South Carolina - Packaged Equipment Exam Study Guide
This guide covers what you need for the South Carolina - Packaged Equipment exam: the key facts from the official bulletin, the topics it tests, the reference books, sample questions with answers, and a plan to prepare. PSI gives the exam.
South Carolina - Packaged Equipment Exam at a Glance
Here are the exam's key facts from the official bulletin:
| Questions | 80 questions |
| Time limit | 4 hours |
| Passing score | 56 correct answers out of 80 scored questions |
| Books in the exam room | Open book |
| Exam fee | $64 |
On exam day
- You must bring one valid, unexpired, signature-bearing photo ID (such as a state driver's license, state ID card, US passport, US military ID, US alien registration card, or Canadian government ID) matching the name you registered under.
- You should arrive at least 30 minutes before your appointment.
- The examinations are open book: candidates may bring the listed reference books, which must not be written in or contain additional loose or attached papers, and proctors inspect all books before and after the examination.
- Highlighting and underlining are allowed and only permanent tabs may be used, but books must otherwise be unmarked (not written in).
- You may bring a silent, battery-operated, non-programmable calculator without paper tape printing or an alphabetic keyboard.
- Only approved items may be taken into the examination room, and personal items such as electronic devices, writing devices, reading material, bags, food and drinks must be left in secure storage.
References you may bring
- 2021 International Mechanical Code with SC modifications; or 2018 South Carolina Mechanical Code (2021 / 2018)
- 2021 International Gas Code with SC modifications; or 2018 South Carolina Fuel Gas Code (2021 / 2018)
- ACCA Ductulator
- Trane Ductulator
- Code of Federal Regulations - 29 CFR Part 1926 (OSHA), with latest available amendments
- Code of Federal Regulations - 29 CFR Part 1926 Selections by PSI, with latest available amendments
- Manual N - Commercial Load Calculation for Small Commercial Buildings (5th Edition, 2008)
- Manual D - Residential Duct Systems (3rd Edition, 2009)
- Manual J - Residential Load Calcs (reprinted 2006, Eighth Full Edition)
- Pipefitter's Handbook (1967, 3rd Edition)
- Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (21st or 22nd edition)
- Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technology (6th edition, 2009)
- Trane Air Conditioning Manual (1996)
- ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals (1997)
Scheduling, changes and retakes
- You may register and schedule online at https://test-takers.psiexams.com/sccon, available 24 hours a day, or by telephone with a PSI registrar at (855) 340-3701.
- Minimum qualifications must be met before registering, and the Registration Confirmation Notice issued after PSI approval is valid for 1 year or until an examination classification has been failed twice within the referenced time frame.
- You may cancel and reschedule without forfeiting your fee if your cancellation notice is received 2 days before the scheduled examination date, and voice mail or email is not an acceptable cancellation.
- If you fail to cancel in time, do not appear, arrive after the examination start time, or lack proper ID, your registration is invalid and you forfeit your examination fee.
- Your score is given immediately after the examination on screen and on a printed official report, with a diagnostic report of strengths and weaknesses if you do not pass.
- Except for Burglar and Fire Alarm, an examination may be taken only 2 times in a 12-month period and thereafter only once in six months, and a candidate who passes an exam may not take it again.
- After passing the required examinations, you submit the commercial license application with an experience affidavit documenting the required experience.
Source: Commercial Contractor Candidate Information Bulletin, Updated 8/27/2026. Check the bulletin before test day: fees and rules can change.
What the South Carolina - Packaged Equipment Exam Covers
The official content outline has 40 topics:
| Topic | Questions | Share of the exam |
|---|---|---|
| General Piping | 1 | 1% |
| General Tubing | 1 | 1% |
| Pipe Assembly | 1 | 1% |
| Piping Systems | 2 | 2% |
| Drain Piping | 1 | 1% |
| Valves | 1 | 1% |
| Piping Insulation | 1 | 1% |
| Hangers and Supports (General) | 1 | 1% |
| Mechanical Sound, Vibration, and Seismic Control | 1 | 1% |
| Heating and Cooling Principles | 2 | 2% |
| Refrigerants | 1 | 1% |
| Load Calculations | 8 | 10% |
| Heating and Cooling Equipment | 1 | 1% |
| Testing, Adjusting, and Balancing (TAB) | 2 | 2% |
| HVACR Control Fundamentals | 1 | 1% |
| Control Schematics and Wiring Diagrams | 1 | 1% |
| HVACR Control Systems | 1 | 1% |
| Machine Room | 1 | 1% |
| Air Conditioning Systems | 6 | 8% |
| Heat Pumps | 5 | 6% |
| Furnaces (Warm Air Heating Equipment) | 2 | 2% |
| Chimneys, Flues, Vents, and Vent Connectors | 3 | 4% |
| Combustion Air | 2 | 2% |
| General Fuel Knowledge | 1 | 1% |
| Natural Gas | 1 | 1% |
| General Duct Systems Knowledge and Principles | 4 | 5% |
| Duct Conversion/Equivalencies | 4 | 5% |
| Mechanical Sheet Metal Devices/Systems | 2 | 2% |
| Duct System Components | 5 | 6% |
| Metal Ducts | 3 | 4% |
| Fiberglass Ducts | 1 | 1% |
| Filtering Systems | 1 | 1% |
| Ventilation Equipment and Devices | 2 | 2% |
| Exhaust Systems | 2 | 2% |
| General Electrical Knowledge | 2 | 2% |
| Requirements for Electrical Installations | 1 | 1% |
| Electrical/Electronic Fundamentals | 1 | 1% |
| Safety | 2 | 2% |
| Fire Rated Construction | 1 | 1% |
| General Plan Reading | 1 | 1% |
How to Prepare for the South Carolina - Packaged Equipment Exam
Start with the books. This is an open-book exam, so the references on the bulletin's list are your main study tool. Get the editions the bulletin names.
Learn where things are. Read the table of contents and the index of each book until you know where every major subject lives. On test day, finding an answer fast matters more than memorizing it.
Highlight the sections you use most. The exam facts above list the bulletin's rules on tabs and markings, so follow them exactly.
Spend most of your time on the biggest topics. Load Calculations and Air Conditioning Systems make up 18% of the exam.
Take timed practice exams. The clock trains you to find answers at the pace the real exam needs: about 3 minutes per question.
Aim to pass more than once. One passing score can be luck. Several in a row means you're ready.
Reference Books for the South Carolina - Packaged Equipment Exam
The bulletin lists the Packaged Equipment reference books.
Where to get them:
- OSHA 29 CFR 1926
- Manual N - Load Calculation for Small Commercial Buildings
- Pipefitter's Handbook
- SC Fuel Gas Code 2021
- Manual J - Residential Load Calculation
- MR&AC 22nd
On Test Day
- Go through the whole exam first. Answer every question you know and bookmark the ones you don't. Every exam lets you come back to bookmarked questions.
- Then go back to your bookmarks and work them out.
- Don't let one question eat your time. You have 4 hours for 80 questions, which is about 3 minutes per question.
- Before you finish, answer anything you skipped. A blank can't earn a point.
Study Tips
On an open-book exam, the winners aren't the smartest people in the room — they're the fastest at finding answers. Buy the required book, practice with it open, and tab and highlight each section the first time a question sends you there. Learn the index and table of contents until you can land on any topic in seconds. That speed is what separates a pass from a fail.
On an open-book exam, work through every question once: answer the ones you know and skip the ones you don't. Then go back to the ones you flagged. You can bookmark questions for later review, just like on our exams — and don't sink too much time into any single question. The clock is still running.
Give yourself at least three to six weeks. Use your exam's candidate bulletin as your roadmap for what's tested, and spend your time on finding-it-fast skills over rote memorization. In practice, aim for three clean passes at 80% or higher — setting your practice bar above the real cut score gives you a comfortable margin on test day.
Practicing against a ticking clock is the best way to beat exam-clock anxiety. Use these timed tests to build your pacing, so you learn to move steadily and never burn too long on a single question. By test day, the format feels routine.
Sample South Carolina - Packaged Equipment Practice Questions
These questions come from our practice question bank, each with its answer and reference.
Sample 1 — Duct System Components
Question: To fit a trunk duct into a shallow chase, a contractor changes a 10″ × 10″ rectangular duct to a 20″ × 5″ duct while keeping the same 100 in² cross-sectional area. Approximately how much additional sheet metal is required per unit of duct length?
- A. 40% more
- B. 50% more
- C. 25% more
- D. 10% more
Correct Answer: C
Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, Section 29.4.4, works this exact example: the 10″ × 10″ duct has a 40″ perimeter, while the 20″ × 5″ duct of equal cross-sectional area has a 50″ perimeter — a 25% increase in metal for each unit of length. A 1:1 aspect ratio gives the smallest perimeter for a given area.
Reference: Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (20th ed.), Page 764
Sample 2 — General Duct Systems Knowledge and Principles
Question: A duct system is being designed for a required external static pressure of 0.60 in. WC. Device pressure losses are: evaporator coil 0.20 in. WC, filter 0.10 in. WC, supply register 0.03 in. WC, and return grille 0.03 in. WC. The longest supply run has an effective length of 160 ft and the longest return run has an effective length of 140 ft. What is the design friction rate?
- A. 0.08 in. WC per 100 ft
- B. 0.20 in. WC per 100 ft
- C. 0.06 in. WC per 100 ft
- D. 0.15 in. WC per 100 ft
Correct Answer: A
Per Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (20th ed.), Pages 771–772: ASP = ESP – DPL = 0.60 – 0.36 = 0.24 in. WC. TEL = longest supply effective length + longest return effective length = 160 + 140 = 300 ft. Friction rate = (ASP ÷ TEL) × 100 = (0.24 ÷ 300) × 100 = 0.08 in. WC per 100 ft. Using ESP without subtracting device losses gives 0.20, and using only the supply length gives 0.15 — both common errors.
Reference: Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (20th ed.), Pages 771 to 772
Sample 3 — Duct Conversion/Equivalencies
Question: Residential air distribution pressures are expressed in inches of water column (IWC) because the values are so small. One pound per square inch is equal to how many inches of water column?
- A. 27.7
- B. 13.6
- C. 62.4
- D. 2.31
Correct Answer: A
ACCA Manual D, Section 1-1 states that 27.7 inches of water column equals 1.0 pound per square inch, which is why IWC is the convenient pressure unit for duct design work (1.0 IWC also equals 249 Pa).
Reference: ACCA Manual D (3rd ed.), Section 1 — Basic Duct Sizing Principles, Section 1-1 Pressure Units
Sample 4 — Chimneys, Flues, Vents, and Vent Connectors
Question: A metal flex liner is being installed for the full length of an existing Class A masonry chimney serving a combustion furnace. What is the minimum space that must exist between the metal flex liner and the masonry inner wall?
- A. 1/4″
- B. 1″
- C. 1/2″
- D. 2″
Correct Answer: C
Per Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, Section 41.10.5, the existing chimney must provide at least 1/2″ (1 cm) of space between the metal flex liner and the masonry inner wall, and the chimney must first be cleared of mortar, tar, or creosote and inspected for damaged brick.
Reference: Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (20th ed.), Page 1143
Why Practice Online Instead of With a PDF
A PDF shows you questions. It doesn't show you the clock. Our practice exams are timed and on a screen, so you practice finding answers under time pressure, not just reading them. Each attempt draws a new set of questions from our bank, and your results break the score down by outline topic so you know what to study next.
Start Practicing
Take the free South Carolina - Packaged Equipment practice exam to see where you stand, then work through the topics that need attention. For the official rules, read the exam bulletin, and see the licensing board's website.