2019 RETA Breeze Jul-Aug

RETA TESTING CORNER NO. 14

RETA’s Testing and ANSI Guru

• Certified Refrigeration Energy Specialist (CRES). • RETA-Authorized Instructor (RAI). Each new round of test development begins with a Practices Survey to evaluate what should be measured in future forms of that RETA credential. A new CIRO Practices Survey is underway now. RETA is inviting over 500 experienced refrigeration opera- tors, consultants and managers to help define the content of future CIRO exams. Practices Surveys ask partici- pants to rate each content area on two scales. These are shown for the CIRO survey below. 1. Proficiency Level identifies the knowledge or skill required for a newly qualified CIRO refrigeration operator. Each content area is rated on five levels ranging from None to Expert. 2. Risk Level indicates the possibility of increased cost, harm or injury

Dr. Ron Rodgers, RETA’s Psychometri- cian (testing expert) and ANSI Accredita- tion Manager, has guided development of all RETA credential- ing exams since 2002. RETA Testing Corner provides information and answers questions from RETA members, candidates and others to help them earn and benefit from RETA credentials. Each new edition of a RETA book triggers a fresh look at all RETA exams that are supported by that reference. This process has just begun for four RETA credentials that will be impacted by the new edition of Industrial Refrigeration Book 2 (IR2-2019). • Certified Industrial Refrigeration Operator (CIRO). • Certified Refrigeration Service Technician (CRST).

from limited knowledge or under- standing of a content area. Ratings ranging from None to Extreme, which indicates that limited knowledge could result in injury, death or disability for operators and/or to major system failure. RETA’s Certification Committee (CertComm) uses these ratings to evaluate the importance of each content area in the qualifications to earn a RETA credential and to refine specifications for future examinations. CertComm also expands the pool of questions for each test based on these new test specifications. Each question in a RETA certification test must be supported by references that are identified in RETA Study Guides. CARO and CIRO Practice Tests also offer questions similar to those that appear on RETA examinations. Each of these tools is designed to help candidates prepare to earn a RETA credential, but responsibility for using RETA Study Guides and Practice Tests remains with each candidate. CRST is based primarily on I ndustrial Refrigeration Book 3 (IR3-2016). The new CRES examination will rely heavily on RETA’s Industrial Refrigeration Energy Efficiency Handbook (2018). RAI will expand to include more content that is supported by each of these publica- tions in addition to IR1-2017 and IR2-2019. RETA study guides include copies of references candidates need to use during each test. These references appear on-screen next to questions for each examination. RETA recommends that candidates become as familiar