EPA 608 exam at a glance
- 25questions per section
- 18correct to pass
- 72%pass mark per section
- 4sections: Core, I, II, III
Free EPA 608 Core practice quiz (25 questions)
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EPA 608 study guide
What the EPA 608 exam is
Section 608 of the Clean Air Act requires technicians who maintain, service, repair or dispose of equipment that could release refrigerant to be certified. The exam is given by EPA-approved certifying organizations and their proctors, not by the EPA itself. The certification is good for life.
The sections
| Section | Covers |
|---|---|
| Core | Ozone science, the Clean Air Act and Montreal Protocol, the three Rs, venting rules, substitutes, refrigeration basics, recovery, safety. Required for every certification. |
| Type I | Small appliances: factory-made, factory-charged, hermetically sealed, 5 pounds of refrigerant or less. |
| Type II | High-pressure appliances (and medium- and very-high-pressure), except small appliances and motor vehicle AC. |
| Type III | Low-pressure appliances, such as R-11 and R-123 centrifugal chillers. |
| Universal | Core plus Type I, II and III, all passed closed-book and proctored. |
Each section is 25 questions and you need 18 correct (72 percent). A Universal candidate sits 100 questions in total.
What to memorize
These are the facts the exam keeps coming back to. Each one is taught, with its source, in the 608Wise question bank.
- Three Rs. Recover: remove refrigerant to an external container, no testing required. Recycle: clean it (oil separation, filter-driers) for reuse by the same owner. Reclaim: reprocess to AHRI 700 purity, verified by analysis, so it can go to a new owner.
- Standards. AHRI 700 is refrigerant purity. AHRI 740 is how recovery machines are certified.
- Venting dates. Venting CFC and HCFC refrigerant has been illegal since November 15, 1993. Venting substitutes such as HFCs has been illegal since November 15, 1995.
- Phaseouts. New CFC production and import ended January 1, 1996. New R-22 production and import ended January 1, 2020. All HCFC production and import ends in 2030.
- Refrigerant classes. CFCs (like R-12) have the highest ozone depletion potential, HCFCs (like R-22) are much lower, and HFCs (like R-134a) are zero because they contain no chlorine. ODP is measured against CFC-11 (1.0). GWP is measured against CO2 (1).
- Pressure classes (saturation pressure at 104 degrees F). Low is below 45 psia, medium is 45 to 170, high is 170 to 355, very high is above 355.
- Small appliance. Factory-made, factory-charged, hermetically sealed, 5 pounds or less.
- Leak rate triggers. 10 percent comfort cooling, 20 percent commercial refrigeration, 30 percent industrial process refrigeration, per year.
- Records and cylinders. Keep sales and service records for 3 years. Fill a recovery cylinder to no more than 80 percent of its water capacity by weight. Never refill a DOT-39 disposable cylinder. Recovery cylinders are gray with a yellow top.
- Blends. 400-series refrigerants are zeotropic (they have temperature glide and can fractionate), so charge them as liquid. 500-series are azeotropic.
- Oils. CFC and HCFC systems use mineral oil. HFC systems use polyolester (POE) oil.
- Safety. Never pressurize a system with oxygen or compressed air. Use dry nitrogen with a regulator and a relief valve. Heavy refrigerant vapor displaces oxygen in low spaces.
- Certification. It never expires. Replacement cards come from the organization that certified you. Car AC for pay needs Section 609, not 608.
Regulations change. The app explains the reasoning behind each rule and cites the source, so you can check anything against the current text of 40 CFR Part 82 and the EPA Section 608 pages.
5-day EPA 608 study plan
- Day 1: Ozone and regulations. Learn the refrigerant classes, ODP and GWP, the venting and phaseout dates, and who may buy refrigerant. Take the Core quiz above to find your starting point.
- Day 2: The three Rs and the rules. Recover, recycle, reclaim, AHRI 700 and 740, leak rate thresholds, records, and certification rules. Redo every question you missed on Day 1.
- Day 3: Refrigeration basics, recovery and safety. The four components, superheat and subcooling, moisture and non-condensables, cylinder rules, nitrogen safety, blends and oils.
- Day 4: Your Type section(s). Type I small appliances, Type II high-pressure, Type III low-pressure, or all three for Universal. Study the definitions first, then practice questions.
- Day 5: Timed review. Do a full 25-question set per section against the 18-to-pass bar. Review misses, not just the score. Rest before the exam.
The 608Wise app has a missed-question review deck and per-topic practice built for this plan, and Types I to III have 100 questions each.
Want the full question bank? Get 608Wise for iPhone
- 400 original questions: 100 each for Core, Type I, Type II and Type III
- An explanation and a citation for every answer
- The Core section is free forever
- One purchase unlocks Types I to III and the Universal exam simulator (no subscription)
- English and Spanish versions
- Works offline
EPA 608 FAQ
Where can I find free EPA 608 test questions?
Right here: the quiz above has 25 free Core questions with explanations and citations. The 608Wise iOS app includes the full Core section (100 questions) free forever, and offers 100 more each for Type I, II and III through one purchase.
How can I practice for my EPA 608 exam?
Practice by section, read the explanation for every miss, and repeat the ones you got wrong. Start with Core, then your Type sections, then finish with timed 25-question sets so the 18-of-25 pass bar feels familiar.
What is the best way to study for the EPA 608 exam?
Spread it over several days, start with Core, learn the dates, thresholds and definitions the exam repeats, and let practice questions show your weak topics. See the 5-day plan above.
How many questions are on the exam and what is the passing score?
Each section has 25 questions and you need 18 correct (72 percent) to pass. Universal means passing Core plus Types I, II and III.
What are the sections of the EPA 608 exam?
Core, Type I (small appliances), Type II (high-pressure), Type III (low-pressure), and Universal, which is all four passed together.
Does EPA 608 certification expire?
No. It is good for life. If you lose your card, ask the organization that certified you for a replacement.
Is the EPA 608 exam open book?
Universal certification requires closed-book, proctored exams. The mail-in open-book Type I format counts only toward Type I.
Is there a free EPA 608 practice app?
Yes. 608Wise for iPhone has the complete Core section free forever, works offline, and comes in English and Spanish. Types I to III and the Universal simulator are a one-time purchase.