EPA 608 Type 2 Practice Test 2026: High-Pressure

What is on the EPA 608 Type II section?

Leak detection, leak rate thresholds and repair deadlines, required evacuation levels, recovery techniques, superheat and subcooling, charging, and refrigeration safety. It is 25 questions, passed at 18 right.

The Type II topics and what the questions ask
Topic	What the questions ask
Leak detection	Signs of a leak, electronic and bubble detectors, standing pressure tests with nitrogen
Leak repair	Leak rate thresholds by appliance type, the 30-day repair deadline, verification tests and records
Recovery	Recovery techniques, liquid and vapor recovery, required evacuation levels by charge and equipment date
Refrigeration basics	Superheat and subcooling, charging, metering devices and their faults
Safety	Pressure relief, high-pressure cutouts, refrigerant decomposition, PPE

Type II covers the equipment most HVAC technicians work on every day, which makes the practical questions easy and the regulatory numbers the real test. The evacuation table and the leak thresholds decide many of the questions.

Which Type II numbers do I need to know cold?

The evacuation table by refrigerant, charge and equipment date, the leak rate thresholds, and the repair deadline.

Leak rate thresholds for appliances with 50 pounds or more of ozone-depleting refrigerant: comfort cooling 10%, commercial refrigeration 20%, industrial process refrigeration 30% per year.
A leak over the threshold must be repaired within 30 days, with an initial and a follow-up verification test.
The leak rate is projected over a year: (pounds added ÷ full charge) × (365 ÷ days since the last charge) × 100, or the rolling 12-month method.
Superheat = suction line temperature − saturation temperature. Subcooling = saturation (condensing) temperature − liquid line temperature.
Recover liquid first when possible: it is faster. Never charge liquid into the suction side of a running compressor.

Required evacuation levels, inches of mercury vacuum (40 CFR 82.156, table 1)
Appliance	Recovery equipment made before Nov 15, 1993	Made on or after Nov 15, 1993
HCFC-22 appliance, under 200 lb	0	0
HCFC-22 appliance, 200 lb or more	4	10
Very high-pressure appliance	0	0
Other high-pressure appliance, under 200 lb	4	10
Other high-pressure appliance, 200 lb or more	4	15
Medium-pressure appliance, under 200 lb	4	10
Medium-pressure appliance, 200 lb or more	4	15

HCFC-22 has its own rows in the table: 0 inches under 200 pounds, and 4 or 10 inches at 200 pounds or more. R-12 and R-134a are medium-pressure refrigerants; R-22 and R-410A are high-pressure; R-13 and R-503 are very high-pressure.

What do EPA 608 Type II 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 · Evacuation levels
Before a major repair, a technician recovers refrigerant from an appliance holding 250 pounds of R-134a, using recovery equipment made in 2010. To what level must the appliance be evacuated?
1. A15 inches of mercury vacuum
2. B10 inches of mercury vacuum
3. C4 inches of mercury vacuum
4. D0 inches of mercury vacuum
Worked answer
A: 15 inches of mercury vacuum. R-134a is a medium-pressure refrigerant. For a medium-pressure appliance with 200 pounds or more, recovered with equipment made on or after November 15, 1993, table 1 of 40 CFR 82.156 requires 15 inches of mercury vacuum.
1. R-134a: medium pressure.
2. Charge: 250 lb, so 200 pounds or more.
3. Equipment after November 15, 1993: 15 inches.
The trap: Using 10 inches, the figure for under 200 pounds.
EPA 608-style question 2 · Superheat and subcooling
The liquid line leaving the condenser measures 98°F, and the head pressure corresponds to a condensing temperature of 112°F. What is the subcooling?
1. A14°F
2. B210°F
3. C98°F
4. D7°F
Show the worked answer
A: 14°F. Subcooling is how far the liquid has been cooled below its condensing (saturation) temperature: 112 − 98 = 14°F.
1. Subcooling = saturation temperature − liquid line temperature.
2. 112 − 98 = 14.
3. So 14°F of subcooling.
The trap: Subtracting the other way round, or confusing it with superheat, which is measured on the suction side.
EPA 608-style question 3 · Leak repair
A commercial refrigeration appliance holding 120 pounds of an ozone-depleting refrigerant needs 30 pounds added to restore a full charge, 6 months after it was last charged. What is the leak rate, and must it be repaired?
1. A50% per year; yes, it is over the 20% threshold
2. B25% per year; yes, it is over the 20% threshold
3. C25% per year; no, it is under the 35% threshold
4. D12.5% per year; no
Show the worked answer
A: 50% per year; yes, it is over the 20% threshold. Using the annualizing method: (pounds added ÷ full charge) × (365 ÷ days since the last charge) × 100 = (30 ÷ 120) × (365 ÷ about 182) × 100 ≈ 50% per year. Commercial refrigeration with 50 pounds or more must be repaired above 20%.
1. Share of the charge: 30 ÷ 120 = 25% in about half a year.
2. Projected over a year: about 50%.
3. Commercial refrigeration threshold: 20%. 50% is over, so repair.
The trap: Forgetting to project to a full year (25%). The leak rate is per year.

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

More Type II practice

Four Type II drills of 12 and Type II 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 II 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 10 inches for a 200-pound-or-more appliance with newer equipment. It is 15 (or 10 for HCFC-22).
Mixing up the thresholds: comfort cooling 10%, commercial refrigeration 20%, industrial process 30%.
Not annualizing a leak rate. A loss over six months is doubled to project a year.
Swapping superheat and subcooling. Superheat is on the suction side; subcooling on the liquid line.
Charging liquid into the suction line of a running system, which can slug the compressor.

How is the EPA 608 Type II section scored?

It is 25 multiple-choice questions, closed book and proctored, passed on its own at 70%: 18 of 25. Type II 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 II drill is 12 questions at the 30-minutes-a-section practice pace, and each full mock has 25 Type II questions. Your result shows right answers against 18 of 25. More is on EPA 608 passing score.

What should I study after the Type II 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 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 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

Which certification do I need for residential HVAC?

Type II covers residential split systems and heat pumps. Many employers want Universal.

How many questions are in the Type II section?

25, passed at 18 right (70%).

Does Type II 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 Type II before you book

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