Tennessee LLP Limited Licensed Plumber Exam Prep Checklist
Everything for the Tennessee LLP Limited Licensed Plumber exam in one place: the bulletin's key facts, the topics and how many questions each carries, the reference books, sample questions with answers, and a prep checklist. Prov gives the exam.
Tennessee LLP Limited Licensed Plumber Exam Facts
From the official bulletin:
| Questions | 40 questions |
| Time limit | 2 hours |
| Passing score | a minimum score of 73 |
| Books in the exam room | Open book |
| Exam fee | $53 |
On exam day
- A current, valid, government-issued photo ID is required, and candidates must also sign the log and be photographed.
- Candidates should arrive at least 15 minutes before the scheduled appointment.
- References are inspected before entry, any edition of a listed reference may be used, and books with handwritten notes, moveable tabs, Post-its, photocopies, or test-prep guides are not allowed.
- Highlighting and permanent tabs are allowed; handwritten notes and moveable tabs are not.
- Simple 4-function calculators are permitted and a simple calculator is built into the test.
- Communication devices and other personal items are prohibited in the testing room, while approved references and a simple calculator are allowed.
References you may bring
- International Plumbing Code 2021
- Mathematics for Plumbers and Pipefitters (8th edition)
- Plumbing Basics for Contractors (4th Edition, 2021)
- International Fuel Gas Code (2021)
- OSHA 29 CFR 1926
Scheduling, changes and retakes
- Candidates register and schedule online at Prov's website or by calling Prov at 866-720-7768.
- Only the CMC and CMC-A examinations require Board approval before a candidate may schedule.
- Changes or cancellations must be made at least three business days before the test date, and rescheduling by that deadline is free.
- Late arrivals are turned away and forfeit their fees, as do candidates who fail to appear.
- Results are reported immediately by email with a numerical score and pass/fail result, plus a diagnostic report for candidates who fail.
- Failed exams may be retaken an unlimited number of times with no waiting period, at $53 per attempt.
- Passing candidates must submit a license application to the Board, which decides whether they qualify for licensure.
Source: Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors Candidate Information Bulletin, TNCONT_CIB 2026.08.18. Check the bulletin before test day: fees and rules can change.
Tennessee LLP Limited Licensed Plumber Exam Topics
The official content outline has 10 topics:
| Topic | Questions | Share of the exam |
|---|---|---|
| General Knowledge | 3 | 8% |
| Plumbing Math | 2 | 5% |
| Code Requirements | 4 | 10% |
| Water Supply and Distribution | 4 | 10% |
| Water Heaters | 2 | 5% |
| Drain, Waste, and Vent Systems | 10 | 25% |
| Fixtures & Fittings | 2 | 5% |
| Isometrics | 7 | 18% |
| Fuel Gas Systems | 4 | 10% |
| OSHA Safety | 2 | 5% |
Tennessee LLP Limited Licensed Plumber Exam Prep Checklist
- Get the reference books the bulletin lists. You may use any version (older or newer) of each, but the test is based on the version the bulletin shows, and if versions conflict, the exam is scored on the version shown, so the named edition is the safe buy.
- Learn each book's table of contents and index first.
- Highlight the sections you use most and put permanent tabs on the pages you use. The bulletin allows only highlighting and permanent tabs: no handwritten notes, Post-it notes, moveable tabs or photocopies.
- Start with the biggest topics: Drain, Waste, and Vent Systems and Isometrics (17 of the 40 questions).
- Take our timed practice exams until you pass several in a row.
- After each attempt, look up every question you missed in the cited reference.
- Practice at the real exam's pace: about 3 minutes per question.
Tennessee LLP Limited Licensed Plumber Exam Reference Books
The references listed for the LLP examination are the 2021 International Plumbing Code, Mathematics for Plumbers and Pipefitters (8th edition), Plumbing Basics for Contractors (4th Edition, 2021), the 2021 International Fuel Gas Code, and OSHA 29 CFR 1926.
Where to get them:
- IPC 2021
- Mathematics for Plumbers and Pipefitters
- IFGC 2021
- OSHA 29 CFR 1926
- Plumbing Basics for Contractors
Test Day Checklist
- First pass: answer every question you know. Bookmark the rest. The real exam has a Flag button for coming back to questions. Breaks are the exception: the timer keeps running during a break, and every question shown before the break is frozen, answered or not, so finalize your answers, flagged ones included, before you take one.
- Second pass: work through your bookmarks.
- Pace: 2 hours for 40 questions, which is about 3 minutes per question.
- Last step: answer anything still blank. 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 books, practice with them open, and highlight and permanently tab 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.
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.
Tennessee LLP Limited Licensed Plumber Sample Questions
From our practice question bank, with answers and references:
Sample 1 — Water Supply and Distribution
Question: A pressure-reducing valve installed on a residential water system must be designed to do what in the event of valve failure?
- A. Activate an alarm to notify the building occupants
- B. Divert excess pressure to a relief discharge line
- C. Remain open to permit uninterrupted water flow
- D. Close automatically to prevent overpressure damage
Correct Answer: C
Per Section 604.8.1, the pressure-reducing valve shall be designed to remain open to permit uninterrupted water flow in case of valve failure.
Reference: IPC 2021 Section 604.8.1
Sample 2 — Fuel Gas Systems
Question: When sizing a common vent, the common vent area must not be greater than how many times the smallest listed appliance categorized vent area, flue collar area, or draft hood outlet area?
- A. Ten times
- B. Five times
- C. Seven times
- D. Three times
Correct Answer: C
Per IFGC Section 504.3.17, as referenced in Appendix B Example 5b (B102.3), the common vent area shall not be greater than seven times the smallest listed appliance categorized vent area, flue collar area, or draft hood outlet area. In the example, two 4-inch outlets with an equivalent area of 12.2 square inches each were multiplied by 7 (= 85.4 sq in) and compared to the chimney liner area of 63.6 sq in.
Reference: IFGC 2021 Appendix B, Page B-5
Sample 3 — General Knowledge
Question: You are setting the installation height of a vacuum breaker above the flood level rim of the receptor it serves, but the device carries no critical level marking. What governs as the critical level in this situation?
- A. The bottom of the device
- B. The centerline of the inlet connection
- C. The top of the device
- D. The flood level rim of the receptor
Correct Answer: A
IPC Section 202 defines CRITICAL LEVEL (C-L) as the elevation reference point establishing the minimum height at which a backflow preventer or vacuum breaker is installed above the flood level rim, and states that if the critical level marking is not indicated on the device, the bottom of the device shall constitute the critical level.
Reference: IPC 2021 Section 202 — Critical Level
Sample 4 — Plumbing Math
Question: You are roughing in a residential bathroom and need to calculate a 45-degree offset. If you already know the center-to-center diagonal length is 14 inches, what is the offset (or rise) distance?
- A. 7.07 inches
- B. 19.80 inches
- C. 9.90 inches
- D. 11.31 inches
Correct Answer: C
When the diagonal is known for a 45° offset, the offset is found by multiplying the diagonal by the constant 0.707. So offset = 0.707 × 14" = 9.898" ≈ 9.90 inches.
Reference: Mathematics for Plumbers and Pipefitters (8th ed.), Chapter 2 — The 0.707 Constant in 45° Pipe Assemblies
Online Practice vs. a PDF
- Timed: you practice finding answers under time pressure, not just reading them.
- Bookmarks: flag questions and come back, the way you will on test day.
- New sets: each attempt draws new questions from our bank.
- Scored by topic: your results show which outline topics need more study.
Next Step
- Take the free Tennessee LLP Limited Licensed Plumber practice exam.
- Study the topics where you scored lowest.
- Read the exam bulletin for the official rules, and see the licensing board's website.