North Carolina Heating Group 3 Class II Contractor Exam Book Package

Prepare for the North Carolina Heating Group 3 Class II Contractor examination with a focused collection of codebooks, licensing references, HVAC design manuals, technical resources, and calculation tools. The North Carolina Heating Group 3 Class II Contractor Exam Book Package brings together seven important references selected for studying residential heating and cooling systems, load calculations, duct design, refrigeration principles, state licensing rules, and North Carolina code requirements.

This package is designed for candidates who want their primary references organized before beginning serious exam preparation. Instead of searching for each title separately, you receive a coordinated group of books covering the major code, design, and technical areas associated with the Heating Group 3 Class II classification. The included references support both knowledge development and efficient information lookup, which are essential skills for an open-book contractor examination.

The package includes the 2018 North Carolina Administration Code and Policies, the 2018 North Carolina Residential Code, the 2026 edition of the North Carolina Board’s Laws and Rules, Manual J, Manual D, Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, and a ductulator. Together, these resources help candidates review administrative requirements, residential construction provisions, HVAC system sizing, duct layout, airflow calculations, refrigeration concepts, and the laws governing licensed contractors in North Carolina.

Owning the correct references is only one part of preparing for the examination. Candidates should also become familiar with the organization of every book, learn where major tables and formulas are located, and practice moving between references under timed conditions. An open-book exam rewards preparation and navigation skills. Candidates who wait until test day to become familiar with their books may spend valuable time searching for information that could have been located quickly through structured practice.

This book package is especially useful for applicants who prefer studying from the same type of printed materials used in the examination environment. The North Carolina Board requires candidates to bring their permitted reference materials to the testing site, subject to the Board’s rules regarding book condition, tabs, highlighting, markings, and inserts. Preparing with physical books allows you to build familiarity with page layouts, chapter divisions, indexes, tables, diagrams, and terminology before exam day.

What You Get

• North Carolina Administration Code and Policies, 2018 Edition
• North Carolina Residential Code, 2018 Edition
• North Carolina Board’s Laws and Rules, 2026 Edition
• Manual J – Residential Load Calculations, 2016 Reprint, 8th Full Edition
• Manual D – Residential Duct Systems, 2016, 3rd Edition
• Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, 22nd Edition
• Ductulator

Each item serves a different preparation purpose. The North Carolina codebooks support state-specific code study, while the Board’s Laws and Rules helps candidates review the legal and regulatory responsibilities connected with licensure. Manual J and Manual D address two foundational HVAC design processes: residential load calculation and residential duct system design. Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning provides broad technical coverage, and the ductulator supports practical airflow and duct-sizing calculations.

Exam Details

The North Carolina Heating Group 3 Contractor technical examination has a four-hour testing period. Contractor applicants are also required to satisfy the applicable Business and Law examination requirement. The Business and Law examination has a separate testing period of one and one-half hours. The Board may provide an exemption from the Business and Law examination for an applicant who holds a currently active contractor license issued by the Board and passed the Board’s Business and Law examination after August 2003.

The Heating Group 3 classification is associated with heating and cooling systems. Class II licensure applies to the scope established by North Carolina law and Board rules for the classification. Candidates should study the classification definitions and limitations carefully so they understand the work covered by the license they are pursuing.

Examination questions may require candidates to apply technical knowledge rather than simply copy language from a reference. Field experience, accepted trade practices, code interpretation, equipment principles, residential load calculations, duct design, airflow, refrigeration, and licensing responsibilities may all contribute to successful preparation. The Board notes that examination questions are not necessarily limited to information found directly in the listed references.

Candidates should confirm their examination authorization and scheduling instructions before making testing arrangements. Exam duration, eligibility, reference rules, and application procedures are established by the North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors and may be revised. Applicants remain responsible for following the instructions issued with their approval and examination notice.

Open Book Test

The North Carolina Heating Group 3 Class II Contractor examination is an open-book examination. Candidates are expected to bring the permitted reference books and materials needed for their approved examination category. Only references authorized for that examination classification may be taken into the exam room.

Open book does not mean that every answer will be easy to find. Candidates must know which reference is most likely to contain the answer, how the reference is organized, and how to reach the correct section without losing time. Effective preparation includes repeated practice with indexes, tables of contents, chapter headings, code sections, appendices, formulas, charts, and calculation procedures.

The Board allows qualifying hard-bound, spiral-bound, or ring-bound published references in their original condition. Permitted books may be highlighted. Commercially produced, non-removable index tabs permanently attached to pages may be allowed under the Board’s published reference-material rules. Homemade tabs, handwritten notes, formulas, underlining, loose papers, unauthorized inserts, and altered reference materials are prohibited.

Printed PDF copies are not accepted as substitutes for authorized published reference books. Candidates should not write or calculate inside their references before or during the examination. Testing sites provide pencils, scratch paper, calculators, and applicable North Carolina heating and plumbing figures. Materials supplied by the testing site must be returned to the proctor before leaving.

A ductulator is expected for heating and cooling examinations. Candidates should practice using it before test day so they can interpret airflow, velocity, friction rate, and duct-size relationships efficiently.

Licensing Steps

1. Review the license classification. Determine that Heating Group 3 Class II is the appropriate classification for the work you intend to perform or supervise.
2. Meet the experience requirement. Contractor applicants must document the required qualifying experience related to the installation, maintenance, service, or repair of systems within the requested category.
3. Gather application documents. Complete the Board’s examination application and prepare the supporting experience records and other required documentation.
4. Submit the application to the Board. Applications are reviewed to determine whether the applicant meets the qualifications for examination.
5. Receive examination approval. An applicant must be approved before scheduling and taking the required examination components.
6. Prepare with the applicable references. Study the codebooks, technical manuals, laws and rules, calculation methods, and trade principles associated with the classification.
7. Take the required examination components. Complete the Heating Group 3 technical examination and the Business and Law examination unless the Board determines that an exemption applies.
8. Complete post-examination licensing requirements. Follow the Board’s instructions for activating or obtaining the license after all examination and qualification requirements have been satisfied.

Application approval and examination success are separate parts of the licensing process. Passing an examination does not replace the experience requirement or any other qualification established by the Board. Applicants should use current Board forms and follow the submission instructions applicable at the time they apply.

State Requirements

An applicant for a North Carolina Plumbing or Heating Contractor license must generally document two years, or 4,000 hours, of on-site full-time experience in the installation, maintenance, service, or repair of systems related to the requested category. The experience must relate to the classification for which the applicant seeks examination approval.

Academic or technical training directly related to the field may account for up to one-half of the contractor experience requirement. Under the Board’s published applicant guidance, up to 2,000 hours may be credited through qualifying education. Applicants using education toward the requirement should provide the records and documentation requested by the Board.

The Board evaluates applicant qualifications, experience, education credits, examination requirements, and supporting documentation. Candidates should make sure employer statements and experience records are complete and consistent with the classification requested. Missing or incomplete documentation can delay the application review process.

North Carolina contractor licensing is administered by the North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors. The Board’s purpose includes establishing competency standards, examining applicants, issuing licenses, and enforcing the laws and rules governing plumbing, heating, fuel piping, and fire sprinkler contracting.

Reference Books

• North Carolina Administration Code and Policies, 2018 Edition
  This North Carolina reference addresses administrative provisions and policies connected with the state building-code system. It supports preparation involving permits, inspections, enforcement, responsibilities, approvals, and code administration.
• North Carolina Residential Code, 2018 Edition
  This code provides requirements for residential construction and building systems. It is useful for reviewing provisions that affect heating and cooling installations in one- and two-family dwellings and qualifying residential structures.
• North Carolina Board’s Laws and Rules, 2026 Edition
  This reference contains the laws and administrative rules governing the North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors. Candidates can use it to study license classifications, contractor responsibilities, supervision, compliance, and Board requirements.
• Manual J – Residential Load Calculations, 2016 Reprint, 8th Full Edition
  Manual J presents procedures for calculating residential heating and cooling loads. It helps candidates study building heat gain, heat loss, orientation, insulation, windows, doors, infiltration, ventilation, and other factors used in equipment-sizing decisions.
• Manual D – Residential Duct Systems, 2016, 3rd Edition
  Manual D focuses on the design of residential duct systems. Topics include airflow requirements, available static pressure, friction rate, duct sizing, fittings, equivalent length, supply distribution, return-air design, and balancing considerations.
• Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, 22nd Edition
  This technical textbook provides broad instruction in refrigeration and air-conditioning systems. It supports study of components, controls, refrigerants, system operation, troubleshooting, installation practices, airflow, heating equipment, and service principles.
• Ductulator
  This calculation tool assists with duct sizing and airflow relationships. Candidates can use it to practice working with cubic feet per minute, friction rate, air velocity, round-duct diameter, and equivalent rectangular duct dimensions.

Test Information and Study Materials

Begin by assigning a clear purpose to each reference. Use the Administration Code and Policies for administrative requirements, the Residential Code for residential provisions, and the Board’s Laws and Rules for licensing obligations. Use Manual J for load calculations, Manual D for duct design, Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning for technical concepts, and the ductulator for airflow and sizing exercises.

Create a study schedule that alternates reading with active problem-solving. Reading alone may not develop the speed required for a timed examination. Practice identifying which book applies to a question, locating the relevant chapter, interpreting the information, and completing the calculation or code analysis.

Spend additional time on calculations that require several steps. Load calculations and duct-design problems can involve selecting values from tables, applying correction factors, converting measurements, and interpreting results. Work through sample scenarios until the sequence becomes familiar.

Practice reference navigation with clean books that comply with exam-room rules. Use only permitted highlighting and approved commercial tabs. A simple, consistent tabbing system can help distinguish major chapters and frequently used sections without cluttering the page edges.

Timed practice is valuable because the technical examination lasts four hours. Build the habit of answering familiar questions first, marking difficult questions for review, and avoiding excessive time on a single lookup. The goal is to combine trade knowledge with efficient use of the authorized references.

How 1 Exam Prep Helps You Reach Your Goal

1 Exam Prep helps contractor-license candidates turn a large set of technical materials into an organized study plan. Preparation can include trade-focused review, guided reference navigation, practice-oriented study, and a structured approach to the code, design, and licensing subjects associated with the North Carolina Heating Group 3 Class II Contractor examination.

Organized preparation helps you understand how the references work together. Instead of treating every book as a separate reading assignment, you can build connections between residential code requirements, load calculations, duct design, refrigeration principles, and contractor responsibilities. This approach supports stronger understanding and more efficient exam-day research.

Practice also builds confidence. Repeated use of Manual J, Manual D, the ductulator, codebooks, and licensing references can reduce hesitation when you encounter a calculation or lookup question. The objective is not memorizing every page. It is learning the concepts, recognizing the correct resource, and locating information efficiently within the permitted materials.

FAQ Section

Is the North Carolina Heating Group 3 Class II exam open book?

Yes. Candidates may use the references authorized by the North Carolina Board for their approved examination category. All books and materials must comply with the Board’s exam-room rules.

How long is the Heating Group 3 Contractor technical exam?

The Heating Group 3 Contractor technical examination has a four-hour testing period. The separate Business and Law examination has a one-and-one-half-hour testing period when it is required.

Does this package include a ductulator?

Yes. A ductulator is included for practicing duct-sizing, airflow, friction-rate, velocity, and equivalent duct-dimension calculations.

Can I write notes in my books?

No. The Board does not permit handwritten notes, formulas, underlining, unauthorized inserts, or other added material in exam references. Highlighting and qualifying commercially produced tabs are allowed under the published reference rules.

Does this package include Manual J and Manual D?

Yes. The package includes Manual J for residential load calculations and Manual D for residential duct-system design.

What experience is required for a contractor applicant?

A contractor applicant generally needs two years, or 4,000 hours, of qualifying on-site full-time experience related to the requested license category. Qualifying education may account for up to one-half of that requirement.

Will buying the books guarantee that I pass the exam?

No product can guarantee an examination result. These references provide important preparation resources, but candidates should also study consistently, practice calculations, strengthen trade knowledge, and become comfortable navigating every permitted book.

Should I practice with the physical books before test day?

Yes. Practicing with the physical references helps you learn their organization, indexes, tables, diagrams, and page layouts. It also helps you develop the book-navigation speed needed during a timed open-book examination.