Where to Take the EPA 608 Exam

The test must be given by an EPA-approved certifying organization (40 CFR 82.161(b)(1); EPA: Certification Requirements). EPA publishes the list of approved programs with each one's headquarters address and phone number. The list was last updated October 27, 2026, and has 87 programs on it.

The addresses are headquarters, not test sites. Many programs test at locations around the country, and each can tell you where. EPA's list also notes which programs offer remote testing, which have Spanish available, which offer mail-in Type I, and which are limited in some way. Programs marked with an asterisk are only for that company's own employees, such as some railroad, transit, utility and military training programs.

If someone offers you a 608 card, check that the organization is on EPA's current list before you pay. Programs that have stopped testing appear on a separate EPA list. Cards they issued while approved are still valid.

The format you choose affects which certifications you can earn. Types II, III and Universal must be closed-book, proctored and given in a secure environment (Appendix D to 40 CFR Part 82, Subpart F). An online test meets that standard only if it is proctored.

These organizations are marked on EPA's list as offering remote or online testing. The notes come from EPA's listing. Check each provider's own site for which types it offers online and how its proctoring works.

• ESCO Institute (Mount Prospect, IL): remote testing available, training manual available, locations nationwide.
• Mainstream Engineering Corporation (Rockledge, FL): remote testing available, Spanish available, locations nationwide.
• SkillCat EPA Certification (Houston, TX): online testing only, Spanish available.
• Interplay Learning (Austin, TX): remote testing available.
• National Certification Institute (Alice, TX): remote testing available, Spanish available, locations nationwide.
• Video General Inc. (VGI) (Arlington, TX): remote testing available, Spanish available.
• Others marked for remote or online testing include AC/C Tech, CHEERS, Faraday EPA Certification, International Development Institute, Licensed Trades of America, Solar One, Trade Masters Online, The Training Center and Two Brothers Air & Heat.

In-person testing is offered by national organizations and by a long list of schools, unions and training centers. Large organizations on EPA's list include North American Technician Excellence (NATE) and RETA-RSES. ACCA and Allied Certification Technology Services (ACTS) are marked as testing at locations nationwide.

Trade schools and community colleges also appear on the list, such as Ranken Technical College, Hudson Valley Community College, Parkland College and the College of Southern Nevada. So do union training programs from the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) and the United Association (UA). If you are enrolled in an HVAC/R program, your school may already test on site.

Some in-person programs have limits. A few IUOE locals and other programs are marked 'on-site testing only'. Seattle Central's maritime program offers Universal only, and only to its own students. Ask before you enroll.

Organizations that certify only Type I may use a mail-in format instead of an on-site test (Appendix D, section a). It is the only 608 format that is not proctored. The pass mark is 84 percent rather than 70, and the result cannot be used toward Universal. Results and the card are due within 30 days of the program receiving your completed test and paperwork.

Most Type I programs test on-site. On EPA's current list, the State Board of Refrigeration Contractors in Garner, North Carolina, is the program marked 'Type I mail-in tests available'. For more on how this format works, see the guide to the Type I open-book test.

EPA does not set fees. Each organization charges its own, and the regulation says only that fees must be reasonable (Appendix D, section a). Prices vary, so compare a few providers, and make sure you are comparing the same thing.

• Is the organization on EPA's current approved list?
• Which types can I take in this format, and can I take Universal in one sitting?
• For online testing: what camera, browser and room setup does the proctor require?
• What photo ID do you accept? Proctors must check it (Appendix D, section b).
• Is the test offered in Spanish or another language, or orally? Oral tests need a written request at least 30 days ahead (40 CFR 82.161(b)(3)).
• What does the fee include: retakes, the card, a replacement card, study material?
• When will I get my results and card? The rule is within 30 days.

Whichever format you pick, the questions come from the same EPA question bank and cover the same EPA test topics. Work through the topic list, then take timed practice: 25 questions per section, aiming well above 70 percent. The practice tests on this site cover Core, Type I, II, III and a 100-question Universal mock.

After the test, the program must give you, on paper or electronically, the name and contact details of the certifying program and the proctor, and tell you when to expect your score and card (Appendix D, section a). Keep that information. It is the quickest way to trace your certification if you ever lose the card.