Iowa Journeyman HVAC Exam Prep

About the Iowa Journeyman HVAC license

Iowa licenses mechanical (HVAC/R) tradespeople through the Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board (PMSB), part of the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL). The Journeyperson HVAC/Refrigeration license authorizes you to perform heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and refrigeration work, generally under a licensed mechanical contractor. You earn it by completing at least four years of practical experience in a U.S. Department of Labor-registered apprenticeship program (required for experience earned after January 1, 2010) — or by holding a master-level license in the same discipline from another jurisdiction — and then passing the Journeyperson trade exam.

Kirkwood's journeyperson HVAC/refrigeration with gas outline is written from three books: Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, 21st edition, the 2024 International Mechanical Code, and 2024 NFPA 54. The energy code and the EPA Section 608 manual are not on that reference list. Iowa does not use the Uniform Mechanical Code, so if your background or study material is UMC-based, expect some tables and methods (venting and combustion-air sizing especially) to differ — always work from the current adopted IMC/NFPA 54 editions and confirm them on the Kirkwood exam bulletin, since editions update periodically.

Know these scope facts cold: the license is held by the individual; most work requires a permit and inspection (rough-in and final); you must work within the classification you hold; and unlicensed or out-of-scope work is a violation that can cost the license and carry penalties. The mechanical code exists to deliver safe combustion and venting, adequate ventilation, and safe refrigeration — the exam keeps returning to those safety purposes.

How Iowa licensing works

• Experience: at least four years of practical experience in a U.S. Department of Labor-registered apprenticeship program (for experience earned after January 1, 2010); alternatively, a master-level license in the same discipline from another jurisdiction satisfies the requirement.
• This paper's name: Journeyperson HVAC/Refrigeration with Gas. A hydronics paper, a mechanical paper, and a sheet-metal paper are different Kirkwood outlines. Do not study those clocks for this seat.
• EPA certification: handling refrigerant requires federal EPA Section 608 certification (Type I, II, III, or Universal) — separate from the state license but often expected.
• Application: the Board approves you to test, then you register with Kirkwood. The Kirkwood exam fee for this paper is 119 dollars, not refundable and not transferable. This guide does not print a Board application price the Kirkwood page does not print.
• Exam vendor: Kirkwood Community College, the PMSB's approved exam provider — not PSI. The Journeyperson HVAC/Refrigeration exam is 75 questions with a 2-hour time limit and is open-book (approved code references only); the passing score is 75 percent. Confirm the current question count, time limit, and allowed references on the Kirkwood bulletin before you test.
• Renewal: the Kirkwood page does not print the license term or a continuing-education hour total. Confirm both on the Board's current rule. This guide does not invent them.