PVI1 Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass

The Number: 75% on a 75-Question Exam

If you are preparing for ETA International's Photovoltaic Installer - Level 1 credential, the passing standard is straightforward to state: you need 75% on the knowledge examination. The exam contains 75 questions and gives you two hours. Those three facts, stated in the current PVI1 information on ETA's renewable energy certification page and corroborated by the posted ETA certification catalog, form the backbone of your preparation.

This article breaks down what that threshold means, what it does not tell you, and how to build a study plan around it. If you are still orienting yourself to the credential, start with What Is PVI1 Certification? and come back here for the scoring details.

Why a Knowledge Score Is Only Half the Story

PVI1 is not a pure multiple-choice credential. ETA requires hands-on training through an ETA-approved trainer or school, and the competency requirements document describes practical skills that are demonstrated before you sit the knowledge examination. So the full picture has two parts:

1. The knowledge examination: 75 questions, two hours, 75% to pass.
2. Hands-on competency: skill demonstrations that are required in addition to the knowledge exam.

The practical side is tied to your training provider. ETA's linked competency document also notes that the association may review proof of prior job experience in lieu of trainer-taught skills. That is a discretionary review, not an automatic waiver, so treat it as something to ask ETA about rather than something to count on. For the full eligibility picture, see PVI1 Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.

What 75% Means in Practice

On a 75-question exam, 75% works out to answering at least 57 questions correctly (56.25 rounds up to 57 whole questions). That arithmetic is only a planning aid, and there is an important caveat: ETA does not disclose whether all 75 questions are scored or whether some are unscored items. If the issuer counts fewer than 75 questions toward your result, the number of correct answers needed would change accordingly. The safest planning assumption is to aim well above the minimum rather than to target exactly 57.

Two hours for 75 questions gives you an average of just under 1 minute 36 seconds per question. That is a comfortable pace for recall questions and a tighter one for questions that involve calculations. Because the competency list includes applied calculations and formulas, you will want to practice working through numerical problems efficiently so that you bank time on the straightforward items.

Where Your Points Come From: The Eight Competency Categories

ETA states that certification examination questions are derived from the competencies in its Photovoltaic Installer - Level 1 competency requirements document. That document organizes the knowledge and skills objectives into eight numbered categories. Importantly, ETA does not publish percentage weights for these categories, and no largest-weight domain has been identified. You cannot responsibly build a plan that bets on one domain carrying the exam.

The eight categories are:

For a deeper walk through each category, see PVI1 Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 8 Content Areas.

What ETA Does Not Publish

Honest score planning means knowing the gaps. As of the October 15, 2026 verification review, the following items were not found in current issuer material:

• A pass rate. No cohort, year, or reliable candidate pass-rate series was located. Treat any specific pass-rate figure you see online with suspicion. Our PVI1 pass rate article explains what the available evidence does and does not support.
• Domain weights. The eight categories are unweighted in ETA's published document.
• A scored/unscored question split. The issuer does not disclose one.
• A numerical hands-on cut score. Hands-on competency is required, but no separate practical percentage was verified.
• A confirmed question format and adaptive status. ETA's current materials do not specify multiple-choice format, case-study mix, or adaptive delivery. An older Florida Department of Education record describes 75 multiple-choice questions, but that historical description is not confirmed as the current issuer specification.
• An open-book permission. This is not verified, so plan on a closed-book exam.

Test-Day Rules That Protect Your Score

A passing score can be undone by avoidable administrative problems. ETA's general testing rules, which apply across its certifications, include:

• Photo identification is required.
• Calculators: a non-programmable or scientific calculator is permitted. Programmable calculators may need to be reset.
• Scratch paper may be surrendered to the administrator afterward.
• Phones and other electronic devices are prohibited.
• Formula sheets: the published formula-sheet authorization names other ETA exams, not PVI1, so do not expect to bring one.

On delivery, ETA offers online testing through Trapeza as well as paper-and-pencil administration, with testing handled through ETA Certification Administrators. Remote proctoring through ExamRoom.AI is described on ETA's test-sites page for non-hands-on certifications, and ETA's FAQ discusses remote candidates still attending an approved school for hands-on credentials. PVI1 remote eligibility is not confirmed, so contact ETA or your approved trainer to confirm how your knowledge exam will be delivered. Where remote proctoring is available, the general fee is $16 for a two-hour session. For scheduling specifics, see PVI1 Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.

If You Miss 75%: The Free Retake

ETA's PVI1 information includes one free retake, available within one year of your first exam session. That makes your first attempt less of a one-shot gamble than it might otherwise be. It does not make it a free practice run, though: the exam fee is $155, and your preparation time is the real cost.

If you do need the retake, use your first attempt diagnostically. Note which competency categories felt weakest immediately after the session, and rebuild your study around them. Our PVI1 Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt lays out a full preparation framework, and PVI1 Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown explains how exam fees relate to separate training expenses.

A Domain-by-Domain Plan Built Around the Cut Score

Because ETA does not weight the eight categories, a balanced plan is the right default. The sequence below front-loads vocabulary and safety (which everything else leans on), then builds toward calculations and project work. Adjust the pacing to your training provider's schedule, since hands-on instruction is part of the credential.

This is a template, not a requirement: ETA publishes no universal minimum training-hour count, and partner courses of 40, 45, 46, or 60 hours are provider-specific offerings rather than issuer-wide rules. Keep your PVI1 cheat sheet of key facts handy for final review, and use our practice tests to rehearse timed sets of original, competency-aligned questions. Browse PVI1 training options as well if you are still choosing a provider.

After You Pass: Term, Maintenance, and Value

The PVI1 credential runs on a four-year term with maintenance required. ETA's hands-on maintenance track calls for six continuing-education hours per year (24 over four years), a supervisor-signed Employer Verification Form, a Certification Maintenance Form, and $25 per year ($100 over the four-year cycle).

On earnings, the best public benchmark comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which reports a May 2025 median pay of $53,140 per year ($25.55 per hour) for solar photovoltaic installers. That figure describes the occupation as a whole. It is not a measure of PVI1-certified pay, starting pay, or a certification premium, so do not read it as a promise of what the credential will earn. For more analysis, see our PVI1 Salary Guide 2026, the PVI1 ROI analysis, and the overview of PVI1 jobs.

If you are weighing PVI1 against NABCEP's PV Associate credential, keep in mind that they are separate programs from separate bodies, and PV Associate is distinct from NABCEP's installation professional credential. Compare each program's current official requirements directly rather than assuming they line up.

Frequently Asked Questions