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PODCAST

Trades Exam Prep

Ran Chen, EA, CFP®

Trades Exam Prep is a free, daily podcast by OpenExamPrep covering the most in-demand skilled trades licensing and certification exams — including EPA 608 (HVAC refrigerant), FAA Part 107 (drone), Master Electrician, Plumber, General Contractor, ASE automotive, NATE, OSHA 10/30, Welder Certification, and more. Each 5-minute episode breaks down one exam topic with concrete examples, common exam traps, code references, and field-ready memory tricks to help you pass on your first attempt. No fluff, no

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All Episodes

03:38

NATE HVAC Exam Prep 8, Refrigerant Piping Oil Return...

Trades Exam Prep ·

2026/08/26

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams.In this episode you will learn: - Suction line velocity requirements to ensure proper oil return to the compressor crankcase. - Why liquid lines are generally uninsulated except when passing through

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03:46

NATE HVAC Exam Prep 7, Superheat and Subcooling...

Trades Exam Prep ·

2026/08/25

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams.In this episode you will learn: - How to calculate evaporator superheat, total superheat, and condenser subcooling using temperature readings and P-T pressure conversions. - What high and low

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04:22

NATE HVAC Exam Prep 6, Pressure Temperature...

Trades Exam Prep ·

2026/08/24

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - How saturation temperature, boiling, and condensing function at thermodynamic equilibrium on NATE exam questions - The critical distinction between gauge pressure in

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03:10

NATE HVAC Exam Prep 5, The Refrigeration Cycle and...

Trades Exam Prep ·

2026/08/23

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - Tracing refrigerant temperature, pressure, and phase changes through all four major cycle components - How subcooling and superheat are measured and applied during

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03:55

NATE HVAC Exam Prep 4, Heat Transfer BTUs and System...

Trades Exam Prep ·

2026/08/22

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams.In this episode you will learn: - Differentiation between conduction, convection, and radiation heat transfer modes - Distinction between sensible heat and latent phase changes during HVAC

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02:58

NATE HVAC Exam Prep 3, HVAC Tools and Measurement...

Trades Exam Prep ·

2026/08/21

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams.In this episode you will learn: - CAT rating requirements and meter safety protocols for NATE certification - Proper clamp meter usage to avoid false zero amp readings on dual conductors -

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03:44

NATE HVAC Exam Prep 2, Jobsite Safety PPE and Hazard...

Trades Exam Prep ·

2026/08/20

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams.In this episode you will learn: - How OSHA 1910.147 lockout and tagout procedures require testing for zero energy before touching electrical components. - The 4-to-1 angle ratio and 3-foot landing

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03:37

NATE HVAC Exam Prep 1, Understanding the CHP-5...

Trades Exam Prep ·

2026/08/19

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams.In this episode you will learn: - Five separate 30-question modules that make up the NATE CHP-5 certification pathway - Key differences between the CHP-5 pathway and the traditional Core plus

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04:06

EPA 608 Prep 40, Exam Day Strategy — Common Traps and...

Trades Exam Prep ·

2026/08/18

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - Key recovery efficiency numbers (90% active vs. 80% passive) and the crucial 80% fill limit for recovery cylinders. - The 2026 update to leak rate rules, lowering

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03:20

EPA 608 Prep 39, Oil Recovery and Acid Tests —...

Trades Exam Prep ·

2026/08/17

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - Understand that recovered refrigerant oil is regulated waste and must be disposed of properly, not in drains or regular trash. - Learn that a positive acid test on

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03:33

EPA 608 Prep 38, Brazing and System Opening — Recover...

Trades Exam Prep ·

2026/08/16

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams.In this episode you will learn: - Always recover refrigerant to 0 psig before applying heat or opening a system to prevent phosgene gas formation and explosions. - During brazing, you must flow a

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02:45

EPA 608 Prep 37, Evacuation and Deep Vacuum — Microns...

Trades Exam Prep ·

2026/08/15

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - A micron gauge, not a manifold gauge, is required to measure a deep vacuum and confirm moisture removal. - For high-pressure systems with HFC refrigerants and POE

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03:19

EPA 608 Prep 36, The R-22 Phaseout and the AIM Act...

Trades Exam Prep ·

2026/08/14

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams.In this episode you will learn: - The critical difference between the R-22 phaseout (for ozone, completed) and the HFC phase-down (for climate, ongoing). - Why January 1, 2020, is a key date marking

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02:48

EPA 608 Prep 35, Refrigerant Safety — Asphyxiation,...

Trades Exam Prep ·

2026/08/13

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams.In this episode you will learn: - Why refrigerants, being heavier than air, create a significant asphyxiation risk in confined spaces by displacing oxygen. - The critical safety rule of recovering

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02:57

EPA 608 Prep 34, How the EPA 608 Exam Is Structured...

Trades Exam Prep ·

2026/08/12

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams.In this episode you will learn: - The EPA 608 exam consists of four independent 25-question sections: Core, Type I, Type II, and Type III. - A passing score of 72%, which is 18 out of 25 correct

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03:42

EPA 608 Prep 33, Universal Certification — What It...

Trades Exam Prep ·

2026/08/11

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - That Universal Certification is earned by passing the Core, Type I, Type II, and Type III sections, not by taking a separate 'Universal' exam. - Each of the four

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02:54

EPA 608 Prep 32, Charging and Breaking the Vacuum on...

Trades Exam Prep ·

2026/08/10

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - Why you must always break the vacuum on a low-pressure chiller with refrigerant vapor before adding any liquid. - The specific refrigerant saturation temperature,

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03:04

EPA 608 Prep 31, Recovery of Low-Pressure...

Trades Exam Prep ·

2026/08/09

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - Why a dedicated recovery unit with a 10 psig high-pressure cutout is required for low-pressure systems. - The correct recovery sequence is always vapor first, then

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03:12

EPA 608 Prep 30, The Purge Unit — Removing...

Trades Exam Prep ·

2026/08/08

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - That purge units are required on low-pressure chillers because they operate in a vacuum, which causes leaks to draw air and moisture into the system. - Why

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02:48

EPA 608 Prep 29, Operating in a Vacuum — How...

Trades Exam Prep ·

2026/08/07

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams.In this episode you will learn: - Why leaks in low-pressure chillers draw air and moisture INTO the system instead of venting refrigerant out. - That the primary indicator of a leak in a low-pressure

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138 results

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