RSES Certification
RSES (Refrigeration Service Engineers Society) is an industry leader in HVAC training and education. They offer the following 4 types of RSES certification for their members:
- Active Specialized Member
- Certificate Member
- Certificate Member Specialist
- R-410A Certification
Active Specialized Member – RSES Certification
This RSES certification is earned by passing one (or more) of the following 8 exams, each specializing in one area of expertise:
- Commercial Air Conditioning
- Commercial Refrigeration
- Controls
- Domestic Service
- Dynamic Compression
- Heating
- Heat Pump
- HVACR Electrical
All of the exams consist of 100 questions and requires a passing score of 80% or better. In order to take the exam you must be an active good standing member of RSES and pay an exam fee of $30 per test. Upon completion, a wall certificate will be delivered and you will be able to add the (SM) tag to all of your correspondence signifying your certification.
Certificate Member – RSES Certification
This RSES certification exam covers 18 categories related to installation and service of HVAC systems. Many employers offer incentives for their employees upon passing this exam as it carries a significant amount of weight and is fairly rigorous. Upon completion, you will be considered a Level IV – Advanced Tech CM and receive 2 wall certificates stating your new level and also your status as a Certificate Member.
The exam itself consists of 150 questions and requires a passing score of 70% or better. At the time of writing (Jan 2012), the pass rate for this exam is around 30%. The exam fee is $25.00
Certificate Member Specialist – RSES Certification
This RSES certification is earned by passing one (or more) of the following 8 exams, each specializing in one area of expertise:
- Commercial Air Conditioning
- Commercial Refrigeration
- Controls
- Domestic Service
- Dynamic Compression
- Heating
- Heat Pump
- HVACR Electrical
The exam consists of 100 questions and requires a passing score of 80% or better. The exam fee is $30 per test. Upon completion, you will receive 2 wall certificates, one stating that you are a CMS, and the other stating your status as Level V Certification. You will also receive a patch signifying your certification.
If you successfully pass 5 of the 8 exams, you will receive the Wayburn Wilson Award which is handed out each year at the RSES annual conference.
R-410A – RSES Certification
R-410A is a type of refrigerant that operates at a much higher pressure than others. As such, it requires the use of different tools as well as an understanding of the differences in the refrigeration system. There is a voluntary RSES certification for those looking to obtain a structured certification. They currently do not guarantee acceptance of this certification.
For more information, please check out the RSES website.
Category: HVAC Certification
