My Experience with the Indoor Air Quality Specialist Course and Exam

Why I Took It

For this sort of post, I obviously have to show off the certificate first; otherwise, how could the story possibly sound convincing? (Just kidding.)

It had already been some time, and the online result system only allowed results from the previous year to be checked, so I could not give the exact scores for the two papers. I vaguely remember scores of about 86 and 92, which was not bad. Unlike the CASA statistics certification, this examination did not have an “outstanding award”—you either passed or you did not.

My reason for taking this certificate was rather odd. I had long wanted the Class A Air Pollution Control Specialist certificate because my graduate work in environmental and occupational health focused on air pollutants. But I taught at a cram school on weekends, while the Class A course I saw was offered only as a weekend class. Even while preparing to leave that job, I still had a Sunday-morning senior-high class, so moving lessons for an entire month was not really defensible.

Then, while browsing the training institute’s website, I saw the Indoor Air Quality Management Specialist certificate. The course was only a few days long, and a weekday class happened to match my schedule. I thought, “It is all air anyway, so why not take it?”—a very strange reason, honestly. It was not required for work; I simply could not take the Class A course and found another thing to do instead.

An Overview of the Process

This was not a certificate for which I could simply register, study at home, and appear on examination day. I first had to complete the required class hours before I could sit the examinations, then reach the required scores to receive the certificate.

I had only taken the Indoor Air Quality Specialist programme run by the Industrial Technology Research Institute, so this describes that one experience and may not represent every provider or class. My sequence was: classes → a practical examination on the final afternoon of the course → a written examination after some time → confirmation of a pass → applying for the certificate to be sent out.

I heard there might be a make-up examination, but I was sure before the course that I would not need it. Why? Because I always prepare and attend class seriously—surely I would not fail after doing that, right? It was not the lawyer or judicial-officer examination, after all. (Sob.)

Finding Course Information and Registering

Information for environmental certificates, including Class A air pollution and Class A wastewater, could be found through the environmental training system. I linked the site below.

View the current official training information

The page looked like this when I opened it:

Click into whichever certificate interests you—browsing is free, after all. The system listed recently offered classes for each certificate, including the course period, training provider, and whether registration was open.

Different certificates had different hours, providers, and locations. There were weekday-intensive classes and weekend classes. I could choose a schedule and location that suited me, or wait for a later class. Not every certificate had both formats: I had rarely seen an intensive Class A air-pollution course, while Indoor Air Quality courses often did. I suspected that was related to the longer required hours for Class A air pollution.

After choosing a class, I clicked “Register” on the far right to enter the basic-information form.

At the time, a class needed 40 people to open, and mine had already reached the minimum. Soon after submitting the online form, I received registration documents from the provider. Because each certificate had its own eligibility rules, I had to print the forms, attach evidence of the required qualifications, pay the fee, and send everything by registered post. The provider explained the procedure in its email; it was not especially complicated and I finished the administrative steps in about a day. After paying, do not forget to email the transfer details for reconciliation. Once everything is complete, registration is done and you can look forward to class.

What the Classes Were Like

For the ITRI class, I received a reminder email before the course began. I do not know whether every provider does this, but it was thoughtful—when I received it, I had genuinely forgotten that I had registered. Orz.

My class met near Technology Building, a very familiar and convenient location after more than six years of spending time around National Taiwan University. Because it was intensive, the hours were long: from September 23 to 25, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day. I came home feeling completely drained, though it still was not as exhausting as the ISO 45001 lead-auditor course—there was no pile of homework, so I could go home and do nothing, which was rather nice.

Most of the time, instructors lectured while students took notes. It was an ordinary class, with little interaction—or perhaps there was interaction that I missed because I sat in the middle toward the back. On the first day, I learned my seat for the next several days and found a bag with a textbook, notebook, stationery, examination information, and the timetable: effectively a welcome gift for each participant.

The textbook was extraordinarily thick, because it included both slides and detailed text. The explanations were so thorough that perhaps attending class was unnecessary... (whispering). I still listened, though; I had paid for the course and did not want to waste the money.

I have to admit that I also read my own books while listening. At that time I was preparing for the national examinations for lawyers and judicial officers, so I kept studying for them. The instructors’ pace was not too fast, so I could listen leisurely while doing other things. (Please do not hit me.)

One small complaint: some attendees were very disruptive. A group who appeared to know one another talked loudly throughout the class, and many arrived nearly an hour late on the second and third days. It felt disrespectful to the instructors and made it hard to concentrate. I remember thinking, “Are these really adults? Why do they seem less controllable than my high-school students? Why can’t they stop talking?” That tells you how impatient I was.

The Examinations and Exam Day

The examination had two parts: a practical examination on the final afternoon of class and a written examination about a month later.

Practical Examination and Oral Questioning

The practical examination concerned the morning’s lesson, “Indoor Air Quality Inspection Practice.” We had to plan sampling locations, use direct-reading instruments, and record the values. The important points were how to arrange sampling points and how to operate the instruments. Because instruments were limited, the provider divided us into groups, but each person still measured and answered individually; grouping simply let people take turns with the equipment. That was reassuring for someone who is a little socially anxious.

There was also an oral component after the sampling work. Enough time has passed that I have completely forgotten the exact question. I remember entering, being asked one question, and responding immediately, so I believe it was manageable if one had attended the course. The question was still related to the inspection practice.

Written Examination

Our written examination was scheduled about a month after class, on October 31.

After the course, the provider issued an admission ticket, which had to be brought with identification. The examination was at National Taipei University. The weather was pleasant, but there was little food nearby on a weekend, so I bought a rice ball on the way.

I prepared thoroughly. I read the entire book, both the text and slides, took notes, and reviewed the practice questions at the end more than once. By my usual certification-exam standards, I went in hoping for a perfect score. I even brought my electronic notes on an iPad so I could review a few key numbers before the examination or during the break.

There were more people than I expected, including people returning to retake a written examination from earlier classes. The room was packed. The seats were joined plastic desk-and-chair units; there was so little space that any movement affected a neighbour and could earn a glare. Except for the instrument operation already tested in the practical, all course material was in scope. Although the book’s practice questions were short-answer, the written examination was mainly multiple choice, with ordinary answer sheets and enough time.

There were two papers, although I could not clearly tell where one ended and the other began. My impression was that one leaned toward regulations and the other toward practical matters such as instrument characteristics. Most questions were not tricky; if someone had studied a little, the answers were in the book. One or two were harder: one required memorising a number, and another compared characteristics in context. I made a few memory or careless errors, and, to be fair, I overheard other examinees saying the paper felt difficult. In the end, though, both of my scores were high and I applied for the certificate online.

Conclusion and Notes

I set out to take the Class A air-pollution course and accidentally came away with this certificate instead. It was an unexpected process, but I learned a great deal and filled gaps in occupational-environment control and measurement that I had not covered in graduate school.

During the month before the written examination, I spent plenty of time on the thick textbook. At the same time, I was studying for national examinations, so I turned the course material into electronic notes whenever I could rather than devoting all my time to this certificate. Overall, the teaching was substantial: it covered regulations, practical matters, and instruments. The examination was mostly approachable, with the occasional hard question that any examination should have. Taking a practical as well as a written examination felt fresh after years of writing all day until my hand hurt.

I gained a lot from the process. Apart from the very noisy cohort, everything was good. Below are the electronic notes I prepared for the Indoor Air Quality Specialist examination, including material from the textbook and additional information I looked up. They may help someone preparing for it.

My Indoor Air Quality Specialist examination notes

The information is already somewhat old and I have not continued to follow or revise it, so please judge for yourself whether it has been updated. I hope it helps anyone who needs it. Good luck with both the course and the examination. : D