EPA 608 Type 1 Practice Test 2026: Small Appliances

What is on the EPA 608 Type I section?

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. It is 25 questions, passed at 18 right.

The Type I topics and what the questions ask
Topic	What the questions ask
Definition	What counts as a small appliance: factory-made, charged and hermetically sealed with 5 pounds or less
Recovery requirements	How much refrigerant to recover by equipment date and compressor condition
Recovery devices	Self-contained (active) devices with their own compressor, and system-dependent (passive) recovery using the appliance's compressor or heat
Access	Piercing (saddle) valves, installing and leak testing them, and removing them after service
Safety and refrigerants	Refrigerant replacements, flammable refrigerants such as R-600a and R-290, and decomposition products

Type I is the shortest list of rules and the easiest type to pass, but it has the most numbers in a small space: dates, percentages and the 4-inch vacuum. A Type I test taken by mail is open book but needs 21 of 25, and cannot count toward Universal.

Which Type I recovery rules do I need to know?

Two questions decide every recovery answer: when was the recovery equipment made, and does the appliance's compressor run?

Equipment made after November 15, 1993: recover 90% with a working compressor, 80% without, or reach a 4-inch Hg vacuum.
Equipment made before November 15, 1993: recover 80%, or reach a 4-inch Hg vacuum.
System-dependent (passive) recovery uses the appliance's own compressor, or heat and tapping, to push refrigerant into a container, and is allowed only on appliances with 15 pounds or less.
With a non-working compressor and system-dependent recovery, access both the high and low sides.
Piercing valves can leak; they are leak tested and should be removed at the end of service.

Ounces and pounds come up because small appliances are charged in ounces: there are 16 ounces in a pound, so a 5-pound limit is 80 ounces.

What do EPA 608 Type I 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 · Recovery
A technician recovers refrigerant from a household refrigerator whose compressor does not run, using recovery equipment manufactured in 2015. What must be recovered?
1. A80% of the refrigerant, or a 4-inch Hg vacuum
2. B90% of the refrigerant, or a 4-inch Hg vacuum
3. C100% of the refrigerant
4. D50% of the refrigerant
Worked answer
A: 80% of the refrigerant, or a 4-inch Hg vacuum. For small appliances, equipment made after November 15, 1993 must recover 90% when the compressor works and 80% when it does not, or achieve a 4-inch Hg vacuum. This compressor does not run, so 80%.
1. Equipment date: 2015, after November 15, 1993.
2. Compressor: not running.
3. Rule: 80%, or a 4-inch Hg vacuum.
The trap: Using 90%. That figure is for a working compressor.
EPA 608-style question 2 · Small appliances
A dehumidifier holds 9 ounces of R-410A. How many pounds is that?
1. A0.5625 pound
2. B0.9 pound
3. C1.44 pounds
4. D0.09 pound
Show the worked answer
A: 0.5625 pound. There are 16 ounces in a pound: 9 ÷ 16 = 0.5625 pound, well under the 5-pound small appliance limit.
1. 16 ounces = 1 pound.
2. 9 ÷ 16 = 0.5625.
3. So 0.5625 pound.
The trap: Dividing by 10 (0.9 pound). Ounces and pounds are not decimal.

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

More Type I practice

Four Type I drills of 12 and Type I 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 Type I 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.

Using 90% when the compressor does not run. A dead compressor needs only 80%.
Dividing ounces by 10. There are 16 ounces in a pound.
Thinking a mail-in Type I counts toward Universal. It does not.
Leaving a piercing valve on after service. It is a likely leak point.
Forgetting that some small appliances now use flammable refrigerants such as R-600a and R-290, which need extra care.

How is the EPA 608 Type I section scored?

It is 25 multiple-choice questions, closed book and proctored, passed on its own at 70%: 18 of 25. Type I counts only with a Core pass.

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

What should I study after the Type I section?

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

EPA 608 Core
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
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

Is Type I the easiest EPA 608 section?

For most people, yes: the rules are fewer. But it is still passed at 18 of 25.

How many questions are in the Type I section?

25, passed at 18 right (70%).

Does Type I count toward Universal?

Yes, when it is taken proctored and closed book. A Type I test taken open book by mail does not count toward Universal.

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 Type I before you book

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