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EPA 608 NEC 2023

EPA 608 Core Exam Practice Test 5

Free Online EPA 608 Core Exam Practice Test 5This free 25-question practice test covers the EPA 608 Core exam topics that all refrigerant technicians must master. Topics include the Clean Air Act phaseout schedule, substantial leak rates, recovery of composite refrigerants, HFC vs HCFC vs CFC classification, pressure-temperature relationships, recovery cylinder fill limits, refrigeration cycle components, saturation pressure changes, refrigerant sales restrictions, and pressure unit conversions (psig to psia).

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Frequently Asked Questions

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The EPA 608 certification is required by law for any technician who purchases or handles refrigerants. It covers safe handling, leak detection, recovery, and environmental regulations.

Type I covers small appliances (≤5 lbs refrigerant), Type II covers high-pressure systems, Type III covers low-pressure systems, and Universal covers all three. Most HVAC technicians pursue Universal certification.

You must score at least 70% on each section of the exam. The Universal exam has four parts: core, Type I, Type II, and Type III.

Key facts for this test: The Clean Air Act (not the Montreal Protocol) is the US LAW that sets phaseout schedules — the Montreal Protocol is the international TREATY. Comfort cooling substantial leak = 15% per year; commercial/industrial = 35% per year. Composite refrigerant CAN be recovered but CANNOT be reclaimed. HFCs contain no chlorine → ODP = 0. Recovery cylinders max fill = 80% water capacity. The evaporator absorbs heat. Lower pressure = lower boiling/saturation temperature. psig + 14.7 = psia. CFC/HCFC sales restricted to certified technicians since November 14, 1994.

25

Questions

45 min

Time

70%

Pass

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Student Reviews 4.0 / 5 · 1 review

G

Greg L.

Good variety of questions on refrigerant recovery and handling. A couple of the answers I got wrong I disagreed with but looked them up and the site was right, so lesson learned I guess. Overall solid for exam prep.

EPA 608 Core Exam Practice Test 5 — Question List

Question 1: ___________ is responsible for setting the schedule of phaseout of CFC/HCFC production in the United States.

Clean Air Act
Pollution protection act
Toxic substances control act
Montreal Protocol

Question 2: For systems OTHER than commercial refrigeration and industrial process refrigeration, the "substantial leak" rate that triggers a repair requirement is ___________ percent loss of charge per year.

15
35
30
20

Question 3: The composite refrigerant can be recovered.

True
False

Question 4: A Refrigerant which does not contain chlorine ..............

HCFC
CFC
HFC

Question 5: If the pressure on a liquid is decreased, the boiling point of the liquid ___________.

decreases
increases
Remains same

Question 6: A recovery cylinder must not be filled to more than ___________ percent of its water capacity.

90
80
70
60

Question 7: Which of the following component draws heat in to the refrigerant in refrigeration system?

Compressor
Condenser
Evaporator
Expansion valve

Question 8: If the saturation temperature of the refrigerant decreases, ___________.

The pressure of refrigerant decreases
The refrigerant evaporates faster
The refrigerant freezes faster

Question 9: The sale of CFC and HCFC refrigerants was restricted to certified technicians only as of ___________.

November 14,1994
November 15,1995
December 31,1995
June 1, 1992

Question 10: Which of the following refrigerant contains CFC?

R-11
R-22
R-123
R-134a

Question 11: The refrigerant leaving the condenser outlet is ___________.

high pressure liquid
Low pressure liquid
High pressure vapor
Low pressure vapor

Question 12: If the pressure gauge reads 25.3 psig what is its related absolute pressure?

40 psia
25.3 psia
10.6 psia
28.3 psia

Question 13: After passing through the expansion valve, the refrigerant enters the evaporator as ___________.

High-pressure superheated vapor
Low-pressure liquid/vapor mixture
High-pressure subcooled liquid
Low-pressure liquid only

Question 14: The color-changing element inside a sight glass (moisture indicator) installed in the liquid line shows ___________ when the refrigerant system is dry and operating properly.

Yellow
Green
Red
Blue

Question 15: Heat that is absorbed or released during a CHANGE OF STATE (phase change) without any change in temperature is called ___________.

Sensible heat
Latent heat
Radiant heat
Specific heat

Question 16: Heat that you can MEASURE with a thermometer — heat that causes a temperature change without a phase change — is called ___________.

Latent heat
Sensible heat
Radiant heat
Conductive heat

Question 17: The "suction line" in a refrigeration system connects ___________.

The condenser outlet to the expansion valve
The evaporator outlet to the compressor inlet
The compressor outlet to the condenser inlet
The expansion valve outlet to the evaporator inlet

Question 18: An oil separator is installed in the ___________ and its purpose is to separate oil from refrigerant and return it to the compressor.

Liquid line between the condenser and expansion valve
Hot gas discharge line between the compressor and condenser
Suction line between the evaporator and compressor
Inside the condenser coil

Question 19: Ammonia (R-717) is widely used in large industrial and food refrigeration systems because it has excellent efficiency and zero ODP. However, what is the most important safety concern with ammonia?

It has very high GWP
It is toxic — dangerous even at low concentrations
It destroys the ozone layer
It is not compatible with aluminum

Question 20: In refrigeration service, "head pressure" refers to ___________.

The low-side suction pressure read on the blue gauge
The high-side discharge/condensing pressure read on the red gauge
The pressure drop across the expansion valve
The pressure inside the vacuum pump during evacuation

Question 21: Which of the following is a symptom of an OVERCHARGED refrigerant system (too much refrigerant)?

Low head pressure and low suction pressure
High head pressure (high condensing pressure)
Bubbles visible in the sight glass
High superheat reading on the suction line

Question 22: When performing a pressure leak test on a refrigerant system, which gas should be used to pressurize the system?

Oxygen
Dry nitrogen
Carbon dioxide
Compressed air

Question 23: Under the ASHRAE refrigerant cylinder color code system, new cylinders of R-22 are painted which color?

Rose/pink
Light green
Light blue
Orange

Question 24: A technician measures superheat of 15°F at the evaporator outlet of a fixed-metering-device system (capillary tube). This reading indicates ___________.

The system is overcharged — add more refrigerant
The system has the correct refrigerant charge
The system is undercharged — recover excess refrigerant
The condenser is dirty and needs cleaning

Question 25: True or False: EPA Section 608 technician certification expires after a set number of years and must be renewed.

True
False

Study Tip: The EPA 608 exam is closed book. Memorize: recovery is required before opening any refrigerant system. Venting refrigerant is illegal. Know the ODP and GWP values for R-22, R-410A, R-134a, R-32, and R-454B.

EXAM CARD EPA 608

Questions25

Time limit45 min

Pass score70%

RegulationEPA Section 608

DifficultyIntermediate

Last reviewedJun 2026

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Source: EPA Section 608 (40 CFR Part 82)