Why Should Your Team Be NATE Certified?
North American Technician Excellence (NATE) is a leading certification program for HVAC professionals in the U.S. But unlike the EPA 608, it isn’t required for doing business. So, is NATE certification worth the time and expense it takes your team to earn?
This industry badge isn’t just a logo to display on your website. It can bring a measurable business impact. Learn how NATE certification can enhance your service, minimize callbacks, and help you retain technicians.
What Are the Benefits of NATE Certification?
NATE certification can improve and standardize technicians’ skills, reduce errors, and improve business outcomes. It’s preferred by contractors and technicians alike: 79% of contractors want technicians to hold a NATE certification. It helps not just individuals, but your team as a whole. Here are the tangible benefits:
- Better field preparation: NATE-certified technicians are better prepared than their non-certified counterparts, according to 76% of contractors.
- Skill standardization: Certification ensures consistent performance across shifts, sites, and experience levels.
- Better productivity: NATE-certified technicians complete 20.5% more work than their non-certified peers on average.
- Fewer errors and callbacks: NATE-certified teams are more likely to diagnose and fix issues correctly the first time, reducing repeat visits and warranty claims. Contractors report that 55% of all callbacks are for technicians without a NATE certification.
- Improved safety and compliance: Certified techs are more likely to follow updated safety standards, lowering the risk of on-the-job incidents.
- Reduced downtime: In facility and plant environments, skilled HVAC maintenance can help prevent disruptions that can cost thousands of dollars per hour.
- Retention: Technicians stay longer when they see a clear path to upskilling and career growth. Three out of four HVAC technicians say they are more likely to stay with their employer when they receive assistance with NATE certification and training.
How Do You Get Your Team NATE Certified?
Technicians need consistent support to achieve certification and stay on top of renewals. Growing a NATE-certified team is possible with a strategic approach and an online NATE training platform. Here’s how to get started.
1. Assess Current Skill Levels to Identify Knowledge Gaps.
Before enrolling technicians in NATE prep courses or exams, evaluate their baseline understanding of core HVAC principles and system-specific competencies. Doing this helps you avoid wasting time on failed tests or redundant training and instead focus resources where they’re needed most. You can do this individually or with skills assessments.
2. Provide NATE-Aligned Training.
Preparation is key to passing the NATE exams and applying that knowledge on the job. Choose a NATE-aligned training partner that offers engaging, simulation-based content aligned with NATE’s exam blueprints— not just PDF study manuals. Interplay Learning’s NATE Training Academy, for example, uses 3D simulations and real-world troubleshooting scenarios to teach HVAC concepts.
Can my team prepare for the NATE certification online?
Yes, NATE preparation can take place online. While the official NATE exam must be taken in person or via proctored remote testing, your team can fully prepare online using a self-paced, NATE-aligned training like Interplay Learning’s NATE Training Academy. Consider an online training program with training accessible on mobile devices, so technicians can learn between service calls or during plant downtime.
How does Interplay Learning’s NATE Training Academy work?
Interplay’s NATE Training Academy is a self-paced, on-demand training platform to prepare learners for the NATE certification exams. Learners practice troubleshooting, safety protocols, and system diagnostics in realistic 3D environments, while managers can assign role-specific pathways (e.g., heat pumps, commercial refrigeration) and track readiness through built-in assessments.
3. Schedule NATE Exams.
NATE exams are proctored and must be taken in person or via approved remote proctoring. Locate a NATE-authorized testing partner near your team’s locations, and coordinate exam dates that minimize operational disruption. Many organizations batch-test technicians after a training cycle to maintain momentum and accountability.
4. Provide Ongoing Support for Recertification.
NATE certification is valid for two years. To maintain it, technicians must complete continuing education credits or retake the exam. Build recertification into your annual training calendar, and use it as an opportunity to introduce new technologies, safety updates, or equipment-specific training.
What Types of NATE Certifications Are Available?
NATE offers a tiered certification structure designed to match technicians’ roles and responsibilities, giving managers flexibility in how they build and deploy skilled teams.
- NATE Ready-to-Work: This introductory certification is more of a pre-certificate for technicians entering the field. The credential shows that candidates have fundamental job skills and understand the very basics of HVAC system components, tools, measurements, and safety.
- Core certification: Core validates a technician’s proficiency across key HVAC areas, including electrical systems, refrigeration, airflow, and safety protocols. The exam is a 50-question test and is the required first step before pursuing any specialty credential.
- Specialty certifications: These certifications demonstrate a deeper understanding into specific systems and applications such as air conditioning, gas heating, heat pumps, commercial refrigeration, and hydronics. These advanced certifications allow organizations to certify technicians based on the equipment they actually service, ensuring precision and reducing diagnostic errors.
- Certified HVAC Professional (CHP-5): As an alternative to core and specialty, NATE has also introduced the CHP-5 certification ladder. Instead of two major exams, CHP-5 consists of five 30-question tests (HVAC fundamentals, electrical and controls, comfort and airflow, installation, and service). This allows technicians to focus on individual areas in the order they want, taking up to six months to sit for each one.
- Low-GWP Refrigerants certification: With this specialty credential, technicians demonstrate that they can use the new low-GWP refrigerants safely and in compliance.
- Continuing Education Units (CEUs): NATE-certified technicians need 16 CEUs every two years to renew their certification, or else they will need to retake the exam.
NATE’s modular approach creates clear career pathways that motivate technicians to grow their skills over time. It also gives managers a way to standardize training across job functions and locations.
Tips to Maximize Your NATE Certification ROI
Certifying your team takes a dedicated effort, but it’s a wise investment that pays off in all areas of your business. Take training as an opportunity to invest in your business through these strategies.
- Bundle certification with onboarding: Work NATE certification hours into your onboarding to accelerate time-to-productivity for new hires. Start with the Ready-to-Work certification for completely green hires, then set goals and a timeline for completing Core or CHP-5 focus areas.
- Tie certifications to roles: Match specialty certifications to your most common service calls. For example, assign technicians with specialty certifications to complex or specialized calls.
- Track performance metrics: Test the efficacy yourself by tracking your team’s performance as they complete more training. Monitor reductions in callbacks, safety incidents, and training completion rates.
- Promote internally and externally: Use certifications in recruiting, marketing, and client proposals to showcase your professionalism and high standard of excellence.
How Interplay Learning Supports Team NATE Certification
Interplay Learning offers online, simulation-based NATE-aligned training. Used by HVAC contractors and workforce development programs, Interplay Learning’s platform helps people pass NATE exams faster and apply knowledge confidently on the job. Its courses combine:
- Interactive 3D simulations that mimic real-world HVAC scenarios.
- Mobile-friendly video courses for training anytime, anywhere.
- Management tools to track progress and readiness.
- Custom learning pathways for new hires, cross-training, or exam prep.
Can I track my team’s progress through online NATE prep?
Yes, Interplay Learning’s NATE Training Academy provides real-time dashboards that show data like assigned courses, enrolled learning pathways, course completion and skills assessment scores,. This data helps training managers keep techs accountable, target remediation, and verify compliance.
Ready to Build a NATE-Certified Team?
Training and certifying your team in NATE standards can keep your workplace safer, with fewer callbacks and less downtime. Beyond operations, it helps develop a workforce that’s continually learning and improving.
See how Interplay Learning’s NATE-aligned training can prepare your technicians for certification and on-the-job success — without disrupting operations.
Schedule a personalized demo to explore our HVAC training platform built for teams that demand excellence.
