EPA 608 Practice Test: Free Core, Type I, II & III Questions (2026)

Quick answer: The EPA Section 608 exam has four sections — Core, Type I, Type II and Type III — each with 25 multiple-choice questions and a pass mark of 18 (72%). You must pass Core plus at least one Type; passing all four earns Universal certification. The free test below gives you 10 questions from each section with a separate score per section, so you can see which exam to study for before you pay for a sitting.

EPA 608 exam at a glance

Sections: Core (required), Type I small appliances, Type II high-pressure, Type III low-pressure
Questions: 25 per section (this sampler: 10 per section, 40 total)
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

Each section below is scored separately as you go, and the final card shows all four. Treat any section under 7 of 10 as the one to study. For a full 25-question test on a single section, use the links in each heading or the related guides at the end: Core, Type I, Type II, Type III.

These are original questions written from EPA’s Section 608 regulations. The real exam is proctored except for Type I, so practise without notes.

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?

Type I — small appliances

11. Under Section 608, a small appliance is one that is hermetically sealed and factory charged with:

12. Which of these is NOT a small appliance for Type I purposes?

13. A technician who only services small appliances needs recovery equipment that is:

14. When recovering from a small appliance whose compressor is operating, recovery equipment manufactured after November 15, 1993 must capture at least:

15. If the compressor of a small appliance is not operating, the recovery requirement is:

16. Why is 4 inches of mercury vacuum offered as an alternative to the percentage recovery requirement?

17. Which recovery method uses the appliance’s own compressor to push refrigerant into a recovery bag or cylinder?

18. When using a system-dependent recovery process on a small appliance with a working compressor, the recommended technique is to:

19. Recovery from a small appliance with a seized compressor can be improved by:

20. A piercing-type (saddle) access valve installed to recover refrigerant from a small appliance should be:

Type II — high-pressure

21. Type II certification covers which appliances?

22. Compared with R-22, R-410A operates at pressures that are roughly:

23. R-410A and R-404A are zeotropic blends. When charging them into a system you should:

24. The ‘glide’ of a zeotropic refrigerant blend refers to:

25. A system shows higher than normal head pressure, normal subcooling and the condenser is clean. A likely cause is:

26. For an R-22 appliance containing less than 200 pounds, recovery equipment made after November 15, 1993 must evacuate the system to:

27. An R-404A supermarket rack holds 350 pounds of refrigerant. Using current recovery equipment, the required recovery level before opening for a major repair is:

28. If an appliance is known to be leaking, EPA allows recovery to what level before a non-major repair?

29. Which repair is defined as a ‘major repair’ under Section 608?

30. To speed up recovery from a large high-pressure system, the technician should:

Type III — low-pressure

31. Type III certification covers appliances using low-pressure refrigerants, which are defined as refrigerants with a boiling point:

32. Because a low-pressure chiller operates in a vacuum, a leak in the system will cause:

33. The purpose of a purge unit on a low-pressure chiller is to:

34. R-123, the common replacement for R-11 in low-pressure chillers, is in ASHRAE safety group:

35. The ozone depletion potential of R-11 compared with R-123 is:

36. For a low-pressure appliance, recovery equipment manufactured after November 15, 1993 must achieve a vacuum of:

37. When recovering refrigerant from a low-pressure chiller, the technician should remove:

38. During vapour recovery from a low-pressure chiller, condensing the vapour requires:

39. After reaching the required vacuum on a low-pressure chiller, the pressure rises again. This indicates:

40. Why is refrigerant recovered from the chiller’s oil, and how?

Answer key with explanations

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

Open the full answer key (40 answers)

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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. B — 5 pounds or less of refrigerant. Small appliances are manufactured, charged and hermetically sealed in a factory with five pounds or less of refrigerant. Examples include household refrigerators and freezers, window air conditioners, dehumidifiers, water coolers and vending machines.
12. D — A split-system heat pump charged in the field with 6 pounds. A split system is charged in the field, not factory sealed, and its charge is above 5 lb, so it is Type II equipment. PTACs qualify as small appliances when they are factory charged with 5 lb or less.
13. A — Certified for small appliances by an EPA-approved testing organisation. Recovery equipment used on small appliances must be certified by an EPA-approved organisation such as AHRI or UL, unless it was grandfathered. Technicians may use system-dependent or self-contained equipment for small appliances.
14. B — 90% of the refrigerant. The rule is 90% when the compressor is operating and 80% when it is not, or, as an alternative, the equipment must achieve a vacuum of 4 inches of mercury. The percentage reflects how much refrigerant the compressor helps push out.
15. D — Recover 80% or reach 4 inches Hg vacuum. With a non-operating compressor the target drops to 80%, or 4 inches of mercury vacuum. Techniques that help include heating and tapping the compressor, and using a vacuum pump in series with the recovery device.
16. D — Because it is impossible to measure the exact charge remaining in a sealed system in the field. A technician cannot weigh the refrigerant remaining in a sealed small appliance, so a measurable vacuum level is the practical compliance test.
17. A — System-dependent (passive) recovery. System-dependent, or passive, recovery relies on the appliance’s compressor or internal pressure. It may only be used on appliances with 15 pounds or less of refrigerant, and small appliances fall within that limit.
18. D — Run the compressor and recover from the high side. Running the compressor pushes refrigerant to the high side where it can be captured quickly. If the compressor will not run, heat and tap it to release refrigerant trapped in the oil and pull from both sides.
19. D — Heating the compressor with a heat gun and tapping it with a rubber mallet, then recovering from both high and low sides. Refrigerant dissolves in compressor oil. Warming and striking the compressor releases it. Accessing both sides of the system shortens recovery time.
20. C — Removed and the hole brazed or the line sealed after recovery, because piercing valves leak over time. Piercing valves are only approved for temporary access. They are a known leak point, so after service the valve is removed and the tube is sealed, or a permanent brazed process-tube access fitting is installed.
21. D — High-pressure and very-high-pressure appliances that are not small appliances or MVAC. Type II covers equipment using high-pressure refrigerants such as R-22, R-410A, R-134a and R-404A: split systems, rooftop units, supermarket racks and most commercial refrigeration. Very-high-pressure refrigerants such as R-744 and R-503 are included.
22. B — 50 to 70% higher. R-410A pressures are about 50 to 70% higher than R-22 at the same temperature. Gauges, hoses, recovery cylinders and recovery machines must be rated for R-410A, and the compressor oil is POE rather than mineral.
23. A — Charge as liquid from the cylinder so the blend composition stays correct. Zeotropic blends fractionate: the components boil at different temperatures, so vapour leaving the cylinder has a different composition than the liquid. Charging liquid (throttled into the suction line if the system is running) keeps the composition correct.
24. B — The temperature range over which it evaporates or condenses at a constant pressure. Because the components of a blend change phase at different temperatures, the mixture evaporates across a range of temperatures. Technicians use dew-point and bubble-point values on the PT chart for superheat and subcooling.
25. C — Non-condensable gases (air) in the system. Air collects in the condenser and raises discharge pressure. Confirm by shutting the system down and comparing condenser pressure with the saturation pressure for the ambient temperature; a higher reading indicates non-condensables, which must be removed by recovery and evacuation.
26. B — 0 inches Hg (atmospheric pressure). HCFC-22 appliances under 200 lb: 0 psig. HCFC-22 appliances of 200 lb or more: 10 inches Hg. Other high-pressure refrigerants: 10 inches Hg under 200 lb and 15 inches Hg at 200 lb or more. Very-high-pressure appliances: 0 psig.
27. B — 15 inches Hg. High-pressure appliances other than R-22 at 200 lb or more must be taken to 15 inches of mercury vacuum. Under 200 lb the level is 10 inches Hg.
28. D — 0 psig, to avoid pulling air and moisture into the system. Pulling a deep vacuum on a leaking system draws in air and moisture. For non-major repairs EPA allows recovery to atmospheric pressure (0 psig). A major repair (compressor, condenser, evaporator replacement) still requires the full evacuation level.
29. B — Replacing a compressor, condenser, evaporator or auxiliary heat exchanger coil. Major repairs involve removing a compressor, condenser, evaporator or auxiliary heat exchanger coil. Those require evacuation to the full required level; other repairs on a leaking system can use the 0 psig allowance.
30. D — Recover liquid first, then vapour, and keep the recovery cylinder cool. Liquid recovery moves far more refrigerant per minute. Once liquid is out, switch to vapour recovery. Keeping the cylinder cool (even in ice) lowers its pressure and increases the pressure difference driving flow.
31. B — Above 50 F at atmospheric pressure. Low-pressure refrigerants boil above 50 F at atmospheric pressure, so the evaporator and often the whole machine operate below atmospheric pressure. Examples are R-11, R-123, R-113 and the newer R-1233zd.
32. B — Air and moisture to be drawn into the system. The system is below atmospheric pressure on the low side, so leaks pull air and moisture in rather than letting refrigerant out. That is why low-pressure chillers are fitted with purge units to remove the non-condensables that collect in the condenser.
33. D — Remove non-condensable gases (mainly air) that collect in the condenser. Air that leaks in collects at the top of the condenser and raises head pressure. The purge unit separates it from refrigerant vapour and discharges it. Excessive purge run time is a sign of a leak.
34. B — B1. R-123 is non-flammable but has higher toxicity (B1) with a low occupational exposure limit. Machinery rooms need refrigerant monitors, ventilation and self-contained breathing apparatus available, as required by ASHRAE 15.
35. C — Much higher. R-11 is a CFC with an ODP of 1.0. R-123 is an HCFC with an ODP of about 0.02. R-1233zd, the current replacement, has essentially zero ODP and very low GWP.
36. B — 25 mm Hg absolute. Low-pressure appliances must be recovered to 25 mm Hg absolute, which is about 29 inches of mercury vacuum. Equipment made before that date only had to reach 25 inches Hg.
37. B — Liquid first, then vapour. Liquid is removed first because it moves the bulk of the charge quickly. Vapour recovery follows to reach the required vacuum. Heating the chiller water circuits (not above the maximum) speeds vapour recovery.
38. A — A compressor and a water-cooled or air-cooled condenser in the recovery unit. Low-pressure recovery units have a compressor to raise the vapour pressure and a condenser to liquefy it into the recovery vessel. A plain vacuum pump would move vapour but could not store it as liquid.
39. A — Refrigerant is still boiling out of the oil, or a leak is letting air in; wait and recover again. Refrigerant trapped in oil and cold metal continues to vaporise. Repeat recovery until the vacuum holds. A steady rise to atmospheric pressure means air is leaking in.
40. C — Oil holds a large amount of dissolved refrigerant; it is warmed so the refrigerant boils off and is recovered. Low-pressure refrigerants dissolve readily in oil. Heating the oil (for example with the chiller’s oil heater) releases the refrigerant so it can be recovered before the oil is drained.

Questions people ask about the EPA 608 exam

What is on the EPA 608 Core exam?

Ozone depletion science, the Clean Air Act and Montreal Protocol, the three Rs (recover, recycle, reclaim), recovery equipment certification, cylinder handling and DOT shipping rules, safety, dehydration and the leak-repair rules. Core is required for every certification.

What is the difference between Type I, II and III?

Type I is small appliances factory-charged with 5 lb or less (fridges, window units). Type II is high-pressure equipment such as split systems, rooftop units and commercial refrigeration. Type III is low-pressure chillers using R-11, R-123 or R-1233zd. Universal means all three plus Core.

Which EPA 608 certification should I get?

Residential and light commercial HVAC technicians usually need Type II. Appliance repair technicians need Type I. Chiller mechanics need Type III. Most HVAC employers expect Universal, and the extra two sections cost little more at the same sitting.

What is the pass mark for the EPA 608 test?

18 correct out of 25 on each section, which is 72%. Sections are scored independently; you can pass Core and Type II and retake Type III later.

Can I take the EPA 608 test online?

Yes. Core, Type II and Type III require a proctor, which most programs now offer by webcam. Type I can be taken open book without a proctor. See our guide to choosing an EPA-approved testing program.

How much does EPA 608 certification cost?

Typically $25 to $150, depending on whether you buy a test only or a course plus test. See the EPA 608 certification cost breakdown.

Is this the same as the EPA 609 test?

No. Section 609 covers motor-vehicle air conditioning and is a separate, open-book, 25-question test. Try the EPA 609 practice test if you work on vehicles.

EPA 608 Practice Test: 40 Free Questions (Core, Type I, II, III) With Answers