NCT Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the NCT exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.
NCT exam key facts
- The NAFA Certified Technician (NCT) exam is an open-book test of 100 questions (40 multiple-choice and 60 true/false) based on NAFA's Installation, Operation and Maintenance (IOM) of Air Filtration Systems manual. Source
- The NAFA Certified Technician (NCT) exam takes about two hours. Source
- The NAFA Certified Technician (NCT) exam is strictly pass/fail, based on the total number of correct answers; NAFA does not publish the cut score. Source
- The NAFA Certified Technician (NCT) exam costs $125 for NAFA members and $175 for non-members when taken online, or $100 and $150 when taken in person. Source
- The NAFA Certified Technician (NCT), Level I certification must be renewed every year with one continuing-education credit earned between January 1 and December 31. Source
📋 NCT Exam Format at a Glance
📚 NCT Topics to Study (63)
✍️ Sample NCT Questions & Answers
1. Which provision of the Clean Air Act requires states to develop State Implementation Plans (SIPs) that directly affect stationary source emission limits and filtration requirements?
Title I Part D requires states in non-attainment areas to develop SIPs with emission reduction strategies, imposing stricter controls on stationary sources including filtration systems.
2. A fleet risk assessment reveals high telematics-recorded harsh-braking events concentrated on a specific route segment. The MOST targeted mitigation is to:
Concentrated harsh-braking at a route segment suggests a road condition or design issue that should be identified and corrected at the source.
3. Which of the following refrigerants is classified as A2L (mildly flammable) and is a primary component in next-generation low-GWP systems?
R-32 is an A2L mildly flammable refrigerant with a GWP of 675 and is a key component in low-GWP systems like R-454B, replacing R-410A in new equipment.
4. Under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which class of substances is being phased down globally?
The Kigali Amendment, adopted in 2016, established a global phasedown schedule for HFCs due to their high global warming potential.
5. NFPA 90A covers the installation of air-conditioning and ventilating systems. What is the primary fire safety function of a listed combination fire/smoke damper in a duct system?
Combination fire/smoke dampers close automatically to block both the passage of flames and smoke through rated fire-resistance assemblies penetrated by ductwork.
6. Under OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom / 29 CFR 1910.1200), what information must a technician review before changing filters in a system handling a regulated chemical process?
HazCom requires workers to consult SDS for any hazardous chemicals they may be exposed to, including residues on spent filters from chemical processes.
🎯 Free NCT Practice Tests
📖 NCT Guides & Articles
What Practice Test Geeks adds beyond an AI chat for NCT
An AI chatbot can quiz you, but it can't reproduce the exam conditions or keep your record. Here you get:
- A timed, full-length NCT mock exam — 100 questions in 120 minutes with a 70% pass mark, modeled on the official exam's question count and time limit, followed by a score report broken down by exam domain.
- A fixed NCT question bank: the same test every attempt, so your score is comparable from one try to the next instead of changing with every regenerated quiz.
- Progress saved on your device: completed tests, scores and missed questions stay in My Progress, so you can retake only what you got wrong.
- A printable NCT cheat sheet you can print or save as a PDF.
- NCT flashcards built from the same question bank.
- Free NCT practice tests with the correct answer shown after each question.
How this page was made: written with AI tools. Exam facts are checked against the official sources listed below. Not reviewed by a subject-matter expert. Editorial policy
Sources & references
Exam facts on this page (fees, format, dates, passing scores) are checked against these official sources; the date is our last check. Editorial policy
- nafahq.org — Test delivery, eligibility, fees, exam format, passing score, renewal, retake fee, test dates, time limit, score validity · verified Oct 2026