SkillCat EPA 608 Exam Actual Exam
2026/2027 – Complete Questions and
Answers with Detailed Rationales – Pass
Guaranteed – A+ Graded
Core (General Knowledge)
Q1: The stratospheric ozone layer protects the Earth by filtering out which type of
radiation from the sun?
A. Infrared radiation
B. Ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation [CORRECT]
C. Gamma radiation
D. Visible light
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The ozone layer's primary function is absorbing harmful UV-B radiation,
which causes skin cancer and cataracts. Infrared and visible light pass through mostly
unaffected, and gamma radiation is not filtered by ozone.
Q2: Under the Clean Air Act, which organization is responsible for establishing the
standards for protecting stratospheric ozone?
A. OSHA
B. ASHRAE
C. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) [CORRECT]
D. The Department of Energy
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The Clean Air Act gives the EPA the authority to set and enforce regulations
regarding ozone-depleting substances. OSHA handles workplace safety, ASHRAE sets
standards for equipment and safety classifications, and the DOE handles energy
efficiency.
Q3: What is the Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) of CFC-12 (R-12) compared to
CFC-11 (R-11)?
A. 0.5
B. 0.82
C. 0.9
D. 1.0 [CORRECT]
,Correct Answer: D
Rationale: CFC-11 is the baseline reference point with an ODP of 1.0. CFC-12 also has
an ODP of approximately 1.0, meaning it is equally as destructive to the ozone layer as
the reference substance.
Q4: Which of the following is a characteristic of HFC refrigerants regarding the
environment?
A. They contain chlorine and have high ODP.
B. They have zero ODP but often have high Global Warming Potential (GWP).
[CORRECT]
C. They are flammable and toxic.
D. They are natural refrigerants with no environmental impact.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: HFCs were developed to replace CFCs and HCFCs because they lack
chlorine, resulting in zero ODP. However, they are potent greenhouse gases with high
GWP, leading to current phase-down regulations.
Q5: According to the SNAP (Significant New Alternatives Policy) program, what is the
status of R-22 (HCFC-22) for new equipment?
A. Approved for all new residential AC units.
B. Banned from manufacture and import in the U.S. since January 1, 2020. [CORRECT]
C. Only allowed in industrial process refrigeration.
D. Approved for use in automotive AC.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: As part of the Montreal Protocol phase-out, the production and import of
R-22 for new equipment ceased in the U.S. on January 1, 2020. It can still be recovered
and recycled for servicing existing systems.
Q6: What is the definition of "Recovery" in the context of refrigerant handling?
A. To clean refrigerant for reuse by oil separation and filtering.
B. To process refrigerant to new product specifications.
C. To remove refrigerant from a system and store it in an external container without
necessarily testing or processing it. [CORRECT]
D. To convert refrigerant vapor into liquid.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Recovery is simply the act of removing the refrigerant from the system.
Recycling (cleaning) and Reclaiming (restoring to virgin purity) are more intensive
processes that happen after recovery.
Q7: If you are changing a compressor on a system containing 50 pounds of R-410A,
which EPA Section 608 certification type is minimally required?
, A. Type I only
B. Type III only
C. Type II or Universal [CORRECT]
D. No certification is needed for major repairs.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: R-410A is a high-pressure refrigerant used in comfort cooling. Servicing
high-pressure appliances requires a Type II or Universal certification. Type I is for small
appliances, and Type III is for low-pressure appliances.
Q8: Which safety practice is required to prevent cross-contamination when using
recovery equipment?
A. Using the same vacuum pump for both recovery and evacuation.
B. Purging the recovery device with the refrigerant to be recovered before connecting to
the system. [CORRECT]
C. Mixing different refrigerants in the same recovery cylinder to save space.
D. Venting a small amount of refrigerant to check the system pressure.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Purging the recovery hose and device with the specific refrigerant from the
system removes air and prevents mixing different refrigerants or introducing
contaminants into the system.
Q9: What are the three-tiered levels of refrigerant processing defined by the EPA?
A. Recovery, Recycling, Reclaiming [CORRECT]
B. Recovering, Reusing, Recycling
C. Reclaiming, Recycling, Restoring
D. Extraction, Filtration, Drying
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The EPA defines the hierarchy as Recovery (removal), Recycling (on-site
cleaning to reduce contaminants), and Reclaiming (complex processing to return to
ARI-700 purity standards).
Q10: What is the maximum fill level for a DOT-approved recovery cylinder?
A. 100% of water capacity
B. 80% of water capacity by weight [CORRECT]
C. 90% of water capacity by volume
D. 75% of water capacity
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Safety regulations limit fill to 80% of the cylinder's water capacity. This allows
room for the liquid refrigerant to expand as temperature rises without rupturing the
cylinder.
2026/2027 – Complete Questions and
Answers with Detailed Rationales – Pass
Guaranteed – A+ Graded
Core (General Knowledge)
Q1: The stratospheric ozone layer protects the Earth by filtering out which type of
radiation from the sun?
A. Infrared radiation
B. Ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation [CORRECT]
C. Gamma radiation
D. Visible light
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The ozone layer's primary function is absorbing harmful UV-B radiation,
which causes skin cancer and cataracts. Infrared and visible light pass through mostly
unaffected, and gamma radiation is not filtered by ozone.
Q2: Under the Clean Air Act, which organization is responsible for establishing the
standards for protecting stratospheric ozone?
A. OSHA
B. ASHRAE
C. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) [CORRECT]
D. The Department of Energy
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The Clean Air Act gives the EPA the authority to set and enforce regulations
regarding ozone-depleting substances. OSHA handles workplace safety, ASHRAE sets
standards for equipment and safety classifications, and the DOE handles energy
efficiency.
Q3: What is the Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) of CFC-12 (R-12) compared to
CFC-11 (R-11)?
A. 0.5
B. 0.82
C. 0.9
D. 1.0 [CORRECT]
,Correct Answer: D
Rationale: CFC-11 is the baseline reference point with an ODP of 1.0. CFC-12 also has
an ODP of approximately 1.0, meaning it is equally as destructive to the ozone layer as
the reference substance.
Q4: Which of the following is a characteristic of HFC refrigerants regarding the
environment?
A. They contain chlorine and have high ODP.
B. They have zero ODP but often have high Global Warming Potential (GWP).
[CORRECT]
C. They are flammable and toxic.
D. They are natural refrigerants with no environmental impact.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: HFCs were developed to replace CFCs and HCFCs because they lack
chlorine, resulting in zero ODP. However, they are potent greenhouse gases with high
GWP, leading to current phase-down regulations.
Q5: According to the SNAP (Significant New Alternatives Policy) program, what is the
status of R-22 (HCFC-22) for new equipment?
A. Approved for all new residential AC units.
B. Banned from manufacture and import in the U.S. since January 1, 2020. [CORRECT]
C. Only allowed in industrial process refrigeration.
D. Approved for use in automotive AC.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: As part of the Montreal Protocol phase-out, the production and import of
R-22 for new equipment ceased in the U.S. on January 1, 2020. It can still be recovered
and recycled for servicing existing systems.
Q6: What is the definition of "Recovery" in the context of refrigerant handling?
A. To clean refrigerant for reuse by oil separation and filtering.
B. To process refrigerant to new product specifications.
C. To remove refrigerant from a system and store it in an external container without
necessarily testing or processing it. [CORRECT]
D. To convert refrigerant vapor into liquid.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Recovery is simply the act of removing the refrigerant from the system.
Recycling (cleaning) and Reclaiming (restoring to virgin purity) are more intensive
processes that happen after recovery.
Q7: If you are changing a compressor on a system containing 50 pounds of R-410A,
which EPA Section 608 certification type is minimally required?
, A. Type I only
B. Type III only
C. Type II or Universal [CORRECT]
D. No certification is needed for major repairs.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: R-410A is a high-pressure refrigerant used in comfort cooling. Servicing
high-pressure appliances requires a Type II or Universal certification. Type I is for small
appliances, and Type III is for low-pressure appliances.
Q8: Which safety practice is required to prevent cross-contamination when using
recovery equipment?
A. Using the same vacuum pump for both recovery and evacuation.
B. Purging the recovery device with the refrigerant to be recovered before connecting to
the system. [CORRECT]
C. Mixing different refrigerants in the same recovery cylinder to save space.
D. Venting a small amount of refrigerant to check the system pressure.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Purging the recovery hose and device with the specific refrigerant from the
system removes air and prevents mixing different refrigerants or introducing
contaminants into the system.
Q9: What are the three-tiered levels of refrigerant processing defined by the EPA?
A. Recovery, Recycling, Reclaiming [CORRECT]
B. Recovering, Reusing, Recycling
C. Reclaiming, Recycling, Restoring
D. Extraction, Filtration, Drying
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The EPA defines the hierarchy as Recovery (removal), Recycling (on-site
cleaning to reduce contaminants), and Reclaiming (complex processing to return to
ARI-700 purity standards).
Q10: What is the maximum fill level for a DOT-approved recovery cylinder?
A. 100% of water capacity
B. 80% of water capacity by weight [CORRECT]
C. 90% of water capacity by volume
D. 75% of water capacity
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Safety regulations limit fill to 80% of the cylinder's water capacity. This allows
room for the liquid refrigerant to expand as temperature rises without rupturing the
cylinder.
