EPA 608 Core practice test: free drill and what to know

The Core section is the part of the EPA 608 exam every technician must pass: 25 questions on ozone depletion and climate, the Clean Air Act and Montreal Protocol, the venting prohibition, recovery, recycling and reclaiming, refrigerant classes, safety, cylinders and shipping, and pressure and temperature. The free drill below is 12 original Core-style questions, then the rules and traps Core keeps coming back to.

25
questions: 18
right to pass: Every
certification needs Core: 12
free drill questions

Last checked 22 October 2026 · Rules from 40 CFR 82 subpart F and EPA guidance

Free drill: 12 original EPA 608-style Core questions at our practice pace, then every answer explained. No sign-up.

12
questions
14:24
time limit
Free
every answer explained

By the LifeScore Editorial Team · Updated 22 October 2026 · How we check facts · How this is scored

What is on the EPA 608 Core section?

Ozone depletion and climate, the Clean Air Act and Montreal Protocol, the venting prohibition, refrigerant classes, recovery, recycling and reclaiming, the three Rs, dehydration, safety, shipping and cylinders, and pressure and temperature. It is 25 questions, passed at 18 right.

The Core topics and what the questions ask
Topic	What the questions ask
Ozone depletion	How chlorine from CFCs and HCFCs destroys stratospheric ozone, and what that does to ultraviolet exposure
Refrigerant classes	CFCs (such as R-12), HCFCs (such as R-22) and HFCs (such as R-134a and R-410A), and which deplete ozone
The law	The Clean Air Act, the Montreal Protocol, the venting prohibition, sales restrictions and penalties
Recovery, recycling, reclaiming	What each means, certified equipment, and when refrigerant may go back into an appliance
Dehydration and evacuation	Why moisture and air are removed, deep vacuums and micron gauges
Safety	Oxygen deprivation, frostbite, pressure, nitrogen for leak testing, never using oxygen or compressed air
Cylinders and shipping	Recovery cylinders (gray body, yellow top), 80% fill, hydrostatic testing, DOT labels
Pressure and temperature	psig and psia, pressure-temperature relationships, saturation

Core is mostly rules and definitions with a few numbers. It is the section people under-study because it feels like common sense, and the one that fails most Universal attempts, because every type depends on it.

Which Core rules do I need to know cold?

The venting rule and its exceptions, the three Rs, the refrigerant classes, cylinder rules and pressure conversion.

Knowingly venting ozone-depleting refrigerants and most substitutes during service is illegal. De minimis releases during good-faith recovery are not a violation.
Recover: remove into a container. Recycle: clean for reuse. Reclaim: reprocess to new-product purity, verified by chemical analysis.
CFCs contain chlorine and deplete ozone most; HCFCs contain less chlorine; HFCs contain no chlorine and do not deplete ozone, but many are strong greenhouse gases.
Recovery cylinders are gray with a yellow top, filled to no more than 80% by weight, and hydrostatically tested on the date stamped on them.
psia = psig + 14.7 at sea level. A vacuum is pressure below atmospheric, read in inches of mercury.
Leak test with dry nitrogen, often with a trace of refrigerant; never oxygen or compressed air, which can explode with oil.

Penalties are set per day per violation and adjusted for inflation, so the exam asks for the idea ("tens of thousands of dollars per day") rather than a figure. Records of refrigerant work are kept for at least three years.

What do EPA 608 Core questions look like?

Short questions on a rule or a situation, with four options. The first is worked step by step; the rest open when you tap.

EPA 608-style question 1 · Pressure
A recovery cylinder's gauge reads 85 psig. About what is the absolute pressure inside it?
1. A99.7 psia
2. B70.3 psia
3. C85 psia
4. D14.7 psia
Worked answer
A: 99.7 psia. A gauge reads pressure above the atmosphere. Absolute pressure adds atmospheric pressure at sea level: 85 + 14.7 = 99.7 psia.
1. psia = psig + 14.7.
2. 85 + 14.7 = 99.7.
3. So about 99.7 psia.
The trap: Subtracting 14.7 (70.3). That converts the wrong way.
EPA 608-style question 2 · Recovery
What is the difference between recycling and reclaiming refrigerant?
1. ARecycling cleans refrigerant for reuse, often on site; reclaiming reprocesses it to new-product purity, verified by chemical analysis
2. BThey mean the same thing
3. CRecycling is done only at a reclamation plant
4. DReclaiming means removing refrigerant into a cylinder without testing it
Show the worked answer
A: Recycling cleans refrigerant for reuse, often on site; reclaiming reprocesses it to new-product purity, verified by chemical analysis. Recovering is removing refrigerant into a container. Recycling cleans it (oil separation, filter-driers) for reuse, often in the same shop. Reclaiming reprocesses it to the purity of new refrigerant, confirmed by chemical analysis, usually at a certified reclaimer.
1. Recover: take it out and store it.
2. Recycle: clean it for reuse.
3. Reclaim: reprocess it to new-product purity and test it.
The trap: Treating "recover" and "reclaim" as the same. Recovery is only the removal.

These were written for this page and are not in any mock or drill. More are on EPA 608 practice questions.

More Core practice

Four Core drills of 12 and Core in each of eight full mocks, every answer explained like the ones on this page.

The EPA 608 Pass Pack gives you 8 full mocks on the real clock, 16 drills of 12 questions for the sections that cost you points, and a predictor that turns your mocks into the odds of reaching your target. One payment, no subscription, and your free score stays free.

Prep courses for these tests usually cost $19 to $129. The EPA 608 Pass Pack is US$39 (£29), once.

See the EPA 608 Pass Pack How our questions are built and checked

8
timed mocks: 16
topic drills: 1
score predictor

Where do people lose points on the EPA 608 Core section?

On numbers that belong to a neighbouring rule, and on rules that sound sensible but are not what the regulation says. These are the ones our explanations correct most often.

Mixing up recover, recycle and reclaim. Only reclaimed refrigerant meets new-product purity.
Thinking HFCs are fine to vent because they do not deplete ozone. The venting prohibition covers substitutes too.
Converting psig to psia the wrong way. Add 14.7.
Using compressed air or oxygen for a leak test.
Filling a recovery cylinder to 100%. Liquid expands with heat; 80% by weight is the limit.

How is the EPA 608 Core section scored?

It is 25 multiple-choice questions, closed book and proctored, passed on its own at 70%: 18 of 25. Every type needs Core, so a Core fail holds up every certification.

The real exam, with where each fact comes from
Who needs it	Anyone who maintains, services, repairs or disposes of equipment that could release refrigerant into the airPublished by the ownerEPA, "Section 608 Technician Certification Requirements"
Who gives it	EPA-approved certifying organizations, not EPA itself; each sets its own fee, format and time limitPublished by the ownerEPA, "Section 608 Technician Certification"
Sections	Core, Type I, Type II and Type III. Core plus a type certifies that type; all four is UniversalPublished by the ownerEPA, "Types of Technician Certification"
Questions	25 multiple-choice questions per section, closed book and proctoredPublished by the owner40 CFR part 82, subpart F (eCFR): recycling and emissions reduction, including appendix D
Passing score	70% on each section, which on 25 questions is 18 right. Each section is passed on its ownPublished by the owner40 CFR part 82, subpart F (eCFR): recycling and emissions reduction, including appendix D
Type I by mail	A Type I test may be taken open book by mail, needs 84% (21 of 25) and cannot count toward UniversalPublished by the owner40 CFR part 82, subpart F (eCFR): recycling and emissions reduction, including appendix D
How long it lasts	For life: Section 608 certification does not expirePublished by the ownerEPA, "Section 608 Technician Certification"

Our free Core drill is 12 questions at the 30-minutes-a-section practice pace, and each full mock has 25 Core questions. Your result shows right answers against 18 of 25. More is on EPA 608 passing score.

What should I study after the Core section?

The other sections you need for your certification. Universal needs all four, and each has its own free drill.

EPA 608 Type I
What counts as a small appliance, recovery requirements (80% or 90%, or 4 inches of mercury vacuum), self-contained and system-dependent recovery, piercing valves, and safety
EPA 608 Type II
Leak detection, leak rate thresholds and repair deadlines, required evacuation levels, recovery techniques, superheat and subcooling, charging, and refrigeration safety
EPA 608 Type III
Leak testing at no more than 10 psig, purge units, rupture discs, recovery to 25 mm Hg absolute, water in the tubes during recovery, charging and safety

Or take the free EPA 608 practice test, which scores all four sections in one sitting, and see which type you need in the EPA 608 certification guide.

Frequently asked questions

Can I take Core on its own?

Yes, but it certifies nothing alone. You need Core plus at least one type.

Do I need to retake Core to add a type later?

No. Once you pass Core it stays passed, so adding a type later means taking only that type's section.

How many questions are in the Core section?

25, passed at 18 right (70%).

Does Core count toward Universal?

Yes. Universal is Core plus Types I, II and III, each passed on its own with 18 of 25.

Is this drill the real EPA 608 exam?

No. It is EPA 608-style practice with original questions. LifeScore is not affiliated with EPA.

Clear 18 of 25 on Core before you book

Eight full EPA 608-style mocks, four drills for each section and every answer explained, for one payment.