2019 Breeze Jan-Feb

RETA TESTING CORNER NO. 11

RETA’s Testing and ANSI Guru

Dr. Ron Rodgers, RETA’s Psychometrician (testing expert) and ANSI Accreditation Manager, has guided development of all RETA credentialing exams since 2002. RETA Testing Corner provides information and answers

Unsupported claims of experience by a candidate for any RETA credential could result in denial of eligibility or disqualifica- tion under the RETA Code of Conduct. Candidates for any RETA credential must agree to abide by the RETA Code of Conduct when they apply for or renew any RETA credential. They must also affirm their intention to abide by the RETA Code of Conduct at the start of every RETA exam- ination. CRST is the highest level of credentialing defined in Ammonia Refrigeration Training Guidelines (ARTG), which was published jointly in 2007 by RETA, the International Institute for Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR), and the International Association of RefrigeratedWarehouses (IARW). RETA developed the new credential after publishing a new edition of Industrial Refrigeration 3 (IR-3) in 2016. The content of CRST was refined with a Service Technicians Practices Survey of over 500 experienced refrigeration system operators and managers in 2018. Cert- Comm drafted, edited and validated nearly 600 questions for CRST exams. Questions apply to concepts explained in IR-1, IR-2, IR-3 and IR-4, Basic Electricity I and II, and RETA’s Refrigeration Compliance Guide- lines. Every question is referenced to at least one of these sources. CRST has been available since August 2018. CRST measures knowledge and skills needed to provide technical and opera- tional support for industrial refrigeration systems. The test addresses 15 topics ranging from safety, compressors and oil analysis through troubleshooting system operations and ammonia refrigeration compliance and meeting PSM requirements.

CRST also requires candidates to use on-screen references that include screens with temperatures, pressures and other information at various points in operating industrial refrigeration systems. Many screens include both normal and abnormal operating conditions. Candidates must find and use information relevant to the question to identify problems that are occurring in the system, then select possible corrective actions that could prevent system failure or other operating problems. These screens and other references are provided in the CRST Study Guide to help all candidates prepare. The Study Guide also illustrates how to use the CRST on-screen references during the test. RETA encourages candidates to be as familiar with these on-screen references as they are with the manuals for refrigerating systems they may support on the job. For now, CRST candidates can practice using similar on-screen references by taking the Practice CIRO examination, which can be purchased on the RETA website. A practice CRST exam will be available later in 2019. RETA’s CRST credential is designed to meet requests from industry employers for a service technicians program. Many industrial refrigeration firms have ex- pressed interest in requiring that all their service technicians and contractors have earned CRST. CARO and CIRO have been ANSI-accredited since 2008. ANSI extend- ed accreditation of CARO and CIRO to 2023 in 2018. RETA will apply to add CRST to its ANSI-accredited exams when data required to meet ANSI 17024 Standards is available. We welcome your questions about RETA’s credentialing exams and activities. Send your questions by email to Dan Reisinger at dan@reta.com.

questions from RETA members, candidates and others to help them earn and benefit from RETA credentials. RETA recently added an experience waiver to the eligibility criteria for its newest credential, Certified Refrigeration Service Technician (CRST). The new experience waiver option was approved by the RETA Certification Committee (CertComm) and affirmed by the RETA Board at the annual Conference in Dallas in November 2018. Previously a current CARO or CIRO credential from RETA was required to be eligible for CRST. That requirement will continue for candidates with less than four years of documented industrial refrigera- tion experience. The new experience waiver requires four or more years of industrial refrigeration experience in progressively responsible work. The experience must be document- ed in writing by supervisors and/or clients who received the work products or services the candidate submits in the application to qualify for the waiver. Candidates for the experience waiver must authorize RETA Certification staff to verify their experience through inquiries with cited employers and/or clients. Candidates who disagree with RETA staff findings may appeal to CertComm. Appeal procedures can be downloaded from the RETA website.

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