Georgia Master Plumber Class I (Restricted) Exam: Complete 2026 Study Guide
Earning your Georgia master plumber license is a career-defining step — and the Georgia Master Plumber Class I (Restricted) exam is the gateway to it. This is a rigorous, closed-book test covering everything from the 2024 Georgia Plumbing Code to business law to field calculations. Knowing what to expect before you sit down at the testing center makes a real difference. This guide walks you through the exam structure, the topics you'll be tested on, the study materials you need, and proven strategies to help you pass on your first attempt. Start by taking our free practice exam to get a feel for the format, then use this guide to build your full study plan.
Georgia Master Plumber Class I Exam Overview
The Georgia Master Plumber Class I (Restricted) exam is administered by PSI on behalf of the Georgia Construction Industry Licensing Board. Here are the key facts:
- Scored questions: 120
- Unscored pre-test questions: 24 (in addition to the 120 scored items; these do not affect your score)
- Total questions on screen: 144
- Time limit: 7 hours, split into two 3.5-hour parts with a break in between
- Passing score: A final scaled score of 70 — which corresponds to answering 84 of the 120 scored questions correctly
- Format: Closed book. Unlike the Journeyman exam, you may not use any reference materials during the Master exam. Everything must come from memory.
- Delivery: Computer-based at PSI testing centers
That closed-book requirement is the detail that catches many candidates off guard. Thorough preparation and repeated practice under exam conditions are the only reliable paths through it.
Topics Covered on the Georgia Master Plumber Class I Exam
The exam covers 12 topic areas. Topics weighted most heavily deserve the most attention in your study plan — here they are ranked by item count:
Heaviest-weighted topics (15 items each):
- Comply with Regulations — Georgia State Plumbing Code (2024 IPC with Georgia amendments), 2024 IFGC Gas Code, OSHA 29 CFR 1926, permits and inspections, state trenching law
- Comply with Business Laws — Workers' compensation, unemployment insurance, Circular E (Employer's Tax Guide), state sales and use tax, business licensing
- Comply with Administrative Requirements — Bonding, liquidated damages, insurance types, financing, bookkeeping, job cost estimating and bidding
High-weight topics (10–16 items):
- Perform Plumbing Systems Installation Activities (16 items) — Reading plans, sizing and installing water supply and drainage systems, gas pipe sizing, assembling fixtures and fittings
- Plumbing System Design (10 items) — Selecting sump reservoirs, water heaters, boilers, specialty fixtures for hospitals and restaurants, industrial piping
Mid-weight topics (8–11 items each):
- Perform Maintenance and Repair Activities (11 items) — Gas leak detection, appliance servicing, drain line obstruction removal, backwater valve cleaning
- Safety-related Issues (11 items) — Water heater and pressure vessel controls, gas piping safety, backflow prevention, PPE, trenching safety
- Work Planning/Organizing (8 items) — Bill of materials takeoff, interpreting equipment nameplates, drawing isometrics, code precedence
Lower-weight but still tested (4–5 items each):
- Comply with General Laws (5 items) — CILB complaint procedures, underground utility location law, ADA, ANSI handicap accessibility, water conservation law
- Perform System Testing Activities (5 items) — Water distribution pressure testing, sanitary drainage testing, gas line pressure testing, backflow certification, potable water sterilization
- Calculations (5 items) — Pipe offsets, volume, pressure/head conversion, grade and drop, unit conversions
- Perform Pipe Cutting and Joining Activities (4 items) — Cutting and joining cast iron, concrete, copper, plastic, and steel pipe
Sample Questions From the Georgia Restricted Master Plumber Practice Test
These questions reflect the style and difficulty of what you'll encounter on test day. We're showing the question and answer choices only — we won't give away the answers here. Work through them, then try our free practice exam to see how you score.
Question 1 — Business Laws (Hard)
Your plumbing firm and a second materialman both file claims of lien against the same improved property on different dates, each within 90 days after the work was done. As between these two lien claimants, how do the liens rank?
- A) According to the amount each claimant asserts
- B) By the date each claim of lien was filed
- C) By the date each contract was executed
- D) Equally, as though of the same date
Question 2 — Maintenance and Repair (Medium)
While replacing a draft-hood-equipped furnace, you must cut a new connector opening into an existing masonry chimney flue. The connector shall enter the flue at a point not less than how far above the lowest portion of the interior of the chimney flue?
- A) 12 inches
- B) 18 inches
- C) 24 inches
- D) 6 inches
Question 3 — Plumbing Systems Installation (Hard)
As the master, you are setting a gas-fired water heater on the floor of an attached private garage. The heater is not listed as flammable vapor ignition resistant, but it is protected from motor vehicle impact by approved bollards. Under that protection allowance, the source of ignition must be elevated not less than ___ above the floor.
- A) 12 inches
- B) 18 inches
- C) 6 feet
- D) 6 inches
Question 4 — Business Laws (Medium)
Your plumbing company must apply backup withholding to certain reportable payments because a payee failed to furnish a correct taxpayer identification number. What is the backup withholding rate?
- A) 20%
- B) 28%
- C) 24%
- D) 22%
Question 5 — Administrative Requirements (Easy)
What formula is used to determine the labor cost for each task in the quantity take-off estimating method?
- A) Labor Rate ÷ Required Labor Hours = Labor Cost per Task
- B) Required Labor Hours x Number of Workers = Labor Cost per Task
- C) Labor Rate x Overhead Percentage = Labor Cost per Task
- D) Required Labor Hours x Labor Rate = Labor Cost per Task
Not sure on some of these? That's exactly the point. Try our full question bank to find your weak spots before test day.
What Types of Questions to Expect
Our full question bank covers all 12 topic areas of the Georgia plumbing contractor license exam. Here's what you can expect from each:
- Comply with General Laws — Questions on CILB complaint procedures, underground utility location requirements (Georgia 811), ADA accessibility standards, ANSI handicap provisions, and state water conservation rules.
- Comply with Regulations — Code application questions drawn from the 2024 Georgia Plumbing Code, 2024 Georgia Gas Code, OSHA 29 CFR 1926, permit and inspection requirements, and state trenching law.
- Work Planning/Organizing — Bill of materials takeoff from drawings, reading equipment nameplates for pumps and backflow preventers, drawing isometric diagrams, interpreting bar chart schedules, and determining which code or regulation takes precedence.
- Perform Pipe Cutting and Joining Activities — Questions covering the correct tools and methods for cutting cast iron, concrete, copper, plastic, and steel pipe, including snap cutters, hydraulic cutters, tubing scissors, and power pipe cutters.
- Perform Plumbing Systems Installation Activities — Plan reading, water supply and drainage system sizing, gas pipe sizing, and proper assembly of plumbing fixtures and fittings per manufacturer instructions — the heaviest section on the exam.
- Perform System Testing Activities — Pressure testing methods for water and gas systems, sanitary drainage test types (smoke, air, peppermint), backflow certification procedures, and potable water sterilization.
- Perform Maintenance and Repair Activities — Gas leak detection using soapy water and gas detectors, servicing gas and electric appliances, clearing drain line obstructions, and cleaning backwater valves.
- Safety-related Issues — Hot water heater and pressure vessel venting and relief valve requirements, gas piping support and testing, backflow prevention, trench safety, and PPE selection and employer obligations.
- Calculations — Pipe offset math using 45° constants, volume calculations for cylinders and rectangular solids, converting psi to feet of head, computing drainage grade and drop, and unit conversions between decimal, fractional, and metric.
- Comply with Business Laws — Workers' compensation requirements, unemployment insurance, Circular E tax withholding rules (including backup withholding), sales and use tax, lien law, and business licensing.
- Comply with Administrative Requirements — Bond types, liquidated damages clauses, insurance coverage (liability, property, auto), cash flow management, bookkeeping basics, and job cost estimating and bidding.
- Plumbing System Design — Sizing and selecting water heaters, boilers, sump reservoirs, specialty fixtures for commercial and medical applications, and industrial piping systems.
Required Study Materials for the PSI Georgia Master Plumber Exam
Because the Georgia Master Plumber Class I exam is closed book, you must know these references cold. Study them thoroughly — not just skim them.
- NASCLA Georgia CILB Contractors Guide (5th Edition) — The primary resource for business law, administrative requirements, and Georgia-specific contractor regulations. A large share of the exam's 45 business and administrative items come from this book.
- International Plumbing Code 2024 — The base plumbing code for the 2026 exam cycle.
- Georgia State Amendments to the International Plumbing Code (2024 Edition) — Georgia-specific modifications to the 2024 IPC, effective through December 31, 2026. Study this alongside the base IPC.
- International Fuel Gas Code 2024 — Required for gas piping, appliance installation, and venting questions.
- Georgia State Amendments to the International Fuel Gas Code (2024 Edition) — Georgia amendments to the 2024 IFGC, also effective through December 31, 2026.
- Mathematics for Plumbers and Pipefitters (8th Edition) — Essential for mastering offset calculations, volume, pressure, and unit conversions.
- Plumbing Technology: Design and Installation (4th Edition) — Strong foundation for system design and installation questions.
- OSHA Standards for the Construction Industry (29 CFR 1926) — Required for safety and trenching questions.
- Georgia 811 Excavator Manual — Covers underground utility location law tested under General Laws.
- 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design — Required for ADA and accessibility questions.
- The ADA: Your Responsibilities as an Employer (EEOC) — Employer-side ADA obligations covered under Business Laws.
- Employer's Tax Guide (Circular E, Publication 15) — The IRS source for withholding rules, backup withholding rates, and payroll tax questions.
For full exam details, including the official reference list and test center policies, download the official exam bulletin and visit the state licensing website.
Study Tips for the Georgia Master Plumber Class I Exam
Start early and set a target timeline. Give yourself at least three to six weeks. Use the official exam bulletin as your roadmap and allocate study time by topic weight — the three 15-item sections (Regulations, Business Laws, Administrative Requirements) deserve the most hours.
This is a closed-book exam — practice matters more than reading. Reading your references cover to cover is a starting point, but multiple-choice exams reward repetition under realistic conditions. Work through questions daily. The more you practice, the more the terminology and question patterns become instinct.
Train against the clock. The exam is 7 hours across two 3.5-hour parts. Practicing with timed sessions builds the pacing discipline you'll need so you never get stuck burning too long on one question.
Review every explanation — right or wrong. Understanding the underlying rule lets you handle a reworded version of the same concept, not just recognize the answer you memorized.
Set your practice benchmark at 80%. Aiming comfortably above the 70% passing threshold on practice exams gives you a real buffer on test day when nerves and unfamiliar phrasing cost a few points.
Start free, then go deep. Try our free practice exam first to assess your baseline. When you're ready to prepare seriously, the full practice exam matches the real exam's 120-question format, topic breakdown, and time limit — with a detailed score report by topic so you know exactly where to focus.
Ready to Pass the Georgia Master Plumber Exam?
The Georgia Master Plumber Class I exam is a serious test, but it's entirely passable with the right preparation. Study the 2024 Georgia Plumbing and Gas Codes with their Georgia amendments, work through the NASCLA guide thoroughly, and put in real practice time under closed-book, timed conditions. Start today with our free practice exam — 10 questions, no account required, and a solid preview of the real thing. When you're ready to go deeper, the full practice exam gives you the complete 120-question experience with topic-by-topic scoring so you know exactly where to focus your energy. Your master plumber license is within reach.