RETA Breeze Sept/Oct 2025

RETA TESTING CORNER NO. 50

RETA EXAMS TEST APPLIED KNOWLEDGE, NOT JUST MEMORY

C ARO, CIRO and CRST are the pillars of programs designed to meet RETA’s mission “to enhance the professional development of industrial refrigeration operating and technical engineers.” Each RETA examination is designed to assess a candidate’s understanding of how to apply the concepts and principles necessary for safe and efficient operations. Candidates must demonstrate much more than memory of key terms and operating principles to earn these credentials. Applied knowledge is an essential part of earning each RETA credential in industrial refrigeration . The foundation of CARO, CIRO and CRST supports the recommendations that emerged from an industry-wide confer ence in 2002 that was sponsored by RETA, IIAR and IARW (now Global Cold Chain Alliance) to create benchmarks for training and certification in industrial refrigeration. This led to publication of the Ammonia Refrigeration Training Guideline (ARTG) in 2005. These guide lines recommended three levels of certification: 1. CARO is the entry-level credential recommended by ARTG. It is designed to demonstrate that an operator has sufficient knowledge to work under supervision in industrial refrigeration. No experience is required, but

Industrial Refrigeration I (IR-1) and the ammonia safety chapter in Industrial Refrigeration 4 (IR-4). 2. CIRO is the second level credential recommended by ARTG. CIRO requires documentation of at least two years of experience in industrial refrigeration. supervise industrial refrigeration operations . It adds Industrial Refrig eration 2 (IR-2) and Basic Electricity (BE-1 and BE-2) to the critical concepts to earn a credential. 3. CRST is the third level credential recommended by ARTG. CRST is designed for technicians and support personnel who troubleshoot operat ing problems and maintain industrial refrigeration plants and facilities . CRST adds Industrial Refrigeration 3 (IR-3), the RETA CO 2 Coursebook, and RETA’s Ammonia Refrigeration Compli ance Guidelines to CIRO references. CRST requires a CARO or CIRO credential, or at least four years of experience. Specifications for each test have been revalidated several times—most recently in 2022—in surveys of credentialed operators and supervisors. Each of these RETA credentials is designed to measure much more than memory of details in any of the references. Every question is CIRO assesses mastery of more advanced concepts required to

validated by RETA’s Certification Commit tee, which averages over 18 years of industrial refrigeration experience. Each question includes one BEST answer and three incorrect answers that may appear to be correct to candidates who do not read the question and all four answers carefully, or do not fully understand the question. Plausible wrong answers are required in all valid certification examina tions to separate candidates who meet the qualifications for a credential from those who do not understand what is being asked or how to use the information in the references for that test. Study guides for each test include formulas, tables and a Safety Data Sheet (SDS). References appear onscreen next to questions during the test. Directions for finding information in these references appear in each study guide and in the first few pages of each reference. One practice test is included in the registration fee for each full examination. Practice tests include the same references used in each full exam to help candidates learn to find and use information during the test. Despite these RETA efforts to help candidates prepare, one-third of CARO candidates and nearly half of CIRO candidates fail their full exam without taking a practice test. CIRO and CRST study guides also include a sample screen with normal and abnormal

candidates are required to master concepts and principles in RETA’s

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2025