How the EPA 608 exam works: sections, question counts, the 70 percent pass mark and the open-book rules

Checked on September 11, 2026, against the current eCFR text of 40 CFR 82.161, 40 CFR 82.152 and Appendix D to Subpart F of Part 82, and against EPA's Section 608 certification pages. Every figure below names its source; the sources are listed at the end.

Most of what circulates about the Section 608 exam comes from the marketing pages of the organizations that sell it. The rules that bind every one of those organizations sit in two places: 40 CFR 82.161, which says who must be certified and how programs are approved, and Appendix D to Subpart F of Part 82, which says how the test is built, scored, proctored and recorded. This page walks through both: which certification you need, how the test is assembled, the pass mark, when a test can be open book, what happens after you pass, and whether the card ever expires.

Which certification you need

Anyone who could reasonably be expected to break into the refrigerant circuit while maintaining, servicing, repairing or disposing of an appliance that contains a class I or class II refrigerant or a non-exempt substitute must pass a certification exam from an approved program (§82.161(a)(1)). The regulation splits that into four certifications:

• Type I for small appliances. A small appliance is one that is fully manufactured, charged and hermetically sealed in a factory with five pounds or less of refrigerant; the regulation's own examples include refrigerators and freezers, room air conditioners, dehumidifiers, under-the-counter ice makers, vending machines and drinking water coolers (§82.152, "Small appliance").
• Type II for medium-, high- and very high-pressure appliances, except small appliances, motor vehicle air conditioners and MVAC-like appliances (§82.161(a)(1)(ii)).
• Type III for low-pressure appliances (§82.161(a)(1)(iii)).
• Universal for all of the above (§82.161(a)(1)(iv)).

Two edges worth knowing. Motor vehicle air conditioning is a separate program under 40 CFR part 82, subpart B, and the air conditioners on off-road vehicles (MVAC-like appliances) can be serviced with either a Type II certification or a subpart B one (§82.161(a)(1)(v) and (vi)). Nobody needs a certification to dispose of small appliances, MVACs or MVAC-like appliances (§82.161(a)(1)(vii)). Apprentices are exempt while closely and continually supervised by a certified technician, and the two of them share the responsibility for compliance (§82.161(a)(2)).

How the test is assembled

The questions come from a bank that EPA develops and releases only to approved certification programs. The bank has a core group and technical groups, and every test must draw at least 25 questions from the core group and at least 25 from each technical group that applies to the certification sought (§82.161(c)). Appendix D puts it in plain numbers: 25 questions from Group 1 and 25 from each relevant technical Group; a Universal test is 100 questions, 25 core plus 25 for each of the three types, and it can be taken in one sitting or built up by combining passing scores on separate Type I, Type II and Type III tests (Appendix D, section a).

Programs must pick questions randomly from the bank and use multiple versions of the test at every testing event (Appendix D, section a). What the groups cover is fixed too. Group 1, the core, asks about the environmental impact of CFCs, HCFCs and substitute refrigerants, laws and regulations, and the changing industry outlook. Group 2, the type-specific part, asks about leak detection, recovery techniques, safety, shipping and disposal (Appendix D, section d). EPA publishes a more detailed topic list for each of the four sections on its Test Topics page (EPA, Test Topics, updated December 5, 2025).

The regulation sets the counts and the topics. It says nothing about a time limit, so that part comes from the program you test with.

The pass mark

The passing score for the closed-book Type I, Type II, Type III and Universal test is 70 percent. For a Type I test taken in the mail-in format it is 84 percent (Appendix D, section e). On a 25-question section, 70 percent works out to 18 correct answers, because 17 of 25 is 68 percent; 84 percent is 21 of 25.

Open book or proctored

The regulation never uses the words open book. Its term is the mail-in format, which is what programs advertise as the open-book Type I. Type I is the only certification that can be earned that way: a program that certifies Type I only may choose an on-site format or a mail-in format similar to the one used for motor vehicle air conditioning. Type II, Type III and Universal require a closed-book, proctored test in a secure environment, and a mail-in Type I test cannot be counted toward a Universal certification (Appendix D, section a).

For the proctored formats the rules are specific. There must be at least one registered proctor for every 50 people testing at the same site. No notes or training materials are allowed, and the seating and the room must allow continuous surveillance. The proctor may not benefit from the outcome beyond a proctoring fee and may not know in advance which questions are on the test. Proctors verify identity from photo identification such as a driver's license, government ID card, passport or military ID. When the test ends, all test forms, answer sheets, scratch paper and notes go into a sealed envelope (Appendix D, sections b and c). Mail-in Type I programs still have to verify the identity of the person taking the test, and the study material shipped with a mail-in test may not contain sample questions that mimic the wording of the real ones (Appendix D, sections a and b).

None of this says where the proctor has to stand. EPA's list of approved programs notes that most Type I programs test on site, that the programs offering a mail-in option are marked, and that some programs offer remote or online testing that does not require travel to a physical location (EPA, Certification Programs for Section 608 Technicians, updated August 20, 2026). The same page states that EPA does not review or approve any training or preparatory programs or materials; approval covers the test, not the course.

Programs are encouraged to offer the test in other languages or to allow a translator, and any person can ask, in writing and at least 30 days before the test date, to take it orally (§82.161(b)(3)). Programs may charge a reasonable fee for administering the test (Appendix D, section a).

After you pass

The program must tell you your result and issue a standard wallet-sized card within 30 days of the test, or within 30 days of receiving a completed mail-in test (Appendix D, sections e and f). The card carries the program's name and the date EPA approved it, your name, the type of certification, a unique number that is not your Social Security number, and a fixed sentence stating that you passed the exam on how to responsibly handle refrigerants as required by EPA's National Recycling and Emissions Reduction Program (Appendix D, section f). Keep a copy of your certificate at your place of business, and keep it until three years after you stop working as a technician (§82.161(a)(4)).

The program keeps its records indefinitely (Appendix D, section g). Since January 1, 2018, every non-federal program has had to publish online a list of the technicians it certified on or after January 1, 2017, showing name, city of residence at the time of the test, certification types and dates, with notice to the technician and an opt-out (§82.161(b)(6)).

Does it expire?

No. EPA's certification page states that Section 608 credentials do not expire (EPA, Section 608 Technician Certification, updated March 23, 2026). Two things sit next to that. The regulation reserves EPA's right to require recertification at some future date by publishing a notice in the Federal Register (§82.161(a)(5)), and it allows a certificate to be revoked or suspended if a technician cannot demonstrate proper recovery and recycling procedures when asked, or breaks any provision of the subpart; a technician whose certificate is revoked must recertify before working on appliances again (§82.161(a)(3)). A credential issued by a program that later lost or gave up its approval stays valid (EPA, Certification Programs for Section 608 Technicians).

Numbers to remember

• Sections: Core plus Type I, Type II and Type III, 25 questions each; Universal is all four, 100 questions
• Pass mark: 70 percent closed book, which is 18 of 25; 84 percent for mail-in Type I, which is 21 of 25
• Open book: only Type I, and only from a program that tests Type I alone; Type II, Type III and Universal are closed book with a proctor, and a mail-in Type I does not count toward Universal
• Proctoring: one proctor per 50 test-takers, photo ID, no notes, sealed envelope afterward
• Results and card: within 30 days
• Small appliance: factory-sealed, five pounds of refrigerant or less
• Your certificate: keep a copy at your place of business, and for three years after you leave the trade
• Expiry: none today; EPA could add recertification only through a Federal Register notice

The mock exams in the EPA 608 Prep app use this format, 25 questions per section with the 70 percent pass mark, so the proctored test is not the first time you see it: EPA 608 Prep: HVAC Tests 2026.

This article is a study aid, not compliance advice. For the binding text, use the eCFR links above. StudyRig is an independent publisher and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or any certification provider.