Plumbing test with mechanical questions?

[MikeC]

I am currently working on obtaining all of the certs required by PA. Today was the test for Plumbing Plans Examiner and Commercial Plumbing Inspector. About three questions into the Plans Examiner test, the questions switched to mechanical. The first was about combustion air. The next was gas pipe sizing. I can't remember the next, but it was three mechanical questions in a row. I checked the appendix and found nothing about these questions anywhere in the IPC. The good news is that I do have the Residential Mechanical cert and could somewhat remember what I needed to know. In the end I passes, but I am still perplexed as to why these questions were on the exam.

Then came the Commercial Plumbing Inspector exam. Once again, there were at least three strictly mechanical and/or fuel gas questions. Once again, I passed

Did somebody screw up or is this normal for a plumbing exam?

 

[Francis Vineyard]

Congratulations!

May be normal for ICC. I remember the 2009 Legal Management test had at least one technical question in reference to the 2012 IBC on risk categories.

 

[JCraver]

The IFGC and the ICC/ANSI A117.1 are both approved references for the tests. You could've had the fuel gas code with you.

Congrats on passing!!

 

[fatboy]

Could be a carry-over from the Uniform Code Tests. And Plumbers do install water heater, boilers, that do need to have proper gas pipe sizing, and combustion air, venting, so mechanical/fuel gas questions are not unrelated.

 

[fatboy]

And yes, glad you passed anyway!

 

[Sifu]

I had the same risk category question on my legal test. I have found numerous questions over the years seemingly unrelated to the subject matter I was testing on. Probably just a matter of the criteria overlapping in the huge pool of test questions they pull from.

 

[MikeC]

Wow, I just checked the bulletin on ICC's website and I feel stupid. As JCraver said, I could have had the IFGC with me and I didn't know it. I understand the crossover between the codes but I just wasn't expecting those questions. I assumed (and we all know what that means) that the questions would be from the IPC. I guess it really doesn't matter because I did pass both exams, but that could have been a $378 mistake (plus my time and 200 miles worth of gas).

The good news, I learned my lesson to check the bulletin. I now see that UGLY's Electrical References is allowed in the testing center for when I take the E3 test. That may be the difference between passing and failing.