The short answer
The 608 exam is really four separately scored sections of 25 questions each: Core (required for everything) plus Type I, Type II, and Type III. You need 70% in a section to pass it — 18 of 25 on the closed-book exam — and each section stands on its own, so a failed section does not erase a passed one. Pass Core plus all three types and you are Universal. Your certification does not expire — but EPA reserves the right to require recertification someday by Federal Register notice, so "never expires" means "no expiry or renewal requirement in force today."
Format: what you actually sit
| Section | Questions | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Core (Group I) | 25 | Required for every certification: ozone science, the Clean Air Act and Montreal Protocol, recovery/recycling/reclaim, venting, certification and sales rules, safety, shipping, disposal |
| Type I (Group II) | 25 | Small appliances (≤5 lb, factory-sealed) |
| Type II (Group II) | 25 | Medium-, high-, and very-high-pressure appliances, except small appliances and MVACs |
| Type III (Group II) | 25 | Low-pressure appliances |
| Universal | 100 | Core 25 + 25 from each of the three type groups |
The regulation sets the floor, not the ceiling: §82.161(c) requires at least 25 questions from the core group and at least 25 from each relevant technical group, and Appendix D to Subpart F spells out the same 25 + 25 structure (25 + 75 for Universal). If your program's test has a few extra questions, that is the program going beyond the minimum.
Scoring: 70% means 18, not 17
- Closed-book pass mark: 70%. Appendix D: "The passing score for the closed-book Type I, Type II, Type III and Universal certification test is 70 percent." On a 25-question section, 17 correct is 68% — a fail. 18 is the number. You can miss 7 per section and still pass that section.
- Mail-in Type I pass mark: 84%. Type I tests using the mail-in format require 84% — 21 of 25. The higher bar is the tradeoff for the open-book/mail-in format.
- Sections are scored independently. Pass Core and Type II but fail Type III, and you hold Core + Type II; you retake only the section you failed. The four scores are never averaged into one grade.
- Open-book Core does not count toward Universal. Certifying-program guidance is explicit: the Core test must be taken as a proctored, closed-book exam to earn Universal. If you passed Core open-book for Type I only and later want Universal, expect to retake Core proctored — confirm the mechanics with your program.
Proctoring and ID — what is verified, what to check with your program
Verified from Appendix D: the certification test for Type I (when taken as part of Universal), Type II, Type III, and Universal is a closed-book exam; programs for those tests must designate at least one proctor registered for every 50 people testing at the same time at a site; proctors must verify the identity of test-takers by examining photo identification — acceptable forms listed include driver's licenses, government identification cards, passports, and military identification. Programs must inform you of your results no later than 30 days from the test date (for mail-in Type I, 30 days from when the program received the completed test), and must issue the wallet-sized certification card no later than 30 days from the test date.
Check with your certifying program — not stated here because it varies by program and was not verified from an EPA or program source for this page: exam fee, how to schedule, any time limit, what else to bring (for example, whether a calculator is allowed), remote-proctoring technical requirements, and any retake waiting period. Do not trust a secondhand number for any of those; your program's instructions are the controlling source.
After you pass
- Keep your certificate at your place of business (§82.161(a)(4)), and maintain a copy until three years after you stop operating as a technician. That retention rule is in the regulation itself — it is not a program courtesy.
- Certification does not expire. There is no renewal or continuing-education requirement in force. The caveat, also in the regulation (§82.161(a)(5)): the Administrator reserves the right to specify a recertification requirement at some future date by Federal Register notice. A future rule could change this; today's rule does not expire your card.
- You are responsible for rule changes after you certify. Passing the exam does not freeze the law at the version you studied. The 2026 HFC leak-repair rules in 40 CFR Part 84 are the live example: they apply to certified technicians whether or not their exam covered them.
- Certification can be revoked or suspended for failure to abide by Subpart F — including failure to demonstrate proper recovery/recycling procedures if EPA requires it (§82.161(a)(3)). A revoked certificate means recertifying before working again.
Exam-day checklist (verified items only)
- Photo ID from Appendix D's list (driver's license, government ID card, passport, or military ID) — proctors must verify identity.
- Know which sections you are sitting: Core is compulsory; Universal is all four.
- Know the pass line per section: 18 of 25 closed-book; 21 of 25 mail-in Type I.
- Expect results and your wallet card within 30 days of the test date (Appendix D deadlines).
- Everything else — fee, schedule, time limit, what else to bring, retake timing — check with your certifying program before exam day.
Drill it
Practice under exam conditions: 25 questions a section, 18 to pass. Start with Core, then run the mixed exam.