Colorado does two things worth knowing before you plan a study schedule: it adds unscored pretest items to every paper, and for plumbing it supplies the code books itself.
Figures below are compiled from state board and exam-provider sources. Where a board does not publish a count we say so rather than estimate. Confirm against the current candidate bulletin for your exam before you register.
Every paper carries pretest items
| Examination | Scored | Time | Pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Journeyman Electrician | 90 (+ up to 10 unscored) | 4.5 hours | 75% |
| Master Electrician | 90 (+ up to 10 unscored) | – | – |
| Journeyman Plumber | 100 | 240 minutes | 70% |
| Master Plumber | 120 (+ up to 10 unscored) | 270 minutes | 70% |
The unscored items are not identified, so you answer everything as though it counts. Your pass mark is measured against the scored total, which means a master plumber candidate needs 84 of 120 rather than 70 percent of the 130 questions in front of them.
Electrical needs 75 percent, plumbing needs 70
That five-point gap is easy to carry across by mistake. On the 90-question electrical papers, 75 percent means 68 correct; at 70 percent you would only need 63. Benchmarking against the wrong figure trains you to a standard five questions below the real one.
Plumbing references are provided
For the plumbing exams Colorado supplies the references at the test center: the 2021 IPC and IRC. You do not bring and tab your own. That changes preparation meaningfully, because you cannot rely on personal tabbing and indexing built up over months. Practice finding provisions in a clean copy.
Colorado exam prep
- Colorado Journeyman Electrician Exam Prep
- Colorado Journeyman Plumber Exam Prep
- Colorado Master Electrician Exam Prep
- Colorado Master Plumber Exam Prep
Before you register
- Confirm the question count and time limit on the current bulletin.
- Confirm the code edition; it is pinned and a newer edition is not a substitute.
- Confirm whether a separate business and law paper is required.