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EPA 608 Type I
Practice Test

Type I certifies you to service small appliances: products manufactured, charged, and hermetically sealed in a factory with five pounds or less of refrigerant. The section is short on system design and long on recovery mechanics, because most Type I work is getting refrigerant safely out of a sealed system that was never built to be opened — which is why access methods, passive versus active recovery, and the required recovery levels dominate the questions.

30
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25
Per Attempt
70%
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Take the Type I Practice Test
25 questions drawn at random from a bank of 30. Every answer comes with an explanation, and you can retake it as many times as you like.
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Safety and pressure hazards

When recovering from a small appliance into a non-pressurized container using passive recovery, the container must be:

Scope
What EPA 608 Type I Covers
Small appliances — factory-sealed systems holding 5 pounds of refrigerant or less.
What counts as a small appliance
4 practice questions in the bank below.
Recovery requirements and levels
6 practice questions in the bank below.
System-dependent (passive) recovery
4 practice questions in the bank below.
Self-contained (active) recovery
3 practice questions in the bank below.
Sealed-system access and piercing valves
4 practice questions in the bank below.
Safety and pressure hazards
4 practice questions in the bank below.
Disposal and verification
3 practice questions in the bank below.
Leak repair exemptions
2 practice questions in the bank below.
Who needs this section
Appliance repair technicians, and anyone servicing window units, household refrigerators, vending machines, or water coolers.

Key Takeaways

The EPA 608 Type I exam is 25 multiple-choice questions and requires 70% to pass. It covers small appliances — factory-sealed systems holding 5 pounds of refrigerant or less. Certification never expires, and the exam is open-book.

  • Free practice bank: 30 questions, every answer explained
  • 25 questions per attempt, randomized · unlimited retakes
  • Core must be passed alongside any Type section
  • Exam cost is typically $20–$40 at an EPA-approved testing organization
Answer Key
All 30 Type I Questions Explained
The full bank with correct answers and the reasoning behind each one. Use it to study before you test, or to review after an attempt.

1. Which definition matches a "small appliance" under Section 608?

  1. Any appliance a single technician can carry
  2. A product manufactured, charged, and hermetically sealed in a factory with 5 pounds or less of refrigerant
  3. Any residential appliance regardless of charge
  4. Any appliance with a charge under 50 pounds
Answer: B — A product manufactured, charged, and hermetically sealed in a factory with 5 pounds or less of refrigerant
All three elements matter: factory manufactured, factory charged, and hermetically sealed, with five pounds or less. A residential split system is field-charged and field-piped, so it is not a small appliance no matter how small the charge — that work requires Type II.

2. Which of the following is NOT a small appliance?

  1. A household refrigerator
  2. A window air conditioner
  3. A residential split-system heat pump
  4. A vending machine
Answer: C — A residential split-system heat pump
A split system is assembled and charged in the field, which disqualifies it regardless of charge size. Refrigerators, freezers, window units, packaged terminal units under five pounds, water coolers, dehumidifiers, and vending machines all meet the definition.

3. Recovery equipment used on small appliances and manufactured after November 15, 1993 must recover what percentage of the refrigerant when the appliance compressor is operating?

  1. 70%
  2. 80%
  3. 90%
  4. 95%
Answer: C — 90%
Ninety percent applies when the appliance's own compressor is running and helping push refrigerant out; the requirement drops to 80% when the compressor is not operating. Either standard may be met instead by evacuating the appliance to 4 inches of mercury vacuum.

4. If the compressor in a small appliance is not operating, the required recovery level is:

  1. 70%
  2. 80%
  3. 90%
  4. 100%
Answer: B — 80%
With no compressor assistance the standard is 80%, because there is less pressure available to move refrigerant out of the system. Evacuating to 4 inches of mercury vacuum satisfies the requirement either way, which is why many technicians simply pull to that level and stop guessing at percentages.

5. What vacuum level satisfies the recovery requirement for a small appliance?

  1. 15 inches of mercury
  2. 10 inches of mercury
  3. 500 microns
  4. 4 inches of mercury
Answer: D — 4 inches of mercury
Four inches of mercury is the Type I recovery standard. The deeper levels — 10 and 15 inches — belong to Type II high-pressure appliances, and 500 microns is a dehydration target, not a recovery requirement. Mixing these up is one of the most common Type I mistakes.

6. System-dependent recovery equipment is best described as:

  1. Equipment that relies on the appliance's internal pressure or its own compressor to move refrigerant into a non-pressurized container
  2. A reclamation machine used on the job site
  3. A recovery cylinder connected directly to a vacuum pump
  4. Equipment with its own compressor that pulls refrigerant out of the appliance
Answer: A — Equipment that relies on the appliance's internal pressure or its own compressor to move refrigerant into a non-pressurized container
Passive equipment has no compressor of its own — it depends on the appliance. That is why it is limited to small appliances and why it is much slower than self-contained recovery. The container it fills must be non-pressurized, which is a defining feature of the method.

7. When using system-dependent recovery on a small appliance whose compressor does not run, access must be made:

  1. On the high side only
  2. On both the high and low sides of the system
  3. On the low side only
  4. Through the process tube only
Answer: B — On both the high and low sides of the system
Without a working compressor there is nothing to migrate refrigerant across the metering device, so refrigerant trapped on one side stays there unless you open both sides. With a working compressor, a single low-side access can be sufficient because the compressor moves the charge for you.

8. Which technique legitimately speeds up passive recovery from a small appliance?

  1. Heating the compressor shell with a torch
  2. Connecting the recovery container to a nitrogen cylinder
  3. Warming the appliance and chilling the recovery container so refrigerant migrates toward the cold side
  4. Striking the compressor housing to dislodge refrigerant
Answer: C — Warming the appliance and chilling the recovery container so refrigerant migrates toward the cold side
Refrigerant migrates to the coldest point, so warming the system gently — a heat blanket or warm environment, never an open flame — and putting the recovery container in ice water creates the pressure difference that drives the transfer. A torch on a charged system is a decomposition and rupture hazard.

9. Self-contained recovery equipment differs from system-dependent equipment because it:

  1. Requires no EPA certification
  2. May only be used on appliances holding less than 5 pounds
  3. Cannot be used on small appliances
  4. Has its own compressor and can pull refrigerant from an appliance with no working compressor
Answer: D — Has its own compressor and can pull refrigerant from an appliance with no working compressor
Active recovery machines carry their own compressor, so they work regardless of the appliance's condition and they can be used on any appliance size the machine is rated for. They are also the only option once you leave the small-appliance category.

10. A piercing (line-tap) valve installed on a small appliance being repaired should be:

  1. Replaced with a brazed access fitting if the appliance stays in service, because piercing valves tend to leak over time
  2. Installed only on the high side
  3. Removed and the hole plugged with sealant
  4. Left permanently in place for future service
Answer: A — Replaced with a brazed access fitting if the appliance stays in service, because piercing valves tend to leak over time
Bolt-on piercing valves seal against a rubber gasket that hardens and leaks with age, which is fine on an appliance headed for disposal and unacceptable on one returning to service. Best practice is to braze in a proper process fitting once recovery is complete.

11. The safest way to relieve pressure before cutting into a sealed small appliance is to:

  1. Cut the process tube with a tubing cutter and let the charge escape
  2. Recover the refrigerant through an access fitting to the required level first
  3. Heat the tubing until the solder joint releases
  4. Puncture the line with an awl
Answer: B — Recover the refrigerant through an access fitting to the required level first
Recovering first is both the legal requirement and the safe practice. Releasing the charge violates the venting prohibition, and cutting or heating a pressurized line risks a refrigerant-and-oil discharge into your face along with the toxic decomposition products a torch produces.

12. Why should a small appliance never be pressurized with air or oxygen to test for leaks?

  1. It voids the manufacturer's warranty
  2. Air will not show a leak
  3. Oxygen mixed with compressor oil under pressure can explode, and air introduces moisture
  4. It is permitted only above 150 psig
Answer: C — Oxygen mixed with compressor oil under pressure can explode, and air introduces moisture
The oxygen-and-oil explosion hazard is the reason the rule and every manufacturer prohibit it, and the moisture in compressed air starts acid formation in the system. Use dry nitrogen through a regulator, and keep the test pressure within the manufacturer's limit for the appliance.

13. Who is responsible for verifying that refrigerant has been recovered from a small appliance before it is scrapped?

  1. The original manufacturer
  2. The homeowner only
  3. No verification is required for appliances under 5 pounds
  4. The last person in the disposal chain, such as the scrap recycler or landfill operator
Answer: D — The last person in the disposal chain, such as the scrap recycler or landfill operator
The rule puts verification on the final person in the disposal chain, who must either recover the refrigerant themselves or obtain a signed statement that a certified technician already did. That is why appliance recyclers ask for documentation and why a "we just took the freon out" claim is not sufficient.

14. Do the leak repair requirements apply to a small appliance?

  1. No, because leak repair requirements apply only to appliances with a full charge of 50 pounds or more
  2. Yes, at a 20% annual leak rate
  3. No, because small appliances never leak
  4. Yes, at a 10% annual leak rate
Answer: A — No, because leak repair requirements apply only to appliances with a full charge of 50 pounds or more
The leak repair provisions are triggered by a full charge of 50 pounds or more, which no small appliance reaches. You still may not vent, you still must recover before service and disposal, and good practice is still to fix the leak — the exemption is from the regulatory repair-and-verify process, not from the venting prohibition.

15. A recovery device is connected to a small appliance and the pressure reading rises after the machine is shut off. This most likely indicates:

  1. The recovery is complete
  2. Refrigerant is still boiling out of the oil and the system needs more recovery time
  3. The recovery machine is defective
  4. The appliance has a leak to atmosphere
Answer: B — Refrigerant is still boiling out of the oil and the system needs more recovery time
Refrigerant dissolved in compressor oil comes out slowly, so pressure rebounds after the machine stops. The correct response is to restart recovery and continue until the pressure holds at the required level — stopping at the first reading is the classic way to leave a quarter of the charge in the system.

16. Before beginning recovery, a recovery cylinder should be:

  1. Filled to 80% with nitrogen
  2. Warmed to at least 100°F
  3. Weighed, with the tare weight noted, and checked against the hydrostatic retest date
  4. Vented to atmosphere to equalize pressure
Answer: C — Weighed, with the tare weight noted, and checked against the hydrostatic retest date
You cannot honor the 80% fill limit without knowing the tare weight and watching a scale, and a cylinder past its retest date should not be filled at all. Venting it to equalize would itself be a violation.

17. A packaged terminal air conditioner (PTAC) in a hotel room qualifies as a small appliance when it:

  1. Is installed through an exterior wall
  2. Serves a single room
  3. Uses R-410A rather than R-22
  4. Was factory-charged and hermetically sealed with 5 pounds or less of refrigerant
Answer: D — Was factory-charged and hermetically sealed with 5 pounds or less of refrigerant
The test is always the same three conditions plus the charge limit, not what the unit is used for or where it is mounted. Most PTACs meet it; a few larger models exceed five pounds and fall under Type II instead, so check the nameplate rather than assuming.

18. When recovering from a small appliance into a non-pressurized container using passive recovery, the container must be:

  1. A container designed and approved for refrigerant recovery, not left open to atmosphere
  2. Vented continuously to prevent overpressure
  3. A DOT cylinder pressurized to 50 psig
  4. Any bucket capable of holding liquid
Answer: A — A container designed and approved for refrigerant recovery, not left open to atmosphere
Non-pressurized does not mean open — the container still has to hold refrigerant without releasing it, or the entire exercise would violate the venting prohibition. Use equipment intended for the purpose and keep it closed once charged.

19. A homeowner asks you to remove a working window air conditioner they are throwing away. You should:

  1. Cut the lines and dispose of it — the charge is small
  2. Recover the refrigerant to the required level before the unit leaves your control
  3. Leave the refrigerant in place; the recycler will handle it
  4. Vent the charge outdoors, away from the house
Answer: B — Recover the refrigerant to the required level before the unit leaves your control
There is no small-charge exemption from the venting prohibition. Recover it, and document that you did — the recycler at the end of the chain is required to have that verification and will refuse the unit without it.

20. A "process tube" on a small appliance is:

  1. The capillary tube feeding the evaporator
  2. The suction line between evaporator and compressor
  3. A short length of tubing on the compressor used at the factory for charging, which a technician can use for access
  4. A drain line for condensate
Answer: C — A short length of tubing on the compressor used at the factory for charging, which a technician can use for access
The process tube is a factory charging stub, usually pinched and brazed shut. It is the preferred access point because a process-tube adapter gives a proper connection without piercing the tubing, and it can be re-sealed correctly when the job is done.

21. Recovery from a small appliance is required before:

  1. Only disposal
  2. Only major repairs
  3. Transporting the appliance
  4. Any service, maintenance, or repair that opens the sealed system, and before disposal
Answer: D — Any service, maintenance, or repair that opens the sealed system, and before disposal
The trigger is opening the system, whatever the reason, plus disposal. Simply moving or transporting a sealed appliance does not require recovery — the refrigerant stays contained, which is the entire point of a hermetically sealed system.

22. While recovering from a small appliance, the recovery machine shuts down on high pressure. The most likely cause is:

  1. The recovery cylinder is overfilled or too warm, raising discharge pressure
  2. The hoses are too large in diameter
  3. The appliance charge is too small
  4. The recovery cylinder is too cold
Answer: A — The recovery cylinder is overfilled or too warm, raising discharge pressure
The machine has to push refrigerant into the cylinder, so cylinder pressure sets discharge pressure. An overfilled or sun-warmed cylinder raises it until the high-pressure cutout trips. Cooling the cylinder or switching to an empty one is the fix — never defeat the cutout.

23. Type I certification alone permits a technician to:

  1. Service any appliance with less than 50 pounds of refrigerant
  2. Service small appliances only
  3. Service small appliances and residential split systems
  4. Purchase any refrigerant but service only sealed systems
Answer: B — Service small appliances only
Each Type is a scope of practice, and Type I stops at small appliances. Working on a residential split system requires Type II. Certification also gates refrigerant purchase, so a Type I technician can buy refrigerant — but only lawfully use it within the scope they are certified for.

24. After recovery is complete and before a small appliance is recharged, the system should be:

  1. Charged immediately to save time
  2. Pressurized with air to check for leaks
  3. Evacuated to remove moisture and non-condensables, then charged by weight
  4. Flushed with water
Answer: C — Evacuated to remove moisture and non-condensables, then charged by weight
Opening a system admits air and moisture, and small appliances use capillary tubes that plug easily with ice or debris. Evacuate to dehydrate, then charge by weight to the nameplate value — a critically charged capillary-tube system has no charging tolerance to work with.

25. A small appliance holds R-134a and its compressor runs. Which single approach satisfies the recovery requirement most reliably?

  1. Recover until the gauge reads 0 psig
  2. Recover for exactly ten minutes
  3. Recover until the recovery machine sounds different
  4. Recover to 4 inches of mercury vacuum and confirm the level holds
Answer: D — Recover to 4 inches of mercury vacuum and confirm the level holds
Pulling to 4 inches of mercury and verifying it holds satisfies the requirement without having to estimate a percentage of the original charge, which you usually cannot measure in the field. Zero psig only means the system reached atmospheric pressure — a substantial amount of refrigerant is still in there.

26. Recovery hoses used on small appliances should have low-loss fittings in order to:

  1. Minimize the refrigerant released each time a hose is connected or disconnected
  2. Allow use with any refrigerant
  3. Prevent the hose from kinking
  4. Increase recovery speed
Answer: A — Minimize the refrigerant released each time a hose is connected or disconnected
Low-loss fittings close off the hose end so refrigerant trapped in the hose is not dumped to atmosphere on disconnect. Those releases are small individually but add up across a working day, and minimizing them is part of the good-faith practice the de minimis provision assumes.

27. System-dependent recovery is NOT permitted when:

  1. The appliance holds 3 pounds of refrigerant
  2. The appliance holds more than 5 pounds of refrigerant
  3. The compressor is operating
  4. The ambient temperature is above 70°F
Answer: B — The appliance holds more than 5 pounds of refrigerant
The five-pound limit is a rule, not a guideline — above it you need self-contained equipment. Warm ambient temperature actually helps passive recovery and a working compressor makes it easier still, so neither of those disqualifies the method.

28. A scrap yard accepting household refrigerators must:

  1. Assume the refrigerant was removed by the previous owner
  2. Crush the units to release refrigerant safely
  3. Recover the refrigerant itself or obtain signed verification that a certified technician already did
  4. Store the units outdoors for 30 days before processing
Answer: C — Recover the refrigerant itself or obtain signed verification that a certified technician already did
The rule places verification on the last person in the disposal chain precisely so nobody can assume someone upstream handled it. In practice a signed statement travels with the appliance, or the yard performs recovery under its own certified technician.

29. After recovering through a process-tube adapter and completing a repair, the process tube should be:

  1. Left open to atmosphere
  2. Capped with tape
  3. Cut off flush with the compressor shell
  4. Pinched off and brazed closed after evacuation and charging
Answer: D — Pinched off and brazed closed after evacuation and charging
A pinch-off followed by a brazed seal restores the hermetic system the appliance was designed as. Tape or a bare pinch will leak, and cutting the stub flush leaves nothing to work with the next time the appliance needs service.

30. A window air conditioner has lost most of its charge twice in one year. The rule requires the technician to:

  1. Recover any remaining refrigerant before opening the system and not vent — but no formal leak repair process applies
  2. Retrofit the appliance to a lower-GWP refrigerant
  3. Retire the appliance within 30 days
  4. File a leak-rate calculation with EPA
Answer: A — Recover any remaining refrigerant before opening the system and not vent — but no formal leak repair process applies
The leak repair program starts at a 50-pound full charge, so a window unit never enters it. The obligations that do apply — recover before opening, never vent — apply every time. Repeatedly recharging a known leaker is poor practice and hard to defend as good faith.
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Read the full EPA 608 certification guide for exam costs, testing organizations, and how to choose between Type I, II, III, and Universal.

FAQ
EPA 608 Type I Questions
How many questions are on the EPA 608 Type I exam?
The Type I section is 25 multiple-choice questions. 25 multiple-choice questions taken with Core. 70% passes. Type I is the only section some certifying organizations also offer as a mail-in, non-proctored exam.
What score do I need to pass EPA 608 Type I?
You need 70% — 18 of 25 questions — to pass. Each section is scored independently, so passing Core does not offset a failing Type I score, and you must pass both to be certified for type i work.
Who needs EPA 608 Type I certification?
Appliance repair technicians, and anyone servicing window units, household refrigerators, vending machines, or water coolers. Small appliances — factory-sealed systems holding 5 pounds of refrigerant or less.
Is this practice test the real EPA 608 exam?
No. This is free study material written from the published rule in 40 CFR Part 82, Subpart F — it does not reproduce exam content. The real exam is proctored and administered by an EPA-approved certifying organization, and it is open-book, so bring your study guide.
Does EPA 608 Type I certification expire?
No. Section 608 certification is issued for life under the current rule. There is no renewal requirement and no continuing education, though you must keep proof of certification at your place of business.
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