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Ah, the NATE exam. Or, shall we say, the North American Trade Excellence (NATE) certification test, your chance to prove what you know about HVAC and demonstrate your readiness to work in the field as a technician. NATE is the largest American nonprofit that certifies HVAC technicians. A lot of HVAC jobs require NATE certification and many customers specifically look for certified techs when considering HVAC companies.
In studying for the NATE exam, you have to cover a lot of material. Don't worry—we've got your back! We've put together a monster list of resources of different kinds you can use to study for your upcoming NATE exam.
With this list, you'll likely find at least one or two helpful classes, articles, or books. Different people learn differently, so try a few different resources to see what resonates best with you.
Books
1. Preparing for the NATE Exam: Air Conditioning and Heat Pumps by RSES, Preparing for the NATE Exam: Gas and Oil Heating, and Preparing for the NATE Exam: Core Essentials
Each book here features a couple hundred page overview of the basic information you need to know for the test, including review questions with answers so you can check your own knowledge. Buy all three books, or buy them individually. There are other NATE prep books in this series covering topics such as hydronics and air distribution as well. If you struggle with a particular area of HVAC, this series has you covered.
2. HVAC Licensing Study Guide by Rex Miller and Mark Miller
This guide doesn't limit itself to just the NATE. It covers topics that really could appear on any HVAC licensing exam. This may help out new technicians the most, since it does cover such a broad range of topics.
3. HVAC Tables, Equations, and Rules of Thumb Quick-Card by Builders Book
A six-page laminated guide with quick, at-a-glance info you can study, this isn't really a book, but its easy-to-use style and summaries make it a real winner for studying. With this resource, you can make the most of small blocks of time and fit some extra studying in.
4. Guide to NATE/ICE Certification Exams by Robert Featherstone and Jesse Riojas
Enormously popular on Amazon, this guide gears towards technicians looking for lots of practice. With over 2400 practice questions, you'll get a good idea of what's on the exam and whether or not you're ready for it.
Practice Tests
5. HVAC Certification Practice Tests
This free site hosts some totally free NATE practice tests. In fact, there's more than 40!
Here you'll find practice tests and training material online to help you study.
This site features practice questions covering the NATE material and many different online flashcard sets you can use to study and prepare yourself.
Tests.com has information about the exam, plus a sampling of practice questions and tests.
Online Articles and Guides
This detailed, free online guide to the test holds a lot of specific information on what's typically covered by the NATE exam and how to prepare yourself.
10. HVAC Certification Exam Guide
Read-up on what to expect and find tips for test day success in this article.
Who better to explain the NATE exam than NATE, the organization that created it? Get all the facts here.
Online Prep Classes
12. Carrier University's NATE Core Prep Class
This six-hour, fully online training class for $35 covers the basics.
13. ed2go's HVACR Technician--NATE Service CORE
If you REALLY want to learn the NATE material, here's a 100-hour class led by an instructor, designed to take six months and teach you everything you really need to know to ace the exam. It costs $2,295. (Yikes!)
14. Core Essentials Online Training Program: Preparing for the NATE Exam by RSES
With 8 videos, you can review this online program before you take the test. The price? $135.
15. Online NATE Training and Comprehensive HVAC Technician Course
This study course covers everything HVAC technicians need to know as well as the material covered on the NATE exam. The full course is $1,185 and you can complete it online in ten months.
16. everblue's NATE Certification Training
Cover the core, air-to-air heat pump, AC, and gas furnace topics in this eight-hour webinar for $399.
With a variety of different formats for learning, including online courses, HVACRedu probably has something that can help you prepare for the NATE exam.
This is an online and in-person training program for people who want to master the material and ace the NATE exam.
19. Johnstone University's NATE and HVAC Courses
Here you'll find many different prep and material study classes of interest for those preparing for the NATE exam.
This site features online training with information about the exam.
Ready to Ace that Test?
Study hard, take a practice test, and try a few of these resources. Good luck!
