- The AL-JP exam has 75 questions, a 2.92-hour time limit, and a 70% passing score, open book.
- Exam fee is $110 nonrefundable; passing adds $50 processing plus $75 certificate, totaling $235 before books.
- General Knowledge (10 questions) and Sizing and Design (9 questions) carry the most weight of all 12 domains.
- Prov eligibility lasts 30 days, and you must obtain your certificate within 90 calendar days of passing.
Fees & Timeline at a Glance
Before you touch a single practice question, it helps to have the administrative skeleton of the Alabama Journeyman Plumber Exam (AL-JP) memorized. The Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board oversees the credential, while Prov, Inc. administers the actual test session. Here is the money and timing breakdown candidates ask about most:
| Item | Amount / Window |
|---|---|
| Exam fee (paid to the Board, nonrefundable) | $110 |
| Initial processing after passing | $50 |
| Certificate fee | $75 |
| Total exam + initial certification charges | $235 |
| Prov eligibility window | 30 days |
| Deadline to obtain certificate after passing | 90 calendar days |
| Certificate expiration | December 31 annually |
| Annual renewal fee | $75 |
| Required CE hours per renewal cycle | 4 approved hours, completed before November 1 |
These figures don't include books, prep courses, or apprenticeship documentation costs. For a fuller walkthrough of what you'll actually spend from registration through your first renewal, see the AL-JP Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
Exam Format Snapshot
The AL-JP is a computer-based, multiple-choice, open-book exam. Candidates get 75 questions and exactly 2.92 hours to complete them - a figure worth memorizing precisely, since it's published that way rather than rounded to a clean three hours. Passing requires a 70% score.
Historical data reported a 44% pass rate from November 1, 2021 through November 9, 2022, based on 329 passes out of 750 journeyman plumbing examinations. That figure predates the current Prov-administered exam, so treat it as background context rather than a benchmark for today's test. For a deeper statistical breakdown and what the numbers actually mean for your prep, read the AL-JP Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows.
If you're wondering how the format and timing translate into real difficulty, the How Hard Is the AL-JP Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 breaks down pacing, question style, and where candidates typically lose time.
Key Takeaway
Open book does not mean easy - 75 questions in 2.92 hours leaves roughly 2.3 minutes per question, so knowing where information lives in your references matters as much as knowing the content itself.
Domain Weights Cheat Sheet
The AL-JP covers 12 domains with official question allocations. General Knowledge is the largest single domain at 10 of 75 questions, followed by Sizing and Design at 9. Alabama Plumbing and Gas Law contributes 5 questions. Below is a quick-reference list of all 12 domains for your final review pass.
Domain 1: General Knowledge
The single largest domain on the exam - treat it as your highest-priority review category.
- Broad trade fundamentals spanning code intent and general plumbing practice
Domain 5: Sizing and Design
Second-largest domain; expect calculation-heavy and code-lookup questions.
- Pipe sizing tables and design logic drawn from the 2021 IPC and 2021 IFGC
Domain 12: Alabama Plumbing and Gas Law
Alabama-specific statutory and administrative content unique to this jurisdiction.
- 2022 Code of Alabama Title 34 Chapter 37 and Administrative Code Chapter 720
The remaining domains - Drawings and Plan Reading, Trade Math, Tools, Fixtures and Fittings, Drain Waste and Vents, Roof Drain Systems, System Installation, Water Heaters, and Safety - round out the 75-question pool. Each deserves review, but none carries as much individual weight as General Knowledge or Sizing and Design. For a full breakdown of every domain with study angles for each, see the AL-JP Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 12 Content Areas.
Approved References
Because the AL-JP is open book, knowing exactly which references are permitted - and how they're organized - is a study strategy in itself. The listed references are:
- 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC)
- 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC)
- Mathematics for Plumbers and Pipefitters, 8th edition
- Modern Plumbing, 8th edition
- 2022 Code of Alabama Title 34 Chapter 37
- Administrative Code Chapter 720, 2018
Spend real time indexing these books before exam day. Permanent tabs and highlighting are allowed, which means your reference set should be pre-marked by the time you sit for the test - not something you're flipping through cold under the clock.
Eligibility & Documentation
Before you can even schedule the exam, you need to meet one of two eligibility paths: two years of current apprentice-plumber experience, or completion of a Board-approved apprentice training program. Both paths require supporting experience documentation and proof of lawful presence submitted to the Board.
This is a common stumbling block - candidates assume they're ready to test based on general trade experience, only to discover their documentation doesn't satisfy the Board's specific requirements. Review the full eligibility rules, acceptable proof formats, and application steps in the AL-JP Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify before you pay the $110 exam fee.
Test-Day Rules for Open-Book Format
Prov administers the exam either at a physical test center or through at-home Examroom online proctoring. Whichever format you choose, the same rules apply:
- A four-function calculator is permitted - no scientific or programmable calculators
- Highlighting your reference materials is allowed
- Permanent tabs may be affixed to your code books and references
- Pen-only marginal notes are allowed, but calculations may not be written in the margins
Once you're deemed eligible, your Prov eligibility window lasts only 30 days, so schedule your session promptly after approval rather than letting the clock run down. And once you pass, you have 90 calendar days to obtain your actual certificate from the Board - don't assume passing the exam and holding the credential are the same administrative step.
For exact scheduling mechanics, appointment availability, and how the 30-day and 90-day windows interact with the Board's processing times, see the AL-JP Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.
Key Takeaway
70% is the passing score on all 75 questions - there's no separate cut score per domain, so a weak spot in one area (like Roof Drain Systems) can be offset by strength in a heavier-weighted domain like General Knowledge.
After You Pass: Certification & CE
Passing the exam is not the finish line. You still need to complete certificate processing ($50) and pay the certificate fee ($75) within 90 calendar days. Once issued, your Journeyman Plumber certificate expires every December 31 and must be renewed annually for $75.
Renewal requires 4 approved continuing education hours completed before November 1 of the year preceding renewal. Two exceptions apply: an initial-certification-year exemption for newly certified plumbers, and a documented age-65 exemption. If you're unsure which exemption applies to your situation, check with the Board directly rather than assuming.
Once you're certified, understanding what the credential actually opens up matters just as much as earning it. See AL-JP Jobs for the kinds of employers and roles that require or prefer this certification, and AL-JP Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis for how the credential factors into compensation conversations. If you're still deciding whether the investment makes sense for your career, Is the AL-JP Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 lays out the full picture.
One-Week Rapid Review Plan
If you've already done your foundational studying and just need a tight final-week review built around AL-JP's actual domain weights, structure it like this rather than spreading time evenly across all 12 domains.
General Knowledge & Sizing and Design
- Re-tab IPC and IFGC sections tied to these two highest-weighted domains (10 and 9 questions respectively)
- Drill sizing tables until you can locate them in your references in under 30 seconds
Drain Waste and Vents, Water Heaters, System Installation
- Review installation sequencing and venting logic
- Cross-check water heater code requirements against the 2021 IPC
Alabama Plumbing and Gas Law
- Focus on Title 34 Chapter 37 and Administrative Code Chapter 720 since this content is Alabama-specific and won't appear in generic plumbing prep
Remaining domains + full timed run
- Cover Drawings and Plan Reading, Trade Math, Tools, Fixtures and Fittings, Roof Drain Systems, and Safety
- Take a full timed practice run of 75 questions within 2.92 hours to calibrate pacing
This isn't a generic study calendar - it's weighted specifically to how the 75 questions are distributed across AL-JP's 12 domains. For a longer-horizon study plan that starts from scratch, see the AL-JP Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. And when you're ready to test your pacing under realistic conditions, a full-length practice test is the closest simulation to the real 2.92-hour, 75-question format.
FAQ
You need 70% correct across all 75 questions. There's no separate passing threshold per domain. See the AL-JP Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass for more detail.
The exam fee is $110, nonrefundable. After passing, initial processing is $50 plus a $75 certificate fee, bringing the total examination and initial-certification cost to $235 before books or prep materials.
Yes, a four-function calculator is permitted. Highlighting, permanent tabs on references, and pen-only marginal notes (without calculations) are also allowed since the exam is open book.
Prov eligibility lasts 30 days from approval, so you should schedule your test session promptly rather than letting the window lapse.
You must obtain your certificate within 90 calendar days of passing. The certificate then expires every December 31 and requires annual renewal for $75, along with 4 approved CE hours completed before November 1.