Go back and ask the tech why the EGR failed functional check. Assuming he remembers the car, he may not be willing to give you a "diagnosis" i.e. what part is "bad", but he should at least be willing to tell you what the functional test consisted of, what the result was, and why it indicated a failure.

This is the diagnostic information you need to determine, what, if anything needs to be replaced or further tested and analyzed. Passing "visual" usually means that there were no obvious signs of tampering or deterioration in the various lines and hoses and all required components are installed. A "functional check" usually consists of applying vacuum directly to the EGR valve to see if it opens. Doing this at idle will immediately cause the engine to run rough, which indicates the valve itself is functional.

ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS get a full debriefing from the tech if your car fails an emission test, and it's not uncommon for cars to "fail" because the tech erred. There is also ample evidence of fraud at test and repair shops (They can "fail" something to generate business.), which is why it's best to go to a "test only" station, and since these cars have been tagged by the BAR as "high emitter profile" you were probably directed to "test only" on your registration renewal form.

A tech once "failed" my gas cap, but I knew it was functioning properly on the car including the gasket because pressure commonly escaped when I removed the cap for fueling. I asked him to rerun the test, verifying that he was using the correct adapters on the test set for a Merc gas cap and the cap was fully seated.

It passed and has passed all subsequent tests.

Consider the number of different configurations that emission techs see - literally hundreds, and it's understandable that they sometimes make mistakes. So make sure you fully understand any test failures and make your own judgment as to whether the test procedure and result was valid. And don't be too timid to ask that the test be rerun.

Duke