Pass608

    EPA 608 certification: common questions

    Short answers, each with its source and the date we checked it. First, who does what: EPA sets the rules and keeps the question bank secret. 87 EPA-approved certifying programs (EPA list, updated August 20, 2026) give the test and issue the card. Pass608 is an independent study tool.

    Is it a license?

    No. It's a federal certification. EPA's name for it is "Section 608 Technician Certification," and you earn it by passing a test from an EPA-approved certifying program. Some states and cities set their own rules for HVAC work. Those are separate from 608, so check with yours.

    Does Pass608 certify me?

    No. Pass608 is a study tool. We don't give the test, we don't issue cards, and a practice result here certifies nothing. Certification comes from passing a test at one of the 87 programs on EPA's list, and that program must issue your wallet card within 30 days of the test (Appendix D). EPA's list of approved programs.

    Which Type do I need?

    The one that matches the equipment you'll work on (40 CFR 82.161 and 82.152):

    • Type I: small appliances, meaning factory-made, charged and hermetically sealed with 5 lb or less. Household fridges and freezers, window and portable ACs, packaged terminal air heat pumps, dehumidifiers, vending machines, water coolers.
    • Type II: medium-, high- and very high-pressure appliances, except small appliances and motor vehicle AC. The CFR names R-22 and R-410A (high) and R-134a (medium) as examples.
    • Type III: low-pressure appliances. The CFR names R-11 and R-123 as examples; think centrifugal chillers on R-123.
    • Universal: all three.

    Not sure where your work will take you? Universal covers all of it, and you can build it one Type at a time.

    How many questions are on the EPA 608 test?

    50 for one Type, 100 for Universal. Every test has 25 Core questions plus 25 for each Type you take. Core + Type I, Core + Type II or Core + Type III is 50. Universal is Core + all three, 100 (Appendix D). You can take Universal in one sitting or combine passing scores from separate Type tests. What's in each section and how to study it: How to pass the EPA 608.

    What's the passing score?

    70% on the closed-book test, which is 18 of 25 in each section the way most programs score it. A Type I mail-in test needs 84%, or 21 of 25 (Appendix D). Some programs print "72%." That's just 18 divided by 25, not a different rule. SkillCat scores 70% overall on each exam instead of per section and doesn't carry a passed Core over to your next exam. Ask your program how it scores.

    Is there a time limit?

    EPA sets no time limit; your program does. The rule (40 CFR 82.161 and Appendix D) sets none. Programs' own pages, checked September 23, 2026:

    • Trade Masters Online: 30 minutes per section
    • SkillCat: 1 hour per Type exam, 2 hours for Universal
    • RSES and TPC: 2 hours
    • Mainstream Engineering, online Universal: up to 3 hours

    Some prep sites print one program's limit as EPA's. More on that: EPA 608 facts prep sites get wrong.

    Is the EPA 608 test open book?

    Only Type I, and only in a mail-in or open-book format. Type II, Type III and Universal are closed-book and proctored, and so is Type I taken as part of Universal (Appendix D). The rule sets 84% (21 of 25) for mail-in Type I, and most programs we checked use it for open-book Type I; SkillCat uses 70%. It can't count toward Universal. EPA: "Core tests taken as an open book exam cannot be used to get your Universal Certification."

    Can I use a calculator on the EPA 608 test?

    It depends on the program. EPA's rule bars "notes or training materials" and says nothing about calculators. RSES allows a calculator and a P/T chart. TPC allows a four-function calculator, a P/T chart and blank scratch paper. NATE builds a calculator into its exam software. Mainstream's online exam: "No calculator is allowed." (Programs' own pages, checked September 23, 2026.) Each program's rules side by side: EPA 608 certification.

    Can I take the EPA 608 test online?

    Yes, at some programs. EPA's list (updated August 20, 2026) marks 12 programs "Remote testing available" and 3 as online testing only. EPA: "Some programs offer remote or online testing that does not require you to travel to a physical testing location." Type II, Type III and Universal must still be proctored, so online tests use a live or webcam proctor.

    Where do I take the test?

    At any program on EPA's list. Programs give it at trade schools, union halls and supply houses, and some online. Several schools are approved programs themselves. Ask your school, union or supply house whether it hosts sessions.

    How much does EPA 608 certification cost?

    The program sets the fee. EPA only says fees must be "reasonable" (Appendix D). Examples from programs' own pages, checked September 23, 2026:

    • SkillCat: $10 a month after a 3-day free trial, exam included; $59.99 for a physical card
    • CHEERS: $85 for the test only
    • Faraday: $199 with its course
    • The Training Center: $300 for course and exam

    Pass608 sells practice, not the test. Our prices: Pricing.

    Does EPA 608 certification expire?

    No. EPA: "Section 608 Technician Certification credentials do not expire" (requirements page, updated July 15, 2026). 40 CFR 82.161 lets EPA require recertification in the future by a notice in the Federal Register. EPA's page still says no expiry as of September 24, 2026. Keep a copy of your certificate at your place of business, and keep it until 3 years after you leave the trade (82.161).

    I lost my 608 card. How do I get a new one?

    Contact the program that tested you. EPA "does not issue certification cards and cannot replace a lost certification card" (lost-card page, updated March 19, 2026). Programs keep your record, and since 2018 they've had to post online lists of technicians they certified from 2017 on. If your program has closed, your certification is still valid if you got it while the program was approved. One catch: EPA's lost-card page still names Ferris State University, but EPA's list of programs no longer approved shows Ferris approved only until May 22, 2026. Ferris says it moved its 608 records to ESCO Institute.

    Can an apprentice work without 608 certification?

    Yes, for up to two years, under close supervision. 40 CFR 82.161 exempts apprentices who are "closely and continually supervised by a certified technician." 82.152 caps it: "A person may only be an apprentice for two years from the date of first registering with that office." After that, you need your own certification.

    Do I need EPA 608 certification to buy refrigerant?

    For most refrigerant, yes. EPA: "Only EPA-certified technicians are allowed to purchase ozone-depleting substances (ODS) or non-ozone depleting substitutes used as refrigerants, with limited exceptions" (sales restriction page, updated March 23, 2026). Since January 1, 2018, that covers HFCs like R-410A and R-134a. The main exception: small cans of car AC refrigerant, 2 lb or less, with self-sealing valves, for DIY use.

    What's the difference between EPA 608 and 609?

    608 covers stationary refrigeration and AC. 609 covers motor vehicle AC under 40 CFR 82 subpart B. It's a different credential with its own test. Type II excludes motor vehicle AC. For MVAC-like appliances, 82.161 accepts either Type II or 609. If your work is car and truck AC, you want 609.

    Are Pass608's questions the ones on the test?

    No, and nobody legitimate has those. EPA's bank is secret by rule: "The Administrator will release this bank of questions only to approved technician certification programs" (40 CFR 82.161). Programs must keep the test questions and answer keys secure (Appendix D). Our questions are original, written to EPA's published Test Topics (updated December 5, 2025), and every question that keys a regulatory number cites its source and date. EPA "does not review or approve any training preparatory programs or materials," so no prep site has EPA approval, ours included. If a site says it's selling the test bank, it's either wrong or holding material it shouldn't have.

    Is there a separate A2L certification?

    Not a federal one. In 2021 EPA said training is "best left to the industry" and pointed to the 608 exam, whose bank "already includes questions concerning A2L refrigerants" (86 FR 24468–24469). You need 608 certification for A2L systems such as R-32 and R-454B, because they're non-exempt substitutes (40 CFR 82.161). Some programs sell separate A2L certificates. Federal rules don't require them, but states and localities can set their own requirements. More: A2L refrigerants.

    What changes in 2027?

    Reportedly, the test. ESCO Institute offers both a "2018" and a "2026" EPA exam. ACHR News reported on September 19, 2026, quoting ESCO, that exams based on the previous question bank "can be administered only through Jan. 1, 2027," and that the new bank adds general-knowledge questions on A2L and A3 refrigerants. EPA has not published the change on its own pages as of September 24, 2026. If you test before then, ask your program which version you'll get. Our A2L/A3 set is live now, and our mock exams switch on the reported date. Details: 2026 exam changes.

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    Sources

    Checked September 24, 2026, unless noted. Page stamps as shown on each page.