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The CVI exam has 150 questions and runs 3 hours 30 minutes.
These 10 free CVI questions are organized by exam domain, so you can see how each part of the Certified Ventilation Inspector blueprint is tested. Reveal the answer and explanation under each question.
Three weeks after a commercial air handler receives its specified MERV 13 filters, dust streaks appear immediately downstream of gaps between the filter frames and rack. The media are intact, and measured airflow is acceptable. Which correction addresses the observed defect?
Correct answer: C - Reseat the filter frames and seal the gaps around their perimeter.
A draw-through air handler's condensate pan backs up while the supply fan runs, then drains promptly when the fan stops. The drain line is clear. During operation, air can be heard entering through the drain connection. This pattern most strongly points to which condition?
Correct answer: B - The drain trap cannot maintain its water seal against operating suction.
An air handler supplies 9,000 cfm. Simultaneous readings are 76°F return air, 46°F outdoor air, 70°F well-mixed air before the cooling coil, and 56°F supply air after the coil. The outdoor-air damper command is 25%. Assume steady conditions, negligible heat gain before mixing, and equal air densities for the temperature-mixing estimate. The current occupancy requires at least 2,250 cfm of outdoor air. What does the temperature estimate indicate?
Correct answer: C - 1,800 cfm of outdoor air; the stated requirement is not met.
An eight-story building contains long-term apartment dwelling units and a separately ventilated ground-floor office. An inspector is selecting the ASHRAE standards whose scopes address ventilation and indoor air quality for these two occupancies. Which pairing is appropriate?
Correct answer: B - Standard 62.2 for the dwelling units and Standard 62.1 for the office.
During an occupied-office inspection, three employees report headache and nausea, and one becomes dizzy. A calibrated carbon monoxide meter reads 32 ppm in the affected area while a fuel-fired boiler operates. What takes priority over further investigation of the HVAC system?
Correct answer: D - Move occupants from the affected area to fresh air and call emergency services from outside.
An office develops a persistent chemical odor after new flooring is installed. During normal occupancy, indoor CO2 is 850 ppm, nearly unchanged from before the work; outdoor CO2 is 450 ppm. No acute symptoms are reported. What do these readings establish about the complaint?
Correct answer: A - CO2 measurements do not establish whether emissions from the flooring are acceptable.
Before cleaning, two supply branches each delivered 700 cfm. Under the same terminal operating conditions afterward, Branch A delivers 450 cfm and Branch B delivers 950 cfm; total air-handler flow remains 1,400 cfm. Branch A's balancing damper no longer matches its recorded precleaning position. Which closeout action is justified by these findings?
Correct answer: A - Restore Branch A's recorded damper position, then remeasure both branches.
A contractor cites a cooling coil's pressure-drop decrease from 0.80 to 0.50 inch w.c. as proof that cleaning reduced its resistance. The inspector notices that airflow was 10,000 cfm before cleaning and 8,000 cfm afterward. The same pressure taps and calibrated instrument were used. How should the inspector evaluate the claimed improvement?
Correct answer: D - Remeasure pressure drop at the original airflow before comparing coil resistance.
After cleaning, a dry, intact fibrous duct liner retains its dark coloration. The client disputes visual cleanliness because of the color. A correctly performed ACR 2021 Surface Comparison Test produces no significant visible change. No moisture, deterioration, microbial growth, or other adverse finding is identified. Select the conclusion justified by this verification.
Correct answer: D - The tested liner meets the surface-comparison criterion for particulate cleanliness.
For a routine cleanliness inspection, four of a system's 40 terminal boxes have been examined. All four are clean, readily accessible above one corridor, and serve unchanged office areas. The complaints concern a recently renovated west wing that none of the sampled boxes serves. Which change would most improve the inspection's relevance to those complaints?
Correct answer: B - Inspect the west-wing terminal boxes and their connected air paths.
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