at or below the blower's rated value
Why this is right: Blowers are rated to deliver design airflow up to a maximum total external static pressure. Exceed it and airflow drops, which lowers capacity and can freeze the coil in cooling or trip limits in heating.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. Whatever static pressure the blower produces at top speed — Raising blower speed to overcome bad ductwork wastes energy and increases noise without fixing the restriction.
- C. Zero static pressure in the return — Returns always carry negative static; zero would mean no flow.
- D. The same static pressure in supply and return regardless of design — Supply and return static differ with duct layout, filters and coils.
Where this shows up on the job: Measuring total external static across the air handler is the fastest way to prove an undersized return before you chase a refrigerant problem.
Code reference: ACCA Manual D and equipment blower performance tables
Common misconception: Assuming high static is normal because the unit still runs.
Question 8. A high-efficiency condensing furnace vented with PVC may not be:
Combustion, Venting and Fuel Gas · Hard · Objective: Apply venting category rules.
- A. Vented horizontally through a sidewall
- B. Common-vented into a masonry chimney with an atmospheric water heater (correct)
- C. Supplied with outdoor combustion air
- D. Installed in a conditioned basement
Correct answer: B. Common-vented into a masonry chimney with an atmospheric water heater
Why this is right: A condensing appliance produces cool, wet, positive-pressure flue gas. Common-venting it with an atmospheric appliance defeats the chimney draft and condenses moisture inside the masonry, so it is prohibited.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. Vented horizontally through a sidewall — Sidewall venting is the normal method for condensing furnaces.
- C. Supplied with outdoor combustion air — Direct-vent outdoor combustion air is standard and often preferred.
- D. Installed in a conditioned basement — Basement installation is common and permitted with proper clearances.
Where this shows up on the job: When a condensing furnace replaces an atmospheric one, the orphaned water heater usually needs a chimney liner resized for it alone.
Code reference: Ohio Mechanical Code Chapter 8 and adopted fuel gas venting provisions
Common misconception: Leaving the old water heater on an oversized chimney after a furnace upgrade.
Question 9. Gas pipe size for a new furnace is determined by:
Combustion, Venting and Fuel Gas · Medium · Objective: Size gas piping correctly.
- A. The size of the appliance connector
- B. Total connected load in BTU per hour, developed length, and allowable pressure drop (correct)
- C. Whatever size pipe already runs to the appliance
- D. The diameter of the furnace flue
Correct answer: B. Total connected load in BTU per hour, developed length, and allowable pressure drop
Why this is right: Sizing tables are entered with the demand in BTU per hour, the developed length to the most remote outlet, and the allowable pressure drop for the system pressure and gas type.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. The size of the appliance connector — The connector is a fitting, not a sizing basis.
- C. Whatever size pipe already runs to the appliance — Existing pipe may be undersized for the new total load.
- D. The diameter of the furnace flue — Flue diameter is a venting matter, unrelated to fuel supply sizing.
Where this shows up on the job: Adding a range or a second furnace to an existing branch is where undersized gas piping usually shows up as low manifold pressure.
Code reference: Adopted fuel gas code sizing tables
Common misconception: Matching existing pipe size instead of recalculating total load.
Question 10. Conductor sizing for a hermetic refrigerant motor-compressor branch circuit is based on:
HVAC Electrical and Controls · Hard · Objective: Size a compressor branch circuit.
- A. The nameplate rated-load current or branch-circuit selection current, whichever is greater (correct)
- B. The locked rotor amps
- C. The disconnect switch rating
- D. The horsepower rating alone
Correct answer: A. The nameplate rated-load current or branch-circuit selection current, whichever is greater
Why this is right: Article 440 sizes conductors from the rated-load current or the branch-circuit selection current when that value is higher, applying the required percentage for continuous operation.
Why the other options are wrong:
- B. The locked rotor amps — Locked rotor current is used for disconnect and short-circuit considerations, not conductor ampacity.
- C. The disconnect switch rating — The disconnect is selected from the load, not the other way around.
- D. The horsepower rating alone — Horsepower alone does not give the actual current for a hermetic compressor.
Where this shows up on the job: Nameplate maximum overcurrent protection and minimum circuit ampacity are printed on the unit for exactly this reason: use them.
Code reference: NEC Article 440 as adopted in Ohio
Common misconception: Sizing a compressor circuit as if it were a general motor load.
Question 11. A disconnecting means for outdoor HVAC equipment must be:
HVAC Electrical and Controls · Easy · Objective: Apply disconnect location rules.
- A. Located anywhere in the building
- B. Within sight of and readily accessible from the equipment (correct)
- C. Inside the main electrical panel only
- D. Locked so only the utility can open it
Correct answer: B. Within sight of and readily accessible from the equipment
Why this is right: The disconnect must be within sight of the equipment and readily accessible so a technician can positively de-energize the unit before servicing it.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. Located anywhere in the building — A remote disconnect out of sight can be re-energized while someone is working.
- C. Inside the main electrical panel only — A breaker in a distant panel does not satisfy the within-sight requirement.
- D. Locked so only the utility can open it — Utility-only access would prevent service work entirely.
Where this shows up on the job: This is one of the most common inspection corrections on condenser replacements.
Code reference: NEC Article 440 Part II as adopted in Ohio
Common misconception: Treating the panel breaker as the equipment disconnect.
Question 12. Condensate from a condensing furnace and cooling coil in an Ohio basement must be:
Safety, Installation Practice and Testing · Medium · Objective: Handle condensate correctly in a cold climate.
- A. Discharged onto the floor near a drain
- B. Piped to an approved disposal point with the required trap and slope, protected from freezing (correct)
- C. Routed to a sanitary vent
- D. Left uncontrolled if a pump is installed
Correct answer: B. Piped to an approved disposal point with the required trap and slope, protected from freezing
Why this is right: Condensate must reach an approved disposal point through properly sloped, trapped piping, and any run through unconditioned space has to be protected from freezing because a frozen line backs water into the equipment.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. Discharged onto the floor near a drain — Discharging onto the floor is not an approved disposal method.
- C. Routed to a sanitary vent — Connecting to a vent is prohibited and can pull sewer gas into the space.
- D. Left uncontrolled if a pump is installed — A pump still must discharge to an approved point through proper piping.
Where this shows up on the job: Condensate lines run through an unheated crawl space are a recurring Ohio winter callback.
Code reference: Ohio Mechanical Code Chapter 3 condensate disposal provisions
Common misconception: Assuming a pump removes the need for an approved termination.
How to study for the Ohio HVAC contractor exam
Confirm the adopted code edition first
Ohio adopts mechanical, building and fuel gas code editions on its own schedule through the Board of Building Standards. Verify the edition in the current candidate information bulletin before buying a code book, then study only that edition and Ohio's amendments.
Understand that Ohio licenses contractors, not journeymen
There is no statewide journeyman HVAC license in Ohio. Know who may contract, who may pull permits, and how local technician registration in cities like Columbus and Cincinnati interacts with the state contractor license.
Treat Ohio as a heating-dominant climate
Load questions, venting questions and freeze-protection questions all lean on winter design conditions. Expect combustion venting, categorized appliances and condensate freeze protection to carry real weight.
Drill diagnostics until the pressure and temperature patterns are automatic
Work superheat and subcooling scenarios for TXV and fixed-orifice systems, restrictions, overcharge, undercharge and airflow faults until you can name the fault from the readings without hesitating.
Run a six-week plan
Week one: Ohio law, OCILB rules and scope. Week two: refrigeration cycle and diagnostics. Week three: load calculation and duct design. Week four: combustion, venting and fuel gas. Week five: HVAC electrical and controls. Week six: full-length timed sets under exam conditions.
Frequently asked questions
Does Ohio have a state journeyman HVAC license?
No. Ohio issues an HVAC contractor license through the OCILB. Technicians work under a licensed contractor, and some cities register or test tradespeople locally.
Is an Ohio HVAC contractor license valid statewide?
Yes. The OCILB license is recognized statewide, though local jurisdictions still issue permits, inspect work, and may require local registration.
Do I need EPA Section 608 in addition to the state license?
Yes. Section 608 is a separate federal certification required to purchase and handle regulated refrigerants, and it is not part of the state contractor license.
How much experience do I need before I can test?
Experience requirements are set by rule and revised periodically, so we leave those figures pending. Confirm the current requirement with the OCILB before applying.
Which code does the Ohio exam test?
The Ohio Mechanical Code and adopted building and fuel gas provisions, plus Ohio Revised Code Chapter 4740 and the board's administrative rules.
Are these real Ohio exam questions?
No. Every question here is original CraftPATH material written to the same subject areas the exam covers. We do not reproduce live examination content.
How long should I study?
Most candidates need six to ten weeks of focused review, weighted toward diagnostics, load and duct design, combustion venting and Ohio licensing law.