- What This Exam Actually Is
- Exam Format Snapshot
- The Four Weighted Domains
- Domain 1: Installation (40%)
- Domain 2: System Components (30%)
- Domain 3: Applied Knowledge (20%)
- Domain 4: Service (10%)
- Exam-Day Rules: Paper vs. Remote
- Fees, Certification Life and Renewal
- Pairing With the Core Exam
- Scheduling Your Review by Domain
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The exam has 100 multiple-choice questions, a 2-hour-30-minute limit, and a 70% (70/100) pass requirement per the NATE FAQ.
- Installation is the heaviest domain at 40%, followed by System Components at 30%, Applied Knowledge at 20% and Service at 10%.
- The traditional credential needs both the separate Core exam and this specialty; either may be passed first.
- Certification lasts two years; renew with 16 relevant CEHs plus the renewal fee, or retake the specialty.
What This Exam Actually Is
This cheat sheet covers one credential: the NATE (North American Technician Excellence, Inc.) Gas Heating (Air) - Installation Specialty Exam. NATE's own knowledge-area document titles the same scope "Gas Furnace Installation." If you see either name, you are looking at the same selected installation exam. The Spanish-language gas heating listing, however, is a Service exam, not an Installation exam, so do not assume the two are interchangeable.
The exam is aimed at technicians who install forced-air gas furnaces. There is no formal education requirement. NATE's FAQ and the installation KATE (Knowledge Areas of Technician Expertise) document recommend one year of installation experience, while the Getting Started page and the undated Technician Handbook recommend two years for the traditional, Core, Installation and Service exams. Those are differing recommendations, not mandatory hour totals. If you want the full eligibility picture, see our Gas Heating Installation requirements guide.
Exam Format Snapshot
| Item | What NATE Publishes |
|---|---|
| Questions | 100 multiple-choice |
| Time limit | 2 hours 30 minutes |
| Passing standard | 70% per the general FAQ (70 of 100); the KATE specification lists Pass/Fail |
| Reference materials | Closed book |
| Delivery | Proctored paper or computer through NATE Testing Organizations; remote Live Online Proctoring (LOP) also available for the English installation exam |
| Separate Core exam | 50 questions, 1.5 hours (not part of this 100-question exam) |
| Scored/unscored split, adaptive format, practical component | None verified |
Because no scored/unscored split or adaptive format is published, treat every question as counting and plan to answer all 100. For a deeper look at how the cut score works, read our breakdown of the Gas Heating Installation passing score.
The Four Weighted Domains
NATE's Gas Furnace Installation KATE lists four subject areas whose weights total 100%. These are official exam objectives, not a study curriculum. The domain numbering below follows the order of the weighted table.
| Domain | Weight | Approx. Share of 100 Questions |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Installation | 40% | About 40 |
| 2. System Components | 30% | About 30 |
| 3. Applied Knowledge | 20% | About 20 |
| 4. Service | 10% | About 10 |
The question-count column is simple arithmetic on a 100-question exam, not a published blueprint, so expect some variation. The expanded body of the KATE document orders the content as Installation, Service, System Components, then Applied Knowledge (headed "Applied Knowledge: Regulations, Codes and Design"). The weights above still govern how heavily each area is tested. For a longer walkthrough, see the complete guide to all 4 content areas.
Domain 1: Installation (40%)
Installation
The largest slice of the exam. Think of it as everything between "the furnace is on the truck" and "the customer signs off." The detailed topic list should be confirmed against the current KATE, but candidates should be fluent in the following field-installation themes.
- Locating and setting the furnace: clearances, levelness, access for service, and orientation (upflow, downflow, horizontal)
- Gas piping: sizing, connections, drip legs, shutoff placement and leak testing
- Venting and combustion air: vent material, termination, connector slope and adequate combustion air supply
- Electrical connections: line-voltage and low-voltage wiring, grounding, and thermostat connections
- Ductwork connections and airflow considerations at the furnace
- Startup and commissioning: verifying ignition, checking manifold pressure, temperature rise and safety controls
Because Installation carries 40%, it is the best return on your study hours. A candidate who masters this domain and holds even partial command of the others is positioned much closer to the 70-question mark than someone spreading effort evenly. Our Gas Heating Installation study guide shows how to build a first-attempt plan around this weighting.
Where installation questions tend to bite
- Sequence questions: what must be verified before the first ignition attempt, and what you check after.
- Measurement questions: gas pressure, temperature rise and airflow readings, and what a reading tells you about the installation.
- Safety-driven choices: venting, combustion air and leak-testing decisions where the wrong answer would create a carbon monoxide or fire hazard.
Domain 2: System Components (30%)
System Components
Knowing what each part does, how it fails, and how it interacts with its neighbors. Expect questions that ask you to identify a component's role in the ignition and safety sequence.
- Gas valve types and operation (including how they regulate and shut off flow)
- Ignition systems and flame-sensing devices
- Burners, heat exchangers and what damage to them looks like
- Blower motors, capacitors and airflow control
- Safety switches and limit controls (pressure switches, limit switches, rollout protection)
- Thermostats and control boards, including how signals move through the system
The most efficient way to study this domain is as a chain: thermostat call, inducer, pressure switch proving, ignition, flame proving, blower start, then shutdown. If you can narrate that sequence and say what happens at each break in the chain, many component questions resolve themselves.
Domain 3: Applied Knowledge (20%)
Applied Knowledge: Regulations, Codes and Design
This is the domain that rewards reading the rules rather than relying on habit. The expanded KATE heading names regulations, codes and design.
- Applicable installation codes and manufacturer instructions, and which governs when they differ in emphasis
- Sizing and design principles, including load considerations and equipment selection
- Combustion fundamentals, air requirements and venting design logic
- Safety regulations affecting gas appliance installation
Local code adoption varies, so anchor your answers to widely accepted principles and manufacturer requirements. At 20% of the exam, this domain is large enough to cost you the pass if you skip it, but small enough that targeted review beats exhaustive memorization.
Domain 4: Service (10%)
Service
The smallest domain, but it is not trivial. Installation technicians are expected to diagnose problems that surface at startup or soon after.
- Troubleshooting a no-heat condition by following the sequence of operation
- Interpreting error indications and control board behavior
- Testing electrical components and verifying safety circuits
- Confirming that corrective action restored safe, proper operation
Exam-Day Rules: Paper vs. Remote
The rules differ depending on how you test, and getting them wrong can end an attempt before it begins.
| Topic | Proctored Paper (per 2025 Proctor Script) | Remote Live Online Proctoring |
|---|---|---|
| Calculator | Non-programmable calculator permitted | Built-in calculator only |
| Reference aids | Formula sheet and temperature/pressure chart supplied | Two blank scratch sheets, one writing utensil |
| Breaks | Follow the proctor's instructions | No restroom breaks |
| Identity and software | Check-in with the Testing Organization | Acceptable government photo ID and Guardian Browser required |
One published inconsistency is worth knowing about. The current LOP page identifies Meazure Learning's ProctorU platform, yet an older scheduling answer on the same page still names Scantron, and the general FAQ names Examity for Spanish sessions. Don't try to resolve this from the web: follow the instructions attached to your booked attempt. Every candidate must also sign the NATE Code of Conduct.
Key Takeaway
If you test remotely, do a full technology and room check well before your slot, and prepare for a no-break, no-extra-tools session. Because the supplied formula sheet and temperature/pressure chart are described for paper testing, practice working problems with only a basic calculator and scratch paper. Confirm your exact allowances with your Testing Organization. For scheduling logistics, see our guide to exam dates and scheduling.
Fees, Certification Life and Renewal
NATE does not publish one universal exam fee. Local Testing Organizations set initial exam prices in U.S. dollars, and current remote prices appear in the signed-in myNATE Live Online Proctoring tab (we could not retrieve them). There is no verified member/non-member split. Budget separately for the Core exam, optional study materials and any training. Retest fees also vary by Testing Organization. Our certification cost breakdown walks through each cost component.
Recertification mechanics
- Validity: certification lasts two years.
- Renewal path: earn 16 relevant CEHs (continuing education hours) during the cycle and pay the renewal fee, or retake the specialty.
- Published fee conflict: the Policies and Fees page lists Gas Heating at $30 for the first specialty plus $5 for each additional different specialty, while the Recertification FAQs still state $25 plus $5. Verify the current amount before paying.
- Grace window: the recertification FAQ allows a 120-day post-expiration window, but an expired credential is not active during that window. After it closes, both required exams must be retaken.
Pairing With the Core Exam
The traditional NATE credential requires passing both the Core exam and this specialty. The Core (50 questions, 1.5 hours) is a separate exam and is not part of the 100-question installation exam described here. The 2025 Proctor Script permits either exam to be passed first, and each unpaired exam credit remains valid for two years. In practice, that means you can sequence them to suit your schedule, but you must complete the pair inside that two-year credit window.
We do not substitute any Core syllabus into this article. Study the Core on its own terms. For the bigger picture of what the credential is and who it serves, see Gas Heating Installation certification, and for career context explore Gas Heating Installation jobs and the salary guide.
Scheduling Your Review by Domain
Rather than a generic plan, order your weeks by weight and by dependency. Components feed Installation, and Service reinforces both. This is a sample sequence, so adjust it to your experience.
Installation: placement, gas piping, venting
- Review clearances, gas line sizing logic, leak testing and venting/combustion air rules
- Write out your own startup checklist from memory
Installation: electrical, ducts and commissioning
- Practice temperature rise, manifold pressure and airflow reasoning
- Drill the order of operations for first startup
System Components
- Narrate the full sequence of operation, then identify what each component failure looks like
- Review gas valves, ignition, flame sensing and limit controls
Applied Knowledge, Service and timed practice
- Review codes, sizing and combustion principles, then troubleshoot from the sequence of operation
- Take a timed 100-question set using only a basic calculator
Front-loading Installation puts your highest-value material first, while the final week simulates the 2-hour-30-minute pace, about 90 seconds per question. If a timed set exposes weak areas, loop back to that domain rather than rereading everything. You can run timed sets on our practice test site, and our article on how hard the exam is helps you calibrate expectations. Pass-rate data is discussed in our pass rate analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions
The specialty exam has 100 multiple-choice questions with a 2-hour-30-minute time limit. The separate Core exam has 50 questions and 1.5 hours and is not included in that count.
NATE's general FAQ specifies 70%, or 70 of 100 specialty questions. The KATE specification simply lists the result as Pass/Fail. See our passing score article for details.
Installation, at 40%, is the largest weighted area. System Components follows at 30%, then Applied Knowledge at 20% and Service at 10%. Weight your study time accordingly.
Yes. Remote Live Online Proctoring is available for the English installation exam. It requires Guardian Browser and an acceptable government photo ID, allows only the built-in calculator, two blank scratch sheets and one writing utensil, and permits no restroom breaks. Follow the platform instructions on your booked attempt, since NATE's pages name different providers.
It lasts two years. Renew with 16 relevant CEHs earned during the cycle plus the renewal fee, or retake the specialty. A 120-day post-expiration window exists, but the credential is not active during it.
For the traditional credential, yes. Both the Core and this specialty are required, and per the 2025 Proctor Script either may be passed first, with each unpaired exam credit valid for two years. Compare it against your goals in our ROI analysis.