Readiness check

EPA 608 certification practice test

The EPA 608 exam is built from the Core section plus the type you certify for, so this practice test pulls from both. The questions below mirror the domains the real test grades: the venting prohibition, recovery versus reclaim, cylinder handling, the sales restriction, and how Type I, II, III, and Universal divide the equipment. Your score is calculated on your device. Enter an email only if you want the full study guide sent over.

1. Section 608 of the Clean Air Act prohibits which of these?Knowingly venting refrigerants and their substitutes while servicing, maintaining, or disposing of AC and refrigeration equipmentVenting only CFC refrigerants, since HCFCs and HFCs are exemptInstalling any equipment that runs on R-410ASelling used equipment to a homeowner

2. Why does releasing CFC and HCFC refrigerant damage the stratospheric ozone layer?UV light breaks them apart in the stratosphere, freeing chlorine that destroys ozone molecules and lets more UV reach the surfaceThe gas physically pushes the ozone layer farther from earthThey mix with rain to form acid that falls onto the ozone layerThey block sunlight until the stratosphere cools and the ozone freezes

3. What does it mean to RECLAIM refrigerant under Section 608?Reprocess it to the AHRI Standard 700 purity level and verify that purity, which is the only refrigerant that can be sold to a new ownerRemove it from the appliance and store it in a cylinder without any testing or processingClean it on site with a filter-drier and return it to the same owner's equipmentVent the small amount left after a good-faith recovery attempt

4. When you fill a refillable recovery cylinder with liquid refrigerant, what is the limit?No more than 80 percent of capacity by weight, so there is vapor space for the liquid to expand as it warms100 percent, packed full so no air can get in90 percent by volume, read off a sight glassNo limit, as long as the cylinder carries a DOT stamp

5. A large refrigerant release happens in an enclosed mechanical room. What is the hazard and the right move?Refrigerant is heavier than air and displaces oxygen, so evacuate and ventilate the space, and use SCBA if you have to enterRefrigerant is flammable in every case, so fire is the only thing to watchIt is harmless once it warms to room temperature, so just open a window laterKeep working, since a dust mask filters refrigerant vapor

6. Under the sales restriction, who may buy refrigerant, and how long does the seller keep the records?EPA-certified technicians or their employers, and the seller keeps the sale records for at least 3 yearsAnyone with a contractor license, and records are kept for 1 yearOnly refrigerant manufacturers, with no recordkeeping requiredAny homeowner buying for their own equipment, with no time limit on records

7. Type I certification covers which equipment?Small appliances factory-charged with 5 pounds or less of refrigerant, like household refrigerators and window AC unitsLow-pressure centrifugal chillersMotor vehicle air conditioningAny system charged with more than 50 pounds

8. A tech who services residential and light-commercial AC running R-22 or R-410A needs which certification?Type II, for high- and very-high-pressure appliancesType I, for small appliancesType III, for low-pressure appliancesNone, since R-410A is not ozone-depleting

9. Which certification covers low-pressure appliances such as centrifugal chillers, and what sets those systems apart?Type III, because low-pressure systems run under a vacuumType II, because chillers operate at very high pressureType I, because chillers are sealed at the factorySection 609, because chillers are handled like vehicle AC

10. How does a technician earn Universal certification?Pass the Core section plus all three type exams, Type I, Type II, and Type IIIPass the Core section alonePass any one of the three type examsHold an active state HVAC license for 5 years