EPA 608 Core Practice Test: Free, With Answers

Core is the one section everyone takes. Practice it here for free.

Why Core comes first

Every EPA 608 certification includes Core. A Type I, II, III or Universal card is only issued if you pass it (40 CFR Part 82, Appendix D).

The exam gives you 25 Core questions. You need 70%, which means 18 correct.

What Core covers

Core is the shared ground for every technician. EPA's Core topic list includes (EPA test topics):

• Environmental impacts. How chlorine from CFCs and HCFCs destroys stratospheric ozone, and how ODP compares across CFCs, HCFCs and HFCs.
• Clean Air Act and Montreal Protocol. Phaseout dates, the venting ban and penalties.
• Section 608 rules. Pressure classes, certified recovery equipment, the AHRI 700 standard for reclaimed refrigerant, and the sales restriction (40 CFR 82.154(c)).
• Substitutes and oils. There are no true drop-ins. Blends can fractionate, and oils must match the refrigerant.
• Refrigeration basics. Refrigerant states around the cycle, and gauges.
• Recovery and dehydration. Never mix refrigerants. Know what speeds recovery, and evacuate to remove air and moisture.
• Safety and shipping. Oxygen deprivation, frostbite, PPE, nitrogen with a regulator, the 80% fill limit and cylinder labels.

Recover, recycle, reclaim

These three words show up on almost every Core test.

• Recover: remove refrigerant from a system and store it in a container.
• Recycle: clean refrigerant for reuse, usually on site, by separating oil and passing it through filter-driers.
• Reclaim: reprocess refrigerant to the purity of new product, verified by lab analysis.

A common question asks what must happen before used refrigerant is sold to someone else. With a few narrow exceptions, the answer is reclaim, by a certified reclaimer (40 CFR 82.152, 82.154(d)).

One trap to avoid

Some programs offer Core as an open-book test bundled with Type I. EPA says an open-book Core score can't be used toward Universal. For Universal, Core has to be taken as a proctored exam (EPA certification requirements).

If you plan to work on split systems or chillers later, take Core proctored from the start.

How our Core test works

• One question per screen, built for your phone
• Instant feedback, an explanation and a strategy tip
• The rule cited under every answer
• Progress saved on your device, with no account needed

Use practice mode to learn. Switch to the timed 25-question test when you're scoring 18 or better.

A study plan that fits a week

1. Day 1: Take the full Core test cold. Note your weak topics.
2. Days 2 to 4: Read those topics in the study guide.
3. Day 5: Retry the questions you missed.
4. Day 6: Take a timed test.
5. Day 7: Rest, then book your proctored exam.

Start the full test

Sources

• 40 CFR Part 82, Appendix D to Subpart F (test content, 70% passing score): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/appendix-Appendix%20D%20to%20Subpart%20F%20of%20Part%2082 (checked 2026-10-20)
• 40 CFR 82.152 (definitions of recover, recycle, reclaim): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/section-82.152 (checked 2026-10-20)
• 40 CFR 82.154 (venting prohibition, sales restriction, sale of used refrigerant): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/section-82.154 (checked 2026-10-20)
• EPA, Section 608 Technician Certification Requirements (open-book Core and Universal): https://www.epa.gov/section608/section-608-technician-certification-requirements (checked 2026-10-20)
• EPA, Section 608 Test Topics: https://www.epa.gov/section608/section-608-technician-certification-test-topics (checked 2026-10-20)