AEE Certified Energy Auditor exam-day guide
AEE Certified Energy Auditor · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring at least one current, unexpired photo ID (passport or driver's license) with a signature and matching name. Confirm with the provider which forms of ID are accepted, whether a second ID is required, and whether the name must exactly match your registration.
Exam admission/confirmation document
Print or save the registration confirmation, admission ticket, or eligibility email showing your candidate number, test site or online-proctoring link, and start time. Confirm with the provider whether a printed copy is mandatory or a digital copy is acceptable.
Approved calculator
Bring a battery-powered calculator you know well (scientific with exponents, logs, and trig is usually needed for load, psychrometric, and financial calculations). Confirm with the provider whether programmable or graphing calculators are prohibited and whether spare batteries or a second unit are allowed.
Permitted reference materials
AEE certification exams are commonly open-book with designated references. Confirm with the provider exactly which books, printed notes, or formula sheets are allowed and whether digital or loose-leaf materials are excluded, then pack only those.
Tabbed and annotated references
Pre-tab key sections (energy accounting, lighting, HVAC, motors, boilers, insulation, economics) and bookmark frequently used tables and formulas in whatever references are permitted. This saves more time than any last-minute reading.
Spare pencils, eraser, and a simple sharpener or pens
Bring two or three pencils plus an eraser if the sitting is paper-based, or confirm whether the test center supplies materials and whether personal writing instruments are allowed for a computer-based sitting.
Silent, non-smart watch or small clock
Many candidates benefit from pacing themselves independently of a visible timer. Confirm with the provider whether wristwatches are permitted and whether smartwatches and fitness trackers must be removed.
Water and a light snack for the break
Pack only what the venue permits; confirm with the provider whether food and drink are allowed at the desk or only during scheduled breaks, and store them in a locker if required.
Directions, parking, and travel buffer
Confirm the exact room or proctoring platform login, check parking or transit options, and plan to arrive well ahead of the start time. For remote proctoring, confirm the platform, system check, and camera/microphone requirements the day before.
Quiet, cleared workspace (remote sittings)
If testing online, confirm the room, lighting, desk clearance, and internet requirements in advance, close all other applications, and have your ID ready for the proctor's room scan.
Personal comfort plan
Layer clothing for an uncertain room temperature, and take care of restroom and medication needs before the clock starts if breaks are limited. Confirm with the provider whether unscheduled breaks are allowed and how they affect your time.
Rest and logistics plan for the final night
Protect sleep rather than cramming: an energy-audit exam rewards clear reasoning and fast lookup more than memorized trivia. Set two alarms and lay out ID, calculator, and references the night before.
Plan the day
Stop learning new material. Review your own summary sheets of core calculation types (energy and demand baselines, weather normalization, lighting power density, motor and fan/pump power, boiler and steam efficiency, insulation and economizer calculations, simple payback, life-cycle cost, NPV/IRR) and re-confirm the exam logistics: exact time, location or proctoring platform, permitted references, ID rules, and calculator policy with the provider.
Take one or two timed practice sets under exam conditions to calibrate pacing. Work out your target minutes per question, decide your strategy for long calculation problems (skip and flag, return later), and rehearse looking up formulas in your permitted references rather than recalling them from memory.
Make a one-page 'formula and unit-conversion card' in your own handwriting for the topics you keep missing (kWh to Btu, hp to kW, cfm and static pressure to fan power, tonnage, power factor, demand charges). If loose notes are not permitted, keep it as a study aid only and transfer the content into tabs in permitted books.
Confirm the start time and reporting instructions one last time, including any check-in window and what happens if you arrive late. For remote sittings, run the system or equipment check and test your camera, microphone, and internet connection.
Pack your bag: ID, admission document, approved calculator with fresh batteries, permitted references with tabs, pencils, watch, water, snack, and venue directions. Set out clothing. Keep the evening light, eat normally, and go to bed at your usual time.
Eat a real breakfast, limit caffeine to your normal amount, and leave earlier than the map suggests. Arrive at the site with enough buffer to park, find the room, and complete check-in without rushing; for remote sittings, log in early and complete the proctor's identity and room checks with time to spare.
Read the instructions and note the total number of questions, the time limit, and whether unanswered questions are penalized (confirm with the provider if it is not stated). Write your time checkpoints on scratch paper (for example, the question number you should have reached at the one-quarter, half, and three-quarter marks).
Answer the questions you can resolve quickly and confidently. Flag anything requiring a long calculation or a reference lookup and move on. Read each question for qualifying words such as 'most likely', 'least cost-effective', 'annual', or 'installed' before choosing.
Work the flagged calculation problems. Write the given values, the units, and the target unit before computing, and sanity-check every result against a rough order-of-magnitude estimate. Watch unit traps (W versus kW, Btu/h versus tons, monthly versus annual, energy versus demand).
Ensure no question is left blank if there is no wrong-answer penalty, transfer or verify answers against the answer sheet if one is used, and confirm the submersion or submission process with the proctor before the clock runs out.
Rules to check
Bring valid government-issued photo ID whose name matches your registration exactly; confirm with the provider which ID forms, and whether a second form, are accepted.
Follow the provider's rules on permitted materials: AEE certification exams are commonly open-book, but the specific allowed references, notes, and calculator types are set by the provider and must be confirmed in advance.
Electronic devices other than an approved calculator - phones, smartwatches, earbuds, and recording devices - generally must be powered off and stored away; confirm the exact device policy, including for remote proctoring, with the provider.
Arrive early and follow the proctor's check-in, seating, and room-scan instructions; late arrivals may be refused entry or given less time, so confirm the provider's late-arrival and check-in window rules.
Ask the proctor or provider about breaks before the clock starts, since rules vary on whether unscheduled breaks are permitted, whether the timer pauses, and what you may access during a break.
Do not communicate with other candidates, share materials, or attempt to copy or photograph exam content; misconduct can void your result and affect eligibility, per the provider's candidate agreement.
Confirm the scoring and passing standard, the timing of results, and the retake policy with the provider rather than relying on secondhand information.
If a question appears ambiguous or a reference is missing a table, choose the best available answer, note it mentally, and move on; you can report a concern to the provider after the exam rather than losing time during it.