- What This Cheat Sheet Covers (and What It Doesn't)
- The Exam at a Glance
- Fees, Deadlines, and Delivery
- Eligibility Snapshot: Training, Sales Credits, Documentation
- The Six Domains and Their Weights
- Must-Know Topics, Domain by Domain
- Exam-Day Rules and the On-Screen Calculator
- Renewal Quick Reference
- A Weighted Review Order
- What the Issuer Sources Do Not Tell You
- FAQ
- The exam has 70 multiple-choice questions in 4 hours; 60 are scored and 10 are unscored pilot items.
- Passing is a scaled 75 on a 0-99 scale, not 75 percent correct.
- Qualifying Prospects (30.00%) and Site Analysis (21.70%) together make up more than half of the exam blueprint.
- Total upfront cost is $500 USD: $125 application plus $375 examination, before any training.
What This Cheat Sheet Covers (and What It Doesn't)
This page condenses the facts that matter most for the NABCEP PV Technical Sales (PVTS) certification into a single scannable review. It is built from the issuer's 2025 Certification Handbook (January 23, 2025, V2) and the current PV Technical Sales Job Task Analysis (August 2018, V.08.18). Where those documents leave a question open, this sheet says so instead of guessing.
Use it as a final-pass reference, not a replacement for training. If you are still building your foundation, start with the PVTS Study Guide and the complete guide to all six PVTS content areas, then come back here to lock in the details. If you want to test recall under pressure, the PVTS practice test is the natural next step.
The Exam at a Glance
| Item | PVTS Fact |
|---|---|
| Issuer | NABCEP |
| Testing vendor | Meazure Learning |
| Delivery | Computer-based testing at a test center, or live remote proctoring |
| Format | 70 multiple-choice questions, four answer options each |
| Scored vs. unscored | 60 scored; 10 unidentified unscored pilot items |
| Time | 4 hours |
| Language | English |
| Passing score | 75 on a scaled 0-99 range |
| Style | Written knowledge exam; not a live sales presentation or practical performance test |
What the format means for you
- You cannot spot the pilot items. Ten of the 70 questions do not count, but nothing marks them. Treat every question as scored.
- No role-play. Despite the "sales" in the name, you will not pitch anyone. The exam tests whether you can analyze a prospect, a site, a design, a financial case, and a proposal correctly.
- Four hours is generous for 70 questions. Time pressure is rarely the issue; careless reading of calculation-based questions is. For more on difficulty, see how hard the PVTS exam really is.
The scaled score, explained
A passing score of 75 on a 0-99 scale is not a 75 percent raw score. Scaled scoring adjusts for the difficulty of the particular question set you receive. Do not try to back-calculate how many of the 60 scored items you can miss. Our PVTS passing score breakdown goes deeper on this.
Fees, Deadlines, and Delivery
| Cost Item | Amount (USD) |
|---|---|
| Application fee | $125 |
| Examination fee | $375 |
| Initial total (before training) | $500 |
| Retake | $275 |
| Recertification | $390 |
| Testing-vendor surcharge outside the U.S. and Canada | $75 |
Training costs are separate and vary by provider, so budget for them on top of the $500. The PVTS certification cost breakdown walks through the full picture.
Eligibility window and scheduling
- One year: Your examination eligibility runs one year from application approval.
- The six-month wrinkle: Scheduling instructions also mention a six-month deadline, but they anchor it inconsistently, sometimes to application approval and sometimes to the Notice to Schedule. Do not rely on memory or a forum post. Follow the deadline printed in your own candidate notice.
- Delivery choice: The 2025 handbook allows either computer-based testing or live remote proctoring for both initial exams and retakes.
Eligibility Snapshot: Training, Sales Credits, Documentation
PVTS is a documentation-heavy credential. Many candidates are ready for the content before their application packet is ready. The full rundown is in PVTS requirements and how to qualify; here is the compact version.
Baseline prerequisites
- Age 18 or older
- Signed ethics agreement
- OSHA 10 Construction card (or a government equivalent)
- 58 advanced PV training hours within the past five calendar years, including at least 40 advanced PVTS-JTA hours from an accepted accredited or recognized provider, with up to 18 hours from permitted additional sources
Two pathways to qualify
| Pathway | Sales Credits Required | Additional Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Category A | 8 | None beyond baseline prerequisites |
| Category B | 4 | One of: accredited science/engineering bachelor's or master's degree; solar or renewable-energy associate degree; current master or journeyman electrician license; or current government-issued solar contractor license |
How Sales Credits are earned (2025 handbook)
| System Size | Sales Credits Awarded |
|---|---|
| 1-24 kW | 2 |
| 25-999 kW | 3 |
| 1 MW or more | 4 |
Project rules that trip people up
- Every qualifying project must have been sold within the preceding two years.
- At least half of the qualifying projects must be both sold and installed.
- No more than one relative or same-address project may count, and it must be sold and installed.
Documentation checklist
- A senior-management-signed letter on company letterhead for each sale
- Final permits or inspection documentation for completed installations
- Fully signed customer and contractor contracts for sold-but-uninstalled projects
Salespeople who move between employers should start collecting letters early, since a letter from a former company can take weeks to obtain.
The Six Domains and Their Weights
The weights below come from the August 2018 Job Task Analysis, PDF page 2. They are official examination objectives, not a training curriculum, and they differ from how any given course happens to organize its chapters.
| Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1. Qualifying Prospects | 30.00% |
| 2. Site Analysis | 21.70% |
| 3. Conceptual Design | 16.70% |
| 4. Performance Analysis | 6.70% |
| 5. Costs, Incentives, Savings, and Returns | 16.70% |
| 6. Proposal Preparation and Presentation | 8.30% |
These published values sum to 100.10%. The issuer attributes totals that don't equal exactly 100 to rounding, so there is no hidden seventh domain and no typo. Keep the decimals as published.
Key Takeaway
Qualifying Prospects and Site Analysis together account for 51.70% of the blueprint. Domains 3 and 5 are tied at 16.70% each, which makes them the clear third tier. Performance Analysis at 6.70% is the smallest slice, but its concepts feed into the financial domain, so don't skip it.
Must-Know Topics, Domain by Domain
The following are the areas candidates should be able to reason through in each domain. They reflect the domain names and the nature of a PV sales role; confirm the exact task statements against the issuer's PV Technical Sales JTA resource or the outline PDF.
Domain 1: Qualifying Prospects (30.00%)
The heaviest domain. Expect questions about deciding whether a customer and property are a realistic fit before you invest design and proposal effort.
- Gathering customer information: electricity use, bills, goals, and motivations
- Distinguishing a good-fit prospect from one unlikely to benefit
- Setting realistic expectations early in the sales conversation
- Understanding what a customer needs to supply before analysis can begin
Domain 2: Site Analysis (21.70%)
Know what makes a site suitable or unsuitable for a PV system, and how to evaluate it.
- Roof or ground-mount suitability, orientation, and tilt
- Shading evaluation and its effect on production
- Structural, access, and electrical-service considerations that affect feasibility
- What to document during a site visit so design and proposal work is accurate
Domain 3: Conceptual Design (16.70%)
This is design at the sales level, enough to size and describe a system credibly, not a full engineering package.
- Matching system size to load, available area, and customer goals
- Selecting appropriate system types and major components at a conceptual level
- Recognizing design constraints raised by the site and the utility interconnection
Domain 4: Performance Analysis (6.70%)
The smallest domain, but arithmetic-adjacent and easy to lose points on through carelessness.
- Estimating energy production and understanding the factors that reduce it
- Interpreting the effects of shading, orientation, and tilt on output
- Reading and explaining production estimates to a customer accurately
Domain 5: Costs, Incentives, Savings, and Returns (16.70%)
The financial reasoning domain. Practice it with the on-screen calculator in mind.
- Building a system cost picture and comparing it with expected savings
- Common financial measures used to evaluate a PV investment
- How financial incentives enter the analysis
- Financing and ownership considerations at a conceptual level
Domain 6: Proposal Preparation and Presentation (8.30%)
How to assemble and communicate an accurate, complete proposal.
- Required components of a PV proposal and how to organize them
- Presenting technical and financial information clearly and without overstating results
- Setting accurate expectations about performance and savings
This domain also links directly to renewal: the handbook's industry-involvement options for recertification include a decision-making role in proposals. For a fuller walk-through of how the domains connect, see the PVTS exam domains guide.
Exam-Day Rules and the On-Screen Calculator
- Closed-book. Under the handbook rules, no notes or study books.
- Calculator. An on-screen basic scientific calculator is provided. Personal calculators are not permitted.
- No NEC reference access listed for PVTS. The current FAQ and handbook lists that grant code-reference access do not include PVTS. Do not assume codebook permissions that apply to other NABCEP credentials; confirm with your candidate materials.
- Accommodations. Approved accommodations are available through the issuer.
Key Takeaway
Practice financial and production calculations using a basic scientific calculator interface, not a spreadsheet or a phone. Familiarity with a bare-bones calculator saves time and prevents entry errors on exam day.
Renewal Quick Reference
| Renewal Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Validity | Three years |
| When to apply | During year three |
| Fee | $390 |
| Continuing education | 30 CE hours total |
| CE breakdown | 18 PVTS JTA hours + 12 renewable-energy hours (including 2 building/fire-code hours within the 12) |
Industry involvement: pick one
You must also document continued industry involvement on signed company letterhead. The handbook (section 9.7.2) offers these options:
- A decision-making role in proposals for at least three completed installations during the cycle
- 120 qualifying teaching hours
- One year of qualifying business or training leadership
- 36 hours of qualifying industry leadership
A Weighted Review Order
If you have a few weeks before test day, let the blueprint set your time allocation. Here is one sensible order, tied to the actual weights rather than generic advice.
Qualifying Prospects (30.00%)
- Biggest domain, so it earns the most early attention
- Review customer-qualification logic and information-gathering scenarios
Site Analysis (21.70%) and Performance Analysis (6.70%)
- Pair them: site conditions drive production estimates
- Practice shading, orientation, and tilt reasoning
Conceptual Design (16.70%) and Costs, Incentives, Savings, and Returns (16.70%)
- Work design-to-dollars end to end
- Run every calculation on a basic on-screen-style calculator
Proposal Preparation and Presentation (8.30%) plus full-length review
- Tie proposals back to the earlier domains
- Take timed practice sets and revisit weak domains in weight order
For a broader preparation framework, see the PVTS Study Guide. When you are ready to measure recall, the PVTS Exam Prep practice questions let you drill by domain.
What the Issuer Sources Do Not Tell You
Honest exam prep includes knowing what hasn't been published. The retrieved issuer sources, checked October 14, 2026, do not establish:
- A PVTS-specific pass rate. Anything quoting a number should be treated skeptically. See what the available data does and doesn't show about PVTS pass rates.
- A certification-only salary premium. Compensation in solar sales depends on many factors, and the issuer does not publish a credential-specific figure. For discussion of earnings in context, see the PVTS salary guide.
Those gaps matter when weighing the investment. The PVTS ROI analysis frames the decision qualitatively, and the PVTS jobs overview looks at where the credential tends to be valued.
FAQ
The exam has 70 multiple-choice questions with four answer options each. Sixty are scored and ten are unidentified, unscored pilot items. Because you can't tell which are which, answer every question as though it counts.
No. The passing score is 75 on a scaled 0-99 range, not a percent-correct threshold. Scaled scoring accounts for differences in difficulty across question sets, so you should not try to convert it into a fixed number of allowable misses.
The initial cost is $500 USD: a $125 application fee plus a $375 examination fee, before any training. A retake is $275, recertification is $390, and the testing vendor adds $75 outside the United States and Canada.
No. The exam is closed-book under the handbook rules, and only an on-screen basic scientific calculator is provided. PVTS is also not listed among the credentials granted NEC-reference access in the current FAQ and handbook lists.
Apply during year three, pay the $390 fee, complete 30 CE hours (18 PVTS JTA plus 12 renewable energy, including 2 building/fire-code hours), and document one of the handbook's industry-involvement options on signed company letterhead, such as a decision-making role in proposals for at least three completed installations.