ICC F27 Master Plumber with Gas (2015 IPC/IFGC) Exam: Step-by-Step Study Guide
Preparing for the ICC F27 Master Plumber with Gas (2015 IPC/IFGC) exam is easier one step at a time. This guide starts with the key facts from the official bulletin, then covers the topics on the exam, the reference books, sample questions with answers, and a simple way to prepare. Pearson VUE gives the exam.
ICC F27 Master Plumber with Gas (2015 IPC/IFGC) Exam Overview
Start with the facts. Here's what the official bulletin says:
| Questions | 80 questions |
| Time limit | 4 hours |
| Passing score | 70% correct |
| Books in the exam room | Open book |
| Exam fee | $120 |
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 Fuel Gas Code
- 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.
Topics on the ICC F27 Master Plumber with Gas (2015 IPC/IFGC) Exam
Next, the content. The official content outline has 11 topics:
| Topic | Questions | Share of the exam |
|---|---|---|
| Administration | 3 | 4% |
| General Regulations | 7 | 9% |
| Fixtures | 4 | 5% |
| Water Heaters | 3 | 4% |
| Water Supply & Distributions | 9 | 11% |
| Sanitary Drainage | 7 | 9% |
| Vents | 10 | 12% |
| Traps, Interceptors, & Separators | 3 | 4% |
| Storm Drainage | 2 | 2% |
| Plan Reading | 17 | 21% |
| Gas | 15 | 19% |
A Simple Plan to Prepare for the ICC F27 Master Plumber with Gas (2015 IPC/IFGC) Exam
Step one is the books. This is an open-book exam, so the references on the bulletin's list are what you'll work from, while you study and in the exam room. Get the editions the bulletin names.
Step two is learning your way around them. Go through each book's table of contents and index until you know where the major subjects are. You don't need to memorize the books. You need to find things in them.
Step three is marking them up. Highlight the sections you use most. The exam facts above list the bulletin's rules on tabs and markings, so follow them exactly.
Step four is timed practice. Our practice exams run on a clock, so you get used to the real exam's pace: about 3 minutes per question.
Along the way, give the most time to the biggest topics. Plan Reading and Gas make up 40% of the exam.
The last step is consistency. Keep practicing until you pass several practice exams in a row. That's the signal you're ready.
Reference Books for the ICC F27 Master Plumber with Gas (2015 IPC/IFGC) Exam
The listed references for this exam are the 2015 International Fuel Gas Code and the 2015 International Plumbing Code.
Where to get them:
On Test Day
Go through the exam at a steady pace. On your first pass, answer the questions you know and bookmark the ones you don't. Every exam lets you come back to bookmarked questions.
On your second pass, return to your bookmarks one at a time. You have 4 hours for 80 questions, which is about 3 minutes per question, so keep moving and don't let one question hold you up. Before you finish, answer anything you skipped. A blank can't earn a point.
Study Tips
On an open-book exam, the winners aren't the smartest people in the room — they're the fastest at finding answers. Buy the required book, practice with it open, and tab and highlight each section the first time a question sends you there. Learn the index and table of contents until you can land on any topic in seconds. That speed is what separates a pass from a fail.
Know your way around each book's index and table of contents. Open-book exams reward speed: you need to find specific items quickly.
On an open-book exam, work through every question once: answer the ones you know and skip the ones you don't. Then go back to the ones you flagged. You can bookmark questions for later review, just like on our exams — and don't sink too much time into any single question. The clock is still running.
Give yourself at least three to six weeks. Use your exam's candidate bulletin as your roadmap for what's tested, and spend your time on finding-it-fast skills over rote memorization. In practice, aim for three clean passes at 80% or higher — setting your practice bar above the real cut score gives you a comfortable margin on test day.
Practicing against a ticking clock is the best way to beat exam-clock anxiety. Use these timed tests to build your pacing, so you learn to move steadily and never burn too long on a single question. By test day, the format feels routine.
This practice exam mirrors the real Pearson VUE exam — the same number of questions, drawn from the same topics. Practicing in that format now means no surprises when you sit for the real thing.
Sample ICC F27 Master Plumber with Gas (2015 IPC/IFGC) Practice Questions
Here are a few questions from our practice question bank, each with its answer and reference.
Sample 1 — Water Supply & Distributions
Question: You are installing hose connections in the research laboratory areas of a hospital. The vacuum breakers serving those hose connections must be installed not less than what distance above the floor?
- A. 5 feet
- B. 3 feet
- C. 8 feet
- D. 6 feet
Correct Answer: D
IPC 2015, Section 608.3.1 requires vacuum breakers for hose connections in health care or laboratory areas to be not less than 6 feet (1829 mm) above the floor; vacuum breakers for bedpan washer hoses must be not less than 5 feet (1524 mm) above the floor.
Reference: IPC 2015 Section 608.3.1
Sample 2 — General Regulations
Question: A 4-inch building drain must pass through a poured concrete foundation wall. Where a relieving arch is not provided, a pipe sleeve must be built into the wall. What size must that sleeve be?
- A. Two pipe sizes greater than the pipe
- B. 1 inch greater in diameter than the pipe
- C. 2 inches greater in diameter than the pipe
- D. One pipe size greater than the pipe
Correct Answer: A
IPC 2015, Section 305.3 requires any pipe passing through a foundation wall to be provided with a relieving arch, or a pipe sleeve built into the wall, and the sleeve shall be two pipe sizes greater than the pipe passing through the wall.
Reference: IPC 2015 Section 305.3
Sample 3 — Sanitary Drainage
Question: A below-grade restroom in an office building will be served by a grinder pump that receives the discharge of two water closets. What is the minimum permitted discharge opening for that grinder pump?
- A. 3/4 inch
- B. 2 inches
- C. 1 1/4 inches
- D. 1 1/2 inches
Correct Answer: C
IPC 2015 Section 712.4.2, Exception 1, permits grinder pumps or grinder ejectors receiving the discharge of water closets to have a discharge opening of not less than 1 1/4 inches. The 3/4-inch figure applies to macerating toilet assemblies serving a single water closet (Exception 2), and 2 inches is the spherical-solids handling requirement for non-grinder pumps receiving water closet discharge.
Reference: IPC 2015 Section 712.4.2
Sample 4 — Fixtures
Question: A lavatory with a concealed waste assembly is being installed in a vanity. At which locations are slip joint connections permitted to be installed?
- A. At the trap inlet, trap outlet and within the trap seal
- B. At the tailpiece, trap inlet and trap arm
- C. At the tailpiece, trap seal and fixture drain
- D. At the trap arm, fixture drain and branch
Correct Answer: A
Per IPC 2015 Section 405.8, slip joints shall be made with an approved elastomeric gasket and shall only be installed on the trap outlet, trap inlet and within the trap seal. Concealed slip joints additionally require an access panel or utility space not less than 12 inches in its smallest dimension.
Reference: IPC 2015 Section 405.8
Practicing Online vs. With a PDF
A PDF lets you read questions at your own pace. The real exam runs on a clock. Our practice exams are timed and on a screen, so you practice finding answers with the clock running. Each attempt draws a new set of questions from our bank, and your results show your score by topic, so you always know what to study next.
Your Next Step
Take the free ICC F27 Master Plumber with Gas (2015 IPC/IFGC) practice exam to see where you stand. Then study the topics that need the most attention, one at a time. For the official rules, read the exam bulletin, and see the licensing board's website.