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100+ Free SA Refrigeration Trade Test Practice Questions

South Africa Artisan Trade Test — Refrigeration & Air-Conditioning Mechanic practice questions are available now; exam metadata is being verified.

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: SA Refrigeration Trade Test Exam

100

Practice Questions

OpenExamPrep

QCTO/NAMB

Trade-Test Authority

QCTO

SANS 10147

Refrigeration Standard

SABS

Competent/NYC

Assessment Outcome

NAMB

~3 years

Experience-Route Minimum

NAMB/DHET

2030

HCFC (R-22) Phase-Out

Montreal Protocol

The South Africa Refrigeration & Air-Conditioning Mechanic trade test is a designated artisan qualification administered through the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) and the National Artisan Moderation Body (NAMB). It is a practical, competency-based assessment (judged Competent or Not Yet Competent) conducted over several days at an accredited trade-test centre and built on refrigeration trade theory. Eligibility is via a completed apprenticeship or learnership, or an N2 certificate with the relevant trade-theory subjects plus the required workplace experience (commonly around three years). Content spans the refrigeration cycle and thermodynamics, refrigerants and regulations (SANS 10147, the Montreal Protocol and Kigali Amendment), compressors and components, electrical controls (SANS 10142-1), HVAC systems, charging and fault-finding, and safety. This free prep includes 100 research-based practice questions with explanations and an AI tutor.

Sample SA Refrigeration Trade Test Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your SA Refrigeration Trade Test exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1In the basic vapour-compression refrigeration cycle, which component absorbs heat from the conditioned space?
A.The condenser
B.The evaporator
C.The compressor
D.The expansion valve
Explanation: The evaporator is the low-pressure heat exchanger where liquid refrigerant boils, absorbing latent heat from the air or product being cooled. This heat absorption is the useful refrigeration effect of the cycle.
2What is the correct order of the four main components in a vapour-compression cycle, starting from the compressor?
A.Compressor, expansion valve, condenser, evaporator
B.Compressor, condenser, expansion valve, evaporator
C.Compressor, evaporator, condenser, expansion valve
D.Compressor, condenser, evaporator, expansion valve
Explanation: Hot high-pressure gas leaves the compressor and goes to the condenser to reject heat and liquefy, then through the expansion (metering) device to drop pressure, then into the evaporator to absorb heat, and back to the compressor.
3Superheat in a refrigeration system is best defined as:
A.The temperature of liquid refrigerant below its condensing temperature
B.The temperature of refrigerant vapour above its saturation (boiling) temperature at that pressure
C.The pressure difference across the compressor
D.The total heat content of the refrigerant including latent heat
Explanation: Superheat is the number of degrees a refrigerant vapour is heated above its saturated boiling point for the prevailing pressure. It is measured on the suction line and confirms that only vapour, not liquid, returns to the compressor.
4Subcooling is measured on which line of the system?
A.Suction line
B.Liquid line
C.Discharge (hot gas) line
D.Equaliser line
Explanation: Subcooling is the degrees a liquid refrigerant is cooled below its saturated condensing temperature and is measured on the liquid line leaving the condenser, before the metering device. Adequate subcooling ensures solid liquid (no flash gas) reaches the expansion valve.
5Which South African standard is the code of practice for the design, installation and operation of refrigerating systems, including air-conditioning plants?
A.SANS 10142
B.SANS 10400
C.SANS 10147
D.SANS 10252
Explanation: SANS 10147 is the South African Bureau of Standards code of practice covering the design, installation, operation and maintenance of refrigerating systems and associated air-conditioning plant. It also drives the requirement for an authorised refrigeration gas practitioner.
6Under South African law and SANS 10147, venting (releasing) refrigerant gas into the atmosphere is:
A.Permitted for small charges below 1 kg
B.Permitted only for HFC refrigerants
C.Prohibited; refrigerant must be recovered and recycled
D.Permitted during pump-down only
Explanation: SANS 10147 prohibits the deliberate venting of refrigerants (CFCs, HCFCs and HFCs) into the atmosphere. Refrigerant must be recovered into approved cylinders for recycling or reclamation, protecting both the ozone layer and the climate.
7A refrigeration gas practitioner working on systems in South Africa must be registered with which body?
A.SAQCC Gas (South African Qualification and Certification Committee for Gas)
B.ECSA (Engineering Council of South Africa)
C.SABS only
D.The local municipality
Explanation: SANS 10147 requires that persons working on refrigeration systems be registered as authorised refrigeration gas practitioners through SAQCC Gas. Registration confirms competence to handle refrigerants safely and legally.
8In the SAQCC Gas competency scheme, an ammonia (NH3) refrigeration specialist falls under which category?
A.Category A (operators)
B.Category B (technicians)
C.Category C (designers/inspectors)
D.Category D
Explanation: Category B covers technicians who install and repair systems, including the ammonia specialist (B8) and carbon dioxide specialist (B7) sub-categories. These require artisan-level competence because of the higher hazards of NH3 and CO2 plant.
9Which refrigerant is an HCFC scheduled for complete phase-out under the Montreal Protocol because of its ozone-depletion potential?
A.R-134a
B.R-22
C.R-410A
D.R-744
Explanation: R-22 (chlorodifluoromethane) is a hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) with an ozone-depletion potential greater than zero. Under the Montreal Protocol, developing countries including South Africa phase out HCFC consumption to 100% by 2030.
10The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which South Africa ratified, specifically targets the phase-down of which group of substances?
A.Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
B.Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs)
C.Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
D.Natural refrigerants
Explanation: The 2016 Kigali Amendment phases down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) such as R-134a, R-410A and R-404A because of their high global-warming potential, even though they have zero ozone-depletion potential. South Africa ratified it in 2019.

About the SA Refrigeration Trade Test Practice Questions

Verified exam format metadata for South Africa Artisan Trade Test — Refrigeration & Air-Conditioning Mechanic is pending. The practice questions above remain available while official exam length, timing, passing score, fee, and administrator details are reviewed.