- What This Cheat Sheet Covers (and What It Doesn't)
- The Exam at a Glance
- Domain Weights: Where the Points Live
- Domain-by-Domain Must-Knows
- Eligibility, Approval, and Scheduling Mechanics
- Retest Waits and Renewal Rules
- Using Approved References on Exam Day
- Sequencing Your Review by Domain
- What You Won't Find Here: Fees and Pass Rates
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The exam has 40 questions: 32 scored, eight unscored beta items; 25 correct scored answers are required to pass.
- Fluid Flow (22%) and Instrumentation (18%) together account for 40% of the exam blueprint.
- The written exam is allotted 2.5 hours and is proctored by ICB-designated proctors, online or on paper.
- ICB approval comes first; the exam must then be completed within one year of approval.
What This Cheat Sheet Covers (and What It Doesn't)
This page is a one-screen-at-a-time review of the Duct Air Leakage Testing Technician credential issued by the International Certification Board (ICB). It is the technician-level certification for people who test the air tightness of sheet metal duct systems. Other credentials in the building-trades and testing worlds share a similar abbreviation, so make sure every fact you memorize comes from ICB's Duct Air Leakage Testing Technician materials and not from a lookalike.
If you are brand new to the credential, start with What Is DALT-T? or What Does DALT-T Stand For? and then come back here for the fast review. If you want the long-form plan, the DALT-T Study Guide 2026 goes deeper than a cheat sheet can.
The Exam at a Glance
These are the numbers worth committing to memory before anything else. Every figure below traces to ICB's published certification materials.
| Item | What to Know |
|---|---|
| Issuer | International Certification Board (ICB) |
| Format | Proctored written examination, online or on paper |
| Total questions | 40 |
| Scored questions | 32 |
| Unscored beta items | 8 (you will not know which ones) |
| Passing requirement | 25 correct scored answers |
| Time allowed | 2.5 hours (per ICB's published exam details) |
| Proctoring | ICB-designated proctors at designated sites |
| Scheduling | Through the local JATC |
| Certification validity | Two full years from the last day of the quarter obtained |
| Renewal CEUs | Four acceptable ICB CEUs |
The 2.5-hour figure comes from ICB's Certification Exam Details document for the DALT row. That document is hosted by a provider and is not a newly published 2026 revision, so confirm the time allotment with your local JATC when you schedule. It reflects the written exam only; it is not a statement about course hours or any practical assessment.
Domain Weights: Where the Points Live
The seven domains below are the official weighted knowledge-base headings. Weights tell you how the blueprint distributes content, so they should drive how you divide your review time.
| Domain | Name | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Math | 12% |
| 2 | Fluid Flow | 22% |
| 3 | Project Documents | 12% |
| 4 | Instrumentation | 18% |
| 5 | Preliminary DALT Procedures | 9% |
| 6 | Specific Air Systems Procedures | 15% |
| 7 | Considerations for DALT | 12% |
Fluid Flow is the heaviest at 22%, and Instrumentation follows at 18%. Together they make up 40% of the blueprint, so weakness in either one is hard to offset. Preliminary DALT Procedures is the lightest at 9%, but it is also the domain that tends to be the most procedural and the easiest to lock down with repetition. A fuller breakdown lives in DALT-T Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 7 Content Areas.
Domain-by-Domain Must-Knows
The weights are official. The topic lists below describe the kind of material each domain heading points to in duct leakage testing work; use your ICB-approved study materials through your local JATC as the authority on exact scope.
Domain 2: Fluid Flow (22%)
The largest domain, and the conceptual backbone of the whole credential. Duct leakage testing is applied airflow physics.
- How air moves through a duct system under pressure, and why leakage rises as test pressure rises
- The relationship between pressure and flow, and what it means for a leak to behave like an orifice
- Static, velocity, and total pressure, and how they relate in a duct
- Why leakage is normally expressed as a flow rate at a stated test pressure
- How duct size, shape, and length affect what you measure
Domain 4: Instrumentation (18%)
The second-largest domain covers the equipment you actually use and trust on a job.
- The purpose of each major component in a leakage test setup: fan or blower, flow measurement device, and pressure gauge
- Calibration awareness and why measurement accuracy matters to a pass/fail decision
- Reading and interpreting gauge and flow device output correctly
- Matching the flow range of the equipment to the leakage you expect
- Recognizing readings that look wrong, and the setup errors that cause them
Domain 6: Specific Air Systems Procedures (15%)
Here the general method meets particular system types and test arrangements.
- How the test approach changes with the type of air system being tested
- Isolating the section under test, including sealing off openings and terminals
- Applying the correct test pressure and recording results for the section tested
- Differences between testing a full system and testing a portion of one
Domains 1, 3, and 7 (12% each)
Three equal-weight domains that together make up 36% of the blueprint.
- Math: unit handling, area and surface calculations, and working from measured values to a leakage figure and allowable leakage
- Project Documents: reading specifications and drawings to find what must be tested, to what criteria, and at what pressure class
- Considerations for DALT: practical and situational factors that affect how and when a test is performed and reported
Domain 5: Preliminary DALT Procedures (9%)
The smallest slice, covering what happens before the first pressure reading.
- Pre-test checks of the duct system and the test equipment
- Confirming that the section to be tested is ready, accessible, and properly closed off
- Documenting conditions and planning the test sequence
Key Takeaway
Math and Project Documents are the two domains where a calculation or a spec lookup is the whole question. Practice those with a calculator and sample specifications, not just by rereading notes. If you want a candid read on where candidates struggle, see How Hard Is the DALT-T Exam?
Eligibility, Approval, and Scheduling Mechanics
Eligibility for this credential is not open enrollment. ICB approval precedes testing, and eligibility follows the Section 3.2 technician categories in the ICB Certification Manual. These are alternative qualifying categories, meaning you need to fit one, not all:
- Eligibility tied to NEMIC contribution
- Qualifying work under SMART collective bargaining
- Specified circumstances of temporary unemployment or disability
- Temporary sheet-metal organizing employment
The sequence matters. Get approval first, then schedule through your local JATC, then sit the proctored written exam. Once ICB approves your application, you have one year to complete the written examination. Let that window lapse and you should expect to deal with ICB again rather than assume the approval carries over. For the full eligibility walkthrough, read DALT-T Requirements 2026, and for timing logistics see DALT-T Exam Dates 2026.
Retest Waits and Renewal Rules
If you don't pass the first time
Retests are not immediate, and the waiting period grows each time:
| Attempt | Required Wait |
|---|---|
| First retest | 30 days |
| Second retest | 60 days |
| Third and subsequent retests | 90 days |
The practical lesson: a failed attempt costs you at least a month, and repeated failures stretch that to three. Use any waiting period to rebuild your weakest domain from your score feedback rather than rereading everything.
Keeping the credential active
Certification is valid for two full years from the last day of the quarter in which you obtained it. That quirk is worth noting: if you certify early in a quarter, you still count from the quarter's last day, so you get a little extra runway. Renewal requires three things:
- Continued eligibility under the ICB technician categories
- An application submitted before your certification expires
- Four acceptable ICB CEUs earned during the certification period
One training hour equals one ICB CEU. Four total acceptable CEUs renew all technician certifications you hold, so you do not need four per credential if you carry more than one. The renewal rules are drawn from the ICB Certification Manual and ICB's renewal and CEU guidance. If you are weighing whether the ongoing commitment pays off, see Is the DALT-T Certification Worth It?
Using Approved References on Exam Day
This exam is not closed-book in the traditional sense. Approved reference materials may be consulted during the exam, including on computers, tablets, or smartphones. Communication and capturing exam content are prohibited.
That changes how you should prepare. Open-reference does not mean easy; with 2.5 hours for 40 questions, you have time to look things up, but not time to learn a topic from scratch mid-exam. Build your references so you can find an answer in seconds:
- Tab or bookmark the sections covering test pressure, allowable leakage, and equipment ranges
- Keep formulas and unit conversions on a single quick-reference page
- Know the layout of your approved materials well enough to navigate without scrolling aimlessly
- Confirm with your proctor and JATC exactly which materials are approved before exam day
Sequencing Your Review by Domain
Rather than a generic schedule, order your review around how the domains build on each other. Fluid Flow concepts feed Instrumentation, and both feed the procedure domains, so the logic below follows that dependency.
Foundations: Math and Fluid Flow
- Rebuild unit and area calculations, then pressure-flow relationships
- Fluid Flow is 22% of the blueprint, so give it the most hours
Equipment: Instrumentation
- Walk through a full test setup component by component
- Practice reading gauge and flow device output and spotting bad readings
Method: Preliminary and Specific Air Systems Procedures
- Learn the pre-test sequence first (9%), then system-specific procedures (15%)
- Rehearse isolating a section and recording results
Context and Integration: Project Documents and Considerations
- Practice pulling test criteria from specifications and drawings
- Finish with full-length timed practice, using only approved references
Adjust the pacing to your own timeline and prior experience. Candidates already testing ducts in the field may compress the procedure weeks and spend longer on Math and Project Documents; candidates newer to the trade often need the reverse. Take a few practice sets in the DALT-T Exam Prep practice test environment to find out which camp you are in before committing to a plan.
What You Won't Find Here: Fees and Pass Rates
Two numbers candidates ask about constantly are the exam fee and the pass rate. No current numerical fee for this credential and no official pass-rate statistic were verified in ICB's published materials, so this cheat sheet does not quote either one. Be wary of any site that states a precise pass percentage without citing a source.
For fees, ask your local JATC what applies in your situation, since scheduling runs through them. For what is and isn't known about results, see DALT-T Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows, and for cost framing see DALT-T Certification Cost 2026. If you are thinking about careers and earnings, DALT-T Jobs and the DALT-T Salary Guide 2026 cover that angle.
Frequently Asked Questions
The exam has 40 questions, of which 32 are scored and eight are unscored beta items. You need 25 correct scored answers to pass. Because the beta items are not identified, answer every question as though it counts.
Fluid Flow is the largest at 22%, followed by Instrumentation at 18%. Specific Air Systems Procedures is third at 15%. Math, Project Documents, and Considerations for DALT are 12% each, and Preliminary DALT Procedures is 9%.
Yes, approved reference materials may be consulted, including on computers, tablets, or smartphones. Communication and capturing exam content are prohibited. Confirm exactly which materials are approved with your JATC and proctor beforehand.
ICB approval comes before testing, and the written examination must be completed within one year of application approval. Scheduling is handled through your local JATC.
Certification is valid for two full years from the last day of the quarter in which it was obtained. Renewal requires continued eligibility, an application before expiration, and four acceptable ICB CEUs earned during the certification period, with one training hour equal to one CEU.
Keep this sheet handy as a final-week checklist, then pressure-test it against timed questions in the DALT-T Exam Prep practice tests. For the broader picture of the credential, the DALT-T Certification overview is a good companion read.