[Tommy plumber]

the right answers....

Classic! I'm glad I wasn't sipping coffee when I read this....LOL.

 

[Tommy plumber]

Eric don't waste your time, you need 5 years working as a plumber in Florida and you need to prove it with W-2. You can take the exam but you won't get the license.
My 2 cents.

When I sat for the exam, the state required {4} yrs. Maybe it's changed, I don't know. I know that up in NYC, the dept. of bldgs. requires W-2's, as well as the master plumber stating that a candidate worked for him for the required {7} yrs. of field experience. {NYC is tough to get a master plumbing license; you guys w/ it should be proud. NYC doesn't give those away.}


Now in FL, they did a background check; at the federal, state and local level. I had to get my fingerprints checked by the F.B.I. Also, they now require {I'm told} a minimum credit score.


Now years ago, the state required like $10,000 in the bank I was told. Whether that was just a field rumor spread falsely I don't know. But when I sat for the exam, I had to have a letter of credit I think from a bank stating that I was approved for that dollar amount. Regardless, my mom sent me $5,000 which I deposited in my bank. Then, after I got my license, I of course mailed it back. {I have lots of love for mom.}

 

[Tommy plumber]

I dont know florida tests, so what does that let you do? its not a master plumber license as you need a certain amount of hours and that has to be proven..

He'll need at least {4} years. The state counts months, so that's {48} months of verifiable field experience. He'll need to go to a licensed plumbing contractor to sign a sheet attesting to that and it has to be notarized. Then the application has to be filled out correctly; when I submitted mine, I rec'd. a deficiency letter from the state. I had to correct or clarify some info on my application.


If he can't show the required field experience {and it has to be proved} then he cannot get a license.

 

[Tommy plumber]

ok, but is a plumbing contractor license the same as a master plumbers license??

Yes. The statute calls me: A state certified plumbing contractor.


We have the option of going for a state license or a county license. With {67} counties in FL, I didn't even bother trying to get a county license. Then the license holder can only legally work in and pull permits in that county.

 

[Tommy plumber]

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.

 

[Tommy plumber]

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.

 

[Tommy plumber]

Mine is scheduled for August taking it down in Kissimmee as well just the trade knowledge portion haven't even delved into the business and finance yet.

That is a good way to go....take only the trade knowledge part of the exam. Once you pass that, THEN concentrate on the business & finance exam. It's too much to try and take both exams on back to back days.

I hope you know how to draw Isometric drawings. That was 50% of my grade on the trade knowledge. Another tip: do the isos first. Don't try to do the 120 multiple choice questions first. All those 120 multiple choice questions are only worth 50% of your grade making each mult. choice question worth like 1/2 a point each.
Some guys have done the mult. choice questions first and then they run out of time for the isos. Big mistake. Do the {5} isometric drawings first and get those out of the way.

 

[Tommy plumber]

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.