BPI BA-T study guide
BPI BA-T · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Building Analyst Technician (BA-T) is one of the certifications listed by the Building Performance Institute, Inc. (BPI), a non-profit that describes its mission as advancing the home performance industry through nationally recognized standards and credentials that ensure homes are comfortable, healthy, safe, durable, and energy efficient. BPI positions itself as "the symbol of excellence for home performance professionals," and its certification catalog lists the BA-T alongside related credentials such as the Building Analyst Professional (BA-P), Energy Auditor, Quality Control Inspector, and Healthy Home Evaluator. The BA-T is intended for practitioners who collect building performance data in the field and support a building analyst's assessment work - the technician-level role that sits beneath the more advanced analyst credential. Topics on this exam: Building Science Fundamentals, Building Assessment and Data Collection, Diagnostic Testing and Measurement, and Field Documentation and Reporting. The BPI BA-T study guide has 4 sections and about 1,125 words.
01Building Science Fundamentals
Building science explains how heat, air, and moisture move through enclosures. Master the four control layers (water, air, vapor, thermal) and their correct order and continuity. Understand heat transfer by conduction, convection, and radiation, plus R-value (resistance) versus U-factor (conductance, U = 1/R). Know thermal bridging and why continuous insulation outperforms cavity-only insulation.
316 words, about 2 min02Building Assessment and Data Collection
Assessment begins with a scope and objective - what question are you answering? Then select measurement tools matched to the hypothesis: blower door for envelope tightness, duct blaster for duct leakage, infrared camera for thermal anomalies, moisture meters for material wetness. Understand sampling and representativeness : a single spot reading may not represent a whole assembly. Know baseline conditions (weather, occupancy, HVAC state) and record them.
285 words, about 1 min03Diagnostic Testing and Measurement
Diagnostic testing isolates a variable. Pressure diagnostics (blower door, zonal pressure, duct leakage) rely on controlled pressure differences and consistent reference points. Understand CFM50 , ACH50 , Effective Leakage Area , and how building size normalizes results. Know duct leakage to outside versus total duct leakage and why the distinction matters.
270 words, about 1 min04Field Documentation and Reporting
Documentation must be accurate, contemporaneous, and reproducible . Record what was measured, how, with what instrument, under what conditions, and by whom. Use standardized units and reference conditions . Photograph anomalies with scale and context.
254 words, about 1 min