EPA 608 Passing Score: How Many Questions You Need to Get Right in 2026

The EPA Section 608 exam is not graded on a curve and it is not the same passing bar for every section. Before you sit it, you want to know exactly how many questions you can miss and still walk out certified. Here is how the scoring works.

The passing score by section

Appendix D to 40 CFR Part 82 sets the passing bar at 70 percent for the closed book sections and 84 percent for the open book Type I mail in option. In practice, the closed book sections are commonly administered as 18 of 25 correct, which is 72 percent. That is the number most testing centers quote, because the exam is delivered as 25 questions per section.

So for a closed book section you can miss up to 7 of the 25 questions. Miss 8 and you fail that section.

How the Universal certification is scored

The Universal certification is not a separate test. It is what you earn when you pass all four sections: Core, Type I, Type II, and Type III. Each section is 25 questions, for 100 questions total.

Two rules trip people up here:

• Core is mandatory. You cannot earn any type without passing Core, and Core does not carry over the same way between testing organizations, so confirm with your proctor.
• An open book Core does not count toward Universal. If you take Core open book, you have to retake it closed book to bank a Universal. This is the single most common scoring surprise.

Why people fail a section they should pass

The math is forgiving. Seven wrong out of 25 is a lot of room. The reason capable techs still fail is that they study the wrong material or they let the four sections blur together. The recovery rules, pressure thresholds, and recordkeeping requirements read almost the same across Type I, II, and III, so it is easy to apply a Type II number to a Type III question.

The fix is structured practice that keeps each rule attached to the system it belongs to, and answers that show you the citation so you are not memorizing something an outdated guide got wrong.

Before you book the exam

Confirm three things with your testing organization: whether your section is delivered open or closed book, the exact pass percentage they apply, and whether they carry a passed section over if you come back for another type later. Regulations and administration details change, so verify current requirements with the EPA and your testing organization before test day.