CITB HVACR and HVACE Specialist Tests

Sample question 1 · HVACR: heating and plumbing services

You are servicing a gas boiler and looking for signs that it is burning fuel incompletely. Which of these does HSE list as a warning sign?

1. AA crisp, steady blue flame across the whole width of the burner
2. BA pilot light that has stayed alight since the last service
3. CSoot, or yellow and brown staining, on or around the applianceCorrect answer
4. DA data plate giving the appliance's heat input in kilowatts

Why C: HSE lists the signs that incomplete combustion is happening and may be producing carbon monoxide: yellow or orange rather than blue flames, soot or yellow and brown staining around or on appliances, pilot lights that frequently blow out, and increased condensation inside windows. A steady blue flame and a pilot light that stays lit are not on that list.

Sample question 2 · HVACR: heating and plumbing services

Which group of people does the L8 ACOP name as being at higher risk from legionnaires' disease?

1. AChildren under 5, and no other group
2. BFit adults under 25 who exercise daily
3. CPeople who work inside plant rooms, and nobody else
4. DPeople over 45, smokers and heavy drinkersCorrect answer

Why D: L8 para 10 says everyone is susceptible, the risk increases with age, and some people are at higher risk, for example people over 45, smokers and heavy drinkers, and people with certain chronic illnesses or impaired immune systems.

Sample question 3 · HVACR: pipefitting and welding

A squad is welding stainless steel pipework for a chilled water system. What does HSE say the employer should normally provide?

1. AHearing checks only, because welding stainless steel pipework is noisier work than welding mild steel.
2. BNothing beyond the usual controls, because stainless steel gives off less fume at the arc than mild steel does.
3. CRespiratory health surveillance, because a known asthmagen such as chromium is present in the fume.Correct answer
4. DAn annual eye test, because the arc runs a good deal brighter when welding stainless steel pipework.

Why C: HSE says employers should provide respiratory health surveillance when welding stainless steel, where a known asthmagen such as chromium is present in the fume, unless the risk assessment shows there is not a reasonable likelihood of developing asthma. HSE also says occupational asthma can be caused by metals in welding fume such as hexavalent chromium, nickel and cobalt, and that stainless steel welding fume contains these metals.

Sample question 4 · HVACR: pipefitting and welding

HSG253 names situations where positive isolation is good practice. Which of these is one of them?

1. AAny isolation that will last for less than a single shift of work
2. BAny isolation on a water system working at below 3 bar pressure
3. CAny isolation made by a fitter who is working on site by himself
4. DEntry into a confined space, such as a vessel connected to pipeworkCorrect answer

Why D: HSG253 para 113 says it is good practice to use positive isolations for confined space entries, for toxic fluids and for extended isolations.

Sample question 5 · HVACR: ductwork

A ductwork foreman decides who runs the powered shears in the fabrication area but never operates them himself. Under regulation 9 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, does he need training on that equipment?

1. ANo, because he never cuts any sheet himself and never puts his hands anywhere near the blade of the powered shears at all
2. BNo, because he already holds a supervisor's card and has sat the site's management induction course on top of that
3. CYes, because anyone who supervises or manages the use of work equipment must have had adequate health and safety training on it as well as those who use itCorrect answer
4. DOnly if the powered shears have been hired in for this job rather than owned outright by the ductwork company

Why C: Regulation 9(1) requires adequate health and safety training for all persons who use work equipment, covering the methods that may be adopted, the risks involved and the precautions to be taken. Regulation 9(2) places the same requirement on any employee who supervises or manages its use, so the duty does not stop at the operator.

Sample question 6 · HVACR: ductwork

An LEV duct carries a mist that can condense. What does HSG258 say should be provided at any low points in the duct run?

1. AFire dampers
2. BFlexible joints
3. CExtra fans
4. DDrainage pointsCorrect answer

Why D: HSG258 para 167 says to provide drainage points at any low points in an LEV system handling aerosols, mists or substances that may condense or support combustion.

Sample question 7 · HVACR: refrigeration and air conditioning

You are recovering a flammable hydrocarbon refrigerant from a chest freezer in a small back room. Which control does DSEAR 2002 list for a workplace where an explosive atmosphere could form?

1. AStop the explosive atmosphere forming in the first place, including by ventilating the room, and keep ignition sources away from the workCorrect answer
2. BNo control, because the hydrocarbon charge in a chest freezer is far too small for DSEAR to apply to the recovery
3. COpen a window in the back room once the recovery work is finished and the recovery cylinder has been carried outside and loaded into the van
4. DRun the recovery machine at full speed so the job takes less time and the back room is exposed to the hydrocarbon for the shortest possible period

Why A: Regulation 6(4) of the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 lists control measures in order of priority. They include preventing the formation of an explosive atmosphere, including the application of appropriate ventilation, and avoiding ignition sources including electrostatic discharges. Ventilating only after the job, or rushing it, does neither.

Sample question 8 · HVACR: refrigeration and air conditioning

A supermarket pack runs on R404A, a gas with a global warming potential above 2,500, and holds more than 40 tonnes of CO2 equivalent. Which gas may lawfully be used to top it up?

1. AVirgin R404A, provided that the leak has been repaired first
2. BVirgin R404A, provided it is bought from a GB certified wholesaler
3. CRecycled R404A recovered by any other firm from any equipment
4. DReclaimed R404A that is labelled as reclaimed, until 1 January 2030Correct answer

Why D: Article 13(3) of Regulation (EU) No 517/2014 has banned servicing such equipment with gases of GWP 2,500 or more since 2020. Until 1 January 2030 the ban does not cover reclaimed gas labelled under Article 12(6), and recycled gas only for the firm that recovered it or the operator it was recovered for.

Sample question 9 · HVACE: services and facilities maintenance

Notifiable non-licensed work with asbestos is going on inside a riser cupboard in an occupied building. What does HSE say about the designated work area?

1. AIt is open to anyone on site who has had a site induction
2. BIt only needs marking if the work lasts longer than one day
3. CIt must be left open so the smoke detectors can see into it
4. DFood and drink must never be consumed in itCorrect answer

Why D: HSE says all areas where notifiable non-licensed work is taking place must be designated, marked with a suitable warning notice and restricted to those carrying out the work, and that food and drink must never be consumed in designated areas. Access is limited to the people doing the work, not to anyone who has been inducted.

Sample question 10 · HVACE: services and facilities maintenance

A multi-occupied office building in England has shared corridors and stairs. According to GOV.UK, who is the responsible person for fire safety in those common areas?

1. AThe tenants, for the length of their own frontage
2. BThe tenant that occupies the ground floor
3. CThe local fire and rescue authority
4. DThe landlord, freeholder or managing agentCorrect answer

Why D: GOV.UK says that for common or shared areas the responsible person is the landlord, freeholder or managing agent, and that where there is more than one responsible person they must co-ordinate their fire safety plans.