Section 750.310  Administration of the Plumbing License Examination

The examinations administered to applicants for a plumber's license shall be uniform and comprehensive and shall be administered in a manner prescribed in subsection (a), with the advice of the Plumbing Code Advisory Council and Board of Plumbing Examiners.  The examinations shall test applicants' knowledge and qualifications in the planning and design of plumbing systems; their knowledge, qualifications and practical skills in plumbing; and their knowledge of the Illinois Plumbing Code.  The Department will provide reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities in accordance with the Americans With Disabilities Act.  An applicant who may require an accommodation to take the examination due to a disability shall submit acceptable documentation of the disability and a proposal for accommodation to the Department at least 10 business days before the exam date.  Acceptable documentation includes a current statement or documentation from a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches, or a licensed chiropractic physician, in Illinois verifying the disability and providing a specific proposal for accommodation as it relates to the disability.  The statement shall be on the physician's letterhead and include the address, phone number and signature of the physician, date prepared, and the name of the applicant.

a)         The examination for a plumber's license shall consist of the following:

1)         Knowledge Assessment (true/false or multiple choice or fill in the blank). Questions will be based on the Illinois Plumbing Code.

2)         Construction Drawings or Plans.  The applicant will be required to interpret construction drawings or plans, either on paper or electronically, and either complete those construction drawings or plans or answer questions sufficient to demostrate knowledge of plumbing fixtures, piping techniques and Code compliance.

3)         Practical Application Assessment.  Projects requiring the use of current plumbing techniques and materials will be completed as part of the examination.  Materials will be selected from Appendix A, Table A of the Illinois Plumbing Code.  The examinee will be provided a drawing and instructions for completion of each project to be assembled during the practical application assessment.

b)         Each applicant will be responsible for providing his/her own tools and other required material.  Each applicant will be advised in writing as to what to bring to the examination.

c)         Only persons authorized by the Department are permitted in the examination area.

d)         Any applicant wearing a shirt, jacket, cap or any article of clothing bearing pictures, writing, inscriptions or logos of any kind will not be permitted into the examination.  Safety glasses shall be worn at all times when in the shop.

e)         An applicant will not be permitted to leave the examination area without permission.

f)         The maximum grade value of each part of the examination shall be 100 points.  An applicant must make an average of 75 or above on the examination and a grade of 61 or above on each part of the examination to pass.

g)         An applicant who fails to pass the examination shall be admitted to a subsequent regularly scheduled examination after filing a retake application form and fee.  The application and fee shall be submitted in accordance with Section 750.300.

h)         An applicant who is observed cheating during the course of an examination shall be immediately expelled from the examination in progress and that applicant's examination will be declared void.  

1)         The Department will send to the applicant observed cheating a notice of intent to deny the applicant's application for examination and bar the applicant from reapplying for examination for a period of not less than six months.  The applicant may request a hearing, in writing, to contest the Department's notice within the time specified in the notice.  If the applicant does not request a hearing in writing within the time specified in the notice, the applicant's right to a hearing shall be waived.

2)         All hearings shall be conducted in accordance with the Department's Rules of Practice and Procedure in Administrative Hearings (77 Ill. Adm. Code 100).

(Source:  Amended at 40 Ill. Reg. 8786, effective June 17, 2016)