EPA 608 / Practice test / Core

EPA 608 Core practice test

Regulations, environmental impact, the three Rs, recovery, safety and shipping. Required for every certification type. 10 free questions. Pick an answer to see whether you're right, why, and which rule it comes from.

1. When CFC molecules break down in the stratosphere, which released atom destroys ozone?
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Answer: A. Chlorine

EPA explains that CFCs are broken down by strong UV light in the stratosphere, releasing chlorine atoms that destroy ozone molecules. Fluorine is also part of a CFC molecule, but it is not what EPA identifies as the ozone-destroying atom. HFCs contain fluorine and still have zero ODP because they contain no chlorine.

Source: EPA, Basic Ozone Layer Science, https://www.epa.gov/ozone-layer-protection/basic-ozone-layer-science (accessed 2026-10-21); EPA Section 608 Test Topics, Core, https://www.epa.gov/section608/test-topics (accessed 2026-10-21)

2. Which human health effect does EPA link to increased UV-B exposure caused by ozone depletion?
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Answer: D. Cataracts

EPA states that UVB causes non-melanoma skin cancer, plays a major role in melanoma, and has been linked to cataracts, a clouding of the eye's lens. EPA also cites a suppressed immune system. None of the other choices is a UV-B effect.

Source: EPA, Health and Environmental Effects of Ozone Layer Depletion, https://www.epa.gov/ozone-layer-protection/health-and-environmental-effects-ozone-layer-depletion (accessed 2026-10-21)

3. A technician servicing a split system charged with R-410A (an HFC) wants to release the refrigerant to the air because R-410A does not deplete ozone. Under current rules, this is:
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Answer: C. Illegal, because the venting prohibition covers non-exempt substitute refrigerants such as HFCs

40 CFR 82.154(a)(1) prohibits knowingly venting any refrigerant during maintenance, service, repair, or disposal. 'Refrigerant' includes substitutes, and the only exemptions are the specific substitute and end-use pairs listed, such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and water. R-410A is not on that list. The 50-pound figure in choice D belongs to leak repair rules, not the venting ban. EPA confirms it is illegal to knowingly vent HFC refrigerants.

Source: 40 CFR 82.154(a)(1) and 82.152 ('Substitute', 'Refrigerant'), eCFR as of 2026-10-19 (accessed 2026-10-21); EPA, Technicians and Contractors: Frequent Questions, https://www.epa.gov/ods-phaseout/technicians-and-contractors-frequent-questions (accessed 2026-10-21)

4. 40 CFR 82.152 defines a low-pressure appliance as one that uses a refrigerant with a liquid phase saturation pressure below what value at 104 °F?
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Answer: B. 45 psia

A low-pressure appliance is defined as one using a refrigerant with a liquid phase saturation pressure below 45 psia at 104 °F. Examples are R-11, R-123, R-113, and R-245fa. 170 psia is tempting, but it is the boundary between medium-pressure and high-pressure. 355 psia is the boundary between high-pressure and very high-pressure.

Source: 40 CFR 82.152 ('Low-pressure appliance'), eCFR as of 2026-10-19 (accessed 2026-10-21)

5. Which of these refrigerant sales may be made to a buyer who holds NO technician certification?
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Answer: C. A container of non-exempt substitute MVAC refrigerant that holds two pounds or less, has a unique fitting, and (if made or imported on or after January 1, 2018) has a self-sealing valve

40 CFR 82.154(c)(1)(ix) exempts non-exempt substitute refrigerant intended for MVACs that is sold in a container designed to hold two pounds or less, with a unique fitting and, for containers made or imported on or after January 1, 2018, a self-sealing valve. R-134a in choice D is a substitute too, but it is in a larger cylinder intended for stationary equipment. That sale is restricted to certified buyers or their employers.

Source: 40 CFR 82.154(c)(1)(ix) and (c)(2), eCFR as of 2026-10-19 (accessed 2026-10-21); EPA, Refrigerant Sales Restriction, https://www.epa.gov/section608/refrigerant-sales-restriction (accessed 2026-10-21)

6. Which of these refrigerant releases is NOT a violation of the venting prohibition?
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Answer: D. A de minimis release that happens during a good-faith attempt to recover refrigerant while following required practices and using certified recovery equipment

40 CFR 82.154(a)(2) excludes de minimis releases associated with good-faith attempts to recycle or recover refrigerant. For non-exempt refrigerants, such releases qualify only when the required practices, certified equipment, technician certification, and reclamation requirements are observed. Choice A is a trap: under 82.154(a)(3), knowingly releasing refrigerant after it has been recovered is itself a violation. EPA gives releases from connecting or disconnecting hoses as an example of a de minimis release.

Source: 40 CFR 82.154(a)(2)-(3), eCFR as of 2026-10-19 (accessed 2026-10-21); EPA, Prohibition on Venting Refrigerants, https://www.epa.gov/section608/stationary-refrigeration-prohibition-venting-refrigerants (accessed 2026-10-21)

7. According to 40 CFR 82.152, to 'retrofit' an appliance means to:
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Answer: A. Convert it from one refrigerant to another. This may include changes in lubricants, gaskets, filters, driers, valves, o-rings, or components

40 CFR 82.152 defines retrofit as converting an appliance from one refrigerant to another, including conversion to make the system compatible with the new refrigerant. It may involve changes in lubricants, gaskets, filters, driers, valves, o-rings, or appliance components. Choice C is tempting but wrong: it skips the compatibility work that the definition describes, and EPA's Core topics stress that true drop-in replacements are generally not available.

Source: 40 CFR 82.152 ('Retrofit'), eCFR as of 2026-10-19 (accessed 2026-10-21)

8. Under 40 CFR 82.152, to 'recover' refrigerant means to:
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Answer: D. Remove refrigerant in any condition from an appliance and store it in an external container, without necessarily testing or processing it

40 CFR 82.152 defines recover as removing refrigerant in any condition from an appliance and storing it in an external container, without necessarily testing or processing it in any way. Choice B describes recycling and choice C describes reclaiming, the other two of the 'three Rs'.

Source: 40 CFR 82.152 ('Recover'), eCFR as of 2026-10-19 (accessed 2026-10-21); EPA, Recovering, Recycling, and Reclaiming Refrigerants, https://www.epa.gov/section608/recovering-recycling-and-reclaiming-refrigerants (accessed 2026-10-21)

9. Which of the following does EPA list among the factors that affect how fast refrigerant can be recovered?
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Answer: B. Ambient temperature, size of the recovery or recycling equipment, and hose length and diameter

EPA's Core topics list ambient temperature, the size of the recycling or recovery equipment, and hose length and diameter as factors that affect recovery speed. None of the other choices has any physical effect on refrigerant flow.

Source: EPA Section 608 Test Topics, Core, https://www.epa.gov/section608/test-topics (accessed 2026-10-21)

10. Which personal protective equipment does EPA list for handling refrigerants, with a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) needed only in extreme cases?
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Answer: D. Gloves and goggles

EPA's Core topics list gloves and goggles as personal protective equipment, with SCBA in extreme cases. The same list of exposure risks includes frostbite, which is why hands and eyes need protection. Choice A is wrong because non-flammable refrigerants still carry the exposure risks EPA lists.

Source: EPA Section 608 Test Topics, Core, https://www.epa.gov/section608/test-topics (accessed 2026-10-21)

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