- The R-39R/C-39 (CR-39) trade exam is 80 questions, 210 minutes, 70% passing, given by PSI for the Arizona ROC.
- Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, and Warm Air Heating each carry 12 questions - the three heaviest domains.
- Trade exam fee is $66; the separate SRE costs $61 - budget for both, not one.
- Only OSHA 29 CFR 1926 (or PSI's substitute), the 2018 IFGC, and the 2018 IMC are open-book allowed.
Quick Facts Snapshot
This is the condensed, one-page version of everything a candidate for the Arizona R-39R/C-39 (CR-39) Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (Residential/Commercial) Examination needs to keep straight before test day. If you want the full explanation behind any line item, the AZ-ACR Study Guide 2026 walks through the reasoning in detail.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Governing body | Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) |
| Testing provider | PSI Services LLC |
| Exam format | 80 questions, computer-based multiple choice |
| Time allowed | 210 minutes (PSI may add 5-10 unscored experimental items) |
| Passing score | 70% |
| Trade exam fee | $66 per attempt |
| Statutes/Rules Exam (SRE) fee | $61, taken online separately |
| Delivery options | Test center or remote-proctored |
| Trade outline revision date | June 8, 2023 |
| General bulletin date | February 18, 2026 |
Domain Question Breakdown
The trade outline splits 80 scored questions across 12 content areas. Knowing the weighting tells you exactly where your study hours belong. For a topic-by-topic walkthrough of each area, see the AZ-ACR Exam Domains 2026 guide.
| # | Domain | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Refrigeration | 12 |
| 2 | Air Conditioning | 12 |
| 3 | Warm Air Heating | 12 |
| 4 | Controls and Motors | 8 |
| 5 | Boilers | 4 |
| 6 | Ventilation | 4 |
| 7 | Evaporative Coolers | 4 |
| 8 | Fuel Piping Systems | 5 |
| 9 | Water Piping Systems | 5 |
| 10 | Steam, Hot, Chilled, and Condensing Water | 5 |
| 11 | Testing, Balancing, and Inspections | 5 |
| 12 | Sizing and Estimating | 4 |
The "Big Three" - Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, Warm Air Heating
Together these three domains carry 36 of 80 questions - nearly half the exam. Candidates who under-study any one of them because it feels "basic" tend to lose the most points here.
- Refrigeration: cycle components, refrigerant handling, superheat/subcooling logic
- Air Conditioning: system sizing, split vs. package equipment, airflow and charge
- Warm Air Heating: gas furnace operation, combustion, venting, and controls
Key Takeaway
Allocate roughly 45% of your study time to Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, and Warm Air Heating combined - they make up nearly half the scored questions.
Exam Day Mechanics
The R-39R/C-39 (CR-39) exam is computer-based multiple choice, delivered either at a physical test center or through remote proctoring. Both paths carry the same 80-question, 210-minute, 70%-passing structure, but the rules diverge on a few practical points.
- Calculator: A silent, nonprinting, nonprogrammable, nonscientific calculator is permitted per the general PSI candidate bulletin.
- Remote testing restrictions: No scratch paper and no breaks are allowed during a remote-proctored session - plan your pacing accordingly.
- Experimental questions: PSI may insert 5-10 unscored items within the 210-minute window; you won't know which ones they are, so treat every question as scored.
If you're still deciding whether to sit for a remote or in-person session, the How Hard Is the AZ-ACR Exam? guide compares the practical tradeoffs of each delivery method.
Open-Book Reference Rules
Unlike a fully closed-book test, the R-39R/C-39 (CR-39) exam allows a limited set of open-book references. Bring only what's approved - anything else risks removal from your testing session.
What you can and cannot do with your allowed references matters just as much as which ones you bring:
- Allowed: advance highlighting, underlining, annotations, and permanent tabs added before test day
- Prohibited: loose additional papers and any writing added to references during the exam itself
Practicing open-book navigation ahead of time - knowing exactly which tab to flip to for a fuel piping sizing table or a mechanical code clearance requirement - saves real minutes inside your 210-minute window. This is a core skill the AZ-ACR Study Guide 2026 covers in depth.
Retake and Waiting Period Rules
Failing an attempt doesn't mean starting over from scratch, but it does mean waiting before you can try again.
| Attempt | Waiting Period Before Retake |
|---|---|
| 1st through 3rd failed attempt | 30 days |
| 4th and subsequent attempts | 90 days |
Each attempt requires the $66 trade exam fee again. Understanding this cost structure before you schedule is worth the read - see the AZ-ACR Certification Cost 2026 breakdown for how fees stack up across multiple attempts, and confirm exactly what score you need to hit in the AZ-ACR Passing Score 2026 guide.
Qualifying Party Eligibility
Before you can even sit for the trade exam, the qualifying party generally needs to satisfy Arizona ROC experience requirements.
- Four years of practical or management trade experience, typically required
- Two of those four years must fall within the preceding ten years
- Qualifying technical training can substitute for up to two of the four required years
- Exam results must fall within the two years preceding the license application
- Contractor licenses renew on a biennial basis, with license fees and bond obligations kept separate from exam fees
For the complete eligibility rundown, including how technical training credit is evaluated, see AZ-ACR Requirements 2026.
Key Takeaway
Passing the trade exam has a shelf life - your results must stay within two years of when you submit your license application, so don't test too far ahead of your filing timeline.
One-Week Final Review Focus
If you're in the final stretch before your scheduled date, spend your remaining days by domain weight rather than by comfort level. Generic weekly review templates don't map well to a 12-domain trade exam, so anchor your last week specifically to the R-39R/C-39 (CR-39) allocations.
Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, Warm Air Heating
- Review cycle diagrams, equipment sizing logic, and combustion/venting rules - 36 of 80 questions live here
Controls and Motors
- Focus on motor types, control sequencing, and safety switches - 8 questions
Fuel, Water, and Steam/Hot/Chilled/Condensing Water Piping
- Cross-reference the 2018 IFGC and piping tables - 15 combined questions across three domains
Boilers, Ventilation, Evaporative Coolers
- Cover the three lightest domains at 4 questions each
Testing/Balancing/Inspections and Sizing/Estimating
- Practice reading gauges, airflow readings, and load calculations under timed conditions
Run a full timed practice session on our AZ-ACR practice test platform at least once during this final week to get a realistic feel for the 210-minute pace before your actual appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions
The trade outline specifies 80 scored questions with 210 minutes to complete the exam. PSI may add 5-10 additional unscored experimental questions within that same time window.
The R-39R/C-39 (CR-39) trade examination costs $66 per attempt. The Arizona Statutes and Rules Exam (SRE) is a separate online exam costing $61. Both are required, but they are scheduled and paid for independently.
No. Only OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926 (or PSI's approved substitute with current amendments), the 2018 International Fuel Gas Code, and the 2018 International Mechanical Code are permitted as open-book references. Other textbooks listed in the outline are study-only.
A 30-day waiting period applies before retaking after your first, second, or third failed attempt. If you reach a fourth or later attempt, the waiting period extends to 90 days.
Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, and Warm Air Heating each carry 12 questions - the three largest domains on the outline - so they deserve the majority of your remaining review time. See the AZ-ACR Exam Domains 2026 guide for a full breakdown of every content area.
Keep this page bookmarked as your quick-reference sheet, and pair it with a full practice run on the AZ-ACR practice test site so the numbers above stop being abstract and start feeling like your actual exam pace.