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HERS Rater Exam Practice Set
Questions and Answers 100% Pass
A HERS score can be used for which of the following?
A) LEED for Homes
B) Energy Efficient Mortgages
C) National Association of Home Builders
D) All of the above - ✔✔D) All of the above
Raters provide what to the builder (3 things) - ✔✔1. Rating report
2. Conflict of interest disclosure form
3. consumer complaint process
Number of climate zones in the US - ✔✔8
DelMarVa in which climate zone - ✔✔4
3 main programs that use the HERS index - ✔✔1. Energy Star
Emily Charlene © 2025, All Rights Reserved.
,2|Page
2. Challenge Home
3. HUD's programs
Heating Degree Days - ✔✔total number of degrees colder than base temperature (HDD65) during the
"heating season"
Ex) if temp for 1 hr is 55, then 65-55 = 10 heating degree days for that 1 hr
Ex2) next hour temp drops to 48 then 65-48 = 17 HDD for that hour and over that 2 hours we "picked up"
27 HDD
Usual base temp for Cooling degree days - ✔✔50 (CDD50)
What are CDD and HDD used for? - ✔✔Used to estimate amount of energy needed to cool (CDD) or heat
(HDD) a homes during the cooling (CDD) or heating (HDD season)
The Reference Home is where on the HERS Index - ✔✔100
4 steps of calculating the HERS index - ✔✔1. purchased energy fraction (PEF = (total E use - onsite power
production) / (total E use)
2. (rated home heating x cooling x DWH x lights x appliance MBtu's)/(reference home h. x c. x DWH x L.
x appliance MBtu's)
3. ^result is multiplied by PEF
4. ^result is multiplied by 100
Emily Charlene © 2025, All Rights Reserved.
, 3|Page
3 types of ratings - ✔✔1. projected rating (no certs rewarded)
2. confirmed rating (used for certificated)
3. sampled rating (sampling) (not for certifying any individual home) (method for shortcutting energy
verification for large production projects) (generally not ideal process)
QA (quality assurance) vs. QC (quality control) - ✔✔QA: ensures best practice was followed
QC: ensures that the product was installed correctly and performs as intended
Equipment gauges must be calibrated every _______ - ✔✔Year
Q represents what? - ✔✔Heat flow (in Btu/hr)
Overhang measurements are important to - ✔✔Determine the window shading
Which view shows insulation level and installation - ✔✔Sectional view
HERS Index is based on these end uses - ✔✔Heating, cooling, water heating, lighting, appliances (How
Come WHales Like Anchovies... memory tool)
An Energy Improvment Morgage Allows: - ✔✔The buyer / owner to include the cost of energy efficiency
improvements in the mortgage
The measure of resistance of a material to heat flow is: - ✔✔R-value
Where would you find the construction details and location fo attic knee walls? - ✔✔Sectional view
Emily Charlene © 2025, All Rights Reserved.
HERS Rater Exam Practice Set
Questions and Answers 100% Pass
A HERS score can be used for which of the following?
A) LEED for Homes
B) Energy Efficient Mortgages
C) National Association of Home Builders
D) All of the above - ✔✔D) All of the above
Raters provide what to the builder (3 things) - ✔✔1. Rating report
2. Conflict of interest disclosure form
3. consumer complaint process
Number of climate zones in the US - ✔✔8
DelMarVa in which climate zone - ✔✔4
3 main programs that use the HERS index - ✔✔1. Energy Star
Emily Charlene © 2025, All Rights Reserved.
,2|Page
2. Challenge Home
3. HUD's programs
Heating Degree Days - ✔✔total number of degrees colder than base temperature (HDD65) during the
"heating season"
Ex) if temp for 1 hr is 55, then 65-55 = 10 heating degree days for that 1 hr
Ex2) next hour temp drops to 48 then 65-48 = 17 HDD for that hour and over that 2 hours we "picked up"
27 HDD
Usual base temp for Cooling degree days - ✔✔50 (CDD50)
What are CDD and HDD used for? - ✔✔Used to estimate amount of energy needed to cool (CDD) or heat
(HDD) a homes during the cooling (CDD) or heating (HDD season)
The Reference Home is where on the HERS Index - ✔✔100
4 steps of calculating the HERS index - ✔✔1. purchased energy fraction (PEF = (total E use - onsite power
production) / (total E use)
2. (rated home heating x cooling x DWH x lights x appliance MBtu's)/(reference home h. x c. x DWH x L.
x appliance MBtu's)
3. ^result is multiplied by PEF
4. ^result is multiplied by 100
Emily Charlene © 2025, All Rights Reserved.
, 3|Page
3 types of ratings - ✔✔1. projected rating (no certs rewarded)
2. confirmed rating (used for certificated)
3. sampled rating (sampling) (not for certifying any individual home) (method for shortcutting energy
verification for large production projects) (generally not ideal process)
QA (quality assurance) vs. QC (quality control) - ✔✔QA: ensures best practice was followed
QC: ensures that the product was installed correctly and performs as intended
Equipment gauges must be calibrated every _______ - ✔✔Year
Q represents what? - ✔✔Heat flow (in Btu/hr)
Overhang measurements are important to - ✔✔Determine the window shading
Which view shows insulation level and installation - ✔✔Sectional view
HERS Index is based on these end uses - ✔✔Heating, cooling, water heating, lighting, appliances (How
Come WHales Like Anchovies... memory tool)
An Energy Improvment Morgage Allows: - ✔✔The buyer / owner to include the cost of energy efficiency
improvements in the mortgage
The measure of resistance of a material to heat flow is: - ✔✔R-value
Where would you find the construction details and location fo attic knee walls? - ✔✔Sectional view
Emily Charlene © 2025, All Rights Reserved.
