The EPA 608 Universal practice test on this page is a free 100-question simulation of the full Section 608 sitting: 25 questions each for Core, Type 1, Type 2, and Type 3. Each section is scored at the real 72% pass mark (18 of 25), with the rule behind every answer shown the moment you pick.
100 free Universal practice questions with instant scoring
1. Refrigerant blends need to be charged as a liquid. (True or false)
2. Refrigerant blends take on the ASHRAE number of the main refrigerant in the blend. (True or false)
3. Technicians can make their own EPA-approved refrigerant blends. (True or false)
4. Which of the following do HFOs contain? (Select all that apply)
5. If a refrigerant has an ODP of 0.055, which of the following are true? (Select all that apply)
6. The GWP of R-290 is greater than which of the following? (Select all that apply)
7. R-11 is the same as
8. R-12 has a GWP in which of the following ranges?
9. R-12 is the same as
10. R-1234yf is the same as:
11. R-134a is the same as
12. R-410a has a GWP in which of the following ranges?
13. R-410a is the same as
14. R-134a is the same as:
15. What is the main safety concern with R-410a?
16. What does the new subclass (2L) describe?
17. What is highest possible ODP for any CFC, HCFC, HFC, or HFO refrigerant?
18. What is the least possible ODP for a refrigerant?
19. What is the ODP of R-441a?
20. What is the ODP of R-600a?
21. Which of the following classes refers to a refrigerant that has low flammability?
22. Which of the following classes refers to a refrigerant that is not flammable at all?
23. Which of the following classes refers to a refrigerant with high toxicity?
24. Which of the following classes refers to a refrigerant with low toxicity?
25. Which gas is used as a reference for measuring GWP?
26. Low loss fittings are required for servicing appliances containing CFCs, HCFCs, and HFCs because of the Venting Prohibition. (True or false)
27. System dependent recovery captures refrigerant in a pressurized container to keep it fresh. (True or false)
28. We generally want to leak test access fittings after refrigerant recovery to make sure it does not have leaks for the next service. This is to save us time from leak testing the access fitting the next time around. (True or false)
29. Why should a solderless piercing valve not remain on the system after repair? (Select all that apply)
30. When using passive recovery and the compressor does not run, which sides of the system must be accessed? (Select all that apply)
31. Where are permanent hydrocarbon safety markings required on household appliances charged with HC refrigerants? (Select all that apply)
32. Which of the following are areas that do not need to be marked when it comes to appliances that contain HCs?
33. Which of the following is needed to protect your hands from refrigerant burns?
34. If the oil is contaminated, what do we have to do?
35. Noncondensables would ____ the pressure on the high side of an active recovery device.
36. Recovery devices are tested and certified by:
37. The refrigerant vented off the top of charging cylinders needs to be recovered if it is:
38. Vacuum pumps can be used to:
39. What are the signs of refrigerant contamination?
40. What does the process stub look like in small appliances?
41. What piece of equipment should we check regularly for leaks?
42. When the system pressure is found to be 0 psig, what does this indicate?
43. Which of the following indicates a compressor burnout in a sealed system?
44. Which of the following statements is true for small appliances?
45. Which of the following would remove noncondensables from a system?
46. Which technician certification level may service small appliances under Section 608, aside from Universal certification?
47. Which systems are specifically excluded from Type I appliance certification criteria no matter the refrigerant or charge?
48. What is true of drop in substitutes when converting an R-22 system?
49. How much HCFC or HFC charge may be handled with passive recovery equipment on a Type I appliance?
50. What may a vacuum pump made for system dehydration be used to evacuate before that cylinder is used for recovery?
51. Before transferring refrigerant into an empty cylinder, the cylinder should be evacuated. (True or false)
52. A hermetic recovery machine may overheat when drawing deep vacuums because very little refrigerant is flowing through its compressor for cooling. (True or false)
53. Anytime a system is opened for service, the liquid line filter drier should be replaced. (True or false)
54. Which actions can speed up the refrigerant recovery process? (Select all that apply)
55. Refrigerant has been recovered during the replacement of the evaporator coil in an appliance. After the repairs, the refrigerant:
56. The risk of water in the appliance freezing while charging an R-410A appliance will remain until the system achieves a pressure ofapproximately:PT Chart
57. Water present in the system can freeze if:
58. What is the standing pressure of R-410A at 80°F?PT Chart
59. At 0 psig pressure, what is the approximate evaporation temperature of R-134a?PT Chart
60. During the evacuation of a moisture laden chiller, the vacuum stalls, and frost begins to form in the piping. What action should thetechnician take to restore flow without adding refrigerant?
61. Which units are used to measure a deep vacuum?
62. A "major repair" under EPA's regulations would be:
63. An equipment room has an appliance that uses R717. Under ASHRAE Standard 15, which piece of equipment is not compulsory in the room?
64. Oil foaming in a system can be detected in the:
65. A piping sketch shows two pressure relief valves installed one after the other on the same discharge line. What is the correct action?
66. The purpose of isopropyl alcohol is:
67. We would take an ____ if a unit has a compressor burnout, and it is considered a ____.
68. When the ____ is closed, the reciprocating compressor might get damaged if it is energized.
69. After opening a system to repair a small leak, a technician pulls a deep vacuum and prepares to recharge. Which component must bereplaced before charging?
70. If an appliance has dual use, how is the applicable leak rate category determined?
71. What is the comfort cooling leak rate threshold as of January 1, 2019?
72. What is the commercial refrigeration leak rate threshold as of January 1, 2019?
73. What is the industrial process refrigeration leak rate threshold as of January 1, 2019?
74. How long does the owner or operator normally have to repair a leaking appliance with 50 or more pounds of regulated refrigerant and conduct the initial verification test?
75. If the replacement appliance will use a refrigerant exempt from the venting prohibition, how long does the owner or operator have to retrofit or retire the leaking appliance?
76. The leak rate of an appliance using a regulated refrigerant must be calculated when topping off or recharging the system due to a loss of charge. (True or false)
77. System mothballing requires removing the appliance and storing it in a warehouse at the facility. (True or false)
78. Raising the temperature of the system or the room where a low pressure chiller is located will result in faster refrigerant recovery. (True or false)
79. What personal protective equipment should be worn when working with liquid refrigerant on low pressure systems? (Select all that apply)
80. On a low pressure chiller, where does the purge unit get its suction?
81. What test kit is used to determine whether a chiller tube is leaking?
82. When leak testing a low pressure centrifugal chiller with nitrogen, what is the maximum test pressure?
83. What can happen if nitrogen pressure exceeds 10 psig during leak testing of a low pressure refrigeration system?
84. To reduce air accumulation into an idled low pressure refrigeration system, system pressure should be maintained:
85. Moisture most frequently enters low pressure chillers through leaks from which areas?
86. To check for a refrigerant leak to the water side of a chiller, where should the detector probe be placed after the water is removed?
87. According to ASHRAE Guideline 3, during a standard vacuum test the system should be checked for leaks if pressure rises from 1 mm Hg to above:
88. For leak rate calculations on a chiller, which charge should be used?
89. If a leaking appliance with 50 or more pounds will be replaced by one using a refrigerant exempt from the venting prohibition, how long does the owner have to retrofit or retire it?
90. On a recovery unit used with a low pressure chiller, the high pressure cut-out control is typically set for:
91. On an average 350-ton R-123 chiller at 0 psig, approximately how much refrigerant remains in the vapor state after all liquid has been removed?
92. What type of recovery unit allows faster recovery of large quantities of refrigerant on low pressure systems?
93. To reduce the amount of refrigerant contained in the oil before oil removal, the oil should be heated to about:
94. At what pressure does the rupture disc on a recovery vessel for low pressure refrigerants relieve?
95. Before disposing of a low pressure appliance, refrigerant must be recovered or evacuated to:
96. Before evacuation, recovery, or dehydration, what sample should be taken if the unit has had a compressor burn-out?
97. What procedure should be used when dehydrating a system that contains a large amount of moisture?
98. Before adding liquid refrigerant to an evacuated water cooled chiller system using R-123, the vapor pressure should be above:
99. Which valve is used to charge liquid refrigerant into a low pressure appliance because it is the lowest access point?
100. When the TLV-TWA is exceeded in a machinery room, what does ASHRAE Standard 15-2013 require?
Your score
What the Universal exam covers
EPA 608 Universal certification is the Section 608 credential you earn by passing all four sections of the exam: Core, Type 1 (small appliances), Type 2 (Type II in older material; high pressure systems), and Type 3 (low pressure chillers). Universal authorizes you to purchase and handle any refrigerant in any quantity and service any stationary equipment type: commercial, industrial, or residential. The four certification types are set out in 40 CFR §82.161; the requirements beyond the exam itself are on what is EPA 608 certification.
Job ads write it as EPA Universal certification or HVAC universal certification, and this page is searched as the EPA Universal practice test: all names for the same credential, Core plus all three appliance types. The test on this page draws 25 questions from each section in order, matching the structure used by EPA-approved testing organizations, with the answer and explanation shown on every question.
Four sections, 25 questions each: Core, Type 1, Type 2, Type 3
Section
Questions
Passing score
Key focus areas
Core
25
18 of 25 (72%)
Montreal Protocol, Clean Air Act, ODP/GWP, recovery definitions, safety classifications
Type 1
25
18 of 25 (72%)
Hermetically sealed systems, 5 lb charge limit, active and passive recovery, piercing valves
Type 2
25
18 of 25 (72%)
Leak rates (10/20/30%), vacuum standards, IPR exceptions, high pressure system service
An individual type certification limits you to the equipment category you passed: a Type 2-only technician cannot legally service Type 1 small appliances or Type 3 low pressure chillers. (Any Section 608 certification satisfies the federal refrigerant sales restriction; your type limits what you may service, not what you can buy.) Universal removes those limits, which is why commercial HVAC employers ask for it when a single jobsite holds centrifugal chillers (Type 3), rooftop package units (Type 2), and vending machines (Type 1). Like every Section 608 certification, it never expires.
What is free here: 100 questions, flashcards, and the 604-question bank
The 100 questions come from the same 604-question bank as the app, every date, pressure, and leak rate verified against 40 CFR Part 82 on eCFR. Your score and a section by section breakdown appear the moment you submit. A free account keeps that history after you close the tab and unlocks the full 604-question bank, weak spot tracking, and the flashcards for every section. Pro ($14.99 lifetime) adds AI Tutor sessions (up to 1,000 exchanges per month), focused weak spot drills, the weak spot radar, and timed exam simulation.
Universal exam structure and passing scores
Universal is scored section by section, 18 of 25 in each of the four sections, closed book and proctored. A full timed Universal run in the EPA 608 Practice Test app averages about 33 minutes across the technicians who finish one (app data as of August 2026, 40 completed Universal runs).
18 of 25 in every section, no combined score
You need 72% in every section, 18 of 25 correct, to pass that section. Passing three of four does not award Universal; there is no combined score, so a strong section cannot rescue a weak one. The open book mail-in Core some organizations offer (84%, 21 of 25) does not count toward Universal: Core must be taken as a proctored exam. The EPA 608 test page covers the passing score and question count for every section.
Closed book and proctored: providers, retakes, and fees
The exam is closed book whether you sit it in person or online with a webcam proctor; several EPA-approved organizations offer online proctored testing for Universal candidates, and the EPA 608 certification online guide compares those providers and formats. Sections are scored separately, so you retake only the section you failed, at that organization's per-section fee, not the whole exam. One Universal fee covers all four sections in a single sitting (Mainstream Engineering $26.95 per attempt; ESCO Institute $60 to $85 online; HVAC Excellence $80 to $90 in person); the EPA 608 certification cost page compares every provider.
Wrong answer logic: the five traps across all four sections
The EPA 608 exam reuses five distractor patterns, and a 100 question Universal sitting meets all of them. The table gives the rule that defuses each trap and the section that drills it.
Trap
Rule to remember
Drill it on
Date confusion 1992 / 1993 / 1995
July 1, 1992 venting ban (CFC and HCFC); November 15, 1993 recovery equipment cutoff (the 80 and 90 percent thresholds); November 15, 1995 HFCs added to the ban (40 CFR §82.154)
Core
Recovery vs recycling vs reclamation
On site is recycling; off site to a facility is reclamation; only reclaimed refrigerant meets AHRI 700 purity and can change owners
Core
Self contained vs system dependent
Self contained means the recovery machine has its own compressor; system dependent leans on the appliance's compressor
Type 1
Venting vs purging
Venting is a prohibited release under Section 608; purging removes non condensables through a purge unit and is a legal procedure
Type 3
Three tier leak rates
Comfort cooling 10 percent, commercial refrigeration 20, industrial process 30. The 35 percent figure still on other prep sites is the pre 2019 rule; 10/20/30 is the law on the current eCFR (40 CFR §82.157)
Type 2
Study order. The EPA 608 Universal study guide works through the four sections Core first, since Core's rules recur in the other three.
Frequently asked questions about the EPA 608 Universal exam
How many questions are on the EPA 608 Universal exam?
100: 25 each for Core, Type 1, Type 2, and Type 3, scored section by section. You need 18 of 25 (72%) in every section; there is no combined score.
Do I have to pass all four sections at once?
No. Each section is scored separately at 18 of 25, so you retake only the section you failed, at that organization's per-section fee, not the whole exam. Universal is awarded once all four are passed.
Can I take the Universal exam online?
Yes. Several EPA-approved organizations offer online proctored Universal exams (Mainstream Engineering $26.95 per attempt, ESCO Institute $60 to $85); the exam is closed book with a webcam proctor.
