OH-REF Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts

Exam Format at a Glance

Before you memorize a single code reference, lock in the mechanics of the test itself. The Ohio Refrigeration Contractor License Exam (OH-REF) is administered by PSI on behalf of the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB), and its structure rarely gets the attention it deserves during prep.

• Format: Computer-based, open-book
• Scored questions: 60, plus 10 unscored pretest questions (70 administered total)
• Time limit: 3 hours
• Passing score: 70%
• Focus: Food and product preservation refrigeration - not comfort-cooling HVAC

That last point trips up more candidates than any code section. If you're used to thinking in terms of residential AC, you need to reframe your mental model before test day. For a deeper walk-through of how this focus shapes every domain, see the OH-REF Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 5 Content Areas.

Domain Weighting Table

The 60 scored questions are split across five domains with fixed allocations. Use this table as your master reference for how to prioritize study time.

Domains 1 and 4 together account for 33 of the 60 scored questions - more than half the exam. If your study hours aren't proportionally weighted toward those two areas, you're studying against the grain of the actual test.

Domain-by-Domain Quick Hits

Here's a condensed, one-glance summary of what each domain actually tests. For the full breakdown of subtopics and sample question phrasing, cross-reference the complete domains guide.

Business and Law Snapshot

The trade exam is only half the licensing requirement. Ohio also requires a separately administered Contractor's Business and Law examination, and it has its own structure entirely apart from the refrigeration content above.

• Scored questions: 50, plus 5 pretest questions
• Time limit: 2 hours
• Passing score: 70%
• Fee: $69, billed separately from the trade exam

Because this exam is billed and scheduled independently, don't assume one registration covers both. Budget the fee and the study time as two distinct efforts.

Fees & Registration Mechanics

Understanding exactly what you'll pay - and when - prevents surprises during the application process. Every fee below comes directly from the PSI bulletin and OCILB application materials.

For a full line-item breakdown including how these fees stack up across a multi-year licensing cycle, see OH-REF Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.

Eligibility Quick Reference

Ohio's standard path and its alternative paths both require documentation before you're approved to sit for either exam.

• Standard path: Age 18+, U.S. citizenship or lawful status, and five years of documented trade experience immediately preceding application
• Alternative path A: Ohio professional engineer license plus three years of trade construction-business experience
• Alternative path B: Five years as an Ohio governmental trade inspector
• Background check: BCI/FBI checks required alongside experience documentation

If you're unsure which path applies to your work history, the detailed walkthrough at OH-REF Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify covers documentation specifics for each route.

References & Calculator Rules

Because the exam is open-book, what you're allowed to bring - and what's prohibited - matters as much as what you study.

• Permitted: Approved references including the 2024 Ohio Mechanical Code and Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, 22nd edition
• Permitted prep: Advance highlighting, underlining, and indexing of your approved references
• Prohibited: Handwritten notes and additional loose papers brought into the testing room
• Calculator: Only PSI's onscreen calculator is allowed - no personal calculators

Retake Rules

If you don't clear 70% on a portion, Ohio's retake policy is straightforward but has firm timing rules:

• A failed portion requires a 60-day wait before you can retest
• PSI permits up to five retests per year
• Each retest is billed at the standard $69 PSI fee

Given the 60-day gap, a failed attempt isn't just a financial setback - it's a scheduling one. Building a study plan that gets you exam-ready the first time is far more efficient than assuming you'll simply retake it next month. For a candid look at where candidates typically lose points, read How Hard Is the OH-REF Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.

Licensing After You Pass

Passing both exams doesn't end your obligations - active licensure comes with insurance and continuing education requirements that you should plan for well before your first renewal cycle.

• Liability insurance: Active contractors must maintain at least $500,000 of coverage
• Standard renewal: $60 annually, requiring 10 continuing-education hours
• Compliant Contractor Program: After a qualifying year, licensees may complete 8 hours annually or 24 hours for a $180 three-year renewal instead

Choosing between the standard annual cycle and the Compliant Contractor Program's multi-year option depends on how you prefer to schedule continuing education - a topic worth planning alongside your exam prep, not after.

Final-Week Review Plan

In the last stretch before test day, structure your remaining hours around the exam's actual weighting rather than reviewing everything equally. This is the one place a simple weekly framework earns its spot in an OH-REF-specific cheat sheet.

If you want a longer-horizon version of this plan that starts weeks earlier, the OH-REF Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt lays out a full multi-week schedule built around the same domain weights.

Frequently Asked Questions