HERS Rater Certification Process
The field of energy efficiency is expanding far beyond where many ever
thought it would, with different types of trainings,
certifications/designations, standards, and testing requirements for
professionals being created every year. Because navigating the requirements
can seem daunting, here’s a guide with the main points of rater
certification.
Three Steps to Becoming a
Certified Rater
- Training: Start with
a HERS rater training class
during which you will have two
ratings certified by a rater
trainer, as required by RESNET
for certification.
- Exam: At the end of
the class, students will take
the two hour, open-book national
rater exam in front of a rater
trainer as required by RESNET.
The passing grade is 80 (40 out
of 50 questions right).
Registration for
re-taking an exam with a
local proctor is available
through NEHERS.
- Supervision of
provisionary ratings: After
passing the examination, you
must submit at least three more
documented ratings for review by
an accredited HERS provider,
either your employer or one that
has agreed to supervise your
ratings and work with you
towards rater certification. You
would work with the HERS
provider’s Quality Assurance
Designee for the ratings review.
To ensure each new rater is
strong in their understanding of
home performance, diagnostic
testing, and rating software
usage, the provider may ask you
to conduct some of these ratings
and diagnostic testing in their
presence, and/or conduct more
than three ratings under their
supervision.
Ongoing Quality Assurance
through a HERS Provider
To guarantee that all ratings are
completed in accordance with RESNET
standards, quality assurance
oversight is performed by HERS
rating providers accredited by
RESNET. This assures consumers and
housing industry stakeholders that
ratings are uniform from state to
state and across regions. Therefore,
all certified raters must work
for, as, or with a
rating provider accredited through
RESNET. (NE HERS Alliance is an
Accredited Training Provider,
but not a Rating Provider.)
RESNET Rater Certification
Guidelines and Rater Test Study
Guide Outline
What if I plan to work
independently?
If you are not employed by a
rating provider yourself, as an
independent rater you must seek a
relationship with an accredited HERS
provider who would perform quality
assurance services. Most likely it
would be the same provider with whom
you work to obtain your
certification. Please read our
Frequently Asked Questions for
Independent Raters that includes
a list of HERS Providers that are
currently working with independent
raters in the northeast.
Do I need to attend rater
training if I have auditing
experience, or if I am a "good
study," can I just take the test?
Raters enter the field from many
levels of related experience, from
zero knowledge to decades of
performing home energy audits. Rater
certification begins with proper
training in building science, rating
and diagnostic testing requirements,
and standards that apply to the
rating industry.
To ensure that all certified
individuals follow strict standards
of performance, in 2009,
RESNET passed a requirement
that: "Each candidate rater must
perform two ratings, including
software operations, in the presence
of trainers.".
You can fulfill the requirements
of testing and supervision during a
training class by an Accredited
RESNET Trainer such as the NE HERS
Alliance. If you do not take a rater
training class, it can be difficult
and expensive to get two ratings
supervised by a certified trainer,
and accredited providers cannot
fulfill this role.
What if I do not pass the rater
exam at the training?
The exam is challenging even for
individuals with some years of
experience, so if you receive a
grade lower than 80, you can
register to take the exam again
through NE HERS. Before taking the
exam, contact your classroom trainer
for a "category report" that shows
your main areas of weakness on your
first test. Be sure you bring good
reference materials from the
recommended list, and know where to
find information in the books.
You can
register with NEHERS for
re-taking the exam.
How long after passing the test
do I have to do the five supervised
ratings?
Rater candidates have one year
from the date they pass the rater
exam to complete the certification
process. If the candidate does not
complete these steps within one
year, he or she will need to begin
the training and exam process all
over again. At a minimum this would
mean submitting five ratings to
their Quality Assurance Designee and
paying for and passing the national
rater exam again. To keep your
knowledge fresh we recommend that
when planning to attend a training
you also set aside the required time
for completing your five ratings
soon after your training ends.
What are the requirements for
rater recertification?
Re-certification is required
every three years and is the
responsibility of the accredited
HERS providers to ensure all raters
working with them meet the
requirements.
In order to become re-certified
after the three-year period, one of
the following requirements must be
completed:
- Documentation of at least 18
hours of continuing education
every three years as required by
RESNET standards. The 18 hours
to include completion of 18
hours of refresher course(s)
offered by a RESNET Accredited
Training Provider. More RESNET
information on the approved
refresher courses and related
exams will be released in 2009.
- Documentation of 18 hours of
attendance at a RESNET
Conference in three years.
- Pass the national rater exam
every three years.
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