Visit the NFI's website to obtain information on the NFI Certified Woodburning Specialist certification, which demonstrates your expertise in installing factory-built fireplaces, fireplace inserts and wood-burning stoves. To obtain this certification you must pass an exam administered by the NFI.
Click on "NFI Policy Manual" in the menu selection to review the exam format and passing criteria. The Woodburning Specialist exam has 100 multiple-choice questions you must complete in 2 1/2 hours. Twenty-five percent of the exam covers fundamental knowledge, which comprises combustion, heat and heat protection, safety guidelines and consequences of action and construction fundamentals. Seventy-five percent of the exam covers regulations and instructions, appliance requirements, draft and ventilation principles, wood-venting requirements and post-installation inspection and service.
Review the scoring criteria. The exam is scored as a "pass" or "fail," so there is no scoring threshold that you must achieve. A passing designation is given based on your overall performance.
Obtain the Woodburning Hearth Systems Reference Manual, which is a 275-page book with tables and illustrations that covers all the material on the NFI exam. The book is available for purchase at the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue, or HPB Education Foundation website.
Study the Woodburning Hearth Systems Reference Manual and check the NFI website under "Find a NFI Review Course" for available review courses in your area or region. Review courses span six hours and offer reference material overview and a question-and-answer format that provides answers to concepts you find difficult to understand.
Register to take the NFI Certified Woodburning Specialist exam. To register you must attend a sponsored NFI event, such as a review course, or take a computer exam at one of 600 NFI LaserGrade/PSi testing center locations. Testing site locations are available on the NFI website, on the "How to Become NFI Certified" menu selection. All required fees and payment options are provided during the registration process.
Take the certification exam. Computer exam results are provided after you finish the exam. Paper exams are scored by a testing agency and the results are mailed to you, usually within four to six weeks after testing. Feedback reports that provide areas of strengths and weaknesses accompany the results.
Pass the exam to receive a wall certificate and identification card that certifies you as a woodburning specialist. The certification is valid for three years and can be renewed through retesting or continuing education.