Oklahoma Refrigeration Journeyman

Oklahoma Refrigeration Journeyman Exam: Complete 2026 Study Guide

Picture this: you've been working in refrigeration for years, you know your way around a compressor, and you're ready to make it official with your journeyman license. The Oklahoma Refrigeration Journeyman exam stands between you and that credential — and while it's no walk-through, it's absolutely passable with the right preparation. This guide breaks down everything you need to know about the exam: what's on it, what to study, and how to build confidence before test day. Start with a free practice exam to see where you stand.

Oklahoma Refrigeration Journeyman Exam Overview

The exam consists of 60 scored questions and you have 150 minutes to complete them — that's two and a half hours. To pass, you need to answer at least 42 of those 60 questions correctly, which works out to a 70% passing score.

Questions are multiple-choice with four answer options each. The exam tests practical refrigeration knowledge across six topic areas, ranging from refrigerant regulations to electrical controls to system operations. It's not a trick-question exam — it rewards technicians who genuinely understand how refrigeration systems work and how to work safely with them.

You'll want to pace yourself at roughly two and a half minutes per question, though many straightforward items will take far less time, leaving buffer for the more calculation-heavy problems.

Topics Covered on the Oklahoma Refrigeration Journeyman Exam

Here's a breakdown of the six topic areas and how heavily each one is weighted:

Refrigerants — 17 exam items (heaviest weight)
This is the largest topic on the exam. Expect questions on refrigerant classification systems (CFC, HCFC, HFC, HFO, HC, and inorganic types), environmental regulations like the Montreal Protocol and Section 608 of the Clean Air Act, cylinder color codes and DOT regulations, pressure-temperature relationships, and proper recovery, recycling, and reclaiming procedures.

Electrical Knowledge and Controls — 15 exam items
Almost tied for top weight. You'll need to understand circuit diagrams, Ohm's law, Watt's law, power factor, single- and three-phase motor types, motor starting relays (current, potential, solid-state, PTC), and pressure/temperature control adjustments.

Refrigeration Equipment and Components — 15 exam items
Also 15 items. This covers compressor types and drive configurations, every major metering device (capillary tube, TXV, AXV, EEV, float valves), evaporator and condenser construction, flow control components, and pressure-regulating valves.

Refrigeration Systems Operations — 5 exam items
Fewer questions, but foundational knowledge. Expect the compression refrigeration cycle, high-side and low-side pressures, heat transfer principles, sensible heat, latent heat, superheat, subcooling, and gas laws (Boyle's, Charles', Gay-Lussac's).

Safety — 5 exam items
PPE selection, lockout/tagout procedures, fire extinguisher types and the PASS method, Safety Data Sheets, and refrigerant/chemical hazards.

Piping — 3 exam items
The lightest topic. Covers ACR copper tubing specs, cutting/reaming/bending techniques, flared connections, soldering and brazing, and swaged connections.

Sample Oklahoma Refrigeration Journeyman Exam Questions

Here are five representative questions — the same style and difficulty as what you'll encounter on the real exam. See if you can work through them before checking your reasoning.

Question 1 (Refrigerants — Easy)

In the past, refrigerants were often vented to the atmosphere. Which federal law now prohibits this practice and requires technicians to recover and recycle refrigerant when opening equipment for service?

• A) The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
• B) The Endangered Species Act
• C) The Safe Drinking Water Act
• D) Section 608 of the Clean Air Act

Question 2 (Electrical Knowledge and Controls — Easy)

A transformer with more turns in its secondary coil than in its primary coil is classified as what type of transformer?

• A) Step-down transformer
• B) Step-up transformer
• C) Isolation transformer
• D) Autotransformer

Question 3 (Electrical Knowledge and Controls — Medium)

As a refrigeration contractor, you need to reverse the direction of rotation of a three-phase compressor motor. What is the correct procedure?

• A) Reverse the connections to all three power leads simultaneously
• B) Swap any two of the three power leads at their terminals
• C) Change the motor from delta to wye configuration
• D) Install a run capacitor in the start winding circuit

Question 4 (Refrigerants — Medium)

Under the International Mechanical Code, refrigerants used in refrigeration systems must meet specific purity standards. Recovered refrigerants that will be reused in a different owner's equipment must be tested and found to meet the purity requirements of which standard?

• A) UL 207
• B) AHRI 700
• C) ASHRAE 34
• D) ASHRAE 15

Question 5 (Refrigeration Equipment and Components — Hard)

You are installing a TXV on a commercial refrigeration evaporator that has a significant pressure drop across its coil, measured at 6 psi. Which type of TXV equalization should you specify, and why?

• A) Internally equalized, because it compensates for pressure drop by sensing outlet pressure
• B) Either type may be used since equalization type does not affect valve performance with large evaporators
• C) Externally equalized, because evaporator pressure drop exceeding 4 psi causes an internally equalized valve to starve the evaporator
• D) Internally equalized, because external equalization is only required when pressure drop exceeds 10 psi

Not sure which answers are right? That's exactly what practice is for. Take our free practice exam to test your knowledge with no account required.

What Types of Questions to Expect by Topic

Our practice question bank contains 366 questions across all six topics. Here's what each area actually tests — and how many practice questions we offer per topic:

Refrigeration Equipment and Components (94 practice questions): Expect questions that require you to distinguish between compressor types (reciprocating, scroll, screw, centrifugal, rotary), compare open-drive vs. hermetic configurations, and select or troubleshoot metering devices. TXV equalization (like Question 5 above) is a good example of the depth here.

Refrigerants (93 practice questions): These questions cover regulatory knowledge (Section 608, Montreal Protocol), P/T chart interpretation, refrigerant numbering (what does R-410A actually mean?), cylinder identification, and correct recovery and reclaim procedures. Calculation skills aren't heavy here, but you must know your regulations cold.

Electrical Knowledge and Controls (70 practice questions): Ohm's law and Watt's law calculations, reading ladder diagrams, motor starting relay identification, and determining cut-in/cut-out settings. Some questions are straightforward classification; others require applying formulas to a given scenario.

Refrigeration Systems Operations (57 practice questions): These test your ability to trace the refrigeration cycle, identify where heat transfer occurs, and apply gas law relationships. Superheat and subcooling calculations appear here, as do questions about high-side vs. low-side pressure behavior.

Safety (27 practice questions): Questions cover PPE for specific tasks, the correct LOTO sequence, fire extinguisher class selection, SDS section identification, and refrigerant exposure hazards. These tend to be straightforward if you've worked in a compliant shop.

Piping (25 practice questions): Smaller pool, but the exam does ask about ACR tubing types, proper brazing technique, filler metal selection, and when to use single vs. double flare connections.

Recommended Study Materials for the Oklahoma Refrigeration Journeyman Exam

Three references align directly with the exam content and are worth having on hand throughout your prep:

Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (20th Edition)
This is the gold-standard textbook for refrigeration technicians. It covers the compression cycle, compressor types, metering devices, electrical controls, refrigerants, and heat transfer principles in real depth. If you only buy one book, make it this one. It addresses the majority of topics on the exam, especially the two heaviest areas: refrigerants and refrigeration equipment.

International Mechanical Code 2021
The IMC is directly referenced in questions about refrigerant purity standards and system installation requirements — as you saw in Question 4 above. Knowing how the IMC governs refrigerant use, system classification, and equipment installation will serve you well on the Refrigerants section.

OSHA Standards for the Construction Industry (29 CFR 1926)
The Safety section of the exam draws on OSHA requirements for PPE, lockout/tagout, and hazard communication. This reference gives you the regulatory grounding to answer those questions with confidence rather than guessing.

Study Tips for the Oklahoma Refrigeration Journeyman Exam

Prioritize by exam weight. Refrigerants (17 items) and Electrical Knowledge and Controls (15 items) together account for 32 of your 60 questions — over half the exam. Master those two areas first before spending significant time on Piping (just 3 items).

Know your regulations, not just your tools. The exam tests whether you understand why certain rules exist. For refrigerants, that means understanding the difference between recovery, recycling, and reclaiming — not just that you do them.

Practice Ohm's law and Watt's law with numbers. Read the formulas until you can apply them without hesitation. These come up in electrical questions and can be quick, reliable point-getters.

Use the P/T chart as a working tool. Don't just memorize values — understand how to read the chart and what the numbers tell you about system performance.

Simulate test conditions. Our full practice exam matches the real exam's 60-question format and 150-minute time limit. Use it timed so you develop a feel for pacing before the real day.

Don't neglect safety. Five questions on safety is five free points if you know your LOTO steps and PPE rules. These are among the most straightforward questions on the exam.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the Oklahoma Refrigeration Journeyman exam, and what score do I need to pass?
The exam has 60 scored questions. You need to answer at least 42 of them correctly — a 70% passing score — to pass.

How long do I have to complete the exam?
You have 150 minutes (two and a half hours) to complete the exam. That's a generous amount of time for most candidates who have prepared well.

Which topics should I focus on most?
Focus first on Refrigerants (17 exam items) and Refrigeration Equipment and Components (15 items), then Electrical Knowledge and Controls (also 15 items). These three areas make up 47 of your 60 questions. Getting those right is the path to passing.

Can I use reference materials during the exam?
The exam is typically closed-book. Check with your testing provider for the specific rules that apply to your test administration, as policies can vary.

Is there a free way to practice before committing to full study materials?
Yes — our free practice exam gives you 10 questions per attempt with no account required. You can retake it as many times as you like to get comfortable with the format. When you're ready for full-length, scored preparation, the paid version mirrors the real exam: 60 questions, 150-minute timer, and a topic-by-topic score breakdown so you know exactly where to focus.

Ready to Get Licensed?

The Oklahoma Refrigeration Journeyman exam is challenging, but it's built around knowledge you've been building on the job. With the right study materials, a clear understanding of what the exam emphasizes, and some deliberate practice, 42 out of 60 is well within reach.

Start today: take our free practice exam to get a baseline, then work through the heavier topic areas with Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, the IMC 2021, and OSHA 29 CFR 1926. You've put in the field hours — now put in the study hours and make it official.