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ASHRAE updates certification exams with emissions compliance and analyses

April 13, 2023 – ASHRAE recently approved Job Task Analyses for the Building Energy Modelling Professional (BEMP) and High-Performance Building Design Professional (HBDP) certification exams.

The new and updated job tasks resulted from a study that included an industry-wide survey in which respondents were asked to rate how important and frequently the job tasks are performed.

The HBDP exam outline will include the addition of a subdomain entitled “Carbon Emissions Compliance”, along with several carbon emissions-related updates to existing job tasks.

The BEMP exam outline will include a new “Greenhouse Gas [GHG] Emissions Analyses” subdomain. There will be a redistribution of exam questions across both programs.

“Completing Job Task Analyses on our certification exams ensures they maintain relevancy as the design industry changes and adapts for new skills required by design professionals to show competency in the field,” said Kimberly R. Cowman, chair, Certification Committee.

“The subject matter experts on our BEMP and HBDP exam subcommittees acknowledged that a change in the knowledge and skills required to perform their respective jobs was shifting, with an increased focus on building decarbonization,” Cowman continued.

ASHRAE says it is experiencing a growing demand for certification, with 65% more applications received over the same time last year. The demand is driven, says the association, by employers who recognize the importance of workforce development both for retention and for the verifiable expertise needed “to tackle the challenges of designing high-performance buildings”.

“Thanks to these Job Task Analyses, applicants—as well as employers, customers and the public—can be assured that the job tasks tested on the respective BEMP and HBDP certification exams will validate competency against the knowledge and skills needed for competent job practice,” Cowman added.

Exam development and form creation will begin this summer. Updated exams will launch Q1 2024.