2025 Pilot Exams for Energy Auditor (EA) and Quality Control Inspector (QCI)

The application period is now open for the Home Energy Professional (HEP) Energy Auditor (EA) and Quality Control Inspector (QCI) 2025 pilot exams.

Applications:

Additional documents (FAQs, exam flow chart, updated documents etc.) will be posted in the sidebar as they become available.

You must apply to take the pilot exams—even if you were previously approved.
These certifications are for experienced professionals and require meeting prerequisite criteria.
You may take each pilot exam once.
Applications may take up to four weeks to process.

Pricing is set by individual BPI Test Centers.
Subsidies are available for candidates participating in the U.S. DOE Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP):
- $250 for written exams
- $375 for field exams
To receive the subsidy:
- Submit proof of employment in WAP with your application.
- BPI will include subsidy approval in your exam approval letter.
- Present the letter to your Test Center, and they will deduct the subsidy from your fee.
- You (or your employer) must cover any remaining balance.

Note: Not part of WAP? You can still apply, but subsidies won’t apply. You’ll pay the full price set by the Test Center.

The EA and QCI exams have been updated to reflect changes in job expectations, streamline processes, and improve accessibility.

Key changes include:

Certification cycle extended from 3 to 5 years.
Streamlined prerequisites for Energy Auditor certification.
New CEU requirements:
- EA: 30 CEUs over 5 years (was 24 over 3 years)
- QCI: 6 CEUs remains unchanged
- 1 hour = 1 CEU standard applied across both.
Exams aligned with updated schemes and improved questions.
Revised gated items in field exams (must-pass tasks).
Exams now available in Spanish.

HEP certifications are reviewed every 5–7 years to stay current with industry best practices.

Last updates were in 2018.
In 2022, NREL led a comprehensive review and update of the EA and QCI job task analyses and certification schemes.
In 2023, BPI updated the exams in partnership with subject matter experts and a psychometrician.

If your certification expires on or before November 30, 2025, it will be automatically extended to December 1, 2025, if you're participating in the pilot.
Your current certification remains valid even if you do not pass the pilot exam.

If you certify or renew via the pilot exams, your credential will be valid for 5 years.
If you renew using the existing 2019 scheme, your cycle will remain at 3 years—until your next renewal.
After the updated exams launch officially later this year, all new and renewed certifications will follow the 5-year cycle.