EPA 608 Study Guide: All Sections Explained

Quick answer: This EPA 608 study guide explains Core, Types I, II and III, the current appliance definitions, refrigerant recovery and reuse, and the rules to check before testing. Pair it with current materials from your EPA-approved exam provider.

Accuracy review: September 11, 2026. Independent study material; not an EPA-approved course or official exam.

Exam format and passing scores

The federal testing standards specify 25 Core questions and 25 questions for each relevant Type section. Universal covers Core plus Types I, II and III: 100 questions in total. Qualifying passing scores can be combined from separate tests; all sections do not have to be passed in one sitting.

• Closed-book tests: the passing threshold is 70%. On a 25-question section, 18 correct answers meet that threshold (18/25 is 72%).
• Type I mail-in/open-book format: the passing threshold is 84% (21/25). Ask the approved provider how its Core and Type I testing is organized.
• Universal: requires closed-book, proctored testing, including Core and Type I. Mail-in Type I scores and open-book Core scores cannot count toward Universal.
• Online does not mean unproctored: some EPA-approved programs offer secure remote testing. Check the program’s requirements before registering.

Core alone is not a technician credential. Section 608 credentials do not expire.

What each section covers

• Core: environmental effects, laws and common refrigerant-handling concepts. It is not a standalone credential.
• Type I: small-appliance service, including the distinct recovery rules and disposal exception.
• Type II: medium-, high-, and very high-pressure appliance work within its scope.
• Type III: low-pressure appliance work.
• Universal: Core plus all three Types under the required testing conditions, not a separate fifth section.

For complete scope and apprentice exceptions, use 40 CFR 82.161. For paid MVAC work, Section 609 is separate.

Use the current EPA pressure definitions

40 CFR 82.152 uses liquid-phase saturation pressure at 104°F, not the old boiling-point shortcuts. psia means absolute pressure.

Type II covers medium-, high-, and very high-pressure appliances, except small appliances, MVACs, and the separately addressed MVAC-like category. The certification rule allows either Type II or Section 609 for MVAC-like appliances. Type III covers low-pressure appliances. Type I is based on the complete small-appliance definition, not pressure alone.

Recover, recycle and reclaim

• Recover: remove refrigerant and store it externally without necessarily testing or processing it.
• Recycle: clean refrigerant for same-owner reuse, generally with oil separation and filter-driers, without meeting every reclamation requirement.
• Reclaim: reprocess to the specified purity requirements and verify those requirements using the prescribed method.

EPA’s reclamation guidance explains that the federal purity specifications are based on AHRI Standard 700-2016. EPA certifies reclaimers; AHRI publishes the standard. The newest edition of an industry standard is not automatically the edition incorporated into federal rules.

Recovered or recycled refrigerant may be reused in the same owner’s equipment without reclamation. This does not guarantee that contaminated refrigerant is suitable for reuse. Used refrigerant may also be sent to a consolidator or reclaimer for processing; moving it off site is not the same as reselling it for use by a new owner. Reclaimed refrigerant remains subject to sales restrictions.

Recovery requirements: read the correct row

EPA’s service-practice table distinguishes appliance pressure category, full charge and recovery-equipment manufacture date. A recovery target is not the same as a dehydration vacuum target. Keep absolute pressure, gauge pressure and inches of vacuum separate.

The official table and limited repair exceptions control. For small appliances, the percentage route is 80% with pre-November 15, 1993 recovery equipment or a nonfunctional compressor, and 90% with newer equipment and a functional compressor. Evacuation to four inches Hg vacuum is an allowed alternative.

Venting and disposal are separate questions

The venting prohibition covers ozone-depleting refrigerants and non-exempt substitutes during service and disposal. The rule includes limited releases during good-faith recovery and specific refrigerant/end-use exemptions. Small charge size alone does not permit intentional venting.

Small-appliance disposal rules do not require the person recovering refrigerant solely for disposal to hold technician certification. Recovery performance and the final disposer’s verification duties still apply. This does not exempt service or repair of those same appliances.

Equipment and cylinder checks

Use properly certified recovery equipment for its approved refrigerants and applications, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Older pre-1993 equipment has specific legacy provisions; it is inaccurate to say every machine has identical certification requirements.

Read cylinder labels and markings, approved pressure/application limits and the manufacturer’s fill instructions. Do not identify contents by color alone or treat “80% by weight” as a universal fill formula. Use suitable equipment and a scale, and follow the applicable handling and transport requirements. Do not mix unidentified refrigerants or assume any recovery machine is suitable for a flammable refrigerant.

Leak rules: distinguish Section 608 from the AIM Act

Section 608 leak-repair requirements apply to appliances containing 50 pounds or more of ozone-depleting refrigerant when their calculated annual leak rate exceeds the applicable trigger: 30% for industrial process refrigeration, 20% for commercial refrigeration, and 10% for comfort cooling and other appliances. The usual options are repair within 30 days or a retrofit/retirement plan prepared within 30 days and completed within one year; the rule has specific exceptions and extensions.

Separately, AIM Act HFC leak-repair provisions began January 1, 2026 for affected appliances with 15 pounds or more of refrigerant containing an HFC or an HFC substitute with GWP greater than 53. Residential and light-commercial air-conditioning and heat-pump appliances are excluded from those provisions. Do not apply one charge threshold or deadline to every refrigerant and system.

Refrigerant purchases and certification records

EPA’s sales restriction permits qualified technician purchases and documented employer/authorized-representative purchases. It is not a blanket ban applying only above two pounds. The small-can exception is limited to qualifying substitute MVAC refrigerant with the required fittings and self-sealing valve.

Keep your Section 608 certificate at the place of business and for three years after you stop operating as a technician. Credentials do not routinely expire. If your card is missing, use the official recovery routes before scheduling another exam.

For what a 608 card does and does not let you buy, see can you buy refrigerant with an EPA 608 certification card.

A practical study sequence

1. Review Core definitions and explain the three Rs without notes.
2. Identify your equipment category using the complete definition.
3. Practice selecting the correct recovery rule and units.
4. Separate Section 608 rules, Section 609 rules and the AIM Act HFC provisions.
5. Try the 25-question practice set, record missed topics and review the cited source for each.
6. Confirm your provider’s test format, scoring and retake arrangements before exam day.