- Part I Written has 80 questions in 160 minutes; Part II Practical has 40 questions in 160 minutes.
- Each part needs a separate 70% pass - scores are never combined or averaged.
- Gas Piping, Equipment, and Appliances (21 questions) is the largest written domain.
- Isometric Analysis (20 questions) dominates the Practical part and deserves the most late-stage review time.
Quick Facts Snapshot
This is the one-page version of everything a Massachusetts Journeyman Plumber candidate needs to hold in short-term memory before test day. It skips theory and gives you the raw numbers, domain weights, and procedural rules that the Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters (Division of Occupational Licensure) and its testing vendor, PSI Services LLC, actually use to build and score the exam. If you want the full walkthrough behind each of these numbers, pair this cheat sheet with the MA-JP Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Application fee | $31 |
| Exam / retest fee | $80 |
| Initial journeyman license fee | $52 |
| Part I Written | 80 questions / 160 minutes |
| Part II Practical | 40 questions / 160 minutes |
| Combined Exam line | 120 questions / 320 minutes |
| Passing threshold | 70% on each part, independently |
| Score validity | 12 months from a passing result |
| Scheduling window | 12 months from application approval |
| Renewal cycle | Biennial, by May 1 in even years, $52 |
Registration & Fee Mechanics
Every applicant works through eLIPSE, the Commonwealth's online licensing portal, to submit education records, supervised work-hour logs, and background-check documentation. Nothing gets scheduled at PSI until the Board reviews and approves that packet - this order of operations trips up more candidates than any content question on the exam.
- Standard apprentice-route eligibility (for apprenticeships starting on or after September 1, 2008) requires a high-school diploma or equivalent, 6,800 hours of supervised work as a licensed plumbing apprentice, and 550 hours of approved plumbing and gas-fitting theory instruction spread over at least four years.
- Work and classroom hours must satisfy the concurrent-training rules in 248 CMR 11.02 - you cannot front-load all your theory hours in year one and coast through fieldwork afterward.
- The $31 application fee is separate from the $80 exam/retest fee and the $52 initial license fee; budget for all three as distinct line items.
For the complete eligibility breakdown, including how concurrent training is verified, see MA-JP Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify. If you're comparing total out-of-pocket cost across the whole licensing path, the MA-JP Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown article lays out every fee side by side.
Exam Format at a Glance
The MA-JP exam is delivered as two closed-book, computer-based parts. PSI's bulletin refers to the combined sitting as the "Exam" line - 120 questions across 320 minutes - but functionally you are taking two separate tests that happen to be scheduled together.
Part I - Written
80 multiple-choice questions in 160 minutes, drawing from Domains 1 through 12. This part carries the bulk of code-based, regulatory, and system-design content.
- Closed-book: no personal code books or notes at the workstation
Part II - Practical
40 questions in 160 minutes, drawing from Domains 13 through 16. This part is heavier on applied calculation and drawing interpretation than memorized regulation text.
- Isometric Analysis alone accounts for half of this part's questions
For a deeper explanation of why the format is split this way and what each question style actually looks like on screen, read How Hard Is the MA-JP Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.
Domain-by-Domain Cheat Sheet
Sixteen domains split across the two parts, each with a fixed number of questions. Memorize the weights below - they tell you exactly where your study hours should go.
Part I Written Domains (Domains 1-12)
Domain 2: Gas Piping, Equipment, and Appliances - 21 questions
The single largest written domain by a wide margin. Sizing, appliance connections, venting interaction with gas equipment, and code-driven clearances all live here.
- Cross-reference with NFPA 54 concepts covered in the handbook
Domain 10: Drain, Waste, and Vent - 13 questions
Second-heaviest domain. Expect sizing, slope, and system-configuration questions tied to Massachusetts-specific code provisions.
Domain 1: General Regulations, Inspections, and Permits - 9 questions
Board authority, permitting steps, and inspection sequencing - foundational but often underestimated.
Domain 3: Venting - 12 questions
Vent sizing, types, and required configurations relative to trap arms and fixture units.
Domain 8: Water Supply - 6 questions
Distribution sizing, backflow concepts, and supply-side protections.
Remaining written domains - Traps and Cleanouts, Fixtures/Equipment/Clearances, Water Heaters, Piping/Valves/Controls, Hangers and Supports, Separators/Interceptors/Grease Traps, and Joints and Connections - carry smaller counts (2-5 questions each) but are still fair game on every version of the exam.
Part II Practical Domains (Domains 13-16)
Domain 13: Isometric Analysis - 20 questions
The largest practical section by far, worth half of Part II. Reading isometric drawings, identifying fittings, and tracing DWV or supply runs need to be second nature before test day.
Domain 16: Gas Venting - 8 questions
Second-largest practical domain; expect scenario-based venting calculations for gas appliances.
Domain 15: Gas Piping - 7 questions
Applied sizing and layout questions, distinct from the written Gas Piping domain's regulatory focus.
Domain 14: General Trade Calculations - 5 questions
Pipe sizing math, fixture unit totals, and other applied arithmetic under time pressure.
For an in-depth breakdown of what each domain actually tests, question by question, see the MA-JP Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 16 Content Areas.
Passing Score Logic
This is the part candidates most often get wrong when explaining the exam to coworkers: Part I and Part II are graded completely independently. Each part requires at least 70% correct on its own. Scores are never averaged or combined - passing Written with a high score does not offset a low Practical score, and vice versa.
- If you fail only one part, you retake only that part, not the entire exam.
- A retake requires paying the $80 examination/retest fee again for the failed part.
- A passing score on a part remains valid for one year - plan your retake scheduling around that window, not around your own convenience.
See the full explanation of how PSI calculates and reports these results in MA-JP Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass. If you're trying to gauge realistic difficulty before committing study hours, MA-JP Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows walks through what's publicly known.
Key Takeaway
Treat Part I and Part II as two separate exams that happen to share a test appointment. Prepare and self-assess each one on its own 70% bar.
Calculator & Testing-Day Rules
Both parts are closed-book and computer-based, delivered at a PSI test center. The only outside tool permitted is a calculator, and it must meet specific criteria:
- Nonprogrammable
- Nonprinting
- Silent
- Battery-operated
- No alphabetic keys
Bring a compliant calculator and confirm ahead of time that it meets every criterion above - a calculator with letter keys or programmable memory can be rejected at check-in, leaving you to rely on whatever the test center provides.
Code References to Know
The handbook effective October 3, 2025 lists specific reference documents behind the exam content. You won't have these open during a closed-book test, but the questions are written against them, so familiarity matters more than memorization of exact section numbers:
- 2023 Massachusetts Uniform State Plumbing Code
- 2012 NFPA 54 (National Fuel Gas Code)
- 2011 NFPA 58 (Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code)
These three documents underpin most of the Gas Piping, Venting, and Water Supply domain content, so if your study time is limited, prioritize the sections of these codes that map to Domains 2, 3, 15, and 16.
Renewal & Continuing Education
Passing the exam is not the end of the paperwork. Once licensed, journeyman plumbers in Massachusetts renew on a fixed biennial schedule:
- Renewal falls due by May 1 in even-numbered years, regardless of when you were originally licensed.
- The renewal fee is $52, matching the initial license fee.
- Each two-year cycle requires 12 approved continuing-education hours.
- An exemption applies if your first license was issued during the current renewal cycle - you won't owe CE hours for a cycle you barely held the license.
Understanding this renewal rhythm early helps you plan CE hours alongside work, rather than scrambling near a deadline. It also matters when weighing the long-term value of the license - see Is the MA-JP Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 for how licensing costs compare against career upside, and MA-JP Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis for what licensed journeymen typically pursue afterward, including roles you'll see referenced in MA-JP Jobs postings.
Final-Week Review Plan
A cheat sheet works best as a last pass, not a first exposure to the material. If you're in the final stretch before your PSI appointment, structure your remaining days around domain weight rather than domain order.
Heaviest Written Domains
- Gas Piping, Equipment, and Appliances (21 questions)
- Drain, Waste, and Vent (13 questions)
- Venting (12 questions)
Remaining Written Domains
- General Regulations, Inspections, and Permits (9 questions)
- Water Supply, Water Heaters, Piping/Valves/Controls, and the smaller-weight domains
Practical Domains
- Isometric Analysis drawing practice (20 questions worth)
- Gas Venting and Gas Piping scenario problems
- General Trade Calculations drills, timed
Logistics & Light Review
- Confirm calculator compliance
- Review passing-score logic so you know how each part is scored
- Light pass over Domain 2 and Domain 13 only - the two heaviest sections
For a fuller multi-week version of this plan tied to your actual application timeline, see the MA-JP Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt, and check current testing windows in MA-JP Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling before locking in a schedule. You can also run timed practice sets on the main practice test platform to simulate the 160-minute pacing of each part before your real appointment.
FAQ
No. Only the failed part needs to be retaken; a $80 retest fee applies to that part, and you keep your passing score on the other part as long as it's still within its one-year validity.
Gas Piping, Equipment, and Appliances on the Written part (21 questions) and Isometric Analysis on the Practical part (20 questions) are the two largest domains and should anchor your final review.
A nonprogrammable, nonprinting, silent, battery-operated calculator with no alphabetic keys. Anything with letters, programmability, or a printer function is not allowed.
A passing score is valid for one year. You also have a 12-month window from Board approval to actually schedule and sit for the exam through PSI.
Renewal is biennial, due by May 1 in even-numbered years, with a $52 fee and 12 continuing-education hours per cycle - unless your first license fell within the current cycle, which is exempt from the CE requirement.