What Is a Chicago Journeyman Plumber?

A Chicago Journeyman Plumber is a licensed plumbing professional who has completed the required apprenticeship experience and demonstrated plumbing knowledge and practical ability through the City's examination process.

Journeyman-level plumbers need to understand far more than basic fixture replacement. The work can involve potable water systems, sanitary drainage, vents, traps, water heaters, storm drainage, piping materials, plumbing fixtures, plan interpretation, system layout, maintenance, and repair.

This combination makes preparation different from an exam that measures code knowledge alone. Candidates need to study the rules while also keeping measurements, layout, cutting, soldering, and practical plumbing skills sharp.

How Much Apprentice Experience Do You Need?

Current Chicago examination requirements call for four years of work as a Plumber's Apprentice before applying for the Journeyman Plumber examination.

Applicants must provide an original signed letter on company stationery from a current or former employer that is a licensed and bonded plumbing contractor.

The employer letter must establish:

• The applicant's dates of employment
• Completion of four years of work as a Plumber's Apprentice
• The employer's plumbing contractor license number

Applicants must also provide a copy of their apprentice license. Candidates currently licensed as an apprentice through Chicago or the State of Illinois can use the applicable current examination process.

Keep these records organized while you are working. Trying to reconstruct four years of plumbing employment right before an application deadline can make a clogged building drain look relaxing.

Chicago Journeyman Plumber Written Exam Format

The written examination is administered through Continental Testing Services as part of the City of Chicago trade licensing process.

Any reference information specifically needed for a question is supplied by the testing provider. That means your home study books are preparation tools, not exam-day rescue equipment.

What Is on the Chicago Journeyman Plumber Written Exam?

The current examination outline contains six categories totaling 100 questions.

Plumbing Systems is clearly the biggest section with 49 questions. Add the 20 plumbing theory, practice, and safety questions, and those two areas make up well over half of the written examination.

Your study schedule should notice that immediately.

Plumbing Systems Should Get the Most Study Time

With 49 questions, Plumbing Systems is nearly half of the written test. This section focuses heavily on the plumbing provisions of the Chicago Building Code.

Major system topics include:

• Administration and definitions
• General plumbing regulations
• Fixtures, faucets, and fixture fittings
• Water heaters
• Water supply and distribution
• Sanitary drainage
• Indirect and special waste
• Vents
• Traps, separators, and interceptors
• Storm drainage
• Swimming-pool plumbing requirements

Do not simply memorize isolated answers. Learn how the system works. Drainage, venting, traps, fixture connections, water distribution, and code requirements often overlap.

A plumbing question can begin with a fixture, wander into drainage sizing, take a quick trip through venting, and finish by asking you about a code requirement. Plumbing exams enjoy multitasking too.

Plumbing Theory, Math, and Job Safety Matter

Plumbing Theory, Practices & Job Safety accounts for 20 written questions. This section includes public-health principles, planning, mathematics, OSHA-related safety, tools, equipment, and basic electrical concepts encountered in plumbing work.

Practice math involving:

• Fractions and decimals
• Measurements and conversions
• Pipe dimensions
• Grade and slope
• Volume
• Pressure
• Offsets
• Water capacity

The written exam does not permit your own calculator, so practice doing the type of plumbing math expected on the test without becoming dependent on a fancy calculator.

Also review workplace hazards, tool safety, personal protective equipment, confined areas, electricity, lifting, and other jobsite concerns. Safety is not just there because somebody needed twenty questions to fill a test.

Learn the Chicago Plumbing Code, Not Just General Plumbing

Field experience is extremely valuable, but this is a Chicago licensing examination. Candidates need to understand plumbing requirements that apply to work performed under the Chicago Building Code.

That means a method you have seen used somewhere else may not automatically be the answer Chicago expects.

The Chicago Illinois Journeyman Plumber Book Package includes the Chicago Building Code along with plumbing references covering theory, design, calculations, blueprints, installation, troubleshooting, and field practices.

Blueprints, Drawings, and Plans Are on the Exam

Drawings, Charts & Plans account for eight questions. Candidates should be able to read plumbing drawings and understand how the information on paper turns into an actual piping system.

Practice skills such as:

• Reading plumbing symbols
• Locating fixtures
• Following piping routes
• Reading dimensions
• Understanding rough-in information
• Interpreting specifications
• Completing building plans according to plumbing requirements

Plan-reading knowledge becomes even more important during the practical examination, where candidates must complete plumbing information for a residential building.

If the blueprint currently looks like somebody spilled alphabet soup onto graph paper, give this section more study time before exam day.

Know How Plumbing Components Are Cut and Assembled

Cutting & Assembling Plumbing System Components represents 11 questions. This section connects written knowledge with hands-on trade experience.

Review materials and methods involving:

• Copper tubing
• Steel piping
• Cast-iron piping
• Plastic piping
• Acid-resistant materials
• Pipe sizing
• Water-flow requirements
• Drainage requirements
• Connections and fittings
• Cutting and joining methods

Understand not only which material is being used but also how it is measured, prepared, joined, supported, and installed correctly.

This knowledge carries directly into the practical test, especially the copper-pipe project.

Troubleshooting and Repair Are Worth 10 Questions

Plumbers spend plenty of time installing new systems, but they also spend a large part of their careers figuring out why existing systems have decided to stop cooperating.

The exam can involve troubleshooting:

• Plumbing fixtures
• Water heaters
• Water-distribution systems
• Wastewater systems
• Drainage systems
• Vent systems
• Pumps and related equipment

Troubleshooting questions reward understanding. If you know what the system is supposed to do, it becomes much easier to identify what might be wrong when it does something else.

What Happens After You Pass the Written Exam?

Passing the written examination makes you eligible to apply for the Chicago Plumbing Practical Examination.

The practical exam is not a second written test. It measures your ability to apply plumbing knowledge to drawings and actual piping work.

Both portions are scored separately, and candidates need at least 75 on each practical component.

Prepare for the Residential Drawing Practical

The drawing portion of the practical exam requires candidates to complete a plumbing system for a three-story residential building.

The building includes common residential fixtures, kitchen plumbing, bathrooms, basement laundry facilities, and other requirements. Candidates must add the required sewer, drain, waste, and vent piping in compliance with current Chicago plumbing requirements.

Practice:

• Waste and vent symbols
• Pipe sizing
• Flow direction
• Stack arrangement
• Fixture connections
• Overhead sewer systems
• Ejector systems
• Residential drainage layout

Candidates should be able to look at a building drawing and think like a plumber, not just like someone searching for the nearest bathroom.

Prepare for the Copper Pipe Assembly Practical

The copper project tests measurement, calculations, assembly, alignment, soldering, reaming, and workmanship.

Candidates receive specifications showing several copper tubing sections. Some dimensions are provided, while others must be calculated.

You should practice:

• Reading the assembly drawing
• Calculating missing tubing dimensions
• Measuring accurately
• Cutting tubing
• Reaming cut tubing
• Assembling fittings
• Maintaining proper alignment
• Cleaning and preparing joints
• Soldering consistently
• Checking completed workmanship

The completed assembly is evaluated for dimensions, alignment, workmanship, soldering, reaming, and leaks. Accuracy matters. "Close enough" becomes less charming when every quarter inch can affect the score.

Study for a Closed-Book Written Examination

Because personal books and calculators are not permitted during the written test, your preparation should gradually move from reference-assisted study to closed-book recall.

1. Study each subject with the book open.
2. Answer practice questions about that subject.
3. Look up every answer you miss.
4. Explain the rule in your own words.
5. Repeat the questions without the book.
6. Practice plumbing math without depending on a calculator.
7. Finish with timed 100-question practice sessions.

If every practice question ends with you opening six books and searching for twenty minutes, you are learning, which is good. You are just not ready for the closed-book stage yet.

Which Books Can Help You Prepare?

Chicago Journeyman Plumber preparation needs a mixture of Chicago code material and general plumbing trade knowledge.

The Chicago Illinois Plumber Journeyman Book Package includes references covering Chicago requirements, plumbing theory, installation, calculations, blueprint reading, troubleshooting, and field procedures.

The package includes:

• 2019 Chicago Building Code
• Modern Plumbing, 9th Edition
• Plumbing Design and Installation
• Mathematics for Plumbers and Pipefitters, 8th Edition
• Blueprint Reading and Drafting for Plumbers, 2nd Edition
• Audel Plumbers Pocket Manual, 10th Edition

The goal is not to read every page simply because you own the book. Organize your preparation around the actual written-exam categories and the practical skills you will need later.

Build a Study Plan Around the Actual Exam

The test outline already tells you which areas deserve the most attention. Use it.

1. Start with Plumbing Systems. This category contains 49 questions.
2. Study theory, mathematics, and safety. This section adds another 20 questions.
3. Practice blueprint reading. It helps with both the written and practical exams.
4. Review pipe materials and assembly. Connect written knowledge to hands-on plumbing work.
5. Practice troubleshooting. Learn how systems behave when something goes wrong.
6. Move into closed-book practice. Train for the actual written testing rules.
7. Keep practicing hands-on skills. The practical exam comes after the written test.

Use Practice Questions to Find Weak Areas

Do not judge a practice exam only by the final score. The questions you miss are often more useful than the questions you answer correctly.

After every missed question:

1. Identify the exam category.
2. Determine whether the problem was code, math, theory, or plan reading.
3. Find the related material in your study references.
4. Explain why the correct answer works.
5. Redo calculations from the beginning.
6. Try another question on the same subject later.

Keep a simple mistake list. If drainage, venting, blueprint reading, math, or troubleshooting keeps appearing on that list, your next study session has already volunteered its topic.

What Happens After Both Exams?

After meeting the written and practical examination standards, candidates still need to complete the remaining City of Chicago licensing process.

Keep your apprentice documentation, employer verification, examination results, identification information, and licensing paperwork organized. Current Continental Testing Services information lists a separate initial license fee after the applicable examination requirements are completed.

Always check the current City of Chicago and Continental Testing Services instructions when you apply. Exam dates, deadlines, application procedures, and fees can change.

For help with the application side of contractor and trade licensing, you can also review 1ExamPrep application services.

Prepare for the License and the Plumbing Career

The Chicago Journeyman Plumber licensing process is demanding because the work carries real responsibility. Plumbing protects drinking water, removes wastewater, controls drainage, protects trap seals, provides hot water, and supports basic sanitation inside buildings.

That is why the examination goes beyond simple memorization. You need code knowledge, math, system understanding, plan-reading ability, troubleshooting skills, and practical workmanship.

Start early. Spend plenty of time on Plumbing Systems. Practice Chicago requirements. Work plumbing calculations without leaning on a calculator. Read drawings. Review piping materials. Practice copper measurement and soldering. Take closed-book practice exams.

And remember that passing the written test means you have successfully reached the practical test. Celebrate, certainly. Just do not put the torch and tubing cutter away yet.

When you are ready to organize your preparation, visit the Chicago Illinois Journeyman Plumber collection at 1ExamPrep to compare code books, plumbing references, mathematics resources, blueprint materials, and complete exam-prep packages.

If your preparation needs to fit into a larger budget, you can also review 1ExamPrep financing options.