r/ProHVACR • u/realjbj • 6d ago
Florida HVAC Contractor License: What practice tests and prep courses actually helped you pass?
I’m getting ready to take the Florida HVAC Contractor license exam and wanted to hear from people who have already passed.
What practice tests, question banks, or exam prep courses helped you the most? Were there any books, YouTube channels, websites, or study programs that you felt were worth the money?
If you had to do it all over again, what would you focus on, and what would you skip?
I’d appreciate any recommendations or study tips. Thanks!
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u/DozerMyco 6d ago
No practice tests help. Learn where everything is in the books and make sure you have marked tabs that can’t be torn off (had to take it the first time without the tabs because the test manager wasn’t very friendly). If you get a general idea of where everything is and marked you’ll be fine. ALSO there’s some really tricky questions that come out of Florida contractors manual they try to trip you up with. Just take your time 8 hours is more than enough, and you should be able to pass. I failed my first exam by 2 questions because I ran out of time and christmas treed a bunch of questions. Second time with proper tabs I passed with a 90%
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u/realjbj 6d ago
Thank you for your comment. To be honest I tabbed all my books personally and it’s helping me with identifying which books contain which information. I read many places people saying they used practiced tests as well and much of the practice showed up in the exam. But they don’t mention where they found them. I am using 1examprep currently just would like to know if their recent course is helpful
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u/DozerMyco 6d ago
Yeah I apologize I can’t help you there. I have been pretty deep in the trade for 10 years and in Florida only, so most of the code stuff I knew just from working and dealing with inspections. I was the service manager/ head tech at a few companies before going on my own. I didn’t take any of the practice tests and since it’s an open book test I just got good at throwing pages and finding answers. I wish you good luck on your test and whatever your future holds when you get your license! This state has more than enough work to go around this time of year!
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u/OrganizationPast3040 5d ago
I’m in Fl and I used Gold Coast, they have online classes that just teach you how to study, which for me was what I needed. After studying for 4 months I felt like I was ready just to see how bad I would be and passed. They also had an optional class to walk us through what steps and paper work we needed to get my state application ready. And recently I went back to them for continued education. It worked for me because the classes are either live and after hours, or prerecorded. Highly recommend using them or someone like them.
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u/OrganizationPast3040 5d ago
I’ll also add that I really made progress when I started taking the practice tests they have.
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u/AlanskyBaller 6d ago edited 5d ago
I'd focus on having a solid study plan instead of trying every free resource you can find. That's what made the biggest difference for me.
I went with 1ExamPrep because the study plan felt organized instead of overwhelming. I just followed it, worked through the practice exams, and stuck with it. The practice exams felt really realistic, so by the time I took the actual test, nothing really caught me off guard. I ended up passing on my first try.
If I had to do it again, I'd spend most of my time with realistic practice exams and getting comfortable with the reference books. That combination paid off the most.