This page is for people working toward HERS Rater certification through RESNET, and especially for anyone preparing for the RESNET National Rater Test. That test is online and open book, with 55 multiple-choice questions, 2 hours to finish and a passing threshold of 40 out of 55. Below you will find free practice sets sorted by the official content areas, worked explanations for sample questions, a study plan and answers to common questions.
Numbers in brackets link to the official sources listed under Sources & last verified. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.
| Item | Detail | Source · Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Number of questions (RESNET National Rater Test) | 55 multiple-choice questions[1] | RESNET · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Time limit (RESNET National Rater Test) | 2 hours[1] | RESNET · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Passing score (RESNET Combustion Appliance Simulation Test) | 85%[2] | RESNET · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Passing score (RESNET National Rater Test) | 40 of 55 questions[1] | RESNET · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Passing score (RESNET Rater Simulation Practical Test) | 73%[2] | RESNET · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Exam fee (RESNET National Rater Test) | $125.00 testing fee[1] | RESNET · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Renewal | 18 hours professional development every 3 years[2] | RESNET · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Delivery (RESNET National Rater Test) | Online, open book, administered by a RESNET-accredited Rater Training Provider[1] | RESNET · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Eligibility | Rater Training, 5 probationary ratings, all within 15 months[2] | RESNET · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Score release (RESNET National Rater Test) | Immediately after the test[1] | RESNET · Oct 25, 2026 |
According to RESNET, “The RESNET® National Rater Test is an on-line 55 question multiple-choice test.”[1]
RESNET sets the standards for Home Energy Rating System (HERS) ratings and certifies HERS Raters. To become a Rater, you complete Rater Training, pass the required RESNET exams and complete 5 probationary ratings. RESNET states that all of the required exams and the probationary ratings must be completed within 15 months.
A RESNET-accredited Rater Training Provider gives the RESNET National Rater Test. It is an online, open-book test with 55 multiple-choice questions. You have 2 hours. To pass, you need 40 out of 55 questions right. The testing fee is $125.00, and you get your results as soon as you finish. The other required tests RESNET lists have their own passing scores: the RESNET Rater Simulation Practical Test (73%) and the RESNET Combustion Appliance Simulation Test (85%).
Once certified, you keep the credential by completing 18 hours of RESNET-approved professional development every 3 years. Retake rules, scheduling and any extra provider costs are handled by your training provider and RESNET, so confirm them there. A state, utility program or builder program may also add its own requirements, so check with the program you plan to work under. For current details, use the official RESNET pages for HERS Raters at resnet.us.
The content areas below are copied from the official HERS content outline published by RESNET, with the share of the exam each area carries. The right-hand column shows which of our practice sets covers it.
| Official content area | Weight | Practice on this site |
|---|---|---|
| Air Leakage[1] | 10.7% | HERS Blower Door & Duct Testing Practise blower door setup, reading results as ACH50 and CFM50, and how house pressure and test conditions change readings. |
| Appliances and Lighting[1] | 7% | HERS Energy Modeling & Analysis Practise how appliance and lighting inputs go into rating software and how they change the modeled energy use of the home. |
| Building Science Topics[1] | 9.7% | HERS Building Science Principles Review heat flow by conduction, convection and radiation, the stack effect, and how moisture and air move through assemblies. |
| Conditioned Air Distribution Systems[1] | 9.7% | HERS - Certified Home Energy Rating System... Practise duct leakage testing to outside and total leakage, reference test pressures, and how duct location affects losses. |
| Domestic Water Heating Systems[1] | 7.7% | HERS Water Heating Systems Learn water heater types, efficiency ratings, and the details you need to collect in the field for the rating. |
| General[1] | 7.7% | HERS Rater Building Science Fundamentals Make sure the basic terms, units and conversions used throughout rating work come to you quickly. |
| Health and Safety[1] | 10% | HERS Combustion Safety Practise combustion appliance safety, worst-case depressurization, carbon monoxide checks, and when a rater must stop work and report. |
| Heating and Cooling Systems[1] | 9.7% | HERS HVAC Systems and Equipment Evaluation Practise reading equipment efficiency ratings such as AFUE, SEER and HSPF, and what each rating includes and leaves out. |
| Insulation[1] | 9.7% | HERS Thermal Envelope Insulation and Air S... Practise R-values of assemblies, insulation installation grading, and how gaps and compression reduce performance. |
| RESNET Rating System[1] | 9.7% | HERS Index and Ratings Review how the HERS Index compares a home to its reference home, and the rules raters follow under RESNET standards. |
| Ventilation[1] | 8.7% | HERS Rater Field Inspection & Testing Practise mechanical ventilation types, measuring fan airflow in the field, and how ventilation relates to a tight envelope. |
Prepare for the HERS - Certified Home Energy Rating System Rater exam with our free practice test modules. Each quiz covers key topics to help you pass on your first try.
These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.
Question: Which input parameter has the greatest single influence on modeled heating energy consumption in a cold climate home?
Answer: B. Envelope air leakage (ACH50)
Explanation:
B is correct. In a cold climate, a large share of the heating load comes from outside air leaking into the house. Envelope air leakage measured as ACH50 captures that directly. Infiltration losses grow with the indoor-outdoor temperature difference, which stays large all winter. So leakage usually changes modeled heating energy more than any other input listed here.
A is wrong because SHGC mostly affects solar gain and cooling loads, not winter heat loss. C is wrong because walls are only part of the envelope, and leakage often outweighs their R-value. D is wrong because AFUE changes how efficiently the load is met, not how large the load is.
Rule to remember: separate the inputs that set the load (leakage, insulation, windows) from the inputs that set how efficiently equipment meets it.
Question: A rater enters a furnace with AFUE of 0.96 into HERS software. What does the remaining 4% represent?
Answer: A. Energy lost to flue gases and jacket losses
Explanation:
A is correct. AFUE is a seasonal rating of how much of the fuel energy a furnace turns into useful heat. With an AFUE of 0.96, the remaining 4% leaves the furnace without heating the home. Most of it goes out with the hot flue gases, and some is lost from the cabinet jacket.
B is wrong because blower motor electricity is tracked separately from the fuel-based AFUE figure. C is wrong because high-efficiency furnaces like this use electronic ignition, and pilot use is not what the remainder stands for. D is wrong because duct losses happen after heat leaves the furnace. Rating software models distribution losses separately.
Rule to remember: AFUE stops at the furnace cabinet. Anything that happens in the ducts or in electric parts is counted somewhere else.
Question: What is the primary reason HERS raters must depressurize ducts to a specific pressure (typically 25 Pa) during a duct leakage test?
Answer: B. To standardize results so tests from different homes and raters are comparable
Explanation:
B is correct. How much air leaks from a duct depends on the pressure across the duct walls. A leakage number means little unless everyone tests at the same pressure. A set reference pressure, typically 25 Pa, gives a standard test condition. Results from different homes, raters and days can then be compared with each other and checked against program limits.
A is wrong because 25 Pa is a reference pressure chosen for consistency, not a model of worst-case wind. C is wrong because the goal is to measure leakage at a known pressure, not to push as much air as possible. D is wrong because duct leakage testing checks energy performance, not fire code compliance.
Rule to remember: diagnostic results can only be compared when they are taken at a stated reference pressure, so always record the pressure with the reading.
Start with the material from your RESNET-accredited Rater Training Provider and the RESNET standards you will rely on. The National Rater Test is open book, so part of preparing is knowing where things are in those references, not memorizing them.
The test has 55 multiple-choice questions, and you need 40 correct to pass. It is taken online and is open book, and you have 2 hours to finish. A RESNET-accredited Rater Training Provider gives the test, so ask your provider how sessions are scheduled.
RESNET lists a testing fee of $125.00 for the National Rater Test. Rater Training, the simulation tests and probationary ratings may have separate costs set by your training provider. Ask your provider for a full cost breakdown before you enroll.
Right away. RESNET says raters receive their results immediately after completing the test. If you do not pass, ask your Rater Training Provider about retake rules and costs, because those are not covered in the facts on this page.
You need to complete Rater Training, pass the required RESNET exams and complete 5 probationary ratings. The exams include the National Rater Test (40 of 55 to pass), the Rater Simulation Practical Test (73% to pass) and the Combustion Appliance Simulation Test (85% to pass). All exams and probationary ratings must be done within 15 months.
Complete 18 hours of RESNET-approved professional development every 3 years. Track your hours as you earn them, and check RESNET's official pages for which courses count. A local program you work under may add its own requirements, so confirm with that program.
No. We wrote these practice questions with AI tools to cover the official content areas. They are not real RESNET exam questions and do not predict your score. Use them to find weak topics and get used to multiple-choice questions, and treat RESNET and your training provider as the official sources.
How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.