NABCEP PV ASSOCIATE (PVA) REAL EXAM QUESTIONS WITH
VERIFIED SOLUTIONS - UPDATED VERSION (2026/2027)
1. What is the basic unit of a photovoltaic system?
A) Module
B) Cell
C) Array
D) String
ANSWER : B) Cell
2. What happens to the voltage of a PV module as temperature increases?
A) Voltage increases
B) Voltage decreases
C) Voltage remains constant
D) Voltage fluctuates randomly
ANSWER : B) Voltage decreases
3. What is the typical voltage of a standard crystalline silicon solar cell?
A) 0.3 volts
B) 0.5 volts
C) 1.0 volts
D) 1.5 volts
ANSWER : B) 0.5 volts
4. Which type of solar cell currently has the highest commercial efficiency?
A) Amorphous silicon
B) Polycrystalline silicon
C) Monocrystalline silicon
D) Cadmium telluride
ANSWER : C) Monocrystalline silicon
5. What does STC stand for in PV ratings?
A) Standard Temperature Conditions
B) Standard Test Conditions
C) System Testing Criteria
,D) Solar Thermal Capacity
ANSWER : B) Standard Test Conditions
6. What is the irradiance level under STC?
A) 800 W/m²
B) 900 W/m²
C) 1000 W/m²
D) 1200 W/m²
ANSWER : C) 1000 W/m²
7. What is the cell temperature under STC?
A) 20°C
B) 25°C
C) 30°C
D) 35°C
ANSWER : B) 25°C
8. What does NOCT stand for?
A) Normal Operating Cell Temperature
B) Nominal Operational Climate Test
C) New Output Capacity Testing
D) Non-Operational Current Temperature
ANSWER : A) Normal Operating Cell Temperature
9. What is the air mass coefficient under STC?
A) AM 1.0
B) AM 1.5
C) AM 2.0
D) AM 2.5
ANSWER : B) AM 1.5
10. How are PV cells connected to increase voltage?
A) In parallel
B) In series
C) In series-parallel
D) Independently
ANSWER : B) In series
11. How are PV cells connected to increase current?
,A) In parallel
B) In series
C) In series-parallel
D) Independently
ANSWER : A) In parallel
12. What is a PV string?
A) Multiple modules connected in parallel
B) Multiple modules connected in series
C) A single module
D) Multiple arrays connected together
ANSWER : B) Multiple modules connected in series
13. What is a PV array?
A) A single module
B) Multiple strings connected together
C) A single string
D) A single cell
ANSWER : B) Multiple strings connected together
14. What is the I-V curve of a PV module?
A) A plot of current versus voltage
B) A plot of irradiance versus voltage
C) A plot of current versus time
D) A plot of temperature versus current
ANSWER : A) A plot of current versus voltage
15. What does Voc stand for?
A) Voltage output current
B) Variable open current
C) Open circuit voltage
D) Operating circuit voltage
ANSWER : C) Open circuit voltage
16. What does Isc stand for?
A) Internal system current
B) Short circuit current
C) Inverter secondary current
D) Installed system capacity
ANSWER : B) Short circuit current
, 17. What does Vmp stand for?
A) Voltage maximum point
B) Variable maximum power
C) Voltage at maximum power point
D) Volt-amp maximum potential
ANSWER : C) Voltage at maximum power point
18. What does Imp stand for?
A) Current at maximum power point
B) Internal maximum power
C) Inverter maximum protection
D) Installed module power
ANSWER : A) Current at maximum power point
19. What is the fill factor of a PV module?
A) The ratio of Vmp to Voc
B) The ratio of Imp to Isc
C) The ratio of maximum power to the product of Voc and Isc
D) The percentage of cells in a module
ANSWER : C) The ratio of maximum power to the product of Voc and Isc
20. What happens to PV module current as irradiance increases?
A) Current decreases
B) Current increases
C) Current remains constant
D) Current becomes negative
ANSWER : B) Current increases
21. What happens to PV module current as temperature increases?
A) Current significantly decreases
B) Current remains relatively constant with slight increase
C) Current doubles
D) Current becomes zero
ANSWER : B) Current remains relatively constant with slight increase
22. What is the temperature coefficient of voltage for typical crystalline
silicon modules?
A) Approximately +0.5%/°C
B) Approximately -0.5%/°C
C) Approximately +5%/°C
VERIFIED SOLUTIONS - UPDATED VERSION (2026/2027)
1. What is the basic unit of a photovoltaic system?
A) Module
B) Cell
C) Array
D) String
ANSWER : B) Cell
2. What happens to the voltage of a PV module as temperature increases?
A) Voltage increases
B) Voltage decreases
C) Voltage remains constant
D) Voltage fluctuates randomly
ANSWER : B) Voltage decreases
3. What is the typical voltage of a standard crystalline silicon solar cell?
A) 0.3 volts
B) 0.5 volts
C) 1.0 volts
D) 1.5 volts
ANSWER : B) 0.5 volts
4. Which type of solar cell currently has the highest commercial efficiency?
A) Amorphous silicon
B) Polycrystalline silicon
C) Monocrystalline silicon
D) Cadmium telluride
ANSWER : C) Monocrystalline silicon
5. What does STC stand for in PV ratings?
A) Standard Temperature Conditions
B) Standard Test Conditions
C) System Testing Criteria
,D) Solar Thermal Capacity
ANSWER : B) Standard Test Conditions
6. What is the irradiance level under STC?
A) 800 W/m²
B) 900 W/m²
C) 1000 W/m²
D) 1200 W/m²
ANSWER : C) 1000 W/m²
7. What is the cell temperature under STC?
A) 20°C
B) 25°C
C) 30°C
D) 35°C
ANSWER : B) 25°C
8. What does NOCT stand for?
A) Normal Operating Cell Temperature
B) Nominal Operational Climate Test
C) New Output Capacity Testing
D) Non-Operational Current Temperature
ANSWER : A) Normal Operating Cell Temperature
9. What is the air mass coefficient under STC?
A) AM 1.0
B) AM 1.5
C) AM 2.0
D) AM 2.5
ANSWER : B) AM 1.5
10. How are PV cells connected to increase voltage?
A) In parallel
B) In series
C) In series-parallel
D) Independently
ANSWER : B) In series
11. How are PV cells connected to increase current?
,A) In parallel
B) In series
C) In series-parallel
D) Independently
ANSWER : A) In parallel
12. What is a PV string?
A) Multiple modules connected in parallel
B) Multiple modules connected in series
C) A single module
D) Multiple arrays connected together
ANSWER : B) Multiple modules connected in series
13. What is a PV array?
A) A single module
B) Multiple strings connected together
C) A single string
D) A single cell
ANSWER : B) Multiple strings connected together
14. What is the I-V curve of a PV module?
A) A plot of current versus voltage
B) A plot of irradiance versus voltage
C) A plot of current versus time
D) A plot of temperature versus current
ANSWER : A) A plot of current versus voltage
15. What does Voc stand for?
A) Voltage output current
B) Variable open current
C) Open circuit voltage
D) Operating circuit voltage
ANSWER : C) Open circuit voltage
16. What does Isc stand for?
A) Internal system current
B) Short circuit current
C) Inverter secondary current
D) Installed system capacity
ANSWER : B) Short circuit current
, 17. What does Vmp stand for?
A) Voltage maximum point
B) Variable maximum power
C) Voltage at maximum power point
D) Volt-amp maximum potential
ANSWER : C) Voltage at maximum power point
18. What does Imp stand for?
A) Current at maximum power point
B) Internal maximum power
C) Inverter maximum protection
D) Installed module power
ANSWER : A) Current at maximum power point
19. What is the fill factor of a PV module?
A) The ratio of Vmp to Voc
B) The ratio of Imp to Isc
C) The ratio of maximum power to the product of Voc and Isc
D) The percentage of cells in a module
ANSWER : C) The ratio of maximum power to the product of Voc and Isc
20. What happens to PV module current as irradiance increases?
A) Current decreases
B) Current increases
C) Current remains constant
D) Current becomes negative
ANSWER : B) Current increases
21. What happens to PV module current as temperature increases?
A) Current significantly decreases
B) Current remains relatively constant with slight increase
C) Current doubles
D) Current becomes zero
ANSWER : B) Current remains relatively constant with slight increase
22. What is the temperature coefficient of voltage for typical crystalline
silicon modules?
A) Approximately +0.5%/°C
B) Approximately -0.5%/°C
C) Approximately +5%/°C
