Ohio Refrigeration Contractor (ICC) Exam Book Package

Ohio Refrigeration Contractor (ICC) Exam Book Package

If you’re working toward an Ohio Refrigeration Contractor license through the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB), your exam preparation needs to be built around the exact references the state uses for the trade test. This Ohio Refrigeration Contractor (ICC) Exam Book Package focuses on the two primary references identified for the Ohio Refrigeration Contractor examination—so you can study in a way that mirrors how questions are written and how refrigeration work is evaluated under Ohio’s mechanical requirements.

Ohio’s Refrigeration Contractor exam is designed to measure knowledge for refrigeration work used for food and product preservation (not comfort cooling/air conditioning). That difference matters. Your preparation should reflect commercial refrigeration realities: refrigeration piping practices, refrigerant fundamentals, system controls, testing/inspection expectations, and general code requirements that govern how equipment and systems are installed and maintained.

This package combines a current state mechanical code reference with a comprehensive refrigeration textbook so your study plan can cover both sides of the exam: code-driven requirements and real-world refrigeration theory and application. Whether you’re upgrading your scope, moving from field technician to contractor-level responsibilities, or formalizing your licensing credentials, the right books make preparation far more efficient.

Exam Details

• Exam name: Ohio Refrigeration Contractor Examination
• Testing provider: PSI (administers OCILB contractor examinations)
• Number of questions: 60
• Pretest items: 10 (not scored)
• Time allowed: 3 hours
• Passing requirement: 70%
• Exam format note: The Ohio Refrigeration Contractor exam is described as testing knowledge to install, maintain, repair, or alter refrigeration systems (unlimited tons/horsepower) when intended for food and product preservation and not used for comfort systems.

Trade content areas included on the Ohio Refrigeration Contractor exam:

• General Knowledge & Requirements (18 items)
• Refrigeration Piping (12 items)
• Refrigerants (6 items)
• Refrigeration Systems & Controls (15 items)
• Testing & Inspection (9 items)

Open Book Test

The Ohio Refrigeration Contractor examination is an open book exam. Candidates are responsible for bringing their own approved references to the testing center. The candidate bulletin states that references may be highlighted, underlined, and/or indexed prior to the exam session, but the references may not be written in during the examination, and no additional loose papers may be brought in with approved references.

What this means for your prep: Open book does not mean “easy.” The advantage comes from being able to locate code rules and technical details quickly. Your goal is to become fast at navigation—knowing where to find the answer and confirming it under time pressure—while also building enough trade knowledge to handle questions that rely on general industry practice.

Licensing Steps

Ohio’s state-level contractor licensing for refrigeration work is handled through the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB), which operates under the Ohio Department of Commerce (Division of Industrial Compliance). While your personal situation can affect which documents you must submit, the state’s published process follows these verified steps:

1. Submit an application for exam eligibility to OCILB
   The PSI Candidate Information Bulletin explains that eligibility for the exam is determined by OCILB, and candidates must complete an application and submit it with appropriate fees and required information for OCILB review.
2. Receive OCILB approval to sit for the exam
   OCILB reviews applications and notifies candidates of its decision. The bulletin indicates that OCILB approval is valid for one year.
3. Complete required background check steps after approval
   The candidate bulletin states that candidates approved by OCILB must obtain a federal and state background check prior to sitting for the examination.
4. Schedule your exam with PSI once eligibility is confirmed
   After OCILB notifies PSI that you are eligible, you schedule through PSI. The bulletin notes you have one year to schedule and take your exam from the time eligibility is established.
5. Pass the required examinations for licensure
   The candidate bulletin states that all applicants for contractor commercial licenses must take the Ohio Contractor’s Business and Law exam in addition to any required trade-specific exam. The bulletin also explains that if you later add another trade, you do not have to pass the Business and Law exam more than once every three years.
6. Retesting rules (if needed)
   If you fail an exam portion, the bulletin states you must wait 60 days before retesting, and you can retest up to 5 times in a year.

Important planning notes: The state’s process includes timing requirements (approval validity, background check completion, scheduling windows). Build these into your timeline so exam preparation and paperwork do not conflict.

State Requirements

Ohio issues state contractor licenses for specific specialty trades through OCILB, including refrigeration. OCILB states that it issues licenses to qualified contractors in areas that include heating, ventilation, air conditioning, plumbing, hydronics, and refrigeration, and that contractors must pass the PSI licensing examination before receiving a license.

For Ohio contractor commercial licenses, the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin specifies two key requirements that affect nearly every applicant:

• Exam requirement: Applicants must pass the trade exam (Ohio Refrigeration Contractor) and also pass the Ohio Contractor’s Business and Law exam.
• Background check requirement: After OCILB approves your application to sit for the exam, you must complete the required background checks prior to testing.

Because requirements and forms can change, always rely on the current OCILB and PSI published instructions for your application packet, fee submission, and required attachments.

Reference Books

• Ohio Mechanical Code (2024)
  This is the primary code reference used for Ohio mechanical requirements. It supports questions tied to mechanical code rules that affect refrigeration-related installations, system requirements, and compliance expectations in Ohio’s adopted mechanical framework.
• Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (22nd Edition)
  A comprehensive refrigeration and HVAC-R textbook covering refrigeration fundamentals, system components, controls, piping concepts, and practical field knowledge that supports refrigeration contractor-level decision-making.

Test Information and Study Materials

The Ohio Refrigeration Contractor exam is built to test both code awareness and trade competence. The candidate bulletin notes that the exam may contain questions based on trade knowledge or general industry practices in addition to reference-based questions. That means strong preparation blends structured code study with hands-on refrigeration understanding.

How to use these two books effectively:

• 1) Start with the exam content outline and map it to your books
  Use the five subject areas as your study categories: General Knowledge & Requirements, Refrigeration Piping, Refrigerants, Refrigeration Systems & Controls, and Testing & Inspection. For each category, identify which chapters in Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning and which sections in the Ohio Mechanical Code you will rely on most.
• 2) Build code navigation speed (open-book advantage)
  Because this is an open-book exam, your speed at finding the right code section matters. Create a consistent tabbing/indexing system and practice locating key topics under time pressure. You are not trying to memorize the entire code—you’re trying to become confident and fast at confirming the correct rule when a question points you to it.
• 3) Use the textbook to master refrigeration logic and terminology
  Many refrigeration questions require you to understand the system “why,” not just the system “what.” The textbook is where you strengthen refrigeration fundamentals: pressure/temperature relationships, system components and their purpose, controls and sequence of operation, piping considerations, and common troubleshooting logic.
• 4) Practice mixing code + trade knowledge in scenario form
  Contractor-level questions often read like job-site decisions: what’s the compliant approach, what’s the correct installation requirement, which control response is expected, or what testing step verifies performance. Build practice scenarios around the outline categories—especially Refrigeration Systems & Controls and Testing & Inspection—so your understanding is operational, not just academic.
• 5) Respect exam-day book rules
  The candidate bulletin indicates references may be highlighted, underlined, and indexed before the exam, but you may not write in the references during testing. Avoid adding loose papers or unapproved attachments and keep your books exam-ready.

Topic-focused study suggestions (aligned to the bulletin outline):

• General Knowledge & Requirements: refrigeration system purpose and scope (food/product preservation), basic mechanical requirements that affect refrigeration work, and foundational terminology you must recognize quickly.
• Refrigeration Piping: piping fundamentals, layout considerations, joining concepts, serviceability, and the practical understanding needed to evaluate refrigeration piping decisions.
• Refrigerants: refrigerant properties, safe handling concepts, system impact of refrigerant selection, and recognizing how refrigerants relate to system performance.
• Refrigeration Systems & Controls: compressors, condensers, evaporators, metering devices, control strategies, and how system components interact during normal operation and under fault conditions.
• Testing & Inspection: verifying system operation, identifying what “correct” looks like, and understanding the purpose of common testing steps used to confirm performance and safety.

How 1 Exam Prep Helps You Reach Your Goal

1 Exam Prep helps you prepare for the Ohio Refrigeration Contractor exam with an approach that’s organized, code-aware, and trade-focused. Instead of studying in circles, you get a clear way to work through the references that Ohio allows in the exam room and build the skills that matter most on test day: knowing where to look, understanding what you’re reading, and applying it the way a contractor is expected to think.

With 1 Exam Prep support, you can:

• Study with structure
  Turn the exam outline into a practical plan so you cover each tested subject area intentionally—without overstudying low-impact material.
• Strengthen code navigation
  Open-book exams reward speed and accuracy. We help you build repeatable navigation habits so you can locate the right code section efficiently.
• Focus on real refrigeration competence
  Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning supports deep understanding of refrigeration systems and controls—knowledge that shows up in both exam questions and real contracting work.
• Prepare with confidence (without overpromising)
  We don’t guarantee results, but we do help you prepare in a way that’s aligned to the published exam outline and the allowed references—so your study time is purposeful and productive.

FAQ: Is this the Ohio Refrigeration Contractor exam (not HVAC comfort cooling)?

Yes. The Ohio Refrigeration Contractor exam description focuses on refrigeration intended for food and product preservation and specifies it is not for comfort systems.

FAQ: Is the Ohio Refrigeration Contractor exam open book or closed book?

It is an open book exam. The candidate bulletin lists the approved reference materials allowed in the examination center and explains candidate responsibilities for bringing and preparing those references.

FAQ: How many questions are on the Ohio Refrigeration Contractor exam and how long do I get?

The bulletin lists 60 questions with 3 hours allowed. It also lists 10 pretest items that are not scored.

FAQ: What score do I need to pass?

The bulletin lists a 70% passing requirement for the Ohio Refrigeration Contractor exam.

FAQ: Do I also have to take a Business and Law exam?

Yes. The PSI Candidate Information Bulletin states that all applicants for contractor commercial licenses must take the Ohio Contractor’s Business and Law exam in addition to any required trade-specific examination.

FAQ: Can I highlight or tab my books for the test?

The candidate bulletin states reference materials may be highlighted, underlined, and/or indexed prior to the exam session, but references may not be written in during the examination, and additional loose papers are not permitted with approved references.

FAQ: Who issues the Ohio Refrigeration Contractor license?

The license is issued through the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) under the Ohio Department of Commerce (Division of Industrial Compliance). The board’s materials also indicate contractors must pass the PSI licensing examination before receiving a license.