What the Type 2 exam covers
Type 2 certification covers high pressure and very high pressure appliances: residential split systems and central air conditioners, heat pumps, rooftop units, commercial refrigeration racks, and refrigerated warehouses. A high pressure appliance uses a refrigerant that boils between -50°C and 10°C at atmospheric pressure; very high pressure refrigerants boil below -50°C. The Type 2 section is 25 questions, pass mark 18 of 25 (72%), and the certification never expires.
A third of our Type 2 (Type II in older material) bank, 36 of 112 questions, is leak rules, because the 2019 rule change rewrote that part of Subpart F. Every threshold was reverified against the current eCFR text, so the figures here are 10/20/30, not the retired 35% rule. A submitted Type 2 practice run in the app averages six and a half minutes for 25 questions (app data as of August 2026, 94 sessions).
Technicians search for it as the EPA Type 2 test or an EPA Type 2 practice test; every question shows its answer and explanation the moment you pick. The Type 2 section tests three areas:
- Leak repair requirements: appliances with 50 or more pounds of refrigerant, at 10% comfort cooling, 20% commercial refrigeration, 30% industrial process refrigeration.
- Recovery vacuum levels: inches of mercury by refrigerant, charge size, and whether the recovery equipment was made before or after November 15, 1993.
- High pressure system components: receivers, accumulators, moisture indicating sight glasses, oil separators, and relief valves.
What Type 2 does not cover: MVAC, small appliances, low pressure
Three kinds of equipment sit outside Type 2. Motor vehicle air conditioning is tested under Section 609, not Section 608. Appliances with 5 pounds or less of refrigerant, such as window units, domestic refrigerators, and vending machines, belong to Type 1, and the EPA 608 Type 1 practice test covers them. Low pressure appliances whose refrigerant boils above 10°C at atmospheric pressure, such as R-123 and R-11 centrifugal chillers, belong to Type 3, covered by the EPA 608 Type 3 practice test. Very high pressure refrigerants such as R-13 and R-503 stay inside Type 2.
Taking the Type 2 exam: proctored, closed book, four providers
The Section 608 exam is closed book and proctored, either in person or online with a webcam proctor; the EPA 608 certification online guide compares the online providers, including ESCO Institute and Mainstream Engineering. Every candidate sits the 25-question Core section first, covered by the EPA 608 Core practice test. Passing Core plus all three Types earns Universal certification, and the EPA 608 Universal practice test simulates that full 100-question sitting. Fees run by certifying organization: Mainstream Engineering $26.95 per attempt ($7.95 per retest), ESCO Institute $60 to $85 for Universal online, HVAC Excellence $80 to $90 for Universal in person; the EPA 608 certification cost page lists every fee.
Leak repair requirements for systems over 50 pounds
Under Section 608, systems containing 50 or more pounds of refrigerant that leak above the annual threshold must be repaired within 30 days of discovery, or 120 days where the repair requires an industrial process shutdown. Owners who choose not to repair must instead submit a retrofit or retirement plan. Leak rates are calculated as a percentage of the total system charge per year. The exam is written to this 50-pound rule in 40 CFR Part 82, Subpart F; a parallel AIM Act rule in 40 CFR Part 84 applies the same thresholds to HFC appliances holding 15 pounds or more of refrigerant from January 1, 2026.
Leak rate thresholds: 10%, 20%, 30%
The threshold depends on what the appliance does, in three categories under 40 CFR §82.157.
| System Category | Annual Leak Rate Threshold | Example Systems |
|---|---|---|
| Comfort Cooling | 10% | Central AC, chillers for buildings |
| Commercial Refrigeration | 20% | Grocery store racks, walk in coolers |
| Industrial Process Refrigeration (IPR) | 30% | Food processing, chemical plants |
How often a leaking appliance must be inspected
Once an appliance has exceeded its threshold, the owner must inspect it for leaks on a schedule set by charge size: every three months for appliances holding 500 pounds or more of refrigerant, and once a year for commercial and industrial process appliances holding 50 to 500 pounds and for comfort cooling appliances holding 50 pounds or more. Inspections continue until the leak rate has stayed below the threshold for a full year; an appliance fitted with an automatic leak detection system that is calibrated annually is exempt from the periodic inspection. An appliance that leaks 125 percent or more of its full charge in a calendar year must be reported to EPA by March 1 of the following year (40 CFR §82.157).
Initial and follow-up verification tests
An initial verification test is run before refrigerant is added back, or before the appliance returns to normal operating characteristics, to confirm the leak is fixed. A follow-up verification test is then run within 30 days of the initial test, or within 30 days of the appliance returning to normal operation, at normal operating pressures and temperatures. If either test fails, the owner repeats the repair and the testing, or moves to a retrofit or retirement plan.
What counts as a major repair
Under 40 CFR §82.152, a major repair is any maintenance, service, or repair that involves removing the compressor, condenser, evaporator, or auxiliary heat exchanger coil. The distinction sets the evacuation depth: before opening an appliance for a major repair it must be evacuated to the recovery level for its refrigerant and charge size, while a non-major repair that will not be followed by evacuation of the appliance to the environment only requires pulling down to 0 psig.
Retrofit, retirement, and mothballing
An owner who cannot or will not repair the leak within the 30-day window must instead develop a retrofit or retirement plan within 30 days of that deadline and complete the plan within one year. Mothballing, which means evacuating the appliance to at least atmospheric pressure and taking it out of service, stops the repair clock; the deadlines resume when refrigerant is added and the appliance returns to service.
Service records kept for three years
Owners of appliances holding 50 or more pounds of refrigerant keep servicing records showing the date and type of service and the quantity of refrigerant added, for at least three years, and the technician gives the owner a written statement of the quantity added at each service (40 CFR §82.157).
Recovery and refrigerant handling on high pressure systems
Recovery on a high pressure system has three parts on the exam: the vacuum level, the nitrogen leak check afterward, and the cylinder and relief device limits.
Required recovery levels by charge and equipment date
Recovery depth is measured in inches of mercury (in. Hg) vacuum, and the target depends on the appliance charge and on whether your recovery equipment was made before or on/after November 15, 1993 (per 40 CFR §82.156). For an HCFC-22-class high pressure system (R-22, and high pressure HFCs such as R-410A): under 200 lbs of refrigerant requires 0 in. Hg; 200 lbs or more requires 4 in. Hg with pre-1993 equipment or 10 in. Hg with post-1993 equipment. Other high pressure refrigerants (CFC-12, R-500, R-502, R-114) at 200 lbs or more go to 15 in. Hg with post-1993 equipment. The EPA 608 study guide collects every vacuum level by refrigerant and system size in one table.
Leak checking with nitrogen and trace gas
Leak checking with dry nitrogen is the accepted pressure test on a new split system and on a repaired one alike, run after recovery and before charging. Pressurize through a regulator and relief valve, never above the low side test pressure on the nameplate, and never with oxygen or compressed air, which can explode on contact with refrigerant oil. Nitrogen mixed with a small amount of HCFC-22 as a trace gas lets an electronic detector pinpoint the leak, and that trace release is one of the few refrigerant releases the rule tolerates.
R-410A service, R-22 retrofit, and A2L replacements
R-22 (an HCFC) was banned in new equipment in 2010 and out of production since January 1, 2020, so only recovered and reclaimed R-22 is legal supply; the AIM Act phasedown applies to HFCs such as R-410A, not to R-22. R-32 and R-454B are A2L refrigerants, mildly flammable, lower GWP replacements shipping in new residential equipment; the EPA 608 Type 2 study guide covers the transition. Very high pressure refrigerants such as R-13 and R-503 only need recovery to 0 psig. The exam asks which refrigerants are HFCs, HCFCs, or blends, and what that means for venting rules and phase out timelines.
Pressure relief and recovery cylinder limits
Every high pressure system carries a pressure relief device, either a relief valve or a rupture disc, and relief valves must never be installed in series, only in parallel or through a three-way valve so one is always active. Recovery cylinders follow the same safety logic: they must be DOT-rated for the refrigerant, filled to no more than 80 percent of capacity by weight, and never used to mix refrigerants.
Frequently asked questions
Is this Type 2 practice test free?
Yes. All 50 Type 2 practice questions on this page are free, with instant scoring and explanations, no account needed. A free account unlocks all 604 questions; Pro ($14.99 lifetime) adds AI Tutor and timed simulation.
What are the leak rate thresholds for Type 2 systems?
For appliances with 50 or more pounds of refrigerant: comfort cooling 10% per year, commercial refrigeration 20%, industrial process refrigeration 30%. An appliance over its threshold must be repaired within 30 days or put on a retrofit or retirement plan.
What does IPR stand for in EPA 608?
Industrial Process Refrigeration. IPR systems have the highest permissible leak rate because they serve continuous industrial operations. An appliance is classified as IPR when more than 50% of its cooling capacity serves an industrial process rather than comfort cooling.
Can nitrogen be used to test for leaks in a Type 2 system?
Yes. Nitrogen, or nitrogen with a refrigerant trace gas, is the accepted pressure test on a newly assembled or repaired system before recharging. Never use oxygen or compressed air; both can explode with refrigerant oil.