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ABYC Certification · Last updated November 2026

ABYC A/C Refrigeration Certification Exam: free practice test

For technicians who install and service marine air conditioning and refrigeration. Covers the refrigeration cycle and components, AC and DC electrical for compressors, fans and controls, seawater cooling circuits, ducting and air flow, reverse-cycle (heat pump) systems and mechanical troubleshooting, with ABYC A-6, E-11, H-22 and H-27 and the EPA refrigerant rules in 40 CFR. Self-study only. Counts toward Master Technician and Master Advisor.

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About the ABYC A/C Refrigeration exam

For technicians who install and service marine air conditioning and refrigeration. Covers the refrigeration cycle and components, AC and DC electrical for compressors, fans and controls, seawater cooling circuits, ducting and air flow, reverse-cycle (heat pump) systems and mechanical troubleshooting, with ABYC A-6, E-11, H-22 and H-27 and the EPA refrigerant rules in 40 CFR. Self-study only. Counts toward Master Technician and Master Advisor.

What's on the exam

ABYC A/C Refrigeration
Refrigeration Principles
6 key facts
Components and System Design
6 key facts
Electrical Systems and Controls
6 key facts
Seawater Cooling Systems
6 key facts
Air Flow, Ducting and Condensate
6 key facts
Reverse-Cycle Operation and Troubleshooting
6 key facts
Refrigerant Handling and EPA Rules
6 key facts

Each branch is a topic in the official outline. Members see every key fact on the full mind map. Read the free study guide →

How to pass the ABYC A/C Refrigeration exam

  • 176 questions in 3.5 hours gives you about 72 seconds each, more time per question than most ABYC exams. Use it to work superheat and subcooling problems on paper.
  • The cut score is 84.1%: you can miss only about 28 questions.
  • Most troubleshooting questions come down to heat transfer: is the system failing to pick up heat (evaporator, air flow) or failing to reject it (condenser, seawater flow)? Decide which side first.
  • Half the system is plumbing and wiring, not refrigerant. Review E-11 grounding and H-27 seacocks as carefully as the refrigeration cycle.

Save your results and get your Readiness Score

Create a free account after the test: your score by topic, a mistakes bank, the complete study notes for the first topic, flashcards and the ABYC Numbers & Formulas Sheet.

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What's in the premium ABYC A/C Refrigeration prep

Premium ABYC A/C Refrigeration prep is studied one topic at a time. Each step starts with that topic's key notes and flashcard deck, then its own question sets of 25, so you master one topic before you move to the next. When every topic is strong, the 6 full mock exams show you're ready.

3,000practice questions, every answer explained
6full-length mock exams, 176 questions each, timed
800flashcards with spaced repetition, sorted by topic
60comprehensive key notes across 7 topics

Your step-by-step study path

  1. 1
    Refrigeration Principles9 key notes, 115 flashcards, then 450 practice questions in 18 sets of 25
    Notes free with an account
  2. 2
    Components and System Design9 key notes, 115 flashcards, then 425 practice questions in 17 sets of 25
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  3. 3
    Electrical Systems and Controls9 key notes, 115 flashcards, then 425 practice questions in 17 sets of 25
    Premium
  4. 4
    Seawater Cooling Systems9 key notes, 115 flashcards, then 425 practice questions in 17 sets of 25
    Premium
  5. 5
    Air Flow, Ducting and Condensate8 key notes, 115 flashcards, then 425 practice questions in 17 sets of 25
    Premium
  6. 6
    Reverse-Cycle Operation and Troubleshooting8 key notes, 115 flashcards, then 425 practice questions in 17 sets of 25
    Premium
  7. 7
    Refrigerant Handling and EPA Rules8 key notes, 110 flashcards, then 425 practice questions in 17 sets of 25
    Premium
  8. Final step: 6 full mock exams176 questions each, timed like test day. Pass them, then book your exam.
    Premium
Free with an account

Read the complete ABYC A/C Refrigeration study notes for “Refrigeration Principles”

Our first full set of comprehensive notes, about 13 minutes of reading: Moving heat, not making cold · The four stages of the cycle · Pressure and temperature · Superheat and subcooling, a worked exam example, the traps examiners use and a one-minute recap. Create a free account to read it and see how premium notes work before you decide.

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Study tools included

3,000 practice questions

3,000 exam-style questions per exam, organized topic by topic in sets of 25. Every answer explained, with the rule it comes from.

6 full mock exams

6 full-length timed mock exams per exam, with real question counts and time limits, so test day feels like practice day.

Exam Readiness Score

One 0 to 100 number that tells you when you're ready to book. Reach 80 and you're covered by our Pass Guarantee.

800 flashcards + spaced repetition

800 flashcards per exam, in a deck for each topic, that come back right before you'd forget them. Five minutes a day keeps every number fresh.

60 comprehensive key notes

60 key notes per exam, split across its topics and each explained in full: the concepts, worked exam examples, the traps examiners use and a quick recap. Your first set is free with an account.

Mind maps

See the whole exam on one screen: every topic and the facts under it.

Sample questions with answers

These are the questions in the free test above, with answers. Try the test first. You'll learn more by getting some wrong.

1. In the evaporator of a working A/C system, the refrigerant:
Answer: Absorbs heat from the cabin air as it boils from liquid to vapor. The evaporator is where cooling happens. Low-pressure liquid refrigerant boils, absorbing latent heat from the air blown across the coil. The compressor then moves the vapor to the condenser, where that heat is rejected.
2. The suction pressure corresponds to a saturation temperature of 40°F, and the suction line at the evaporator outlet measures 52°F. What is the superheat?
Answer: 12°F. Superheat = actual vapor temperature − saturation temperature at that pressure = 52 − 40 = 12°F. Superheat shows that all the liquid has boiled off before the vapor leaves the evaporator.
3. What does the metering device (capillary tube or expansion valve) do?
Answer: Drops the pressure of the liquid refrigerant entering the evaporator, so it can boil at a low temperature. The metering device is the dividing line between the high and low sides. Dropping the pressure lowers the boiling point, so the refrigerant boils in the evaporator at a temperature below the air being cooled.
4. Why can liquid refrigerant returning to the compressor damage it?
Answer: The compressor is designed to compress vapor, and liquid doesn't compress. Liquids are practically incompressible. Liquid floodback (slugging) can break valves and other internal parts, and it washes oil from bearings. Correct superheat, adequate air flow over the evaporator and, where fitted, an accumulator protect the compressor.
5. On a single-phase compressor, you measure 2 ohms between Common and Run and 4 ohms between Common and Start. What should Run to Start measure?
Answer: 6 ohms. The run and start windings are in series between the R and S terminals, joined at C. R-to-S is the sum of both windings: 2 + 4 = 6 ohms. The highest reading identifies R-S, and the remaining terminal is Common.
6. Under ABYC E-11, how is the metal case of a 120 V AC air conditioning unit protected against shock?
Answer: It is connected to the AC grounding (green) conductor, which ties back to the boat's grounding system. Exposed metal of AC equipment connects to the green AC grounding conductor, so a fault from a hot conductor to the case trips the breaker or ELCI instead of leaving the case live. The neutral must never be used as the equipment ground on board.
7. Before testing or replacing a compressor's run capacitor, what must you do?
Answer: Discharge it safely after disconnecting power. Capacitors can hold a dangerous charge after the power is off. Disconnect power, discharge the capacitor safely (through a suitable resistor or a discharge tool), confirm with a meter, then test it for capacitance against its rated value.
8. Why is the seawater pump for an A/C unit normally mounted below the waterline?
Answer: Most are centrifugal pumps that aren't self-priming, so they must stay flooded. Typical A/C circulating pumps are magnetic-drive centrifugal pumps. They can't lift water to prime themselves, so they are mounted below the waterline with the intake run uphill from seacock to strainer to pump, avoiding air locks.
9. In an A/C seawater circuit, where does the strainer go?
Answer: Between the seacock and the pump, where it can be reached for cleaning. The strainer protects the pump and the condenser coil from debris, so it goes between the intake seacock and the pump. It needs to be accessible because it has to be checked and cleaned regularly. The intake below the waterline is fitted with a seacock under ABYC H-27.
10. In cooling mode a unit keeps tripping on high pressure, and the overboard discharge shows only a weak trickle. What is the most likely cause?
Answer: Restricted seawater flow, for example a clogged strainer, fouled intake or failing pump. In cooling mode the seawater carries heat away from the condenser. Weak flow means heat isn't rejected, condensing pressure climbs and the high-pressure switch trips. Check the discharge stream first; it's the quickest test on a marine unit.
11. The evaporator coil ices up in cooling mode. Which cause should you check first?
Answer: Reduced air flow across the coil, such as a dirty filter, blocked return or crushed duct. With too little warm air passing over it, the evaporator can't absorb enough heat, its temperature drops below freezing and moisture freezes on the fins, which blocks air flow further. Low charge can also cause icing, but air flow is the quick and common check.
12. Why must the return air for a cabin A/C unit never be drawn from the engine compartment or bilge?
Answer: It would draw exhaust gases, carbon monoxide or fuel vapors into the unit and distribute them to the accommodation spaces. The air handler circulates whatever it draws in through the living spaces. Machinery spaces and bilges can hold carbon monoxide, fuel vapor and fumes. Return air comes from the space being conditioned, with the unit and its ducting sealed from machinery spaces.
13. In a reverse-cycle unit running in heating mode, what does the seawater heat exchanger do?
Answer: It acts as the evaporator, picking up heat from the seawater. The reversing valve swaps the roles of the two coils. In heating mode the cabin air coil becomes the condenser and releases heat into the cabin, while the seawater coil becomes the evaporator and absorbs heat from the water.
14. A customer says the reverse-cycle heat works well in autumn but gives little heat in midwinter. What is the most likely explanation?
Answer: Colder seawater gives the evaporator less heat to pick up, so heating capacity falls. In heating mode the unit pumps heat out of the seawater. As the water gets colder, the evaporating pressure and temperature drop and the heat available falls, so output declines. It's a limit of the method, not a fault.
15. Under the EPA's Section 608 rules (40 CFR Part 82, Subpart F), which statement is correct for a technician servicing a marine A/C unit charged with R-410A?
Answer: Knowingly venting the refrigerant is prohibited, and the technician opening the system needs EPA Section 608 certification for that type of equipment. Section 608 prohibits knowingly venting refrigerants, including HFC substitutes such as R-410A, during service. Technicians who open the system must be certified for the equipment type: Type I covers small appliances (factory-sealed with 5 lb of refrigerant or less), Type II high-pressure equipment such as most R-410A systems, and Universal covers every type.

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Certification guide

ABYC certification exam guide (2026): ABYC certification exams are long, all multiple choice and have high cut scores: you need 77.2% to 85% to pass, and 82.5% or more on eight of the 10. This guide covers all 10 current certifications, what they test, how they're delivered and how to prepare. All figures are from the [American Boat & Yacht Council](https://abycinc.org/education/certification-program/proctored-testing/) as of November 2026.

ABYC A/C Refrigeration exam FAQ

How many questions are on the ABYC A/C Refrigeration exam?

176 multiple-choice questions, with a time limit of 3.5 hours. Format: proctored, computer-based multiple choice; reference-material rules are not stated on the public exam pages, so confirm them when you book.

What is the passing score for ABYC A/C Refrigeration?

84.1% (ABYC's published cut score).

How much does the ABYC A/C Refrigeration exam cost?

Exam only: US$295 for ABYC members, US$595 for nonmembers, per attempt (2026). ABYC lists study guides at US$85 member / US$175 nonmember; confirm one is offered for this certification. ABYC offers this certification in self-study format only. ABYC charges members less than nonmembers, so confirm current fees with ABYC before you book.

Which languages is the ABYC A/C Refrigeration exam offered in?

English.

Where do I take the ABYC A/C Refrigeration exam?

Self-study only: online with a remote proctor (webcam, microphone, Chrome, government ID, single monitor).

Is this ABYC A/C Refrigeration practice test free?

Yes. The 15-question practice test on this page is free, with an explanation for every answer and no signup. A free account also unlocks the complete study notes for the first topic. The full ABYC A/C Refrigeration prep is Premium at $147 a month for this exam.

What's in the premium ABYC A/C Refrigeration prep?

3,000 practice questions organized topic by topic (Refrigeration Principles: 450; Components and System Design: 425; Electrical Systems and Controls: 425; Seawater Cooling Systems: 425; Air Flow, Ducting and Condensate: 425; Reverse-Cycle Operation and Troubleshooting: 425; Refrigerant Handling and EPA Rules: 425), 6 full-length timed mock exams of 176 questions, 800 flashcards and 60 comprehensive key notes split across all 7 topics, plus a mistakes bank and the Readiness Score.

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Exam details are summarized from the official candidate information available in November 2026. ABYC changes formats and fees, so confirm with American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) before you book. ABYCExamPrep is not affiliated with the American Boat & Yacht Council.

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