RETA Breeze July-Aug 2024

RETA WANTS ALL CANDIDATES TO EARN CREDENTIALS! RETA has provided many resources for each of these exams as part of RETA’s mission “To enhance the professional development of industrial refrigeration operating and technical engineers.” RETA strives to help every candidate earn these credentials to improve safety, save lives and increase energy efficiency. • All questions in CARO, CIRO and CRST are supported by RETA’s Industrial Refrigeration Books IR-1, IR-2, IR-3 and IR-4, Basic Electricity BE-1 and BE-2, and related resources. While other books can be used to prepare for and pass RETA exams, only RETA books are guaranteed to provide direct support to each question in these RETA credentialing exams. • All RETA study guides can be downloaded free from the RETA website’s certification screens. RETA Study guides include all required information from references that appear onscreen next to questions on each test. • One CARO, CIRO or CRST Practice Test is included in the registration fee for these tests. Practice Test questions have been validated by CertComm as part of the pool of questions for each test, then retired to help RETA candidates prepare. No practice test questions appear in full exams, but they parallel those in each test. • Instructions for proper use of the onscreen references for each test are in the CARO, CIRO or CRST study guide, each practice test, and each full exam. Candidates who understand how to use these references BEFORE they take the full exam are much more likely to earn their RETA credential. RETA encourages all candidates to be as familiar with the references in their study guides as they should be with manuals for the refrigeration systems they work with and support on the job. Just as candidates must know when to refer to a manual or other resources when a problem occurs on the job, questions on RETA exams do not indicate when a candidate should use information in these onscreen references.

RETA provides a study guide that lists references for each test and includes reference documents that will appear next to questions during each test. Each study guide also includes a content outline and other information to help candidates prepare to qualify for CARO, CIRO, CRST or CRES. RAIs are directed to refer to study guides for each of the other exams since they are preparing candidates to earn those RETA credentials. Each study guide can be downloaded free from the RETA website. Study guides for CIRO, CRST and CRES also include operat ing system screens for refrigeration systems under normal and abnormal conditions to support questions that require candidates to diagnose and resolve problems in system safety and operations. Another resource for exams beyond CARO is a Supplemental Answer Key on the RETA website that provides the rationale and suggestions to help candidates answer 24 questions based on a sample system screen in these study guides. The supple mental answer key also includes four electrical system questions. All RETA questions include PLAUSIBLE INCORRECT ANSWERS that candidates might choose when they do not under stand a concept, do not read all the answers to a question carefully, or make common errors using information from reference documents RETA requires for each test. All RETA exams are designed to measure whether candidates are qualified to operate industrial refrigeration systems safely and efficiently. Onscreen references include Safety Data Sheets (SDSs), tables of temperatures and pressures for ammonia and other refriger ants, and other technical information. These questions require candidates to know when to refer to the references, find information relevant to the question, apply formulas that are provided there, convert temperatures and pressures using refrigerant tables, and evaluate operating conditions to identify hazards and corrective actions to maintain safe and efficient operations.

RETA exams require that each candidate must decide when to consult these references. Candidates who want to take additional practice tests can do so for $59 per attempt. These can be purchased from the RETA online store. Many candidates pass their full exam after several practice tests, but it is not necessary to pass a practice test. The most important factor is to master how to use the references for their full exam. RETA remains committed to help every candidate succeed as a resource to improve the safety and efficiency of all refrigeration operations. We welcome your questions about RETA’s credentialing exams and activities. Send your questions by email to certification@reta. com. Dr. Ron Rodgers, RETA’s Psychometrician (testing expert) and Accreditation Manager, has guided development of all RETA credentialing exams since 2002. RETA Testing Corner provides information and answers questions from RETA members, candidates and others to help them earn and benefit from RETA credentials.

Samantha Ibarra RETA Certification Coordinator

Dr. Ron Rodgers RETA Accreditation Manager and Psychometrician

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