# Free EPA 608 Type 1 Practice Test

The EPA 608 Type I section covers small appliances: units sealed at the factory with 5 pounds of refrigerant or less, like refrigerators, window air conditioners, dehumidifiers and vending machines. It tests recovery levels, passive recovery on dead compressors and disposal rules. You take 25 Type I questions plus 25 Core, and the proctored test passes at 70%.

## Key takeaways

- Type I is for small appliances only. A split system charged on site is not a small appliance, even at 3 pounds.
- Know the recovery rule cold: 90% with a working compressor, 80% without (newer equipment), or a 4-inch vacuum.
- Type I is the only section that can be taken by mail, but mail-in needs 84% and can't count toward Universal.
- These are original practice questions, not real exam questions.

> **Independent practice questions**
>
> BRIX wrote these Type I questions from EPA's public Section 608 pages and the federal regulation. They are not real exam questions. BRIX is not affiliated with EPA, ESCO, Mainstream or any other certifying organization, and passing this practice test doesn't certify you. Only an EPA-approved certifying organization can.

## Who needs EPA 608 Type I certification?

Anyone who maintains, services or repairs small appliances needs Type I (or Universal) certification under [40 CFR 82.161](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-82/subpart-F/section-82.161). That's appliance repair techs, vending and ice machine route techs, hotel maintenance staff who work on PTACs, and anyone who services dehumidifiers or water coolers. People who only *dispose* of small appliances don't need to be certified, but the recovery rules still apply to whoever removes the refrigerant.

The trap is the definition. A small appliance is "fully manufactured, charged, and hermetically sealed in a factory with five (5) pounds or less of refrigerant" ([40 CFR 82.152](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-82/subpart-F/section-82.152)). A ductless mini-split the installer charged in the field fails the first half of that test no matter how small the charge, so it's Type II work. If you install or service residential split systems, Type I alone won't cover you.

## What's on the Type I section?

EPA's [official Type I topic list](https://www.epa.gov/section608/section-608-technician-certification-test-topics) is short, and it leans hard on recovery. Our bank tracks it topic by topic, and your results page scores you on the same groups.

**EPA 608 Type I topics and what to know**

| Topic | What you should be able to answer |
| --- | --- |
| Small appliance definition | The two-part test (factory-sealed + 5 lb max) and the listed examples: refrigerators, freezers, room ACs, PTHPs, dehumidifiers, under-counter ice makers, vending machines, water coolers |
| Recovery requirements | The 80% / 90% / 4-inch-vacuum rule, and how it changes with the age of your recovery equipment (before vs. after November 15, 1993) |
| Recovery techniques | Running a working compressor during passive recovery; high- and low-side access valves when the compressor is dead; heating and tapping the compressor; removing solderless fittings afterward; identifying refrigerant by pressure and temperature |
| Substitutes | R-134a as the likely replacement for R-12; which hydrocarbon uses (like isobutane in household refrigerators) are exempt |
| Safety | Refrigerant breaks down into harmful products at high temperatures, so never put a torch on a charged line |
| Disposal | What the final processor (scrap yard, landfill) must do: recover or collect a signed statement, and keep it three years |

## The recovery numbers Type I tests

This is the table most Type I questions come back to. It comes from [40 CFR 82.156(b)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-82/subpart-F/section-82.156), restated here in plain terms. Reaching a 4-inch vacuum is always an acceptable alternative to measuring the percentage.

**Small-appliance recovery requirements**

| Your recovery equipment was made… | Appliance compressor works | Appliance compressor is dead |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Before November 15, 1993 | Recover 80% | Recover 80% |
| On or after November 15, 1993 | Recover 90% | Recover 80% |
| Either date (alternative) | Evacuate to 4 in. Hg vacuum | Evacuate to 4 in. Hg vacuum |

_Source: 40 CFR 82.156(b), verified 2026-10-24. Equipment used on small appliances must itself be certified by an EPA-approved equipment testing organization (40 CFR 82.158(e))._

## How are Type I questions different from Core?

Core asks about the big picture: why chlorine matters, what the Montreal Protocol did, how to label a cylinder. Type I asks what you do with your hands on a refrigerator in a customer's kitchen. Expect scenarios, not definitions. Here's a typical one from our bank:

> **Sample Type I question**
>
> **A refrigerator's compressor is dead and you're recovering with a system-dependent (passive) device. What access do you need?**
>
> A. A single piercing valve on the suction line · B. Access valves on both the high and low sides · C. Access through the drain pan · D. None
>
> **Answer: B.** With no compressor to move the refrigerant, EPA's Type I topics call for access on both sides. The other habit to have: remove solderless access fittings when you're done.

One more thing to know: system-dependent recovery equipment is barred on appliances with more than 15 pounds of refrigerant ([40 CFR 82.156(e)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-82/subpart-F/section-82.156)). Small appliances top out at 5 pounds, so passive recovery is legal on every one of them. That's why Type I spends so much time on it.

## Mail-in or proctored Type I?

Type I is the only section EPA allows in a mail-in format, and only from organizations offering Type I alone ([Appendix D](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-82/subpart-F)). The trade-off: a mail-in Type I test needs **84%** to pass, compared with 70% for the closed-book, proctored version, and a mail-in result can't be used toward Universal. If there's any chance you'll go on to Types II and III, take Type I proctored. EPA's [list of certifying programs](https://www.epa.gov/section608/certification-programs-section-608-technicians) notes which ones offer mail-in, on-site or remote testing.

## How to study for Type I

1. **Pass Core first, or alongside.** You can't be certified on Type I alone. Every test includes 25 Core questions. Use the [Core practice test](https://www.brix.so/practice/epa-608/core).
2. **Draw the recovery table from memory.** Two equipment dates, two compressor states, one vacuum alternative. If you can sketch it on scrap paper, you'll get most recovery questions right.
3. **Picture the job.** For every technique question, ask what you'd physically do: which valve, which side, which tool. The right answer is usually the one that gets refrigerant out without venting it.
4. **Learn the definition, not just the 5-pound number.** Expect at least one question where a small charge is a distractor and the real issue is whether the unit was sealed at the factory.
5. **Run exam mode until you clear 70% three rounds in a row,** then switch to study mode for whatever topic still shows red.

### More EPA 608 practice

- [All EPA 608 practice tests](https://www.brix.so/practice/epa-608): Which section to take, plus a 20-question diagnostic
- [Core practice test](https://www.brix.so/practice/epa-608/core): 36 questions: ozone, the Clean Air Act, the three Rs, safety
- [Type II practice test](https://www.brix.so/practice/epa-608/type-2): 33 questions: high-pressure systems, leak repair, evacuation levels
- [Type III practice test](https://www.brix.so/practice/epa-608/type-3): 28 questions: low-pressure chillers
- [Universal practice test](https://www.brix.so/practice/epa-608/universal): All 125 questions; exam mode is 100 questions
- [EPA 608 certification guide](https://www.brix.so/certifications/epa-608): Who needs it, how to test, lost cards, A2L refrigerants

## Frequently asked questions

### What is EPA 608 Type I certification for?

Type I certifies you to maintain, service and repair small appliances: units manufactured, charged and hermetically sealed in a factory with 5 pounds of refrigerant or less. Examples include refrigerators, window and portable air conditioners, PTACs, dehumidifiers, vending machines and water coolers.

### How many questions are on the EPA 608 Type I test?

EPA's regulation requires 25 questions from the Type I group plus 25 from Core, so a Type I certification test is 50 questions. The closed-book, proctored version passes at 70 percent.

### Can I take the EPA 608 Type I test online or by mail?

Organizations offering only Type I may use a mail-in format, which requires 84 percent to pass and can't count toward Universal. EPA's list of certifying programs shows which ones test on-site, by mail or remotely, so check it for current formats.

### Does Type I cover mini-splits or window units?

Window units, yes, if they were factory-sealed with 5 pounds or less. Mini-splits charged by the installer on site aren't small appliances under the regulation, so working on their refrigerant circuit takes Type II or Universal certification.

### Do I need certification to throw away an old refrigerator?

No. The regulation says people who dispose of small appliances don't need to be certified. But the refrigerant must still be recovered to the required levels before final disposal, and the scrap yard or landfill must either recover it or get a signed statement that it was recovered.

## Related

- [Free EPA 608 Practice Tests](https://www.brix.so/practice/epa-608)
- [Free EPA 608 Core Practice Test](https://www.brix.so/practice/epa-608/core)
- [Free EPA 608 Type 2 Practice Test](https://www.brix.so/practice/epa-608/type-2)
- [Free EPA 608 Universal Practice Test](https://www.brix.so/practice/epa-608/universal)
- [EPA 608 Certification: Who Needs It and How to Get It](https://www.brix.so/certifications/epa-608)
- [How to Start an HVAC Business in 2026 (Costs, Licenses and First Customers)](https://www.brix.so/start/hvac)
- [HVAC Software That Answers the Phone, Books the Tech and Keeps the Books](https://www.brix.so/for/hvac)
- [BTU Calculator](https://www.brix.so/tools/btu-calculator)
- [AC Tonnage Calculator](https://www.brix.so/tools/hvac-tonnage-calculator)
- [Superheat Calculator](https://www.brix.so/tools/superheat-calculator)

## Sources

- [EPA — Section 608 Technician Certification Test Topics](https://www.epa.gov/section608/section-608-technician-certification-test-topics) (checked 2026-10-24)
- [EPA — Section 608 Technician Certification Requirements](https://www.epa.gov/section608/section-608-technician-certification-requirements) (checked 2026-10-24)
- [eCFR — 40 CFR 82.152 Definitions](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-82/subpart-F/section-82.152) (checked 2026-10-24)
- [eCFR — 40 CFR 82.154 Prohibitions (venting, exempt substitutes)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-82/subpart-F/section-82.154) (checked 2026-10-24)
- [eCFR — 40 CFR 82.155 Safe disposal of appliances](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-82/subpart-F/section-82.155) (checked 2026-10-24)
- [eCFR — 40 CFR 82.156 Proper evacuation of refrigerant (Table 1)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-82/subpart-F/section-82.156) (checked 2026-10-24)
- [eCFR — 40 CFR 82.158 Standards for recovery and recycling equipment](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-82/subpart-F/section-82.158) (checked 2026-10-24)
- [eCFR — 40 CFR 82.161 Technician certification](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-82/subpart-F/section-82.161) (checked 2026-10-24)
- [eCFR — 40 CFR Part 82, Subpart F, Appendix D (test standards)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-82/subpart-F) (checked 2026-10-24)
- [EPA — Certification Programs for Section 608 Technicians (updated 2026-10-20)](https://www.epa.gov/section608/certification-programs-section-608-technicians) (checked 2026-10-24)

Talk to BRIX: call or text (518) 588-1122, email eeharris2004@gmail.com, or book a 15-minute call at https://cal.com/ethanharris/15min.

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Written by BRIX Editorial Team. Last updated 2026-10-24.
Canonical: https://www.brix.so/practice/epa-608/type-1