The Georgia Master Plumber Guide

Facts in this guide are drawn from the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin for the Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers of the Georgia Construction Industry Licensing Board (bulletin 4734, Rev. 11/1/2024) and verified against the vendor and board pages on September 7, 2026. Georgia rules can change — always confirm against the current bulletin and the Division before you apply.

What Is the Georgia Master Plumber License?

In Georgia, plumbing licensing is regulated by the Georgia Construction Industry Licensing Board (GCILB) through its Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers, and the exams are delivered by PSI at computer-based testing centers. The state's master plumber credential comes in two classifications: Master Plumber Class I (Restricted) and Master Plumber Class II (Unrestricted). Both are administered under the same candidate bulletin and the same program page at test-takers.psiexams.com/gaco.

The difference between the two master classifications is one of scope: Class II (Unrestricted) is the broader, unrestricted line, and Class I (Restricted) is the narrower, restricted line. That difference is visible in the exams themselves: Class II carries 140 scored questions to Class I's 120, and the Class II blueprint puts substantially more weight on the field-technical columns — systems installation, pipe cutting and joining, testing, maintenance and repair, and safety. Both classes share identical columns for laws, regulations and calculations, and both carry the same 40-item business, administrative and design block.

One honesty note up front, because it trips up candidates from open-book states: Georgia's master exams are closed book. The bulletin's content outline tracks three classifications — Journeyman Plumber, Master Plumber Class I and Master Plumber Class II — and in Georgia's program the Journeyman Plumber exam is the open-book line. Neither master exam is. You study the codes before exam day; on exam day you rely on what you actually know.

You are already an experienced plumber — this is the step from working under supervision to taking responsibility for complete plumbing systems, code compliance and the business of the trade. Because the master exams are closed book, they test recall-level command of the codes, the mathematics and the business and administrative rules of running plumbing work in Georgia — not how fast you can flip to a section.

License Classifications: Class I (Restricted) vs. Class II (Unrestricted)

Before you prepare, you need to know which classification you are pursuing, because the two exams are not the same size and do not weight the same columns. At a glance:

• Master Plumber Class I (Restricted): the restricted classification, examined with 120 scored questions plus 24 unscored pretest items (144 questions administered). Its blueprint pairs the same laws, regulations, calculations and 40-item business block as Class II with a lighter set of field-technical columns.
• Master Plumber Class II (Unrestricted): the unrestricted classification, examined with 140 scored questions plus 28 unscored pretest items (168 questions administered). It is the deeper, broader exam: heavier columns in Systems Installation (21 vs. 16), Maintenance and Repair (15 vs. 11), Safety (15 vs. 11), Pipe Cutting and Joining (10 vs. 4) and Testing (7 vs. 5).
• Same format rules: both classes are closed book, both are delivered in a two-part, 7-hour format (3.5 hours + 3.5 hours with a break), and both use the same passing standard — a minimum score converted to a scaled 70 on every form.

The columns that separate the two exams line up with the scope of work: Class II tests the full unrestricted trade — more installation, more pipe joining, more testing, more repair and more safety — while Class I tests the restricted scope at a lighter technical weight. What each classification actually authorizes you to do in the field is set by Georgia law and the board, not by the exam vendor: confirm the scope of work for Class I (Restricted) and Class II (Unrestricted) with the Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers before you choose.

Exam Format: Closed Book, Two Parts, Scaled 70

The Georgia master plumber exams are computer-based, delivered by PSI for the Georgia plumbing program at test-takers.psiexams.com/gaco. At a glance:

Three details deserve to be read twice. First, the closed-book rule is total: the official reference list — the Georgia Plumbing Code, the Georgia Gas Code, the business law and mathematics texts, OSHA 29 CFR 1926 and the rest — exists so you can study before test day. None of it comes into the testing room. The only thing on your desk beyond the computer is a silent, non-programmable calculator. Exam-day performance therefore comes down to recall: code requirements, key table values and the formulas behind your calculations must live in your head.

Second, the pass line is a scaled 70. Your raw count of correct answers is converted to a scaled score, and the minimum passing score is set at a scaled 70 for every exam form. That scaled standard is what keeps the pass line comparable across different exam forms — aim comfortably above it, because you will not know your raw score while you are testing and pretest items are mixed into the administered questions.

Third, the format is a marathon, not a sprint: 7 hours total, delivered in two 3.5-hour parts with a break between them. On Class II that means 168 administered questions spread across a full working day of testing. Stamina and pacing deserve as much of your preparation as content — if you have only ever taken single-session exams, rehearse the two-part rhythm before exam day.

Official Content Outline: Class I vs. Class II

The bulletin publishes the content outline in three columns — Journeyman Plumber, Master Plumber Class I and Master Plumber Class II. The ten content areas below are the ones that appear on both master classes; the Journeyman column does not include the final business, administrative and design block. Class I columns total 120 scored questions; Class II columns total 140. Study time should track these weights:

Content-area topics as itemized in the official PSI candidate bulletin. The outline's regulations column itemizes the SBCCI Gas Code; the study-reference list provides the Georgia Gas Code — the International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) with Georgia amendments — in its 2018 or 2024 edition.

The pattern is unmistakable, and it is different for the two classes. Class I (Restricted) spreads 120 scored questions with its heaviest columns at Systems Installation (16), Maintenance and Repair (11), Safety (11) and the 40-item business block. Class II (Unrestricted) tests a broader trade: Systems Installation (21), Maintenance and Repair (15) and Safety (15) each grow, and Pipe Cutting and Joining jumps from 4 to 10 — more than double — while Testing grows from 5 to 7 and Work Planning shifts from 8 to 7. General Laws (5), Regulations (15) and Calculations (5) are identical on both classes, and so is the 40-item Business, Administrative and Design block. On Class I that block is a full third of the scored exam; on Class II it is more than a quarter. Master the field-technical columns for your classification, but never treat the business block as an afterthought — it is the largest single block on both exams.

Official Study References (Closed Book — Study Only)

Because both master exams are closed book, the bulletin's reference list is what you study before test day — none of these titles are allowed in the testing room. The bulletin's list includes:

• Georgia Plumbing Code — 2018 edition or 2024 edition (2024 edition mandatory from May 1, 2026)
• Georgia Gas Code — 2018 edition (2018 IFGC with Georgia amendments) or 2024 edition (2024 edition mandatory from May 1, 2026)
• OSHA 29 CFR 1926 — master exams only
• Excavator Manual, Georgia 811 — 2025 edition
• ADA — Your Responsibilities as an Employer
• ADA Standards 2010
• NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business Law and Project Management — Georgia, 5th edition
• IRS Circular E
• Mathematics for Plumbers and Pipefitters — 8th edition
• Plumbing Technology: Design and Installation — 4th edition

Code edition matters right now. The bulletin lists the 2018 Georgia Plumbing Code or the 2024 Georgia Plumbing Code, and the 2018 Georgia Gas Code or the 2024 Georgia Gas Code. The 2024 editions of both codes are mandatory from May 1, 2026 — which means candidates testing today prepare with the 2024 editions. If you began with the 2018 editions, review the chapters and sections that changed in the 2024 codes before you sit, and confirm the edition in the current bulletin before you register.

The study list maps cleanly onto the blueprint: the business law and management guide, IRS Circular E and the ADA employer guide support the 40-item business, administrative and general-laws content; the mathematics text backs the Calculations column; OSHA 29 CFR 1926 (master only) and the Georgia 811 excavation manual back the regulations and safety content; and the plumbing technology text plus the Georgia codes back the installation, testing and repair columns. Review the current bulletin for the full, up-to-date list before you buy anything.

Retakes, Veterans Preference & Administrative Notes

• Passing standard: the minimum passing score is converted to a scaled score of 70 on every exam form — the raw count of correct answers is converted to that scaled standard.
• Retakes after failure: candidates who fail are required to complete a board-approved review course before a third attempt. Plan retakes with that requirement in mind rather than re-registering indefinitely.
• Veterans preference: under Georgia law, qualifying veterans may receive a preference of 5 to 10 points on the exam. Confirm the preference rules and required documentation with the Division before you sit.
• Registration: exams are delivered by PSI once the Division confirms your eligibility, through the Georgia plumbing program at test-takers.psiexams.com/gaco.
• Fees: exam and license fees are set by the Division and PSI and can change — confirm the amount in effect at registration in the current bulletin and on the program page before you pay.

Because the master exams are closed book and scored to a scaled standard, every attempt is a complete, recall-based performance across the whole blueprint. There is no “just look it up” fallback on test day — and if you do fail, the board-approved review course requirement means your retake path should include a structured reset, not just another registration.

How to Prepare

1. Confirm your classification and board eligibility first. Decide whether Class I (Restricted) or Class II (Unrestricted) matches the scope of work you will take responsibility for, and confirm the eligibility requirements with the Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers before you invest in prep or book a test date. The Division — not PSI — is the gate.
2. Prepare for closed book, not open book. Georgia's master exams give you no codebooks on test day, so memorization and recall are the exam skills that pay: code requirements, key table values and the formulas behind your calculations must be commandable without a lookup. If your study habit is “skim the chapter, look it up later,” rebuild it around recall drills.
3. Study the Georgia-amended codes in the right edition. The Georgia Plumbing Code and Georgia Gas Code — the IPC- and IFGC-based codes with Georgia amendments — are the heart of the regulations, systems and safety columns. Study the 2024 editions, which are mandatory from May 1, 2026, and pay attention to the Georgia-specific amendments rather than assuming the base code applies unchanged.
4. Give the 40-item business block its own study track. Business Laws (15), Administrative Requirements (15) and Plumbing System Design (10) are identical on both classes and represent a third of the Class I exam and more than a quarter of the Class II exam. Work through the NASCLA Georgia business law and project management guide, IRS Circular E and the ADA employer materials the way you would any technical column.
5. Drill the blueprint at your classification's weight. Class II candidates need to be strongest in Systems Installation (21), Maintenance and Repair (15), Safety (15) and Pipe Cutting and Joining (10); Class I candidates face the same laws, regulations, calculations and business block but a lighter technical load. Practice questions should mirror your column weights, not a generic plumbing bank.
6. Simulate the two-part, 7-hour format. Full-length, timed runs of your exact exam — 144 or 168 administered questions in two 3.5-hour parts with a break — closed book with only a silent, non-programmable calculator, aiming comfortably past the scaled-70 line. In the final month, run a full two-part simulation at least once a week so the real exam's length feels routine.

MasterPlumberPractice is built for exactly this kind of exam: recall-based practice questions aligned to the Georgia blueprint, state-specific theory covering the Georgia-amended codes, full-length timed simulations of the two-part master format, and an AI tutor to close your weak columns. Start with free practice questions to feel the format, work through our plumbing code theory guides, and create a free account to track your scores as you go — so the real exam feels like a repeat, not a surprise.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ready to Earn the Georgia Master License?

The Georgia master license — Class I (Restricted) or Class II (Unrestricted) — is the credential that lets you take responsibility for plumbing systems in the state, and it is earned on a closed-book exam that rewards what you actually know. Confirm your classification and eligibility with the Division, then build your prep around the official blueprint: study the Georgia-amended codes with our plumbing code theory guides, try free practice questions, register free and see the all-inclusive pricing — one subscription covering the full Georgia blueprint, so you never buy prep piece by piece.