Study guide · what actually gets tested
EPA 608 study guide
This EPA 608 study guide follows the test's own structure: Core, which every certification type includes, and three type sections for small appliances (Type I), medium-, high- and very-high-pressure systems (Type II) and low-pressure chillers (Type III), each split into topic pages that end in a drill.
What the exam actually tests
EPA doesn't publish weights inside a section. The one split the rule fixes is the 25-question block: a type test is Core plus one type, and Universal is all four (40 CFR 82, Appendix D (a), (d), eCFR as of October 5, 2026).
Sections and their topic pages
| Section | Topic pages | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Core | Core section, Ozone depletion, Clean Air Act and Montreal, Refrigerants and oils, Recover, recycle, reclaim, Refrigerant safety | Ozone, the Clean Air Act and Montreal Protocol, refrigerants and oils, the three Rs, recovery, dehydration, safety and shipping. |
| Type I | Type I section, Small-appliance recovery | Small appliances: what counts, recovery rules and equipment, disposal. |
| Type II | Type II section, Leak detection and repair, Required evacuation levels | Medium-, high- and very-high-pressure systems: leak detection and repair, recovery and evacuation levels. |
| Type III | Type III section | Low-pressure chillers: leak testing, purge units, rupture discs, recovery and recharging. |
Skip the cover-to-cover read
Reading a whole prep manual front to back before trying a question is the slow route. EPA publishes its test topics as a list (EPA test topics, checked October 7, 2026), and every section is the same 25-question size, so a chapter you already know earns no more than one you keep missing. Put the hours where the drills keep catching you.
Core comes first, since it's on every test you can take. After that, the type sections turn on numbers that sit close together: the 80/90% recovery rule for small appliances, the required evacuation levels for Types II and III, and the leak-rate thresholds that apply to appliances holding 50 lb or more of ozone-depleting refrigerant (40 CFR 82.157, eCFR as of October 5, 2026).
Which section covers which equipment
EPA 608 certification types by equipment
| Type | Equipment it covers | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Type I | Small appliances: factory-made, charged and hermetically sealed with 5 lb of refrigerant or less (what counts as a small appliance) | Household refrigerators and freezers, window and portable AC, PTHPs, dehumidifiers, vending machines |
| Type II | Medium-, high- and very-high-pressure appliances, except small appliances and motor-vehicle AC | Residential split AC and heat pumps; systems on R-22, R-410A or R-134a |
| Type III | Low-pressure appliances | Chillers on R-11, R-123 or R-245fa |
| Universal | All of the above | Core plus Types I, II and III, in one sitting or combined from separate passes |
Definitions from 40 CFR 82.152 and 82.161(a)(1), eCFR as of October 5, 2026. Motor-vehicle AC falls under Section 609: EPA 608 vs 609 sorts out the overlap.
Every section and concept
Each topic page explains one area and ends in a drill on exactly that area. The concept pages under a topic take one idea that gets mixed up and pin it down.
Core
Type I
Type II
Practice tools
For a mixed set without a clock, use the EPA 608 practice test; for a clock and a score by section, the timed EPA 608 mock.
Exam facts
Short answers to what you'll want to check before booking a test, each with its source and the date it was checked.
- Exam factNumber of questionsPer section and for Universal.
- Exam factPassing scoreThe pass mark and the one exception.
- Exam factExam costFees by program, with dates.
- Exam factCertification typesType I, II, III and Universal.
- Exam factDoes it expire?The short answer, with the rule.
- Exam factOpen book?Only one format is, and it has a catch.
- Exam factRetakesSection retakes and attempts, by program.
- Exam factThe new examOld bank through January 1, 2027, per ESCO.
Getting certified
From choosing a type to holding the wallet card, and what to do when the card goes missing.
- Getting certifiedHow to get certifiedPick a type, pick a program, sit the test.
- Getting certifiedTesting onlineRemote proctoring and what it needs.
- Getting certifiedCertification lookupWhy the issuing program, not EPA, has the record.
- Getting certifiedLost cardEPA's four steps for a lost card.
- Getting certifiedBecoming an HVAC techTraining, EPA 608, and what comes after.
- Getting certifiedHVAC tech salaryBLS pay data, national.
Comparisons
Where Section 608 sits beside Section 609, NATE and A2L training, and what the prep options cost on the date they were checked.
Manuals, PDFs and editions
Is there an EPA 608 study guide PDF?
Sight Glass is web pages only. One PDF sold for this exam is the ESCO Institute preparatory manual, included in ESCO's interactive course bundle at $32.95 for 365 days of access; the bundle covers the 2018 edition and doesn't include the exam (ESCO course store, checked October 7, 2026). Other options are laid side by side in EPA 608 prep options.
Which manual edition goes with the new exam?
ESCO sells a 2018 exam paired with its 9th-edition manual and a 2026 exam paired with a 10th edition (ESCO 2026 exam page, checked October 7, 2026). If you test before January 1, 2027, ask your program which bank your exam comes from.
Does EPA publish a study guide of its own?
EPA publishes the list of test topics (EPA test topics, checked October 7, 2026) and the rule itself on eCFR. It doesn't review or approve any training or prep material, this site included (EPA list of certification programs, checked October 7, 2026).