HVAC Trade References (RACT / SMACNA / ACCA)
Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Technology (the comprehensive textbook on the state list — it replaced the Trane Air Conditioning Manual), SMACNA duct construction standards, and the NFPA 90A/90B/96 installation standards. ACCA Manuals J/S/D are design-method study references; they are not on the Florida exam room list.
212 questions in our bank cite this reference.
The one thing to know
RACT is a 1,700-page textbook — it answers almost any fundamentals, electrical, or troubleshooting question, but only if you tab it by unit. Build the tab set below and trust the symptom tables over memory.
Your tab set
Florida exams allow pre-tabbed, highlighted references. Build these tabs before exam day, in book order.
Vapor-compression cycle, refrigerant states, compressors, metering devices, heat pumps
Chart use, sensible vs latent heat, SHR, dew point
Ohm's law, motors & capacitors, contactors, transformers, thermostat wiring
Line sets and oil traps, brazing with nitrogen, evacuation to 500 microns, condensate drains
Superheat/subcooling charging, head pressure and airflow symptom patterns
Capacitor testing, belts and motors, filters and MERV, humidity targets, refrigerant cylinder safety
Sealing, reinforcement, aspect ratio, standards
Air conditioning and warm-air heating installation standards
Study only — load inputs, equipment selection, duct sizing method
Highlight the question, underline the answer
Don't just tab your books — mark them as you practice. Every time a question sends you into a reference, leave a two-part mark behind: highlight the passage the question is about, and underline the exact words that answer it. Do this through your whole question bank and the book turns into a map of the tested material — so on exam day you recognize the spot, not just the section.
- 1
Highlight what the question asks about
When you look up a practice question, highlight the sentence or table the question turns on. That block is now a visual landmark you'll spot on a fast flip.
- 2
Underline the exact answer
Inside the highlight, underline the specific number, deadline, or phrase that is the answer — with a fine-tip pen. Highlight = the topic; underline = the fact.
- 3
Color-code by what trips you up
Use one highlighter color for deadlines and numbers, another for definitions, a third for the answers you got wrong twice. Your weak spots become the brightest marks in the book.
- 4
Let your tabs and marks compound
A tab gets you to the chapter; the highlight gets you to the paragraph; the underline gets you to the answer. Built up across a full question bank, that three-layer trail is the open-book skill the exam actually tests.
All marking must be done before you walk in — the rules allow pre-marked books but bar making any new marks (or bringing notes) during the exam.
Navigating under time pressure
- Psychrometrics, the refrigeration cycle, and electrical fundamentals each have their own RACT units — tab the unit openers.
- Duct construction/sealing details are SMACNA; appliance installation standards are NFPA 90A/90B.
- Troubleshooting questions reduce to pressure/temperature patterns — tab RACT's symptom tables and read, don't recall.