GAMP Certification

What Is GAMP Certification?

GAMP stands for the Georgia Master Plumber License Exam (Class II Unrestricted). It is the credentialing exam that Georgia plumbers must pass to hold an unrestricted master plumber license, allowing them to design, install, and supervise plumbing work across residential, commercial, and industrial settings without scope limitations. This is not a national certificate or a manufacturer-issued credential - it is a state licensing exam tied directly to Georgia statute and administered on computer through PSI.

Because "GAMP" is used by several unrelated credentials in other industries, it's worth being precise: everything on this site refers strictly to the Georgia Class II Unrestricted master plumber exam. If you landed here searching for a different GAMP, this page - and the rest of GAMP Exam Prep - won't apply to you.

Who Governs and Administers the Exam

The exam is governed by the Georgia State Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers, which operates under the Georgia Construction Industry Licensing Board. The Board sets eligibility rules, code editions, and renewal policy; PSI is the third-party testing vendor that builds the delivery platform, runs the computer-based test centers, and scores the exam.

This two-tier structure matters for candidates: application approval, experience verification, and licensing decisions come from the state Division, while exam scheduling, test-day logistics, and score reporting come from PSI. If you're unsure where your application stands, start with the Division; if you're troubleshooting a testing appointment, that's a PSI matter.

Exam Format and Structure

The Class II Unrestricted exam is a closed-book, computer-based test. It consists of 140 scored multiple-choice questions plus 28 unscored pretest questions mixed in without identification, for a total of 168 questions. The exam is delivered in two parts of 3.5 hours each, meaning candidates should plan for a full-day testing appointment.

• Question style: scenario-based and code-reference multiple choice, drawing on installation, repair, code compliance, and calculation problems.
• Tools allowed: a silent, nonprogrammable calculator. No open books, code references, or notes are permitted.
• Pretest questions: unscored items used to evaluate future exam content; they look identical to scored questions, so every question must be treated as if it counts.

For a full breakdown of timing, question counts, and what to expect walking into the test center, see our GAMP Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling guide.

The 12 GAMP Exam Domains

The exam blueprint is organized into twelve domains, each weighted by percentage of scored questions. Understanding these weights is the single most useful thing you can do before building a study plan, because it tells you exactly where your preparation hours should go.

For a deeper walk-through of every domain, including sub-topics and how PSI structures scoring within each area, read the GAMP Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 12 Content Areas.

Eligibility Requirements Under the 2026 Law

Under the licensing law effective July 1, 2026, applicants generally need five years of full-time plumbing experience before sitting for the Class II Unrestricted exam. How that experience breaks down depends on when you became a Georgia Journeyman Plumber:

• If you were licensed as a Georgia Journeyman Plumber before March 1, 2025, only two of your five years must be as a Journeyman.
• If you became a Journeyman after March 1, 2025, you need four of your five years as a Journeyman.
• Regardless of path, at least two years must be in unrestricted Class II work.

For the complete eligibility breakdown, including how the Board verifies experience and what counts as "full-time," see GAMP Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.

Application Documents You'll Need

Beyond documenting your years of experience, the application package requires several supporting pieces:

• Supervisor affidavits confirming your hands-on plumbing work history
• Identity and lawful-presence documents as required by the Division
• A background check completed before eligibility is confirmed

Gather these early. Affidavits from past supervisors can take time to track down, especially if you've changed employers, and missing documentation is one of the most common reasons applications stall before a test date is even assigned.

Passing Score and Code Basis

To pass, candidates need a final scaled score of 70. This is not a raw percentage of correct answers - it's a scaled score that accounts for question difficulty across the scored items in the pool. For exams administered beginning May 1, 2026, all content is based exclusively on the 2024 Georgia Plumbing Code and 2024 Georgia Gas Code with Georgia amendments. Studying from outdated code editions is one of the fastest ways to miss questions on regulation-heavy domains.

For a full explanation of how the scaled score works and what it means relative to raw question counts, see GAMP Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.

Building a Domain-Based Study Timeline

Because the exam blueprint is public, the most efficient prep strategy is to allocate study time roughly in proportion to domain weight, starting with Domain 5 and the four 10.71% domains before moving to smaller topics.

Spacing your review this way - heaviest domains first - mirrors how much of the actual scored exam depends on each area. For a day-by-day version of this approach with more granular tasks, see the GAMP Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt, and pair it with full-length timed drills on our GAMP practice test platform to simulate the two 3.5-hour parts before test day.

What Happens If You Fail Twice

Georgia builds a safeguard into the retake process: after two failed attempts, candidates are required to complete a Board-approved review course before scheduling another sitting. This isn't optional paperwork - it's a mandatory step designed to close specific knowledge gaps before you're allowed back into the test center.

If you're not confident heading into your first attempt, it's worth reviewing how the exam is actually structured and where most candidates lose points. Our guide on How Hard Is the GAMP Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 breaks down the exam's demands domain by domain, and GAMP Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows looks at what's publicly known about outcomes.

License Renewal and Continuing Education

Once licensed, Class II Unrestricted master plumbers must renew by November 30 of even-numbered years. Each renewal cycle requires 8 hours of continuing education. Building CE tracking into your annual routine - rather than scrambling in the months before a renewal deadline - keeps your license active without last-minute stress.

Who Hires Class II Unrestricted Master Plumbers

Holding the unrestricted Class II license opens doors that restricted licenses don't. Because scope is unrestricted, license holders are qualified to take on residential, commercial, and industrial plumbing work, supervise crews, pull permits, and design systems without needing a more senior license holder to sign off. Employers and contractors that typically seek out Class II Unrestricted master plumbers include:

• Mechanical and plumbing contracting firms bidding on commercial and municipal projects
• Design-build firms that need a licensed plumber for system design sign-off (relevant to Domain 12)
• Property management and facilities companies overseeing large maintenance portfolios
• Independent contractors building their own licensed plumbing business

Because the license removes scope restrictions, it's often a prerequisite for supervisory and ownership-track roles rather than entry-level plumbing work. If you're weighing whether the investment of time and study makes sense for your career stage, see Is the GAMP Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and GAMP Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis for a fuller picture, and check GAMP Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown before budgeting for application and exam expenses.

Once you're ready to test your knowledge against real exam-style questions, start a practice session covering all twelve domains to see where your strengths and gaps line up with the actual blueprint.

Frequently Asked Questions