Who can sit it
TSBPE lists five things. You need all of them before Pearson VUE will send the Authorization to Test email, and you need that email before you can book a seat.
- You are a US citizen or national, or an immigrant eligible to work in Texas.
- You are registered as a Plumber's Apprentice in Texas, or you hold a Texas Tradesman Plumber-Limited license, or you hold a Journeyman or Master license from another state.
- You have at least 8,000 hours of experience working in the plumbing trade.
- You have completed a 48-hour training course approved by TSBPE, or you are in (or finished) a US Department of Labor apprenticeship program. Out-of-state Journeymen and Masters skip the 48-hour course.
- Your fingerprints have been reviewed and approved by TSBPE.
Apply through the State of Texas Online Licensing System (the TSBPE site links to it) or by mailing the paper form. The application fee is $40, and the Employer Certification Form goes in with it. Current Louisiana and Arkansas licensees can license by reciprocity without the exam; the TSBPE website has the details.
What is on it
100 scored questions in 120 minutes. 70 percent passes. The handbook names the study areas but not how many questions each one gets, so we cannot tell you "12 questions on venting" and neither can anyone else. What it does say is where the questions come from:
- Plumbing License Law, Occupations Code chapter 1301. The handbook names the sections an apprentice should study for this exam: 1301.351, 1301.356, 1301.403, 1301.404, 1301.452, 1301.502, 1301.508, 1301.701 and 1301.702.
- Board Rules, 22 Texas Administrative Code chapters 361 to 367, with 361.1, 365.1, 367.2, 367.4, 367.5 and 367.7 called out.
- The plumbing code, chapter by chapter: definitions, general regulations, fixtures, water heaters, water supply and distribution, sanitary drainage, vents, traps and interceptors, indirect and special wastes, storm drainage, and fuel gas. The questions cover one- and two-family dwellings and commercial work. The handbook also says to know the manufacturer instructions for solvent-cemented PVC joints, threaded steel joints, soldered and brazed copper joints, and compression-band cast iron joints, because the code sends you to them.
Two codes, one exam
Texas adopts both books. The handbook says to study either the 2018 International Plumbing Code with the 2018 International Fuel Gas Code, or the 2018 Uniform Plumbing Code, and the exam is written so it can be passed from either one. That is why every code question on this site is written on a rule the two codes share and shows both section numbers. Where the UPC and IPC disagree, the lesson lists the difference in a table and we do not test it. Learn one book well; the shared rules are the exam.
Closed book
Nothing goes into the room with you. The handbook's words: dictionaries, books, papers (including scratch paper) and reference materials are not permitted. Pockets are emptied, sleeves rolled up, phones and watches go in a locker. The administrator hands you note materials once you are seated, and they stay in the room. A tutorial runs before the exam and does not count against your time; the clock starts the moment you see the first question.
So the numbers have to live in your head: distances, sizes, slopes, pressures, temperatures. That changes how you study. Do not learn where to look things up; learn the number next to its rule until the rule reminds you of the number.
How to book
- Wait for the Authorization to Test email from Pearson VUE. It carries your TSBPE Entity ID; you need it to create the Pearson VUE account.
- Reserve online or by phone at (888) 304-3589 at least 24 hours before the date you want. There are no walk-ins.
- Pay the written exam fee, $68.50, at reservation by card or voucher. The test center takes no payment, and the fee is not refundable unless you change or cancel at least 48 hours ahead.
- On the day, arrive 30 minutes early with one current, government-issued photo ID that carries your signature. The name must match your registration exactly; an expired license is expired, no grace period. You are photographed at check-in and leave with your score report in hand.
Written exams run at Pearson VUE centers around Texas and at select centers on military bases.
The practical comes after
The Journeyman license also needs a hands-on practical: 6 items in 240 minutes, given only at TSBPE's Austin and Waco centers. TSBPE receives your written score within about 48 hours, then Pearson VUE emails a second Authorization to Test; you reserve the practical at least ten days out and pay $40 for it. TSBPE supplies the materials. Long pants and closed-toe shoes are required, no exceptions. A Tradesman moving up to Journeyman does not repeat the practical.
This site prepares you for the written exam only. We say so up front.
After you pass
Both parts passed, you pay the $40 initial license fee in your TSBPE online account and the wall certificate and pocket card arrive by mail in 10 to 15 business days. Your first expiration date is set at random, 6 to 18 months out; after that the license renews every year, and every renewal needs six hours of continuing professional education.
Questions people ask
What happens if I fail?
Your score report shows the number and how you did in each content area. One authorization covers up to five attempts on the written exam, all within one year of the TSBPE application. You wait 24 hours before scheduling again, and the exam itself cannot be retaken sooner than 30 days after a first failure, 60 days after a second, and 90 days after each one after that. Every attempt is paid separately. Use all five before you reapply to TSBPE.
Can I bring my code book?
No. The exam is closed book. No books, no notes, no scratch paper of your own. The administrator provides note materials in the room.
Do I need the UPC or the IPC?
Either one. TSBPE names both and writes the exam to be passable from either. Our questions only use rules the two codes agree on and show both citations, so it does not matter which book you learned from.
Is the exam in Spanish?
The Candidate Handbook does not list a Spanish version of the exam, so plan on English. Our lessons and questions are in both languages, and we keep the code terms in English on purpose.
How long is the exam?
120 minutes for 100 questions. Unscheduled breaks are allowed but the clock keeps running, and you cannot leave the floor or the building.
Where do the fees go?
$40 to TSBPE to apply, $68.50 to Pearson VUE for the written exam, $40 for the practical, then $40 to TSBPE for the initial license. Retakes are paid again each time.