ICC F24 Master Plumber Exam (2015 IPC)

ICC F24 Master Plumber (2015 IPC) Exam Study Guide

This guide covers what you need for the ICC F24 Master Plumber (2015 IPC) exam: the key facts from the official bulletin, the topics it tests, the reference books, sample questions with answers, and a plan to prepare. Pearson VUE gives the exam.

ICC F24 Master Plumber (2015 IPC) Exam at a Glance

Here are the exam's key facts from the official bulletin:

On exam day

• The exam consists of multiple-choice questions.
• You may bring copyrighted, bound books to the test administration, including those specifically listed as approved references. However, training materials such as presentations, study guides, or practice questions are not permitted. All exam questions are based solely on the approved reference list, and only those references may be used as the basis for appealing exam questions.

References you may bring

• 2015 International Plumbing Code®

Scheduling, changes and retakes

• Exams are scheduled through PearsonVUE at www.pearsonvue.com/ICC, where candidates can create an account, schedule an exam, locate a test center, purchase vouchers and request accommodations.
• Results for examinations taken electronically are available immediately after the examination is completed.
• You must wait 10 days before retaking a failed exam.
• After passing, contact the jurisdiction in which you wish to be licensed for any other requirements, because ICC is not a licensing agency.

Source: National Contractor/Trades Examination Information Bulletin, PUBLISHED June 30, 2026; ICC Exam Catalog, checked October 6, 2026. Check the bulletin before test day: fees and rules can change.

What the ICC F24 Master Plumber (2015 IPC) Exam Covers

The official content outline has 7 topics:

How to Prepare for the ICC F24 Master Plumber (2015 IPC) Exam

Start with the books. This is an open-book exam, so the references on the bulletin's list are your main study tool. Get the editions the bulletin names.

Learn where things are. Read the table of contents and the index of each book until you know where every major subject lives. On test day, finding an answer fast matters more than memorizing it.

Highlight the sections you use most. The exam facts above list the bulletin's rules on tabs and markings, so follow them exactly.

Spend most of your time on the biggest topics. Administration General Regulations and Plumbing Fixtures make up 60% of the exam.

Take timed practice exams. The clock trains you to find answers at the pace the real exam needs: about 2 minutes 24 seconds per question.

Aim to pass more than once. One passing score can be luck. Several in a row means you're ready.

Reference Books for the ICC F24 Master Plumber (2015 IPC) Exam

The listed reference for this exam is the 2015 International Plumbing Code®.

Where to get them:

• IPC 2015

On Test Day

• Go through the whole exam first. Answer every question you know and bookmark the ones you don't. Every exam lets you come back to bookmarked questions.
• Then go back to your bookmarks and work them out.
• Don't let one question eat your time. You have 4 hours for 100 questions, which is about 2 minutes 24 seconds per question.
• Before you finish, answer anything you skipped. A blank can't earn a point.

Study Tips

Know your way around each book's index and table of contents. Open-book exams reward speed: you need to find specific items quickly.

Take this practice exam several times. The goal is to consistently clear your exam's passing score — often around 70–75% — so passing feels routine before you walk into the real test.

Only select answers that directly respond to the question asked—not ones that merely sound correct or seem true. After choosing, verify your answer against the question to confirm you didn't misread it and that your selection genuinely addresses what was asked.

Our practice exam is specifically designed to mimic the testing conditions at all exam centers. While untimed PDF study guides might help with studying, they don’t prepare you for the challenge of managing your time during an actual test.

Be alert to hedging words like likely, may, can, sometimes, usually, generally, and rarely—question writers use them to account for exceptions. An answer choice is often wrong simply because it allows no exceptions. Similarly, avoid choices containing absolute terms like exactly and always.

Sample ICC F24 Master Plumber (2015 IPC) Practice Questions

These questions come from our practice question bank, each with its answer and reference.

Sample 1 — Sanitary Drainage

Question: An existing 6-inch building sewer installed at 1/8 inch per foot carries 600 drainage fixture units. A building addition will add another 300 drainage fixture units to the same sewer, and the slope cannot be changed. What is the minimum size to which the building sewer must be upgraded?

• A. 8 inches
• B. 6 inches
• C. 12 inches
• D. 10 inches

Correct Answer: A

Per IPC 2015 Section 710.1 and Table 710.1(1), a 6-inch building sewer at 1/8 inch per foot is limited to 700 dfu, which the combined 900 dfu load exceeds. At the same 1/8 inch per foot slope, an 8-inch sewer is permitted 1,600 dfu, so 8 inches is the minimum size.

Reference: IPC 2015 Section 710.1 and Table 710.1(1)

Sample 2 — Plumbing Vent Requirements

Question: A vent stack serves a 6-inch drainage stack. Based on the total drainage fixture units connected and the developed length of the vent, the sizing table for stack vents and vent stacks permits a 2 1/2-inch vent. What is the minimum diameter vent stack that may actually be installed?

• A. 4 inches
• B. 1 1/4 inches
• C. 2 1/2 inches
• D. 3 inches

Correct Answer: D

Per IPC 2015 Section 906.1, the diameter of a stack vent or vent stack is determined from developed length and fixture units, but in no case may it be less than one-half the diameter of the drain served or less than 1 1/4 inches. One-half of the 6-inch drainage stack is 3 inches, which governs over the 2 1/2-inch table value.

Reference: IPC 2015 Section 906.1

Sample 3 — Traps, Interceptors, and Separators

Question: A food court tenant is installing an automatic grease removal device serving a pot sink, two prerinse sinks and a wok station. The supplier proposes selecting a unit based only on the drain outlet size of the largest fixture. On what basis does the code require the device to be sized?

• A. Peak drain flow multiplied by a 30-minute retention time
• B. Total drainage fixture unit load of the connected fixtures
• C. Grease retention capacity listed for the rated flow-through
• D. Measured or calculated flows of all connected fixtures

Correct Answer: D

Per IPC 2015 Section 1003.3.5, an automatic grease removal device is located downstream of each fixture or multiple fixtures in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, and it 'shall be sized to pretreat the measured or calculated flows for all connected fixtures or equipment.' Sizing to one fixture's outlet is not acceptable. Option A is the sizing rule for gravity grease interceptors (Section 1003.3.6, peak flow x 30 minutes); option C describes the grease retention capacity values of Table 1003.3.4.1, which follow from a selected flow-through rating rather than establishing the device size; drainage fixture unit load is not the basis for sizing this equipment.

Reference: IPC 2015 Section 1003.3.5

Sample 4 — Storm Drainage

Question: As the master plumber on a commercial project, you are installing a storm water sump pump in the basement of an office building. The pump selected has a 2-inch discharge tapping. What is the minimum discharge piping size and valve arrangement required?

• A. 2 inch; backwater valve and full flow check valve
• B. 2 inch; check valve and union only
• C. 1 1/2 inch; gate valve and full flow check valve
• D. 2 inch; gate valve and full flow check valve

Correct Answer: D

IPC 2015 Section 1113.1.4 requires sump pump discharge piping to include a gate valve and a full flow check valve, and requires the pipe and fittings to be the same size as, or larger than, the pump discharge tapping — so a 2-inch tapping requires piping not smaller than 2 inches. The exception permitting only a check valve applies to one- and two-family dwellings, not to this commercial building. A backwater valve is not the specified device for pump discharge piping.

Reference: IPC 2015 Section 1113.1.4

Why Practice Online Instead of With a PDF

A PDF shows you questions. It doesn't show you the clock. Our practice exams are timed and on a screen, so you practice finding answers under time pressure, not just reading them. Each attempt draws a new set of questions from our bank, and your results break the score down by outline topic so you know what to study next.

Start Practicing

Take the free ICC F24 Master Plumber (2015 IPC) practice exam to see where you stand, then work through the topics that need attention. For the official rules, read the exam bulletin, and see the licensing board's website.