Mass Oil Burner Exam

Ma test info.............

My helper took it about a month ago and passed! Just read and understand code. Know the basics of how it works and you will be fine. The test has changed allot from when I took it, back then out of 20? questions 4 were about range stoves,which I had never worked on but got them all right because combustion is combustion I quess. Just take your time and think it thru, good luck John@Reliable
P.S. which school did you go to? Also just remember and don't get down because once you pass it and have a lic. it will take a good year before you really know what you are doing and then a life time before you will know it all!

I'm the helper john talked about, like he said I just took the Ma exam back about a month ago. I didn't find it to hard, it now has 50 questions and you need a 70% to pass. A litle trick I did which I think helped a lot was I kept track of the questions that I wasn't 100% sure of the answers on. I went through the test in about 45 minuts, when i got to the end i went back to the 10 or so that i wasn't 100% sure of, I probably spent another 45 minuts or so just on these. But i worked through it and narrowed it down to 5 questions. So in the end there each worth 2 points and I only got 3 wrong, so i'd say i did pretty well.
Just make sure you know your code and combustion, that was what most of the questions were on , the rest were mostly on Installations and anual servicing of FHW and Steam, I only had 4-5 on air systems (3 were on wiring of air, these three were all ones that gave me a real hard time on the exam.

Just make sure that you get into a real good company and pay as much atention as you can, because reading it in the books and actually doing it is too diferent things. I relise every day that there is still so much I need to learn before im ready to be out on a service truck alone.
I hope this info helps and Good Luck

Thanks for all your suggestions it will be great if I pass this test. My boss will definetly take good care of me, he actually paid for my schooling, he also let me post this to this forum. Thanks guys your the best.

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Mass oil burners:

You'll have to take a test.

You'll have to show some experience. You probably need some classes.

I took mine in the 1970's and where I worked, was pretty much wide open. I had to go to a Department of Public Safety and they asked me some questions. Today, its more organized.

Personally' I'd be spending my money on gas training. If you're a licensed plumber in Massachusetts, you must be doing your CEU's. 1/2 (3 Hours) are on gas. I'd be trying to hook up with Tim Mc Ilwaine for his gas training. If you can go gas, you can do oil. Not so much the other way around. Firedragon is the considered man for oil. But he's scaling his oil training back for gas.

Required Schooling:

If it isn't, it will soon be.

Thanks Tim

I tried to post that from my phone today, but could not get it to post. I went to Georges class for those who have been in the trade for years and found it both helpfull in passing the test and in improving my understanding of the code in the real world applications.

For anyone taking the oil burner exam the state recommends studying Residential Oil Burners 3rd edition and the current codes. Forget cmr527, The state will except and application with any experience, no schooling is needed. Check the state site and download NFPA 31

Mass. 527 CMR is no longer the code. They dropped it about 4 1/2 years ago. NFPA 31 is now the code.

Firedragon is still going as far as I know.

Massachusetts in it's wisdom (or stupidity) changed over to NFPA 31 on January 1, 2014? or 2015?. They never advertised the change or sent out any notices.
All the schools were still teaching 527cmr, I don't think half the fire departments knew.

I only knew because I called the State Fire Marshall and asked

Is schooling required?....... I'm GUESSING not, but I didn't go for Furnace license.

Best thing to do is check with licensing board about WHAT their requirements are. Likely is clearly discussed on their website. Might vary by state, I don't know.

I have a MSME , in 80's I looked into Professional Engineering license requirements. Schooling was NOT required, but you needed extra years of experience if you didn't have a degree.

BUT you still had to pass written technical test. GUESS this was to allow OLD people with tons of "on the job" work experience but no degree to be licensed.

NO idea what rules are for furnaces.

For Freon certificate in the 90's New Hampshire wanted to make it easy to be certified so they hired a guy to give a 1 hour class on Freon handling rules, then you took a short written test. Likely could just take the test if you already knew the rules, but whole thing was only $35.