This NATE cheat sheet distills the North American Technician Excellence Core exam into a printable rundown of the facts examiners test most, organized by all seven KATE knowledge areas. It's a premium cheat sheet built by Capital Prep — the one premium prep we trust — and it's yours free. Reinforce it with the rest of your free NATE toolkit: the practice test, study guide, and flashcards.
NATE exam at a glance
- Questions: 50 multiple-choice (Core exam)
- Time: About 90 minutes for the Core exam
- Passing score: ≈70% — roughly 35 of 50 (set by a Passing Score Study)
- Certification: Pass the Core exam plus one Specialty exam (or the CHP-5 pathway)
- Certifying body: North American Technician Excellence (NATE)
- Cost: Set per exam — verify current Core and Specialty fees at natex.org
What’s on the NATE cheat sheet
- Basic Electricity (~26%) — Ohm's law and power (V = I × R, P = V × I), series vs. parallel circuits, capacitors, contactors, relays, transformers, and motor types — the heaviest KATE area.
- Safety (~18%) — lockout/tagout with meter verification, fire-extinguisher classes (Class C for energized), PPE, and the ladder 4-to-1 rule — the second-heaviest area.
- Achieving Desired Conditions (~14%) — comfort ranges, ~400 CFM per ton, the three heat-load formulas, humidity control, and filtration basics.
- Temperature & Humidity Measurement (~14%) — dry-bulb vs. wet-bulb, dew point, relative humidity, psychrometrics, and accurate field readings.
- Tools (~10%) — manifold gauge colors, the micron gauge and deep vacuum (≤500 microns), recovery, brazing, and leak detection.
- Using Basic Science (~10%) — sensible vs. latent heat, the three heat-transfer modes, the refrigeration cycle, superheat, subcooling, and combustion.
- Basic Construction (~8%) — studs, joists, and rafters, reading plans, ductwork in unconditioned space, and hazardous-material awareness — the lightest area.
How to use it in your final week
- Hammer Basic Electricity first — it's about a quarter of the Core exam. Keep Ohm's law (V = I × R), P = V × I, and series-vs-parallel behavior on the tip of your tongue.
- Trace the refrigeration cycle out loud from the sheet: compressor → condenser → metering device → evaporator, remembering cooling happens at the evaporator and heat is rejected at the condenser.
- Drill the safety quick-hits — Class C for energized electrical fires, verify-absence-of-voltage in lockout/tagout, and the ladder 4-to-1 rule — because Safety is the second-heaviest area.
- Read the sheet the morning of the test for one last pass on the constants: 1 ton = 12,000 Btu/hr, ~400 CFM per ton, ~70% to pass, and a deep vacuum of ≤500 microns.
The cheat sheet is your review layer — your NATE practice test drives the exam-readiness ring at the top of this page. Download it, review, then take a full practice exam (or drill with the study guide and flashcards) to see where you stand.
NATE cheat sheet FAQ
Yes — the NATE cheat sheet downloads as a PDF with no sign-up and no account. It sits alongside Career Employer's free NATE toolkit: the practice test, the study guide, and the flashcards, so your whole review stays in one place.
It condenses the highest-yield Core facts into a fast reference organized by the seven KATE knowledge areas — Basic Electricity, Safety, Achieving Desired Conditions, Temperature and Humidity Measurement, Tools, Using Basic Science, and Basic Construction. You get the electrical formulas, the refrigeration-cycle map, fire-class and PPE rules, and the airflow and psychrometric constants examiners lean on.
It is built from North American Technician Excellence's published Core KATE outline and reviewed against it regularly. Fees, pathways, and recertification rules change, so confirm current details at natex.org before you register.
No — it is a cram and quick-reference layer, not a full HVAC course. You need about 70 percent (roughly 35 of 50) on the Core exam, so use the sheet to lock facts in fast, then prove readiness on timed practice questions.
Click the download button or the preview card at the top of this page and the PDF opens instantly. Bookmark the page so you can pull it back up for a final skim the morning of your exam.
References
- 1.North American Technician Excellence. “Exam Knowledge Areas of Technician Expertise (KATEs).” natex.org, 2026. ↑
- 2.North American Technician Excellence. “Getting Started — Become NATE Certified.” natex.org, 2026. ↑
- 3.North American Technician Excellence. “Recertification FAQs.” natex.org, 2026. ↑
- 4.U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “Section 608 Technician Certification Requirements.” epa.gov, 2026. ↑
Career Employer
Career Employer is the ultimate resource to help you get started working the job of your dreams. We cover topics from general career information, career searching, exam preparation with free study materials, career interviewing, and becoming successful in your career of choice.
All PostsCareer Employer’s Editorial Process
Here at Career Employer, we focus a lot on providing factually accurate information that is always up to date. We strive to provide correct information using strict editorial processes, article editing, and fact-checking for all of the information found on our website. We only utilize trustworthy and relevant resources. To find out more, make sure to read our full editorial process page here.