EPA 608 Certification Exam — 350 Practice Questions Complete Test Bank (Core + Type I, II, III & Universal)

EPA 608 Certification Exam — 350 Practice
Questions
Complete Test Bank (Core + Type I, II, III & Universal)
Topics Covered: Refrigerant Types & Properties, Clean Air Act Section 608, Recovery &
Recycling, Leak Detection & Repair, Safety, Refrigerant Cylinders, Refrigeration System
Components, Oil Types, Pressure-Temperature Relationships, Environmental Impact, Record-
Keeping, and Math Calculations




SECTION 1: Clean Air Act & Federal Regulations
1. Section 608 of the Clean Air Act regulates:

 A) Motor vehicle air conditioning systems
 B) Stationary refrigeration and air conditioning equipment
 C) Refrigerant manufacturing standards
 D) International refrigerant trade

(Correct Answer: B) Rationale: Section 608 governs stationary refrigeration and AC systems.
Section 609 separately governs motor vehicle AC. Section 608 prohibits venting and establishes
recovery, recycling, and reclamation requirements.



2. Under Section 608, technicians who purchase refrigerants in containers larger than 2 pounds
must be:

 A) EPA-registered contractors
 B) Certified under the Section 608 technician certification program
 C) Licensed HVAC engineers
 D) OSHA-certified safety technicians

(Correct Answer: B) Rationale: EPA requires Section 608 certification to purchase refrigerants
in containers larger than 2 lbs — preventing uncertified individuals from accessing regulated
refrigerants.



3. Which of the following activities is prohibited under Section 608 of the Clean Air Act?

,  A) Recovering refrigerant before opening a system
 B) Knowingly venting Class I or Class II refrigerants during service
 C) Using certified recovery equipment
 D) Recycling refrigerant on-site

(Correct Answer: B) Rationale: Section 608 explicitly prohibits knowingly venting refrigerants
during service, maintenance, repair, or disposal — the ban covers Class I (CFCs), Class II
(HCFCs), and most HFCs.



4. The penalty for knowingly venting refrigerants in violation of Section 608 can be up to:

 A) $1,000 per day per violation
 B) $10,000 per day per violation
 C) $44,539 per day per violation
 D) $100,000 total

(Correct Answer: C) Rationale: EPA civil penalties for Clean Air Act violations are adjusted
periodically for inflation — currently up to approximately $44,539 per day per violation for
Section 608 violations.



5. Which of the following refrigerants is a Class I ozone-depleting substance (ODS)?

 A) R-410A
 B) R-134a
 C) R-11
 D) R-407C

(Correct Answer: C) Rationale: R-11 (CFC-11) is a Class I ODS — chlorofluorocarbons have
the highest ozone depletion potential and were the first to be phased out under the Montreal
Protocol.



6. Which of the following is a Class II ozone-depleting substance?

 A) R-22
 B) R-410A
 C) R-134a
 D) R-744

,(Correct Answer: A) Rationale: R-22 (HCFC-22) is a Class II ODS —
hydrochlorofluorocarbons contain chlorine and deplete ozone, though less aggressively than
CFCs. R-22 production for new equipment was banned in 2010; production ended in 2020.



7. The Montreal Protocol is an international agreement designed to:

 A) Regulate global carbon dioxide emissions
 B) Phase out the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances
 C) Establish international refrigerant pricing
 D) Set global energy efficiency standards for HVAC equipment

(Correct Answer: B) Rationale: The Montreal Protocol (1987) is the international treaty that
established the global phase-out schedule for ozone-depleting substances — CFCs first, then
HCFCs, guided by science on stratospheric ozone depletion.



8. Which type of refrigerant has the highest ozone depletion potential (ODP)?

 A) HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons)
 B) CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons)
 C) HCFCs (hydrochlorofluorocarbons)
 D) Natural refrigerants (ammonia, CO₂)

(Correct Answer: B) Rationale: CFCs have the highest ODP because they contain chlorine and
are very stable — they reach the stratosphere intact, where UV radiation releases chlorine atoms
that catalytically destroy ozone molecules.



9. HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons) like R-410A and R-134a have an ozone depletion potential of:

 A) Very high (greater than CFCs)
 B) Moderate (similar to HCFCs)
 C) Zero — they contain no chlorine
 D) Varies depending on ambient temperature

(Correct Answer: C) Rationale: HFCs contain no chlorine or bromine — they have zero ODP.
However, they are potent greenhouse gases with significant Global Warming Potential (GWP),
which is driving their current phase-down under the Kigali Amendment.



10. The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol targets the phase-down of:

,  A) CFCs
 B) HCFCs
 C) HFCs
 D) Natural refrigerants

(Correct Answer: C) Rationale: The Kigali Amendment (2016) adds HFCs to the Montreal
Protocol phase-down schedule — targeting their high global warming potential even though they
have zero ODP.



11. Which EPA certification type covers small appliances (systems containing 5 lbs or less of
refrigerant)?

 A) Type II
 B) Type III
 C) Type I
 D) Universal

(Correct Answer: C) Rationale: Type I certification covers small appliances — hermetically
sealed systems with 5 lbs or less of refrigerant, such as household refrigerators, window AC
units, and water coolers.



12. Type II EPA 608 certification covers technicians working on:

 A) Small appliances
 B) Low-pressure systems
 C) High-pressure systems (other than small appliances)
 D) Motor vehicle AC systems

(Correct Answer: C) Rationale: Type II certification covers high-pressure systems with more
than 5 lbs of refrigerant — including residential and commercial split systems, heat pumps, and
most medium-temperature refrigeration.



13. Type III EPA 608 certification covers technicians working on:

 A) Small appliances
 B) High-pressure systems
 C) Low-pressure systems (centrifugal chillers using R-11, R-113, R-123)
 D) Motor vehicle AC systems