- What ACR Certification Means in Texas
- Who Administers the Exam and How Registration Works
- Exam Format: Question Style, Timing, and References
- The 14 ACR Exam Domains Explained
- Eligibility and Experience Requirements
- Licensing, Renewal, and Insurance Obligations
- Building a Domain-Weighted Study Plan
- Frequently Asked Questions
- ACR certification refers to the Texas Class A Environmental Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor License Exam, administered by PSI under TDLR.
- The exam has 120 scored questions plus 5 unscored items, a 4-hour limit, and a 70% passing score.
- The FY2026 first-time pass rate through May 31, 2026 was 36.62%, making this a genuinely difficult license exam.
- Air Distribution is the single largest domain at 15% of scored content, followed by Equipment Requirements and Design at 11.67%.
What ACR Certification Means in Texas
When people search for "ACR certification" in a Texas context, they're almost always referring to the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (ACR) Contractor License issued by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). This isn't a private industry badge - it's a state-mandated license required to legally own, operate, or supervise HVACR contracting work in Texas at the Class A level, which covers environmental air-conditioning work with no equipment-size limit.
To earn this license, applicants must pass the selected Environmental Air Class A examination, a proctored, computer-based test administered by PSI on behalf of TDLR. If you've landed on this page confused about terminology, our companion posts on What Is ACR? and ACR Meaning unpack the acronym in plain language before you dive into exam mechanics.
Who Administers the Exam and How Registration Works
TDLR sets the licensing requirements and collects a $115 application fee. Once your application is approved, PSI schedules and delivers the actual test for a separate $74 examination fee. Both fees are paid to different entities, so budgeting for the full path to licensure means accounting for both charges, plus any prep materials you invest in beforehand. For a complete cost breakdown covering every fee a candidate is likely to encounter, see ACR Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
The exam is offered in both English and Spanish at PSI-approved testing centers, and it's delivered in person on computer terminals rather than as a remote or paper exam. PSI updated its candidate bulletin on July 9, 2026, and reference materials tied to the 2024 IMC, IFGC, and UMC codes take effect September 1, 2026 - a detail worth tracking closely if you're scheduling your test around that transition date. Our ACR Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling guide walks through how to time your registration around bulletin and code updates.
Exam Format: Question Style, Timing, and References
The Class A exam consists of 120 scored multiple-choice questions plus 5 non-scored (pretest) items mixed in without identification, so every question should be treated as if it counts. Candidates have 4 hours to finish, and a score of 70% or higher on the scored items is required to pass.
One feature that surprises first-time test-takers: this is an open-book exam. You're allowed to bring approved reference materials into the testing room, and those references may already contain your own preexisting notes, highlighting, underlining, and permanent tabs. A compliant nonprogrammable calculator is also permitted. That said, "open book" does not mean "easy" - with 125 total items to work through in four hours, you don't have time to look up every answer from scratch. Effective use of tabbed references is a skill in itself, and it's covered in depth in our ACR Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt.
Key Takeaway
Tab your code books and manuals by domain topic before test day. In an open-book exam with a strict time limit, fast navigation matters as much as raw knowledge.
The 14 ACR Exam Domains Explained
PSI's official outline breaks the 120 scored items into 14 weighted content domains. Understanding these weights is the single most important step in prioritizing your study time - a topic explored fully in ACR Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 14 Content Areas.
| Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1. Air Distribution | 15% |
| 5. Equipment Requirements and Design | 11.67% |
| 6. HVAC Systems | 9.17% |
| 10. Service | 10% |
| 11. Testing | 10% |
| 2. Basic Refrigeration Components | 5% |
| 3. Combustion Air | 5% |
| 4. Controls | 5% |
| 7. Piping | 5% |
| 8. Refrigeration Principles | 5% |
| 9. Safety | 5% |
| 12. Texas Laws and Rules | 5% |
| 13. Ventilation | 5% |
| 14. Venting | 4.17% |
Air Distribution (15%)
As the largest domain by far, Air Distribution deserves the most dedicated study hours. Expect questions on duct sizing, sealing, static pressure, and distribution system design principles that field-level Class A contractors are expected to know cold.
- Duct sizing and airflow calculations
- Sealing and insulation requirements
- System balancing considerations
Equipment Requirements and Design (11.67%)
The second-largest domain focuses on equipment selection, sizing, and design compliance. Candidates should be comfortable reading manufacturer specifications alongside code requirements.
- Equipment sizing and load matching
- Design compliance with current code references
- Manufacturer specification interpretation
HVAC Systems, Service, and Testing (combined ~29.17%)
Together, HVAC Systems (9.17%), Service (10%), and Testing (10%) make up nearly a third of the scored exam. These domains lean heavily on practical field knowledge - diagnosing systems, performing service procedures correctly, and understanding what testing protocols verify proper installation.
- System diagnostics and troubleshooting logic
- Correct service sequencing and safety checks
- Testing procedures used to confirm compliant installation
The remaining domains - Basic Refrigeration Components, Combustion Air, Controls, Piping, Refrigeration Principles, Safety, Texas Laws and Rules, Ventilation, and Venting - each carry 4.17% to 5% of the exam. Individually small, but collectively they represent well over a third of your score, so skipping any one of them is a risky strategy. If you're wondering how these weights translate into overall exam difficulty, How Hard Is the ACR Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 breaks down why breadth, not just depth, trips up many candidates.
Eligibility and Experience Requirements
You can't simply register and sit for the Class A exam - TDLR requires documented field experience first. Applicants must be at least 18 years old and generally need one of two experience paths:
- 48 months of supervised practical experience completed within the preceding 72 months, or
- 12 months as a certified technician plus 36 months of qualifying experience within the preceding 48 months
Approved substitutions may apply depending on your training background, so it's worth confirming your specific pathway before you apply. A full breakdown of eligibility documentation, acceptable experience types, and substitution rules is available in ACR Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Key Takeaway
Start compiling your experience documentation months before you plan to test - verifying supervised hours and employer records takes time and can delay your application if left until the last minute.
Licensing, Renewal, and Insurance Obligations
Passing the exam isn't the finish line - it's the entry point to ongoing licensing obligations. The Class A license is issued for one year and renews for $65. Renewal requires 8 hours of continuing education, including at least 1 hour specifically on Texas law and rules, echoing that same domain from the exam itself.
Licensed Class A contractors must also carry commercial general liability insurance meeting these minimums:
- $300,000 per occurrence
- $600,000 aggregate
- $300,000 for products and completed operations
These insurance thresholds are a real cost of doing business under this license and should factor into how you evaluate whether pursuing the credential makes financial sense for your career goals - a question tackled directly in Is the ACR Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026.
Building a Domain-Weighted Study Plan
Because the scored content is unevenly distributed across 14 domains, an effective study plan mirrors that weighting rather than spreading effort equally. Spaced repetition and structured review blocks work well here, but only if they're mapped to the actual PSI outline - not a generic checklist.
Air Distribution & Equipment Requirements and Design
- Master duct sizing, sealing, and airflow calculations
- Review equipment selection and design compliance scenarios
HVAC Systems, Service, and Testing
- Work through diagnostic and troubleshooting practice questions
- Practice testing/verification procedures under timed conditions
The 5% Domains
- Cycle through Controls, Piping, Refrigeration Principles, Safety, Ventilation, Venting, Combustion Air, and Basic Refrigeration Components
- Use tabbed references to speed up open-book lookups
Texas Laws and Rules & Full Simulation
- Finish with Texas-specific code and rule review
- Take a full 120-question timed practice run at ACR Exam Prep's practice test platform
Timed, full-length practice runs matter enormously given the reported 36.62% first-time pass rate for fiscal year 2026 through May 31, 2026. That figure signals this is not an exam most candidates pass casually on their first try, and it underscores why reviewing your weak domains under real time pressure - not just reading material passively - should anchor your final weeks of prep. For a deeper look at what's driving that pass rate, see ACR Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows, and for the exact scoring mechanics behind the 70% threshold, check ACR Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
Once you're comfortable with domain content, a quick-reference resource can help lock in details during final review. Our ACR Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts condenses fee amounts, timing, and domain weights into a single scannable page for the days right before your test.
Why Employers Value This License
Holding a Class A ACR license signals to employers and clients that you're authorized to perform environmental air-conditioning work in Texas without equipment-size restrictions. That distinction matters for contractors bidding larger commercial jobs or supervising crews on unrestricted-scope projects. If you're evaluating how this license fits into a broader career trajectory, ACR Jobs and ACR Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis both explore how licensure translates into employment opportunities across the state. For candidates building foundational knowledge before formal exam prep, ACR Training outlines coursework options that align with TDLR's experience requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Candidates may bring approved reference materials that already contain notes, highlighting, underlining, and permanent tabs, plus a compliant nonprogrammable calculator.
The exam includes 120 scored questions and 5 non-scored questions mixed in, for a total of 125 multiple-choice items, with a 4-hour time limit.
You need to score 70% or higher on the scored portion of the exam to pass.
Expect a $115 TDLR application fee and a $74 PSI examination fee to sit for the test, plus a $65 fee each year to renew your license.
Generally, 48 months of supervised practical experience within the preceding 72 months, or 12 months as a certified technician plus 36 months of qualifying experience within the preceding 48 months, subject to approved substitutions.