“ With refrigeration, CO₂ and ammonia are now part of everyday industry practice. Our trade tests must reflect that,” he concludes. RACA www. refrigerationandaircon. co. za 7
HVAC & R TRADE TEST
• Modern natural refrigerants( including flammables such as propane)
• Digital diagnostic tools
• Expanding safety requirements
• Transport and commercial refrigeration developments
• CO₂ technologies now entering mainstream use
• Ammonia business
Under the QCTO system, trades( now‘ occupations’) must follow a formal, SAQA-registered curriculum, and the assessment instruments must measure the exit-level outcomes prescribed in the curriculum.
“ The legacy test simply didn’ t reflect what today’ s technicians actually do. The industry needed a modernised, standardised assessment and the pilots are where we make sure the instruments are realistic and fair.”
REAL JOBS, REAL EQUIPMENT, REAL-TIME REFINEMENT Five candidates, each with 3 – 5 years’ experience, participated in the pilot – not to test themselves, but to test the instruments.
“ We weren’ t measuring the apprentices. They were there to expose any flaws in the test, such as timing issues, ambiguous instructions, equipment gaps, safety considerations. We needed to see where the assessment might trip up a competent candidate unfairly,” says Laidlaw.
Over a full week, candidates performed every practical task repeatedly, while the committee observed, recorded times and refined instructions hour by hour.
" The work involved commissioning fridge and freezer systems, troubleshooting faults, testing motors, performing mechanical tasks like brazing, handling refrigerants safely and interpreting technical data sheets – each activity carefully planned to fit within a realistic timeframe.
“ For example, we allocated 45 minutes for an electrical-motor test. One candidate finished in 30 minutes, another struggled. So, we ran it multiple times to establish a fair benchmark,” Laidlaw explains.
Unlike the legacy test, the EISA trade test includes a compulsory 90-minute theory exam, drawn from a large question bank authored by subject-matter experts.
“ The computer will select different questions for each candidate. It prevents leakage, but more importantly, it forces training providers to teach the whole curriculum – not just a narrow band of likely test questions.”
Roughly 100 questions will cover refrigeration fundamentals, safety and flammable refrigerants, electrical theory, system components, installation and commissioning, fault interpretation and relevant legislation and standards, while a key outcome of the pilot was the development of the National Equipment and Tooling Checklist, which will serve as the benchmark for accrediting all trade test centres nationwide.
RACA Journal I March 2026
Part of the equipment in the facility.“ If you’ re testing an electrical motor, the centre must have the correct motor and instruments. If the task requires commissioning a cold room, the test rig must be suitable in all aspects including, for example, the right valves, sensors and data plates,” Laidlaw says. Propane( R290) brought an entirely new dimension.“ Propane is the new kid on the block,” says Laidlaw.“ We had to develop detailed safety requirements, risk assessments, tool lists and testing procedures so that trade test centres can handle flammables safely and consistently.”
Laidlaw has been tasked with conducting the final technical review of all equipment lists and specifications, a process he says is almost complete( as at end December 2025).
ACRA’ S ROLE " ACRA was chosen by the industry’ s TWG to run all four pilots, drawing on its team of experienced assessors, advanced commercial refrigeration rigs and the ability to adapt systems for testing, alongside its long history of involvement in QCTO curriculum development. We volunteered because the industry needs this. And yes, it has been a massive amount of work,' says Laidlaw.
Although the candidates do not receive credits – because the new qualification is not yet registered – they were recognised by NAMB.
The immediate phases are:
• Finalisation of task specifications and equipment lists
• Compilation of formal QCTO assessment instruments by NAMB
• Opening of accreditation applications for test centres
• Cut-off of legacy trade test options for RPL candidates
Once accredited centres are operational, the legacy trade test will be retired.“ We already can’ t register new apprentices on the old qualification. Once the new trade test is live, even RPL candidates will be moved across.”
“ With refrigeration, CO₂ and ammonia are now part of everyday industry practice. Our trade tests must reflect that,” he concludes. RACA www. refrigerationandaircon. co. za 7