EPA 608 Core Practice Test: 25 Free Questions With Answers

ByJabeer

Quick answer: The EPA 608 Core section is 25 multiple-choice questions on ozone depletion, the Clean Air Act, recovery and reclamation rules, cylinder handling, safety and leak repair. You need 18 correct (72%), and you must pass Core before any Type I, II or III certification is issued. The free test below covers every Core topic area.

EPA 608 Core exam at a glance

  • Questions: 25 multiple choice (this practice test: 25)
  • Topics: ozone science, regulations, three Rs, recovery equipment, cylinders and shipping, safety, dehydration, leak rules
  • Pass mark: 18 of 25 correct (72%) on each section
  • Core: must be passed before any Type certification is issued
  • Cost: roughly $25–$150 depending on the program; Type I open-book tests are cheapest
  • Expiry: none — Section 608 certification is for life

How to use this practice test

Click an answer for instant feedback and a short explanation of the rule behind it. Your running score stays pinned at the top; finish all 25 and you will see whether you cleared the 72% line that the real Core section uses. These are original questions written from EPA’s Section 608 regulations, not copied from any exam, so use them to find weak spots and then read your program’s manual for the exact wording it tests.

Core

1. Which element released from CFC and HCFC refrigerants is responsible for destroying stratospheric ozone?

2. Which refrigerant group has the highest ozone depletion potential?

3. The international agreement that set the schedule for phasing out ozone-depleting refrigerants is the:

4. Since what date has it been illegal to knowingly vent CFC or HCFC refrigerant while servicing stationary equipment?

5. Which of the following releases is permitted under Section 608?

6. What is the maximum award EPA may pay to a person who provides information leading to a penalty for intentional venting?

7. A technician who services household window air conditioners containing 3 pounds of R-22 needs at least which certification?

8. Which statement about Section 608 technician certification is correct?

9. Since January 1, 2018, who may buy HFC refrigerant such as R-410A in a 25-pound cylinder?

10. Who may purchase refrigerant without holding a technician certification?

11. Refrigerant that has been cleaned using oil separation and single or multiple passes through filter-driers, for reuse by the same owner, is called:

12. Refrigerant that has been reprocessed to at least the purity specified in AHRI Standard 700 is considered:

13. Recovery and recycling equipment used on stationary equipment must be certified by an EPA-approved testing organisation to which standard?

14. When a technician opens an appliance for a major repair, the refrigerant must first be:

15. Recovery equipment with a system-dependent (passive) design relies on:

16. A refillable refrigerant recovery cylinder must never be filled beyond:

17. Before shipping any used refrigerant cylinder, check that the cylinder meets what standards?

18. Refrigerant recovery cylinders are identified by what colour scheme?

19. Refrigerant cylinders should be stored and transported:

20. Before working with any refrigerant, a technician should read the:

21. When refrigerant contacts an open flame or a very hot surface, it can decompose into:

22. Why must a system be evacuated to a deep vacuum before recharging?

23. Under Section 608, owners of appliances containing 50 or more pounds of an ozone-depleting refrigerant must repair leaks that exceed what annual rate in commercial refrigeration?

24. A technician recovers refrigerant into a cylinder, then reads a system pressure rise after reaching the required vacuum. The most likely explanation is:

25. Which gas may be used to pressurise a system for leak testing?

Answer key with explanations

Read straight through as a study sheet, or print it to revise from.

Open the full answer key (25 answers)
  1. 1. D — Chlorine. Chlorine atoms break free from CFC and HCFC molecules under UV light and catalytically destroy ozone. HFCs and HFOs contain no chlorine, which is why their ozone depletion potential is zero.
  2. 2. C — CFCs such as R-12 and R-11. CFCs are fully halogenated and very stable, so they survive long enough to reach the stratosphere. HCFCs contain hydrogen, break down sooner and deplete less ozone; HFCs and HFOs deplete none.
  3. 3. A — Montreal Protocol. The Montreal Protocol (1987) is the international treaty. The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 are the US law that implements it, and Section 608 is the part of that law covering stationary refrigeration and air conditioning.
  4. 4. C — July 1, 1992. The venting ban for CFCs and HCFCs took effect July 1, 1992. It was extended to substitute refrigerants such as HFCs on November 15, 1995. Technician certification became mandatory on November 14, 1994.
  5. 5. B — A de minimis release while making a good-faith attempt to recover refrigerant. Only de minimis (unavoidable, trivial) releases that occur while recovering or recycling in good faith are exempt, along with releases from mixtures such as oil that has been recovered. Hose purging must be done with low-loss fittings, not by venting.
  6. 6. B — $10,000. Section 113(f) of the Clean Air Act allows awards of up to $10,000. Civil penalties for violations are adjusted for inflation and currently exceed $50,000 per day per violation.
  7. 7. A — Type I. Type I covers small appliances: hermetically sealed, factory-charged with 5 pounds or less of refrigerant. Type II covers high-pressure equipment above that, Type III covers low-pressure chillers, and Universal is all three.
  8. 8. B — It never expires. Section 608 certification does not expire. Technicians should keep a copy of their card, because wholesalers must verify certification before selling refrigerant in containers of 2 pounds or more.
  9. 9. B — Only Section 608 certified technicians (or Section 609 for MVAC) and buyers who certify the refrigerant is for resale. EPA extended the refrigerant sales restriction to HFCs on January 1, 2018. The exception is small cans (under 2 lb) of MVAC refrigerant with self-sealing valves. Wholesalers must keep sales records for three years.
  10. 10. B — Employers who buy refrigerant for their certified technicians to use. An employer or contractor may buy refrigerant for use by its certified technicians; the wholesaler records that at least one certified technician is employed. Apprentices must be closely supervised and the certified technician must take responsibility.
  11. 11. C — Recycled refrigerant. Recover means removing refrigerant in any condition and storing it. Recycle means cleaning it on site for reuse in the same owner’s equipment. Reclaim means reprocessing to AHRI Standard 700 purity, with chemical analysis, which only an EPA-certified reclaimer can certify.
  12. 12. D — Reclaimed refrigerant. Reclaimed refrigerant meets AHRI 700 and is tested to prove it. Only reclaimed (or new) refrigerant may be sold to a different owner; recycled refrigerant can only go back into equipment owned by the same person.
  13. 13. D — AHRI Standard 740. AHRI 740 is the performance standard for recovery and recycling equipment used under Section 608. AHRI 700 is the purity standard for reclaimed refrigerant. SAE J2788 is the MVAC equipment standard under Section 609.
  14. 14. C — Recovered to the evacuation level required for that appliance type. The required recovery vacuum depends on the appliance type and size and on when the recovery equipment was made. If the appliance leaks, you may recover to 0 psig for a non-major repair, but a major repair still requires the full level.
  15. 15. B — The appliance’s compressor or the pressure in the appliance. System-dependent recovery uses the appliance’s pressure or compressor and may only be used on appliances containing 15 pounds or less. Self-contained (active) equipment has its own means of moving refrigerant and can be used on any size.
  16. 16. A — 80% of its water capacity. Liquid refrigerant expands as it warms. The 80% limit leaves space so hydrostatic pressure cannot rupture the cylinder. Use a scale and stop when the cylinder reaches 80%, or use a cylinder with a float switch.
  17. 17. A — Department of Transportation (DOT) requirements. Recovery cylinders are DOT-approved pressure vessels. They must have a current hydrostatic test date (every five years), be labelled with the refrigerant type and be marked with the correct DOT classification before transport.
  18. 18. C — Grey body with a yellow top. Recovery cylinders have a grey body and a yellow top (shoulder). Disposable cylinders for new refrigerant are colour-coded by refrigerant, and they must never be refilled or used for recovery.
  19. 19. B — Upright, secured, protected from heat above 125 F and with the valve cap in place. Cylinders must be secured so they cannot fall, kept away from heat and never heated above 125 F. Disposable cylinders should be recovered to a vacuum and rendered unusable before disposal.
  20. 20. A — Safety Data Sheet (SDS). The SDS lists toxicity, flammability, exposure limits and first-aid measures. Refrigerants are heavier than air and can displace oxygen in confined spaces, so ventilation and oxygen monitoring matter during large releases.
  21. 21. A — Hydrochloric and hydrofluoric acid, and possibly phosgene. The decomposition products are toxic and corrosive. Never use a halide torch in an unventilated space, never smoke near refrigerant and do not braze on a charged system.
  22. 22. B — To remove air and moisture that cause high head pressure, acids and ice at the metering device. Air is a non-condensable that raises discharge pressure; moisture reacts with refrigerant and oil to form acids and can freeze at the expansion device. A micron gauge reading of 500 microns or less that holds indicates a dry, tight system.
  23. 23. D — 20%. For ODS appliances with 50 lb or more: 20% for commercial refrigeration, 20% for industrial process refrigeration and 10% for comfort cooling and all other appliances. Repairs are due within 30 days. Separate AIM Act rules now set thresholds for HFC appliances of 15 lb or more.
  24. 24. A — Refrigerant is still boiling out of the oil, or the system has a leak letting air in. A rise after recovery usually means refrigerant trapped in oil or cold components is still evaporating. Wait and recover again. If the pressure keeps climbing to atmospheric, the system is leaking air in.
  25. 25. C — Dry nitrogen with a pressure regulator and relief valve. Dry nitrogen is inert and moisture-free. Oxygen and compressed air can react explosively with compressor oil, and air introduces moisture. Always use a regulator and a relief valve, and never exceed the equipment’s rated test pressure.

Questions people ask about the EPA 608 Core exam

How many questions are on the EPA 608 Core exam?

25 multiple-choice questions, like every Section 608 section. You need 18 correct (72%). Most programs give one combined sitting of Core plus whichever Types you register for.

Is the EPA 608 Core test open book?

Only Type I may be offered as a non-proctored open-book test by mail or online. Core, Type II and Type III must be proctored, either in person or by an online proctor.

Does EPA 608 certification expire?

No. Section 608 certification is valid for life. If you lose your card, see our EPA 608 certification lookup guide for how to get a replacement.

Do I need to pass Core if I only want Type I?

Yes. Core is the prerequisite for every Section 608 certification, including Type I. Programs usually test Core and your chosen Types in the same sitting.

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