Checked 27 October 2026. Exam requirements and adopted plumbing codes and editions vary by licensing jurisdiction, and bulletins are revised. The Oklahoma bulletin used here is effective 11 September 2026; it allows the 2024 codes on this exam from 8 October 2026 and says the 2018 codes are no longer allowed from 14 December 2026, while the Construction Industries Board notice of 31 August 2026 allows either edition until 8 January 2027. The bulletin and board pages cited were read on 27 October 2026. Check your own board’s current bulletin before you book.
In the United States a journeyman plumber licence is issued by a state, and in some states by a city or county. Licensing authorities commonly require a written exam on the plumbing code before they grant the licence, and many such exams are open book: you bring your own copy of the code and look answers up against the clock. The code itself differs: many states use the International Plumbing Code (IPC), others the Uniform Plumbing Code, and the edition varies. To show how such an exam is built, this guide walks through one fully published example, the PSI bulletin for Oklahoma’s Plumbing Journeyman and Natural Gas exam, which is moving to the 2024 IPC and International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC). It then covers what you may bring, how to use the code books in the exam, and a study plan by content area.
ProSyllabus is an independent study site. It is not PSI, a state licensing board or the International Code Council, and nothing here is an exam paper. Exam facts on this page come from the official bulletin and board pages listed at the foot of the page.
Oklahoma Construction Industries Board, PSI Candidate Information Bulletin, effective 11 Sep 2026, and CIB notice of 31 Aug 2026. Read 27 Oct 2026.
FreeTests: Area 4: Water supply · Area 5: Drains and sewers · Area 6: Vents
Journeyman Plumber Practice Test: free sample
Answer 3 questions against the clock, like the real exam. You then see the right answer, the reason and your time on each. About 8 minutes · free · no sign-in.
3 questions to answer
Start nowabout 8 minThis one is free · no sign-in needed
Your result shows how long each question took you.
Check which code and edition your state tests
Confirm the tested code and edition before you choose study materials, because section numbers and some requirements change between editions. The Oklahoma bulletin lists the International Plumbing Code and the International Fuel Gas Code with Oklahoma revisions, and says code questions are based only on the edition it lists. Oklahoma’s Uniform Building Code Commission adopted the 2024 IPC and IFGC with amendments effective 14 September 2026. The bulletin lists the 2018 IPC and the 2018 or 2024 IFGC, says the 2024 codes may be used from 8 October 2026, and says the 2018 codes are no longer allowed from 14 December 2026. The Construction Industries Board’s notice of 31 August 2026 gives a different end date: either edition until 8 January 2027, and only the new codes from 9 January 2027. If you test between those dates, confirm with the Board which edition you may use. Other states may test the Uniform Plumbing Code or an older IPC edition, so find your board’s candidate bulletin and read which code, which references and which outline it gives.
The exam format, from the bulletin
| Fact | What the Oklahoma bulletin says |
|---|---|
| Questions | 85 questions. Up to ten unscored experimental questions may be added; the time for them does not count against your exam time. |
| Time | 180 minutes. Our arithmetic: about 2.1 minutes a question. |
| Pass mark | 64 correct (75%); from 1 November 2026 the passing percentage is 70%, which the bulletin states as 60 correct. |
| Open book | Yes. The International Plumbing Code and the International Fuel Gas Code with Oklahoma revisions, Mathematics for Plumbers and Pipefitters (Lee Smith, 8th edition) and 29 CFR Part 1926 (OSHA construction), or PSI’s selections from it. |
| Calculator | A silent, battery-operated, non-printing, non-programmable calculator without an alphabet keyboard. A magnifying glass is given on request. |
| Fee | $92 for each examination portion; registration fees are not refundable or transferable. |
| Results | If you do not pass you get a diagnostic report. |
| Retakes | After a first failure you wait 30 days before retesting; for exams other than electrical, from the second failure on you wait 90 days. |
The Construction Industries Board decides who is eligible; PSI schedules and delivers the exam at its test centers. The bulletin describes the scope as installing, repairing, maintaining or extending plumbing systems (sanitary drainage, waste and vents, water supply, fixtures and roof drains) and gas piping, appliances, vents, flues and tanks, in a supervised environment.
FreeTests: Area 4: Water supply · Area 5: Drains and sewers · Area 6: Vents
Journeyman Plumber Practice Test: free sample
Answer 3 questions against the clock, like the real exam. You then see the right answer, the reason and your time on each. About 8 minutes · free · no sign-in.
3 questions to answer
Start nowabout 8 minThis one is free · no sign-in needed
Your result shows how long each question took you.
The 10 content areas and how many questions each has
The bulletin lists every area with its number of questions. Vents is the largest single area at 13 questions, and the four areas of general knowledge, water supply, drains and sewers and fuel gas have 10 each, so those five areas make up 53 of the 85.
| Area | Items | Topics the bulletin lists |
|---|---|---|
| 1. General plumbing knowledge and regulations | 10 | Head pressure, pipe joints, solvent-welded joints, area and volume, water supply friction loss, permits and inspections, job costs, notches and bored holes, fire integrity, pipe offsets, test systems, condensate disposal, trenching and backfill, fitting identification |
| 2. Piping, valves and control valves | 8 | PVC, CPVC, galvanized, copper tubing and pipe, polyethylene, PEX, underground, cast-iron and steel piping and connections, connecting dissimilar materials, valves and control valves |
| 3. Fixtures and equipment | 8 | Minimum plumbing needs for structures and facilities, installing fixtures and associated equipment |
| 4. Water supply | 10 | Water supply and distribution lines, protection of the potable water supply, backflow |
| 5. Drains and sewers | 10 | Drain and sewer pipe, building sewers, cleanouts, sewage ejectors and sump pumps, health care plumbing, drain and waste piping, storm drainage |
| 6. Vents | 13 | Vent installation, developed length |
| 7. Traps, interceptors, indirect and special waste | 5 | Traps, interceptors and separators, indirect and special waste |
| 8. Isometric analysis | 7 | Isometric drawings |
| 9. Fuel gas | 10 | Gas pipe sizing, regulators, hangers and supports, direction changes, concealed locations, joints, valves, outlets, drip legs and sediment traps, water heaters and other appliances, confined spaces, combustion air, chimneys and vents, permits, cost estimates, outdoor piping, testing, pipe materials |
| 10. Safety | 4 | PPE, excavation and trench safety, training, ventilation, first aid, signs and barricades, tools, ladders, illumination, scaffolds, toxic materials, cleanup, safety data sheets, materials handling, fall protection |
Oklahoma Construction Industries Board, PSI Candidate Information Bulletin, effective 11 Sep 2026 (read 27 Oct 2026). 85 questions in all.
Your code books: what the bulletin allows
| Rule | What the bulletin says |
|---|---|
| Edition | Code questions are based only on the edition of the code book listed. Except for code books, later editions of the other references are allowed. |
| Marking before the exam | References may be highlighted, underlined and indexed before the exam session. |
| Tabs | Permanent tabs only. Temporary tabs such as sticky notes must be removed before the exam begins. |
| Writing | You may not write in a reference before or during the exam, and no extra papers may be brought in with it. A candidate caught writing in a reference during the exam has it confiscated and is reported to the department. |
| Downloaded references | Must be spiral bound, hole-punched and placed in a binder, or stapled in the left-hand corner. |
Other states’ rules differ in the details, so read your own bulletin’s reference section closely before test day: a book that breaks the rules can cost you the attempt.
How to use the code books in the exam
Know where things live in the IPC
| Part of the IPC | What you find there |
|---|---|
| Chapters 1 and 2 | Administration (permits, inspections) and definitions, such as developed length, branch interval, stack vent and vent stack |
| Chapter 3 | General regulations: protection of pipes, trenching and backfill, structural safety, pipe supports (Table 308.5), tests, condensate disposal, penetrations |
| Chapter 4 | Fixtures, faucets and fixture fittings: the minimum number of fixtures (Table 403.1), clearances, showers, temperature limits |
| Chapter 5 | Water heaters: relief valves, discharge piping and pans |
| Chapter 6 | Water supply and distribution: flow rates and fixture supply sizes (Tables 604.4 and 604.5), pressure, valves, hot water, backflow protection (Table 608.1), disinfection |
| Chapter 7 | Sanitary drainage: slope (Table 704.1), fittings (Table 706.3), cleanouts, drainage fixture units (Table 709.1) and pipe sizing (Tables 710.1(1) and 710.1(2)), sumps and ejectors, backwater valves |
| Chapter 8 | Indirect and special waste: air gaps, air breaks, standpipes |
| Chapter 9 | Vents: trap-to-vent distance (Table 909.1), vent sizing (Section 906 and Table 906.1), and the venting methods (common, wet, circuit, combination, island, single stack, air admittance valves) |
| Chapter 10 | Traps, interceptors and separators |
| Chapter 11 | Storm drainage |
The IFGC holds the fuel gas area: combustion air (Section 304), gas pipe sizing (Section 402 and its tables), piping installation (Section 404), testing (Section 406), sediment traps (Section 408), shutoff valves (Section 409) and pipe supports (Table 415.1).
Budget your time
At 180 minutes for 85 questions you have about 2.1 minutes a question on average (our arithmetic). Questions you can answer from memory bank time for the sizing problems and lookups that need a table. Our advice: answer what you know first, mark the long lookups and come back to them, and answer every question, since a blank cannot earn a mark.
Read the question’s own conditions
Read every question for its own conditions: the slope of a drain, whether a fixture is private or public, the developed length of a vent, the pressure drop and length a gas table is read at. Check the table’s conditions carefully before you pick a size.
FreeTests: Area 4: Water supply · Area 5: Drains and sewers · Area 6: Vents
Journeyman Plumber Practice Test: free sample
Answer 3 questions against the clock, like the real exam. You then see the right answer, the reason and your time on each. About 8 minutes · free · no sign-in.
3 questions to answer
Start nowabout 8 minThis one is free · no sign-in needed
Your result shows how long each question took you.
A study plan by content area
| Stage | What to do |
|---|---|
| First pass (weeks 1 to 3) | Learn the layout above until you can open your book to Table 709.1, Tables 710.1(1) and (2), Table 909.1, Table 906.1 or Table 608.1 without the index. Tab the books with permanent tabs, as your bulletin allows. |
| Biggest areas (weeks 3 to 6) | Vents, drains and sewers, water supply, fuel gas and general knowledge: 53 of the 85 questions. Work them with the books open. |
| Sizing and calculations (throughout) | Drainage fixture units and drain, branch and stack sizing, vent sizing and developed length, water supply demand and friction loss, gas pipe sizing by the longest length method, combustion air, head pressure, offsets, areas and volumes. Practise each until you can do it the same way every time. |
| Smaller areas (week 7) | Piping and valves, fixtures and water heaters, traps and indirect waste, isometric drawings and OSHA safety (29 CFR 1926 is a separate reference). |
| Timed mocks (weeks 7 and 8) | Sit at least one full-length timed mock with your books, then reread the code sections behind every question you missed. |
Practise on the 2024 IPC against the clock
ProSyllabus sells an independent journeyman plumber practice test built on this outline: a full mock of 85 questions with a 180-minute clock, the same number of questions in each area as the bulletin lists, a sizing and calculations set with every sizing problem worked line by line in its explanation, and a set for each area. Every answer names the IPC 2024 or IFGC 2024 section it rests on (or the 29 CFR 1926 section for safety), and the results page lists the sections to reread. It is written for candidates whose state exam uses the 2024 IPC. Our own questions, not made or endorsed by PSI, any state board or the ICC. You can try 3 questions free; two are worked through on the practice test questions page. A practice score does not predict an exam result. Studying for the electrical trade too? See the journeyman electrician practice test.
FreeTests: Area 4: Water supply · Area 5: Drains and sewers · Area 6: Vents
Journeyman Plumber Practice Test: free sample
Answer 3 questions against the clock, like the real exam. You then see the right answer, the reason and your time on each. About 8 minutes · free · no sign-in.
3 questions to answer
Start nowabout 8 minThis one is free · no sign-in needed
Your result shows how long each question took you.
Frequently asked questions
Is the journeyman plumber exam open book?
In the published example used here, yes: the Oklahoma bulletin allows the IPC and IFGC with Oklahoma revisions, Mathematics for Plumbers and Pipefitters and 29 CFR Part 1926, with rules on tabs and marking. Many other journeyman exams are open book too, but some are not, so check your own board’s bulletin.
How many questions are on the journeyman plumber exam?
It depends on the state. Oklahoma’s Plumbing Journeyman and Natural Gas exam is 85 questions in 180 minutes, with up to ten unscored experimental questions on top.
What score do I need to pass?
The Oklahoma bulletin sets 64 correct (75%), and 70% (60 correct) from 1 November 2026. Your own board’s bulletin is the authority for yours.
Which plumbing code is on the exam?
Whatever code and edition your licensing authority has adopted for its exam. Oklahoma’s Plumbing Journeyman and Gas exam allows the 2024 IPC and IFGC from 8 October 2026; the bulletin ends the 2018 codes on 14 December 2026 and the Board’s notice on 8 January 2027, so confirm the date with the Board. Some states use the Uniform Plumbing Code instead.
Is fuel gas on the plumbing exam?
On the Oklahoma exam, yes: fuel gas is one of the 10 areas, with 10 questions, and the IFGC is an allowed reference.
What if I fail?
Under the Oklahoma bulletin you get a diagnostic report and wait 30 days before retesting, paying the fee again; from the second failure on, the wait for non-electrical exams is 90 days.
Does the exam include OSHA safety?
The Oklahoma outline has a Safety area of 4 questions and lists 29 CFR Part 1926 as an allowed reference.
More in this series
Sources
- official — Oklahoma Construction Industries Board: PSI Candidate Information Bulletin (effective 11 Sep 2026)
- official — Oklahoma Construction Industries Board: Testing and exam information
- official — Oklahoma Construction Industries Board: 2026 Building Code Updates and Examination Transition Period (31 Aug 2026)
- official — Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission: International Plumbing Code 2024 as adopted (OAC 748:20-16, effective 14 Sep 2026)
- official — International Code Council: 2024 International Plumbing Code, free read-only access
- official — International Code Council: 2024 International Fuel Gas Code, free read-only access
- official — 29 CFR Part 1926, Safety and Health Regulations for Construction (eCFR)
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
