EPA 608 Certification Summary
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires that all persons handling refrigerants become certified through successful testing to show they have the knowledge to safely handle those refrigerants. If mishandled, refrigerants can be immediately dangerous to the life and health (IDLH) of those in close proximity. Many refrigerants still in use today can also have long term health consequences if released into the atmosphere. This is because they destroy a protective filtering substance called ozone that is present in the atmosphere. This ozone helps to block the harmful effects of our suns ultraviolet radiation which causes skin cancers.
Under the Clean Air Act regulation, the EPA defines a “technician” as someone who performs any of the following:
- Attaching hoses and gauges to appliances and equipment to measure the pressure within.
- Adding refrigerant or removing refrigerant from appliances and equipment.
- Other activity that may violate the integrity of an air-conditioner type equipment and appliances.
Considering the above, EPA Section 608 Technician certification is required to service all HVAC systems involving refrigerants. You cannot purchase refrigerants until you have certification.
Apprentices are exempt from certification as long as they are closely supervised by a certified technician.
There are three types of EPA Section 608 certifications available through three different tests. They are Type I (Small Appliance), Type II (Medium, High, and Very High Pressure Appliances), and Type III (Low Pressure Appliances). You must also pass a CORE examination in order to acquire a certificate in any of the three types of 608 certifications. If you pass the examinations for all three certificate types (plus the CORE exam), you will be issued what is called a Universal Certification. The following table explains it:
| Certificate | Appliance Type | Pass Exams |
|---|---|---|
| Type I | Small Appliance | Core, I |
| Type II | High Pressure | Core, II |
| Type III | Low Pressure | Core, III |
| Universal | All Types | Core, I, II, III |
Testing Information
Official testing for 608 certification is not administered directly by the EPA. Instead it is administered by an approved third party testing agency such as Mainstream Engineering Corp. This is called a proctored exam meaning the approved testing agent has asserted to the EPA that testing will be administered in a manner that maintains the integrity of the testing process.
Generally, the approved testing agent administers all four tests (Type 1, Type 2, Type 3, and CORE) at the same time. Each test section contains 25 multiple-choice questions. You must score 70% to pass each test. This means you must correctly answer 18 out of 25 questions in each test. In order to be certified in any of the three EPA 608 Technician types it is required that you also pass the CORE exam. If you pass all four tests you obtain a Universal Certification. If you fail any of the sections, you need only retake the test(s) that you failed.
Currently, EPA 608 certification does not expire but who knows what the future holds. Advice is to get yours and have it in your resume/pocket.
| Exam | No. of Questions | Answer Correctly | Approx Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| CORE | 25 | 18 | 30 Min |
| Type I | 25 | 18 | 30 Min |
| Type II | 25 | 18 | 30 Min |
| Type III | 25 | 18 | 30 Min |
| Totals: | 100 | 72 | 120 Min |
Detailed Info on EPA 608 (With Practice Tests)
Along with more detailed information about the different types of 608 certifications, NationalTradesman.com has put together some excellent free EPA 608 practice tests for each of those certification types. Find out here:
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