Anybody can register for the exam. While it is not mandatory to have attended the Certified Passive House Designer course, it is strongly recommended to increase your chance of success. However, it is important to mention that in order to take part in the exam, you should have a PHPP. You will need your PHPP code for the exam registration in the Passive House Institute database.

You can bring any printed course material and notes to the exam. To save time, consider doing a summary of the main Passive House formulas and requirements. We also advise you to bring markers for the design exercise, as well as a (scientific) calculator with spare batteries.

The Certified Passive House Designer online course will fully prepare you to successfully pass the exam. Moreover, module 3 of the course is purely focused on the preparation for the exam.

By submitting a project documentation, it is possible to renew a certificate at any time, even if your certificate has already expired some time ago. You can also renew your certificate through credit points for continuing education.

You can earn the international designation of “Certified Passive House Designer” in one of two ways: by taking the Certified Passive House Designer Exam or by submitting a project documentation.

Both titles are equal in terms of qualification with ref­er­en­ce to the Passive House relevant knowledge. The requirements for attaining this certificate and for renewal are also the same. The only difference between Certified Passive House Designers and Consultants depends on your background, as far as Designers come from highly relevant fields. Consultants, on the other hand, can come from any background. Normally, Passive House Designers work in plan­ning of­fices on the con­crete im­ple­ment­a­tion of the Pass­ive House Stand­ard, while Pass­ive House Con­sult­ants usu­ally con­trib­ute to its dis­sem­in­a­tion through their work as re­search­ers or speak­ers, or as de­cision makers in gov­ern­ment au­thor­it­ies.

A clear classification is not always easy due to the diverse educational qualifications, professions and the legal provisions relating to buildings worldwide. For this reason, the Passive House Institute has specified two possibilities for classification as a “Certified Passive House Designer”:

• Providing proof of an educational qualification which enables you to plan buildings or technical building systems independently. This educational qualification should have reached a certain level (e.g. diploma or bachelor degree) and have been attained in a specialized subject which primarily involves the planning of buildings or building services systems.
• Providing proof of membership in an institution, whose members are entitled to provide planning services which are subject to approval by a building authority (e.g. Chamber of Architects).

You qualify for the Designer title if you have the following educational qualification:

• Architect or interior designer
• Civil or timber construction engineer
• Building physicist
• Building and energy technology engineer
• Building contractor
• Master carpenter
• Certified technician for structural engineering, building construction, heating plumbing and ventilation technology or supply technology

If you have the following educational qualification, you qualify for the Consultant title:

• Degree in (analytical) chemistry, electrical engineering or manufacturing engineering
• Engineering degree in environmental technology and resource management
• Construction industry environmental safety technician
• Environmental engineer
• Gas, plumbing and ventilation systems technician
• Woodwork technician
• Certified technician for electronics
• Energy consultant
• Architectural draftsman
• Geometrician
• Woodwork technician for window installation
• Managing director
• Property sales manager/estate agent
• Economist

Note: You just have to provide a copy of the proof to your course/ex­am­in­a­tion host or as­sess­ing body. The at­tained Con­sult­ant title can be changed into the De­sign­er title, if such proof is only ob­tained and sub­mit­ted later on (e.g. tak­ing an ex­am­in­a­tion dur­ing train­ing). If no proof is sub­mit­ted, the Con­sult­ant title will be gran­ted upon suc­cess­ful qual­i­fic­a­tion.