AL-REFRIG Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass

The Actual AL-REFRIG Passing Score

The Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Contractors, working through testing provider Prov, Inc., sets the passing score for the Refrigeration Contractors Examination at 70%. This applies specifically to the commercial refrigeration contractor track covered by AL-REFRIG Exam Prep, sometimes listed under the Prov exam title "Refrigeration." There is no sliding scale, no curve, and no separate cut score by section - 70% is 70% across the full 90-question exam.

If you're still deciding whether this number is realistic for your background, our difficulty guide and pass rate breakdown both dig into what tends to trip candidates up before they ever see a scaled score.

The Question Math: How Many You Can Miss

Because the exam is fixed at 90 scored multiple-choice questions and the passing threshold is 70%, the arithmetic is simple and worth memorizing before test day:

• 90 total questions on the exam
• 63 correct answers needed to reach 70%
• 27 questions is your maximum margin for error

That margin sounds generous until you look at how the questions are distributed across 17 domains. Missing a handful of questions in a heavily weighted domain like General Knowledge or Systems & Sizing eats into your buffer far faster than missing questions in a domain that only carries one or two items. Treat your 27-question cushion as a budget, not a guarantee - spend it deliberately across weaker domains rather than assuming it will absorb random mistakes evenly.

Domain Weighting and Where Points Live

The Prov bulletin allocates the 90 questions across 17 domains, and the spread is far from even. Four domains alone account for more than half the exam. Understanding this weighting is the single most useful thing you can do before building a study plan, and it's covered in full in our domain-by-domain guide.

Exam Format, Timing, and Open-Book Rules

The Refrigeration Contractors Examination is delivered as a computer-based test with a 4-hour limit for all 90 questions. That works out to roughly two and a half minutes per question if you spread the time evenly, though in practice you'll move faster through familiar General Knowledge items and slower through calculation-heavy Systems & Sizing or Piping questions.

This is an open-book exam, which changes how you should prepare. You can test at a Prov test center or remotely through Examroom after completing a system check. Either way, only a simple four-function calculator is permitted - no scientific or programmable calculators. Highlighting, permanent tabs, and formulas handwritten in ink directly in your reference materials are allowed. Handwritten notes on separate paper, movable tabs, added photocopied sheets, and outside exam-preparation guides are all prohibited inside the testing room.

Open-book access is a real advantage, but it is not a substitute for knowing the material. With only about 2.5 minutes per question on average, flipping through an untabbed code book to hunt for a formula will cost you more time than it saves. The candidates who benefit most from open-book conditions are the ones who've already built mental fluency and use their references to confirm, not to learn from scratch, mid-exam.

Registration, Fees, and Eligibility Windows

Before the passing score even matters, you need to clear the Board's eligibility gate. Under Code of Alabama section 34-31-28(c), you qualify through either 3,000 hours of qualifying work experience or graduation from an approved heating, air conditioning, or refrigeration curriculum. Work-experience applicants submit notarized employer affidavits with corresponding W-2s; curriculum applicants submit graduation documentation. Citizenship or lawful-presence documentation is required either way. Note that the application packet retains some older eligibility wording, so confirm apprenticeship- or coursework-only routes directly with the Board before applying - the full breakdown is in our requirements guide.

Once the Board approves your application, you have one year from that approval to schedule and sit for the exam. Miss that window and you'll need to reapply. The written examination fee is $175, paid to the Board and non-refundable - plan payment method carefully, since credit-card payments carry a 4% service fee on top of the base fee.

Scheduling flexibility exists but has a hard deadline: cancel or reschedule with Prov at least 3 business days before your appointment, or you forfeit the exam fee entirely. Check current testing windows in our exam dates guide before locking in a date.

A Domain-Ordered Study Schedule

A generic study calendar won't help you here - what matters is sequencing your review around AL-REFRIG's actual question weighting so your time investment matches point value. Here's a sequence built around the domain allocations above.

This order front-loads the domains worth the most points while leaving the smaller domains for a final sweep rather than ignoring them - remember, the 11 smallest domains still add up to real questions. For a condensed version of every fact you need across all 17 domains, keep our one-page cheat sheet handy during final review, and run timed sets on our practice test platform to see how your accuracy holds up under the 4-hour clock.

If You Fall Short: Re-Exam and Practical Exam Paths

If you don't reach 70% on your first attempt, the path forward is straightforward but not free. Submit a re-examination request through Form EA-5 or the Board's re-examination portal and pay another $175 examination fee to sit again.

There's a second, optional route: under Rule 440-X-3-.07, the Board may approve a $375 practical examination after a failed written attempt, upon written request. This practical exam must be held within 6 months of your last unsuccessful written attempt, and it is not a mandatory second stage - it's an alternative path some candidates pursue rather than repeating the written exam. Weigh the $375 practical fee against another $175 written attempt based on which format better matches your strengths.

After Passing: Certification, Bond, and Renewal

Once you pass and complete the separate licensing application, you'll choose between two certification statuses, each with its own cost structure covered in more detail in our certification cost breakdown:

• Active certification: $220 initially and annually, requires a business name and a $20,000 performance bond (the $20,000 is the bond amount, not the premium you pay)
• Inactive certification: $110 initially and annually, no bond required, but does not authorize contracting work

Renewal is due annually by December 31, with an additional $250 fee for late renewal. Continuing education is normally 4 Board-approved hours per year, with up to 4 hours carried forward to the next cycle and a first-renewal exemption under Rule 440-X-4-.10. Proof of CE must be submitted before November 1; under Rule 440-X-4-.03, effective July 14, 2025, hours submitted between November 1 and January 1 incur a $25 deficiency fee, and any deficiency-extension application must reach the Board before December 31.

It's also worth remembering that this state contractor certification and EPA Section 608 technician certification are separate credentials covering different scopes - don't assume one satisfies the other. For a broader look at how this credential fits into a career and whether it's worth pursuing, see our ROI analysis and salary guide.

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