Free practice test
Three original exam-style questions from each section of the EPA Section 608 technician exam: Core, Type I, Type II and Type III. Answer, then expand the explanation. The A2L & EPA 608 Test Prep app has 250+ EPA 608 questions, 25-question section mocks and a 100-question Universal mock — free and offline.
Independent study material. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the U.S. EPA, ESCO Institute, Mainstream Engineering, or any certifying organization.
Core · De minimis
Which release counts as de minimis and is NOT a violation of the venting prohibition?
D. De minimis releases are the small, unavoidable losses that occur during a good-faith effort to recover refrigerant with certified equipment and required practices. Deliberate releases to save time or test for leaks are violations.
Core · Sales restriction
Who may buy refrigerant such as R-22 or R-410A for servicing stationary equipment?
C. The sales restriction limits refrigerant sales to certified technicians, employers of certified technicians who provide proof, and a few other listed buyers such as manufacturers and resellers.
Core · Blends
Fractionation in a zeotropic refrigerant blend means:
C. The components of a zeotropic blend have different boiling points, so a vapor leak or vapor charging can remove more of one component than another and shift the blend's composition.
Type I · Small appliance definition
Under Section 608, a "small appliance" is one that is:
B. The definition has two parts: the unit must be built, charged, and hermetically sealed at the factory, and it must hold 5 lb or less. A field-charged system does not qualify even if its charge is small.
Type I · Recovery requirements
Using recovery equipment made on or after November 15, 1993, how much refrigerant must be recovered from a small appliance whose compressor works?
B. With newer equipment and a functioning compressor, 90 percent of the charge must be recovered. The alternative is to evacuate the appliance to 4 inches of mercury vacuum.
Type I · Recovery equipment
System-dependent (passive) recovery equipment relies on:
C. By definition, system-dependent equipment needs components contained in the appliance, such as its compressor, or the refrigerant's own pressure, to remove the refrigerant.
Type II · Pressure categories
Under the current Section 608 definitions, a high-pressure appliance uses a refrigerant whose liquid saturation pressure at 104°F is:
C. EPA sorts appliances by the refrigerant’s saturation pressure at 104°F. 170–355 psia is high pressure (R-22, R-407C, R-410A); 45–170 psia is medium pressure and below 45 psia is low pressure. Older guides use the pre-2017 boiling-point definitions instead.
Type II · Evacuation levels
Using a recovery machine built after November 15, 1993, what level must an R-22 system with a 150-pound full charge reach before it is opened for a major repair?
D. For a high-pressure appliance or isolated component with a full charge under 200 lb, Table 1 requires 0 in. Hg vacuum whether the recovery machine is old or new. Deeper levels apply only at 200 lb and up. The current table puts R-410A and R-404A in this same row; older guides with a separate HCFC-22 row may show 10 in. Hg for them.
Type II · Leak repair thresholds
As of 2026, an R-22 comfort-cooling chiller with a 200-pound full charge must have leaks repaired once its leak rate exceeds:
D. For appliances with 50 lb or more of ozone-depleting refrigerant, comfort cooling (and “all other”) appliances have a 10% leak-rate trigger. 20% is commercial refrigeration and 30% is industrial process refrigeration.
Type III · Pressure-temperature
An idle R-123 chiller sits in a 70°F equipment room. What will a gauge on the refrigerant side show?
D. R-123 boils at about 82°F at atmospheric pressure, so at 70°F its saturation pressure is below atmospheric and the gauge reads a vacuum. This is why idle low-pressure chillers can still draw air in through leaks.
Type III · Leak signs
The purge unit on a chiller now runs much more often than its normal logged run time. This most likely means:
C. Excessive purging is the classic sign of a leak into a low-pressure system. Tracking purge run time or pump-out counts is an early leak indicator.
Type III · Leak testing
Why must the refrigerant side of a low-pressure chiller be brought above atmospheric pressure before searching for leaks?
B. While the shell is in a vacuum, leaks flow inward and a detector has nothing to sense. A slight positive pressure, kept within the safe limit, pushes refrigerant out at the leak.
240+ more EPA 608 questions, section mocks scored 18 of 25, a 100-question Universal mock, and A2L safety prep — free, offline, no account.
About the exam
Anyone who maintains, services, repairs or disposes of equipment in a way that could release refrigerant into the atmosphere, under 40 CFR 82.161. Certification is also needed to buy most refrigerants for stationary equipment: the sales restriction limits sales to certified technicians and employers of certified technicians.
Four sections: Core, Type I (small appliances), Type II (high-pressure and very-high-pressure appliances) and Type III (low-pressure appliances). Each section is commonly 25 questions, and 18 correct (72%) is the commonly published passing score for each. You pass Core plus at least one Type; passing all four is Universal certification. Some providers offer Type I as an open-book test with its own passing score, so check your provider.
No. Section 608 technician certification does not expire. Keep your card or certificate, because refrigerant sellers and employers can ask to see it.
No. These are original practice questions written for the A2L & EPA 608 Test Prep app and checked against 40 CFR Part 82 Subpart F and Part 84 as of 2026. They are not copied from any exam or question bank. Certification comes only from a proctored test given by an EPA-approved certifying organization.
Corrections are welcome at mike@hvacloadcalculator.online. The bank is original material reviewed against the regulations it cites.
Keep going