Pass608

    EPA 608 Certification: Types, Format, Cost, and Where to Take It

    EPA 608 certification, which EPA calls Section 608 Technician Certification, is the federal credential you need to open the refrigerant circuit on stationary AC and refrigeration equipment and to buy most refrigerant. You earn it by passing a closed-book test from one of 87 programs EPA has approved; it comes as Type I, Type II, Type III or Universal, and it does not expire.

    Who does what: EPA sets the rules and keeps the question bank secret. The approved programs give the test and issue the card, because "EPA does not issue certification cards." Pass608 is an independent study tool. We don't test, certify or issue anything.

    At a glance

    All rows checked Sept 23, 2026.

    AnswerSource
    Rules and question bankEPA; the bank goes "only to approved technician certification programs"40 CFR 82.161(c), eCFR as of Sept 21, 2026
    Who tests you87 approved programsEPA program list, updated Aug 20, 2026
    TypesType I, Type II, Type III, Universal40 CFR 82.161(a)(1)
    Questions25 Core + 25 Type = 50; Universal 100Appendix D to subpart F
    Pass mark70% closed-book; 84% Type I mail-inAppendix D
    Time limitNone in the rule; programs set 30 minutes per section to 3 hoursAppendix D; program pages
    Open bookType I (with Core) only; doesn't count toward UniversalAppendix D; EPA Requirements page, updated July 15, 2026
    Test cost$10 a month (app, exam included); $85 test only; $150–$300 with a courseProgram pages
    CardFrom your program within 30 daysAppendix D
    ExpiresNo; EPA may require recertification later by Federal Register noticeEPA Requirements page; 82.161(a)(5)
    Needed to buy refrigerantYes, with limited exceptions40 CFR 82.154

    Type I, Type II, Type III and Universal

    The regulation, 40 CFR 82.161(a)(1), sets the types by the equipment you work on:

    TypeThe CFR's scope
    Type IMaintain, service or repair small appliances: factory-made, charged and hermetically sealed with 5 lb of refrigerant or less, such as refrigerators, window and portable ACs, dehumidifiers, vending machines and water coolers (82.152).
    Type IIMaintain, service, repair or dispose of medium-, high- or very high-pressure appliances, except small appliances, MVACs and MVAC-like appliances.
    Type IIIMaintain, service, repair or dispose of low-pressure appliances.
    UniversalAll three.

    Pressure class depends on the refrigerant's saturation pressure at 104 °F. The CFR (82.152) names examples:

    ClassPressure at 104 °FCFR examplesType
    LowBelow 45 psiaR-11, R-123, R-113, R-245faIII
    Medium45–170 psiaR-12, R-134a, R-114, R-124, R-500II
    High170–355 psiaR-22, R-410A, R-407A, R-407C, R-502II
    Very highAbove 355 psia, or critical temperature below 104 °FR-13, R-23, R-503, R-508A, R-508BII

    Small appliances are Type I, and Type II excludes them. EPA's Requirements page describes Type II as "high- or very high-pressure appliances," leaving out medium-pressure. The regulation includes medium-pressure, and the regulation is what counts. The CFR's examples don't name A2L refrigerants such as R-32 or R-454B; see our A2L guide.

    Not sure what you'll work on? Universal covers everything, and you can build it from separate Type passes (Appendix D).

    How the test works

    Every test is 25 Core questions plus 25 for the Type. Universal can be taken "all at once, or by combining passing scores on separate Type I, Type II, and Type III tests" (Appendix D). Type II, Type III and Universal are closed-book and proctored, with photo ID. Programs that offer only Type I may use a mail-in format. Most programs score each 25-question section on its own, which works out to 18 of 25; SkillCat scores 70% overall on each exam.

    A program may give the test orally if you ask in writing at least 30 days ahead (82.161), and 8 programs on EPA's list are tagged "Spanish available." To study for it, see How to Pass the EPA 608.

    Program rules: time, scoring, calculator, open book, price, retakes

    EPA sets no time limit; your certifying program does. The same goes for calculators, scoring and retakes. Each cell comes from the program's own page, checked Sept 23, 2026. "—" means the page doesn't say.

    ProgramTime limitPass ruleCalculator / chartsOpen bookPriceRetakesPage date
    ESCO Institute———¹—Exam credits $25 schools, $35 wholesalers (2018 brochure)—© 2026; brochure 2018
    Mainstream Engineering3 h max (online)"72%, meaning you have to get 18 out of 25" per section; open book "at least 21 correct in each section"Online: "No calculator is allowed"Core + Type I onlineOpen-book Type I $26.95 (Sept 2025 page; an older Mainstream rules page says $24.95, retries $5.95)$7.95 per open-book retryJuly 2022 – Sept 2025 (several pages)
    SkillCat1 h per Type; 2 h Universal"70% overall on each exam"; Core doesn't carry over—Type I, non-proctored, 70%$10/month after 3-day trial, exam included; card $59.994 attempts; about 4-hour waitJuly 2025 – June 2026 (several pages)
    RSES2 h"70% or better each section"Calculator, P/T chart (in booklet), scratch paper—Hand-grading $15; card replacement $25—Sept 2024; card page undated
    TPC Training2 h70% proctored; 84% non-proctoredFour-function calculator, P/T chart, scratch paperCore + Type I non-proctoredIncluded with 2-day seminar—Undated
    Trade Masters Online30 min per section70%Clean P/T charts; no notes—At checkoutOne attempt per section per purchase© 2026
    Faraday2 h72% per section; 84% open book——$199 with courseUp to 10© 2023
    Interplay Learning—"at least 70% on each section"—Type I is the only open-book typeSubscription3 attemptsJune 29, 2026
    The Training Center————$300, course and examUnlimited© 2026
    NATE——Built-in calculator; 2 blank sheets—In your NATE account—Undated
    CHEERS————$85 test only; $150 one Type; $175 Universal3 attemptsUndated

    ¹ ESCO's own pages don't state its time limit, pass rule or calculator rule. Two school test guides (TSTC, Lenape) say a P/T chart and calculator are allowed. Ask your proctor.

    What it costs

    From the program pages above:

    • App: SkillCat, $10 a month after a 3-day free trial, exam included. A physical card is $59.99.
    • Test only: $85 at CHEERS. Mainstream's open-book Type I is $26.95, plus $7.95 per retry, on its Sept 2025 page; an older Mainstream page says $24.95 and $5.95.
    • Course and exam: $150 for one Type or $175 for Universal (CHEERS), $199 (Faraday), $300 (The Training Center).
    • School or supply house: the site sets your price. ESCO's 2018 brochure listed exam credits at $25 for schools and $35 for wholesalers.
    • Card replacement: $25 at RSES.

    Practice on Pass608 is separate and includes no test: $15 one-time for Core + Type II, $29 for Universal. See pricing.

    Card, records and expiry

    • No expiry. "Section 608 Technician Certification credentials do not expire" (EPA). EPA reserves the right to require recertification later, by Federal Register notice (82.161(a)(5)). A revoked certificate means recertifying.
    • The card. Your program must issue a wallet card within 30 days of the test. It shows the program and the date EPA approved it, your name, your type, and a unique number that is not your Social Security number (Appendix D).
    • Lost card. EPA "cannot replace a lost certification card." Contact the program that tested you.
    • Closed programs. A certification issued while a program was approved stays valid after the program leaves EPA's list (EPA).
    • No national database. EPA keeps none. Non-federal programs must post online lists of technicians certified since Jan 1, 2017, update them at least yearly and let you opt out (82.161).
    • Keep a copy of your certificate at your place of business until three years after you stop working as a technician (82.161).

    608 vs 609

    Motor vehicle AC (MVAC) falls under Section 609, 40 CFR 82 subpart B: a different credential. Type II excludes MVACs. For MVAC-like appliances, either Type II or a 609 certification works (82.161). Disposing of small appliances, MVACs or MVAC-like appliances needs no certification.

    Apprentices

    An apprentice may work without certification while "closely and continually supervised by a certified technician" (82.161), for up to two years from first registering as an apprentice (82.152). BLS notes the certification exam is "typically included as part of completing a postsecondary HVACR program" (last modified Aug 27, 2026).

    Who must be certified

    The rule: "Any person who could be reasonably expected to violate the integrity of the refrigerant circuit during the maintenance, service, repair, or disposal of appliances … containing a class I or class II refrigerant or a non-exempt substitute refrigerant must pass a certification exam offered by an approved technician certification program" (82.161).

    That covers CFCs and HCFCs and, since Jan 1, 2018, non-exempt substitutes: HFCs, and A2Ls such as R-32 and R-454B. Some substitutes are exempt in listed end uses (82.154(a)(1)), for example carbon dioxide, nitrogen and water in any application, and propane in household refrigerators. BLS: EPA "requires nearly all HVAC technicians to be certified in proper refrigerant handling."

    The same card covers HFC leak-repair work. Since Jan 1, 2026, the AIM Act leak-repair rule (40 CFR 84.106) covers appliances holding 15 lb or more of HFCs or other substitutes with a GWP above 53, residential and light-commercial AC excluded. Its "certified technician" is one certified under 82.161 (84.102).

    Buying refrigerant

    Under 40 CFR 82.154, no one may sell class I or class II refrigerant, or since Jan 1, 2018 a non-exempt substitute such as R-410A or R-134a, for use as a refrigerant unless the buyer qualifies: in practice, certified technicians or, with limited exceptions, their employers. The main do-it-yourself exception is small cans of MVAC refrigerant, 2 lb or less, with unique fittings and self-sealing valves (EPA Sales Restriction page, updated Mar 23, 2026).

    The 2026 question bank

    ESCO Institute now offers a "2026" version of the EPA exam alongside the "2018" version. ACHR News reported on Sept 19, 2026, quoting ESCO, that the new bank adds general-knowledge questions on A2L and A3 refrigerants and that exams based on the previous bank "can be administered only through Jan. 1, 2027." EPA has not published the change on its own pages as of Sept 24, 2026. EPA said in 2021 that its bank "already includes questions concerning A2L refrigerants." Details: the 2026 exam changes.

    Where to take it

    EPA's list (updated Aug 20, 2026) has 87 approved programs: 12 flagged "Remote testing available," 3 online only, 4 on-site only, 1 offering Type I by mail, and 11 for their own employees. You can test at a school, union hall or supply house; with a live remote proctor; in SkillCat's app; or open-book online for Core and Type I only. Pick a program from EPA's list.

    Start the free Core section — free account, no card

    Sources