EPA 608 Passing Score (72%)

The number

18 correct out of 25 questions = 72%, on each section you sit:

Section	Questions	Correct to pass	Fail
Core	25	18	17 or fewer
Type I	25	18	17 or fewer
Type II	25	18	17 or fewer
Type III	25	18	17 or fewer

Universal is not a fifth exam. It is Core + I + II + III, each at 18/25. That is 100 questions and four independent bars.

What happens if you fail one section

You keep the sections you passed. You retake only the failed section (and pay that provider’s retake fee). There is no waiting period in the federal rule; providers set their own scheduling.

If you fail Core, you cannot be awarded any type from that sitting, because every type requires Core.

Closed book vs Type I

Core, Type II, Type III and Universal are closed-book and proctored (in person or live online proctoring, depending on the organization).

Some providers still offer a Type I-only exam that is open-book and not proctored. If you plan to walk out Universal, assume closed-book for everything and study that way.

Time and format

EPA does not publish a single nationwide time limit the way some state boards do. Each EPA-approved certifying organization (ESCO, RSES, Mainstream, HVAC Excellence and others) sets seating time. Plan on roughly a minute per question; CertReady’s mock is 25 questions in 30 minutes so the clock feels familiar.

Questions are multiple choice. The traps are the numbers: 80 vs 90, 10 vs 15 in. Hg, 10% vs 20% vs 30% leak rates, 10 psig vs 15 psig, 25 mm Hg absolute vs 25 in. Hg vacuum.

How high you should score in practice

Passing is 72%. That is not a study target.

• Below 75% on a CertReady category → you do not know that section yet
• 80–85% → book the exam soon, keep drilling misses
• 90%+ on mixed mocks → you have margin for a bad night of sleep

Use category scores, not one overall percentage. A 90% mock that hid a 60% Type III is how people fail Universal by one section.

Study to the 72% line

1. Memorize the numbers table until you can fill it from a blank page.
2. Practice Core, then each type, until that category is above 80%.
3. Sit timed mock exams. Review every miss — the explanation is the lesson.
4. Re-drill only the weak category. Do not grind Core if Type II leak rates are the problem.

All CertReady items are original practice questions, not the live exam. The live exam is administered by an EPA-approved organization, not by EPA and not by CertReady.

Read Type 1 vs Type 2 vs Type 3 if you are still deciding how many sections to book, or the Universal and online exam guides.