Free Texas Journeyman Plumber Practice Test (TSBPE)
Practice for the TSBPE journeyman written exam: code questions that read the same under the IPC and the UPC, fuel gas, and the Texas Plumbing License Law and Board Rules.
The temperature setting of a water heater relief valve may not be more than:
330 original Texas questions · 30 on Texas law and rules · 300 that read the same under the IPC and UPC
Texas journeyman plumber practice questions by chapter
TSBPE’s review course names the code chapters the exam covers; ICC’s bulletin gives its content areas a share of G25. Each section has a guide with free sample questions and a free ten-question drill with an explanation after every answer.
Code Definitions and Plan Reading
8 of 100 questions on our Texas mock
The terms both codes are written in: building drain and sewer, traps and seals, vent types, backflow, air gaps and breaks, developed length, plus isometric drawings and scale.
General Regulations, Testing and Plumbing Math
12 of 100 questions on our Texas mock
Protecting pipe from damage, freezing and corrosion, notching and boring framing, hanger spacing, trenching, DWV and water testing, permits and inspections, and the math of grade, offsets and head pressure.
Pipe Materials and Joints
8 of 100 questions on our Texas mock
Copper types K, L and M, soldering and brazing, PVC solvent cementing, threaded steel, no-hub and hub cast iron, PEX fittings, dielectric fittings and lead-free rules.
Plumbing Fixtures
9 of 100 questions on our Texas mock
Water closet and urinal clearances, shower size and valves, trap sizes by fixture, dishwashers and disposers, floor drains, overflows, setting and sealing fixtures, and flow limits.
Water Heaters
8 of 100 questions on our Texas mock
T&P relief valves and their discharge piping, pans, garage installations, shutoff valves, thermal expansion, combustion air, vent connectors and gas connections.
Water Supply and Distribution
12 of 100 questions on our Texas mock
Air gaps, vacuum breakers, RP and double check assemblies, cross connections, pressure-reducing valves, water hammer, service and valves, disinfection and pipe sizing.
Sanitary Drainage
12 of 100 questions on our Texas mock
Slope, drainage fixture units, change-of-direction fittings, cleanouts, sizing, sumps and ejectors, backwater valves, indirect waste and building sewers.
Vents
10 of 100 questions on our Texas mock
Why every trap is vented, vent rise and grade, vent sizing, terminals near openings and on roofs, common and wet vents, stack vents and vent stacks, and air admittance valves.
Traps, Interceptors and Separators
7 of 100 questions on our Texas mock
Trap seal depth, prohibited traps, how seals are lost, trap primers, shared traps, and grease, oil, lint and sand interceptors.
Fuel Gas Piping
8 of 100 questions on our Texas mock
Natural gas and LP gas, approved and prohibited materials, shutoff valves, sediment traps, testing and leak checks, CSST bonding, connectors and sizing.
Texas Plumbing License Law and Board Rules
6 of 100 questions on our Texas mock
Who may do plumbing in Texas, the RMP, journeyman and tradesman scope, endorsements, renewal and continuing education, penalties, and the codes the Board adopts.
Texas Mixed
Every Texas section
Ten questions across the Texas exam: code questions that read the same under the IPC and UPC, fuel gas, and Texas law.
Ready for the full exam?
100 four-option questions in 2 hours, drawn across every section, scored against the 70% pass mark with a score for each section and an explanation for every answer.
Or start with the free Texas drillThe Texas journeyman plumber exam at a glance
TSBPE’s handbook and review course name the 2018 codes; the Board proposed moving its adopted codes to the 2021 editions on August 14, 2026. Because the Texas exam is not specific to either code, our Texas questions use requirements that read the same under the IPC and the UPC, plus fuel gas and Texas law. The practice exam is 100 questions in 2 hours, scored against 70% (70 correct).
- Exam
- Journeyman Plumber License examination of the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE)
- Written portion
- 100 multiple-choice items in 120 minutes at a Pearson VUE test center; exam fee $68.50
- Practical portion
- 6 items in 240 minutes, hands-on, at the TSBPE Austin or Waco center only; fee $40. Current tradesman plumber-limited licensees take the written portion only
- Passing score
- 70%. With a practical, there is no overall pass until both portions are passed, and the practical must be passed within one year of the written
- Codes
- Plumbing License Law, Board Rules, and either the 2018 International Plumbing Code with the 2018 International Fuel Gas Code or the 2018 Uniform Plumbing Code; TSBPE says the exam is not specific to either code
- In the room
- No books, papers or other reference materials are allowed in the examination room
- Retakes
- Up to five written attempts on one authorization, within one year. Wait 30 days after a first failure, 60 after a second and 90 after each later failure
- Fees
- $40 application to TSBPE, $68.50 written exam and $40 practical to Pearson VUE and TSBPE, $40 initial license fee after passing
- Pass rate
- TSBPE fiscal year 2023 (September 2022 to August 2023): 2,033 of 2,780 journeyman examinations at its Austin center passed (73.1%)
- Eligibility
- 8,000 hours of plumbing experience under a responsible master plumber and 48 hours of approved classroom training (with exemptions), plus an apprentice registration, tradesman license or another state’s journeyman license
Becoming a journeyman plumber in Texas
- Register with TSBPE as a plumber’s apprentice and work 8,000 hours under a responsible master plumber.
- Complete 48 hours of approved classroom training, unless you are in a Department of Labor apprenticeship or hold another state’s journeyman license.
- Apply to TSBPE ($40) with your employer certification and fingerprints, then schedule the written exam with Pearson VUE ($68.50).
- Pass the written exam (70%), then the hands-on practical at the TSBPE Austin or Waco center within one year.
- Pay the $40 initial license fee. Renew every year with six hours of continuing professional education.
Studying for another trade license too? Our journeyman electrician practice test covers the NEC exams by state.
How to use this journeyman plumber exam prep
- Take the free Texas mixed drill to see where you stand.
- Start with definitions: TSBPE’s review course says the exam uses only correct code terms.
- Drill the big sections next: general regulations, water supply, sanitary drainage and vents make up 46 of the 100 questions on our Texas mock.
- Learn the Texas law sections TSBPE lists; they are short and worth sure points.
- Take the full practice exam under the clock, drill your two lowest sections and take it again. Each new sitting draws questions you have not seen first.
Common questions
How many questions are on the Texas journeyman plumber exam?
The written portion has 100 multiple-choice items with a 120-minute limit at a Pearson VUE test center. Candidates who are not current tradesman plumber-limited licensees also take a hands-on practical: 6 items in 240 minutes at the TSBPE center in Austin or Waco.
What score do you need to pass the Texas journeyman plumber exam?
70%. If your exam includes the practical, you do not have an overall pass until both the written and the practical portions are passed, and the practical must be passed within one year of passing the written.
Which plumbing code is the Texas exam based on?
TSBPE tells candidates to study the Plumbing License Law, the Board Rules and either the 2018 International Plumbing Code with the 2018 International Fuel Gas Code or the 2018 Uniform Plumbing Code. It says the exam is not specific to either code, so you study one. In August 2026 the Board proposed moving its adopted codes to the 2021 editions.
Is the Texas journeyman plumber exam open book?
No. The candidate handbook says books, papers and other reference materials are not permitted in the examination room. The ICC G25 journeyman plumber exam is open book.
How much does the Texas journeyman plumber exam cost?
A $40 application fee to TSBPE, $68.50 for the written exam and $40 for the practical, then a $40 initial license fee after you pass both portions.
How many times can you retake it?
Pearson VUE allows up to five attempts at the written exam on one authorization, all within one year of your TSBPE authorization. You wait 30 days after a first failure, 60 days after a second and 90 days after each later failure.
What is the ICC G25 journeyman plumber exam?
ICC’s National Standard Journeyman Plumber exam: 70 multiple-choice questions, open book on the 2018 International Plumbing Code, 4 hours, $120 at Pearson VUE. ICC says licensing agencies may use its results to meet their testing requirement; check which exam your jurisdiction accepts. ICC says most trades exams need 70% to pass.
Does this practice test include the Texas practical?
No. The practical is hands-on: cutting and joining PVC, copper, threaded steel and no-hub cast iron, finding violations on real water heater installations, and building a scale two-story drainage and vent system. Questions cannot simulate that. Our questions cover the written portion and the code knowledge behind the practical.
Do these questions come from the TSBPE or ICC exams?
No. Every question is original practice written to TSBPE’s published review course and ICC’s G25 content outline, with our own explanation. TSBPE and Pearson VUE do not release exam questions.
Ready for test day?
100 four-option questions in 2 hours, drawn across every section, scored against the 70% pass mark with a score for each section and an explanation for every answer.
Or start with the free Texas drillSources
- Pearson VUE: Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (retake waits, practical, five attempts)
- TSBPE Candidate Handbook, August 2025 (exam table, fees, 70% passing score, test-center rules)
- TSBPE Journeyman Plumber Examination Review Course, rev 09/2025 (format, codes, chapters, sample questions)
- TSBPE Administrative Rules, March 2026 (22 TAC §§363.5, 363.22, 365.1, 367.2)
- TSBPE proposed amendment to §367.2 (2021 IPC and UPC), Texas Register, August 14, 2026
- TSBPE Strategic Plan 2025-2029 (examination statistics, p. 14)
- ICC National Contractor/Trades Examination Information Bulletin, published June 30, 2026 (G25 Journeyman Plumber)
- ICC Support: What is a passing score?
Original practice questions written to the TSBPE Journeyman Plumber Examination Review Course, ICC’s G25 content outline and the 2018 International Plumbing Code and Uniform Plumbing Code; they are not exam questions and quote no code text. Independent practice, not affiliated with or endorsed by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, the International Code Council, IAPMO or Pearson VUE. International Plumbing Code is a trademark of the International Code Council; Uniform Plumbing Code is a trademark of IAPMO. Follow the code adopted where you work.