Alaska Plumber Exam

Two Different Exams, Two Different Agencies

Alaska has two separate plumber exams administered by two separate agencies, and they test for completely different credentials. Getting them confused wastes time and application fees.

DOLWD Journeyman Exam: Tests individual trade competency. Pass this to earn your journeyman Certificate of Fitness (COF), which authorizes you to perform hands-on plumbing installations. Administered directly by the DOLWD Mechanical Inspection Section.

CBPL Mechanical Administrator Exam: Tests business-level knowledge. Pass this to earn your Mechanical Administrator license, which authorizes you to manage a contracting operation and supervise commercial plumbing projects. Administered by PSI Services on behalf of CBPL.

The DOLWD Journeyman Exam

Who can take it: Anyone who has completed the experience documentation — 8,000 hours through a registered apprenticeship (or 12,000 hours via the non-apprentice alternative) — and had their application approved by DOLWD Mechanical Inspection.

Schedule: First and third Wednesday of every month.

Locations: Anchorage, Juneau, and Fairbanks. Candidates in remote communities can request proctored testing at regional Department of Labor Job Centers or local union halls.

Format: 4-hour time limit. Open-book — you can bring the currently adopted edition of the Uniform Plumbing Code (2018 UPC).

ID requirement: Valid government-issued photo identification at the test site.

Passing score: 70%.

Retake policy: If you fail, you wait 30 days before scheduling another attempt. If you don't pass within one year of your application date, you must submit a brand-new application packet — including all experience documentation — and start the process over.

Fees: $50 application fee + $200 certificate fee, paid to DOLWD.

The PSI Mechanical Administrator Exam

Who can take it: Candidates whose CBPL Mechanical Administrator application has been approved and who meet the applicable eligibility requirements. The standard path requires four years of practical experience within the preceding six years; management and academic qualification paths also exist. You cannot self-register — CBPL transmits your eligibility to PSI after approving your application.

Schedule: Flexible — you schedule directly through PSI once your eligibility is confirmed.

Locations: PSI testing centers in Anchorage, Juneau, and Fairbanks. Book online at psiexams.com or call 800-733-9267.

Format: 100 multiple-choice questions, 240-minute (4-hour) time limit. Open-book — Uniform Plumbing Code, International Fuel Gas Code, state mechanical statutes, and safety codes are all allowed.

Results: Provided immediately at the testing center and valid for one year from the exam date.

Fee: $150, paid directly to PSI (separate from the $150 CBPL application fee and $200 license fee).

Anchorage and Fairbanks Run Their Own Exams Too

If you plan to work in Anchorage or Fairbanks, the state exams aren't enough. Both cities require municipal qualification exams on top of your state credentials.

Anchorage Plumbing Contractor Exam: Six separate sections — Contractor Business (25 questions), Gas Piping and Appliance Venting (50 questions), General Plumbing (100 questions), plus Gas Piping Drawing, Water Piping Drawing, and Waste and Venting analyses. You must score 70% on each section individually. Fail one section and you retake just that section within 90 days. Miss the retake window and you forfeit all fees.

Fees: $90 exam + $400 municipal card (contractor level), or $60 exam + $140 card (journeyman level).

Fairbanks Master Plumber Exam: Administered by the City Building Department. Written multiple-choice format based on the city's adopted plumbing code amendments. Fee: $200, paid at City Hall by 4:00 PM one week before the exam date.

Preparing for the Exam

The DOLWD journeyman exam uses the 2018 Uniform Plumbing Code, and the PSI administrator exam permits the listed code references. Since both are open-book, the test isn't about memorization — it's about navigating the code efficiently under time pressure. Know where things are. Tab your code book.

Note: this product is a licensing navigation guide, not exam prep. We don't sell practice questions. If you need code study materials, the official UPC from IAPMO and the reference books listed by PSI are the right starting points.

The Alaska Plumber License Guide covers exam logistics, scheduling, and the application sequence that gets you approved to test — so you show up to the right exam, at the right time, with the right paperwork already filed.

See more Alaska guides →