EPA 608 Type II Practice Test: 25 Free Questions With Answers

ByJabeer

Quick answer: Type II covers high-pressure and very-high-pressure equipment: split systems, rooftop units, heat pumps and commercial refrigeration using R-22, R-410A, R-134a, R-404A and similar. It is the certification most HVAC technicians need. The exam is 25 questions, pass mark 18 (72%), proctored.

EPA 608 Type II exam at a glance

  • Questions: 25 multiple choice (this practice test: 25)
  • Equipment: high-pressure appliances that are not small appliances or MVAC
  • Key numbers: R-22 under 200 lb: 0 psig; other high-pressure under 200 lb: 10 in. Hg; 200 lb or more: 15 in. Hg
  • 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 Type II 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.

Type II — high-pressure

1. Type II certification covers which appliances?

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

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

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

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

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

7. 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:

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

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

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

11. The push-pull recovery method uses:

12. Recovering refrigerant with a system-dependent (passive) device is NOT permitted on appliances containing more than:

13. The most appropriate gas for pressurising a high-pressure system to locate a leak is:

14. Under Section 608, an owner of a comfort-cooling appliance with 50 or more pounds of ODS refrigerant must repair a leak when the annual leak rate exceeds:

15. After repairing a leak on an appliance subject to the leak-repair rule, the owner must conduct:

16. Which leak-detection method pinpoints the exact location of a small leak once a general area is known?

17. A standing pressure test with dry nitrogen shows no drop over several hours, but the system lost charge in service. The technician should next suspect:

18. When charging liquid refrigerant into an operating system, it should be introduced:

19. Which component removes moisture and acids from circulating refrigerant?

20. The oil normally used with R-410A and R-134a in stationary equipment is:

21. A system with a thermostatic expansion valve should be charged to the correct:

22. After a compressor burnout, the technician should:

23. Why should a technician not use a recovery cylinder that was last used for a different refrigerant without first evacuating it?

24. Before shipping a recovery cylinder containing refrigerant, the technician must ensure it is:

25. Technicians must keep records of refrigerant recovered and sent for reclamation from appliances of:

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 — 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.
  2. 2. 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.
  3. 3. 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.
  4. 4. 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.
  5. 5. 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.
  6. 6. 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.
  7. 7. 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.
  8. 8. 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.
  9. 9. 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.
  10. 10. 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.
  11. 11. D — The recovery machine to pull vapour from the cylinder and push it into the appliance, forcing liquid out into the cylinder. Push-pull is used for large liquid charges. Vapour is drawn from the top of the recovery cylinder, compressed and pushed into the appliance’s vapour port, which pushes liquid refrigerant out of the liquid port into the cylinder.
  12. 12. A — 15 pounds. System-dependent recovery may only be used on appliances with 15 lb or less. Larger charges require self-contained recovery equipment with its own compressor.
  13. 13. C — Dry nitrogen, with a trace of the system refrigerant if an electronic detector is used. Dry nitrogen is inert and dry. Oxygen and compressed air can explode on contact with compressor oil. Never exceed the nameplate test pressure, and always use a regulator and relief valve on the nitrogen cylinder.
  14. 14. B — 10%. The ODS thresholds are 20% for commercial refrigeration, 20% for industrial process refrigeration and 10% for comfort cooling and all other appliances. Repairs are required within 30 days, followed by an initial and a follow-up verification test.
  15. 15. D — An initial verification test before adding refrigerant and a follow-up verification test within 10 days of returning to normal operation. The initial verification test confirms the repair before recharging; the follow-up test confirms it under normal operating conditions within 10 days. Records must be kept for three years.
  16. 16. A — Soap-bubble solution. Bubble solution shows the exact point of the leak. Electronic and ultrasonic detectors locate the area; a standing nitrogen pressure test confirms that a leak exists but not where.
  17. 17. A — A leak that only opens when the system is running and vibrating or when temperatures change. Some leaks open only under operating vibration or thermal expansion, such as at the compressor or at coil U-bends. Running the system with an electronic detector, or testing at higher pressure within the nameplate limit, may be needed.
  18. 18. D — Slowly into the suction line through a throttling device, or into the liquid line with the system off. Liquid entering the compressor causes slugging and damage. Throttle liquid into the suction line so it flashes to vapour, or charge liquid into the high side (receiver or liquid line) while the system is off.
  19. 19. B — Filter-drier. The filter-drier holds desiccant that absorbs moisture and traps particles. Replace it whenever the system is opened, and on burnout cleanups fit a suction-line filter-drier too.
  20. 20. D — Polyolester (POE). HFCs do not mix with mineral oil, so POE oil is used. POE is hygroscopic: keep containers sealed, do not leave the system open, and change the filter-drier.
  21. 21. C — Subcooling at the condenser outlet. The TXV controls evaporator superheat, so charge is set by measuring liquid-line subcooling against the manufacturer’s target. Fixed-orifice systems are charged by superheat.
  22. 22. D — Recover the refrigerant, flush or clean the system, replace the filter-driers and evacuate before recharging. Burnout leaves acid and carbon throughout the system. The contaminated refrigerant should be sent for reclamation, not reused, and the system must be cleaned and evacuated to a deep vacuum.
  23. 23. A — The residual refrigerant will contaminate the recovered charge and may make it unreclaimable. Residual refrigerant mixes with the new charge. Dedicate cylinders to one refrigerant or evacuate them first. Reclaimers reject or destroy mixed refrigerant, at the technician’s cost.
  24. 24. A — Labelled with the refrigerant type, within its DOT hydrostatic test date and filled to no more than 80%. DOT rules govern transport. Cylinders must be labelled, in test date (every five years), fitted with a valve cap and never overfilled.
  25. 25. B — 50 pounds or more. For appliances containing 50 lb or more, owners and technicians must keep service, leak-rate and refrigerant-addition records for three years. Shipping records for refrigerant sent off site to a reclaimer should also be kept.

Questions people ask about the EPA 608 Type II exam

How many questions are on the EPA 608 Type II 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 Type II 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.

Is Type II enough for residential HVAC work?

For servicing split systems, heat pumps and rooftop units, yes. Many employers still ask for Universal, and adding Type I and Type III at the same sitting costs little extra.

Related guides

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Related problems

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