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Florida State Plumbing Exam

12K views 28 replies 9 participants last post by  Tommy plumber  
#1 ·
Hello, I am taking the state of Florida plumbing exam Feb 2019. Has anyone taken the exams in the pass 6 months, if yes, can you provide a little insight on what i need to look for?


Thanks in Advance
Eric
 
#29 ·
Or maybe you get 50 mult. choice questions in the morning with the {5} isos, I can't remember. Then I think in the afternoon sessionyou get 120 multiple choice. Remember, the sessions are timed. The exam is a timed test. I used every minute of the 4 hrs. and 45 minutes of the morning session to do the {5} isos and then answer the multiple choice questions.

As I say, do the isometric drawings first. Then blaze through the multiple choice questions. Don't spend a long time hunting for the answer in all the code books for a single question. Move on and come back to that one.

Also another tip, I saw a lot of medical gas questions in the multiple choice questions in the morning session. I'm warning you, this exam is intimidating.
 
#22 ·
In Canada all Plumbing apprentices “now” write the 306a Plumbing exam, which when passed, you get your Red Seal license.. Red Seal means you’re licensed to work anywhere in Canada, and you get the acronym R.S.E.(red seal endorsed).
(The CoT,{college of trades} wants tradespeople to have an acronym, to boost or give us some more credit for our qualifications)

So now, to get your Mater plumber(Toronto) you need your Red Seal/306a, your Plumbing contractor lic., your criminal background check and clearance, Healty and safety... blah blah, and a few other things.. total cost about $1000.00

You need you “Plumbing contractors lic.” To pull permits and to apply for the city’s Plumbing rebate programs(backwater valves, sumps/backup pumps etc..)
 
#21 ·
Kind of a funny story about my exam...


I did have isos on mine, so the plumbing exam was backwards from every on else. Plumbing exam was trade on day 1, business and finance on day 2. That let them grade our isos after day 1 so we could get a score after day 2. The iso was 30% of the exam and passing was 70%, so if you didn't do well on them, passing was almost impossible.



I finished my morning exam on day 1 about 15 minutes before we were allowed to leave. The proctor in my section thought I was giving up. I finished the afternoon session in about the same time, I was the first one out of the room again. As I was walking to my car, I saw someone who I thought I recognized, he called me out by name...I drew a blank on who he was. I went over to talk to him and he reminded me - I had taken his job at my last company. He was there to grade the iso drawings. I about pissed myself, but luckily the exams had numbers on the iso drawings and no names. I'm 100% sure I would have failed if he had known which drawings were mine!


I think out of 80 guys who took the plumbing exam that cycle, less than 10 of us passed. The test was tough, but not impossible.
 
#23 ·
Kind of a funny story about my exam...


I did have isos on mine, so the plumbing exam was backwards from every on else. Plumbing exam was trade on day 1, business and finance on day 2. That let them grade our isos after day 1 so we could get a score after day 2. The iso was 30% of the exam and passing was 70%, so if you didn't do well on them, passing was almost impossible.



I finished my morning exam on day 1 about 15 minutes before we were allowed to leave. The proctor in my section thought I was giving up. I finished the afternoon session in about the same time, I was the first one out of the room again. As I was walking to my car, I saw someone who I thought I recognized, he called me out by name...I drew a blank on who he was. I went over to talk to him and he reminded me - I had taken his job at my last company. He was there to grade the iso drawings. I about pissed myself, but luckily the exams had numbers on the iso drawings and no names. I'm 100% sure I would have failed if he had known which drawings were mine!


I think out of 80 guys who took the plumbing exam that cycle, less than 10 of us passed. The test was tough, but not impossible.






















I took my exam in Kissimmee. At that time there were only {3} locations in the whole state of Florida to take the exam; Miami, Kissimmee or Tallahassee.


I studied diligently for the trade knowledge only. Took that in June. After passing, then and only then did I start studying for the Bus. & Finance exam. Then I took that in Dec. of that same year.


It was too intimidating to try and take both exams on back-to-back days. I scheduled them months apart.


I will never forget that wonderful feeling of passing. It was a great feeling!


You my friend must be a smart man to take and pass both exams on consecutive days. You are in an elite group.
 
#20 ·
For that same reason the construction board in Florida (DBPR) has making a lot of changes during the last two year, plumbing and electrical are the most tougher (too many hackers or books nerds passing without any experience on the field).
Anybody can take and pass the test but doesn't mean anything, the board won't approve his/her license that easy once apply for (especially plumbing).
 
#19 ·
when I was taking my plumbing test way back when..there was a guy that said he goes around the country just taking plumbing tests to get licensed so the hack company he worked for can claim they are licensed plumbers.need to say with that info out in the open..he didnt pass the test....he never held a tool in his life and im sure his time was shown fraudulently that he may have worked for a plumbing company but not as a plumber..but thats what goes on then and now..no relation to the OP, just putting out a test experience...
 
#18 ·
Don't know about Florida. Many States recognize Military training for at least part of the required hours. A lot of variables.
 
#15 ·
Certified Plumbing Contractor in Florida can license (qualify) a plumbing company, pull permits, run jobs, basically anything necessary to run a plumbing business.


You can't take the test until you're approved to do so. You'll have to submit your application showing all relevant experience, copies of W-2's, etc. in order to get a seat at the exam. You'll need all the books on the list, with no notes or underlining, for the exam. They will check them before the exam starts. You will need to show experience in all the required areas. If you don't have experience in every area documented on you application, you won't get approved to take the exam.



I passed on my first try, many don't. I'm a book nerd and have always been good at tests, so it was easy for me. I didn't take a course, I just read all the books over & over.


Honestly if you have as little experience as you say you do, you've got no business taking the exam.
 
#17 ·
Certified Plumbing Contractor in Florida can license (qualify) a plumbing company, pull permits, run jobs, basically anything necessary to run a plumbing business.


You can't take the test until you're approved to do so. You'll have to submit your application showing all relevant experience, copies of W-2's, etc. in order to get a seat at the exam. You'll need all the books on the list, with no notes or underlining, for the exam. They will check them before the exam starts. You will need to show experience in all the required areas. If you don't have experience in every area documented on you application, you won't get approved to take the exam.



I passed on my first try, many don't. I'm a book nerd and have always been good at tests, so it was easy for me. I didn't take a course, I just read all the books over & over.


Honestly if you have as little experience as you say you do, you've got no business taking the exam.


















Same with me. I didn't take any class and I passed both exams on my 1st try. I also studied all the code books, did many practice exams and did nearly {200} isometric drawings to get prepared.


Hroark, did you do isos? My friend doesn't remember doing them. Maybe the drawings were not required years ago?


I was a nervous wreck taking the trade knowledge exam {with (5) isometric drawings}. The business & finance was not as bad since it only had multiple choice questions and I was able to take that one near my home at a testing center.


But the trade knowledge was {2} hrs. drive. I had to get a hotel room the night before and couldn't fall asleep until like 2 AM then wake up at 6 AM to be at testing center at 7AM. What a relief to pass that one on the 1st try.