South Carolina - Refrigeration

South Carolina - Refrigeration Exam Study Guide

This guide covers what you need for the South Carolina - Refrigeration 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 - Refrigeration Exam at a Glance

Here are the exam's key facts from the official bulletin:

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)
• 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
• Pipefitter's Handbook (1967, 3rd Edition)
• System Design Manual - Part III: Piping Design (1960)
• 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)
• South Carolina 811 Excavator Manual (latest edition)

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 - Refrigeration Exam Covers

The official content outline has 7 topics:

How to Prepare for the South Carolina - Refrigeration 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. HARV General and Piping - Dimensioning and Design make up 40% of the exam.

Take timed practice exams. The clock trains you to find answers at the pace the real exam needs: about 3 minutes 36 seconds 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 - Refrigeration Exam

The bulletin lists the Refrigeration reference books.

Where to get them:

• OSHA 29 CFR 1926
• Pipefitter's Handbook
• SC 811 Excavator Manual
• MR&AC 22nd
• Carrier System Design Manual, Part 3: Piping Design

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 3 hours for 50 questions, which is about 3 minutes 36 seconds 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 - Refrigeration Practice Questions

These questions come from our practice question bank, each with its answer and reference.

Sample 1 — HARV Controls

Question: You are selecting overcurrent protection and conductors for a replacement compressor motor whose nameplate lists a full-load amperage of 12 A. Based on the typical relationship between a motor's starting current and its full-load current, what range should you expect the locked rotor amperage to fall within?

• A. 36 A to 96 A
• B. 12 A to 36 A
• C. 24 A to 72 A
• D. 60 A to 120 A

Correct Answer: C

Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, Chapter 16 (Page 312) states that locked rotor amperage (LRA) — the current drawn as power is first applied to start turning the rotor — is typically between two and six times the full-load amperage. For a 12 A FLA motor, that is 24 A to 72 A. This high initial draw is why the locked rotor code letter must be selected correctly; it can cause a voltage dip that damages voltage-sensitive equipment on the same circuit.

Reference: Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (22nd ed.), Page 312

Sample 2 — Code Compliance

Question: You are sizing the mechanical exhaust for a refrigeration machinery room that measures 400 square feet and is normally occupied by four workers. Heat rejection from the machinery in the room is low enough that the temperature-rise criterion does not govern. During occupied conditions, what is the minimum exhaust airflow the ventilation system must deliver?

• A. 280 cfm
• B. 80 cfm
• C. 200 cfm
• D. 120 cfm

Correct Answer: C

Per SC Mechanical Code 1105.6.3.1, during occupied conditions the machinery room exhaust must be the LARGER of (1) 0.5 cfm per square foot of room area or 20 cfm per person, and (2) the volume needed to limit room temperature rise to 18°F. Here 400 sq ft x 0.5 cfm/sq ft = 200 cfm, while 4 persons x 20 cfm = 80 cfm. The larger value, 200 cfm, governs.

Reference: SC Mechanical Code 2021, Chapter 11 — Section 1105.6.3.1 Quantity—Normal Ventilation

Sample 3 — Safety

Question: You are setting up temporary power for a jobsite refrigeration installation and drive a single made electrode (a ground rod) to serve the grounding electrode system. Under OSHA construction electrical safety requirements, at what measured resistance to ground must that single rod be augmented by an additional electrode, and what is the minimum spacing required between the two electrodes?

• A. More than 5 ohms; at least 6 feet away
• B. More than 50 ohms; at least 10 feet away
• C. More than 25 ohms; at least 20 feet away
• D. More than 25 ohms; at least 6 feet away

Correct Answer: D

Per 29 CFR 1926.404(f)(10), made electrodes must be free from nonconductive coatings and, where practicable, embedded below the permanent moisture level. A single electrode consisting of a rod, pipe, or plate that has a resistance to ground greater than 25 ohms must be augmented by one additional electrode installed no closer than 6 feet (1.83 m) to the first electrode. The 20-foot figure in option C is the separation required by §1926.404(f)(11)(ii)(D) between the grounding electrode for a portable/mobile high-voltage system neutral impedance and any other system or equipment grounding electrode — a different rule that does not apply here.

Reference: 29 CFR 1926, §1926.404(f)(10)

Sample 4 — Piping - General

Question: When troubleshooting a globe valve, you discover that the handwheel turns but the disc does not move. A bent or scored stem has been identified as the cause of stem leakage. What is the correct remedy for the bent or scored stem?

• A. Tighten the packing gland nut
• B. Replace the gasket and reseat the disc
• C. Replace the packing material
• D. Replace the stem

Correct Answer: D

When leakage around the stem of a globe valve is caused by a bent or scored stem, the recommended remedy is to replace the stem. Other causes of stem leakage include a loose packing gland or nut (tighten it) or worn-out packing (replace packing).

Reference: Pipefitter's Handbook (3rd ed.), Chapter 1 (Full Text), Trouble Shooting Methods — Globe Valves

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 - Refrigeration 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.