EPA 608 UNIVERSAL EXAM COMPREHENSIVE
STUDY GUIDE
◉ Who needs EPA 608 certification?
Answer: Technicians maintaining, servicing, repairing, or disposing
of equipment that releases refrigerants.
◉ Universal Certification
Answer: Certification covering all equipment types: small, high-
pressure, very high-pressure, and low-pressure appliances.
◉ Type I Certification
Answer: Certification required for servicing small appliances.
◉ Type II Certification
Answer: Certification for high-pressure and very high-pressure
appliances, excluding small appliances and MVAC.
◉ Type III Certification
Answer: Certification required for servicing or disposing of low-
pressure appliances.
,◉ Core Exam
Answer: Mandatory basic knowledge section required alongside
Types I, II, and III for Universal.
◉ EPA-approved test
Answer: Section 608 exam administered by an EPA-approved
certifying organization.
◉ Does EPA 608 expire?
Answer: No, EPA Section 608 certification credentials never expire.
◉ Can open-book Core be used for Universal?
Answer: No, the Core exam must be proctored to count toward
Universal Certification.
◉ Apprentice exception
Answer: Uncertified apprentices may work only under direct,
continuous supervision of a certified technician.
◉ Technician definition
Answer: Anyone attaching/detaching hoses, adding/removing
refrigerant, or opening the refrigerant circuit.
,◉ Main purpose of EPA 608
Answer: To prevent refrigerant emissions and protect the
environment.
◉ Clean Air Act
Answer: U.S. law authorizing EPA to regulate refrigerants and
protect the stratospheric ozone layer.
◉ Montreal Protocol
Answer: International treaty establishing phaseouts for ozone-
depleting substances.
◉ Venting
Answer: Intentionally releasing refrigerant into the atmosphere.
◉ Venting rule
Answer: Intentional venting of ozone-depleting refrigerants or
substitute refrigerants is strictly prohibited.
◉ De minimis release
Answer: Unavoidable minor release during good-faith recovery,
recycling, or disposal attempts.
, ◉ Normal operation release
Answer: Minor leaks during normal operation, treated separately
from prohibited service venting.
◉ Ozone layer
Answer: Stratospheric layer protecting Earth by filtering harmful
ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
◉ Ozone depletion
Answer: Destruction of stratospheric ozone caused by ozone-
depleting chemicals.
◉ UV radiation
Answer: Harmful ultraviolet rays emitted by the sun.
◉ Why ozone depletion is dangerous
Answer: Increases UV radiation reaching Earth, harming human
health, crops, and marine ecosystems.
◉ ODP
Answer: Ozone Depletion Potential; measures a substance's
capability to destroy stratospheric ozone.
STUDY GUIDE
◉ Who needs EPA 608 certification?
Answer: Technicians maintaining, servicing, repairing, or disposing
of equipment that releases refrigerants.
◉ Universal Certification
Answer: Certification covering all equipment types: small, high-
pressure, very high-pressure, and low-pressure appliances.
◉ Type I Certification
Answer: Certification required for servicing small appliances.
◉ Type II Certification
Answer: Certification for high-pressure and very high-pressure
appliances, excluding small appliances and MVAC.
◉ Type III Certification
Answer: Certification required for servicing or disposing of low-
pressure appliances.
,◉ Core Exam
Answer: Mandatory basic knowledge section required alongside
Types I, II, and III for Universal.
◉ EPA-approved test
Answer: Section 608 exam administered by an EPA-approved
certifying organization.
◉ Does EPA 608 expire?
Answer: No, EPA Section 608 certification credentials never expire.
◉ Can open-book Core be used for Universal?
Answer: No, the Core exam must be proctored to count toward
Universal Certification.
◉ Apprentice exception
Answer: Uncertified apprentices may work only under direct,
continuous supervision of a certified technician.
◉ Technician definition
Answer: Anyone attaching/detaching hoses, adding/removing
refrigerant, or opening the refrigerant circuit.
,◉ Main purpose of EPA 608
Answer: To prevent refrigerant emissions and protect the
environment.
◉ Clean Air Act
Answer: U.S. law authorizing EPA to regulate refrigerants and
protect the stratospheric ozone layer.
◉ Montreal Protocol
Answer: International treaty establishing phaseouts for ozone-
depleting substances.
◉ Venting
Answer: Intentionally releasing refrigerant into the atmosphere.
◉ Venting rule
Answer: Intentional venting of ozone-depleting refrigerants or
substitute refrigerants is strictly prohibited.
◉ De minimis release
Answer: Unavoidable minor release during good-faith recovery,
recycling, or disposal attempts.
, ◉ Normal operation release
Answer: Minor leaks during normal operation, treated separately
from prohibited service venting.
◉ Ozone layer
Answer: Stratospheric layer protecting Earth by filtering harmful
ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
◉ Ozone depletion
Answer: Destruction of stratospheric ozone caused by ozone-
depleting chemicals.
◉ UV radiation
Answer: Harmful ultraviolet rays emitted by the sun.
◉ Why ozone depletion is dangerous
Answer: Increases UV radiation reaching Earth, harming human
health, crops, and marine ecosystems.
◉ ODP
Answer: Ozone Depletion Potential; measures a substance's
capability to destroy stratospheric ozone.
