Took my second shot at this last month and finally got through it. First time I scored around 68%, which wasn't enough, so I spent another 6 weeks going through the core modules more carefully. The electrical and plumbing sections tripped me up more than I expected — probably 40% of the questions I missed were in those two areas.
My study routine was about 1.5 hours a day on weekdays and a solid 3-hour block on Saturdays. I found a NCCER practice test that matched the actual exam format pretty closely and used it to identify my weak spots before I retook the test. The carpentry questions were actually more straightforward than I anticipated once you know the terminology cold.
One thing I'd tell anyone preparing: don't skip the safety and tools identification portions. I almost did because they seemed too easy to bother with, but there were more of those questions than I thought there'd be. Budget about 8–10 weeks total if you're working full-time and studying on the side.
Overall I'd say the exam is fair but it definitely tests practical knowledge, not just memorization. Ended up scoring 79% on the second attempt. Good luck to everyone else prepping for this one.
Congrats! That 79% is a solid score. I passed on my first attempt a few months back with 74%, and honestly the safety module questions were worth every minute I spent reviewing them — probably saved me 4–5 points on the actual exam.
That electrical section is no joke. I scored 71% on my first try and almost all of my missed points were in electrical and HVAC basics. Spent an extra two weeks on those modules and passed with 77% on attempt two. Congrats on getting through it.
I'm scheduled for my first attempt in three weeks. Did you find the written portion or the hands-on component harder? I've been splitting my time 50/50 but wondering if I should shift focus.
Roughly how many total questions were on the written section when you took it?
Good to hear six weeks of focused studying was enough for a passing score. I've been at it for four weeks and hovering around 72% on practice sets, so I think I need at least two more weeks before I'm ready. The plumbing diagrams are what's killing me.
Just hit 81% on my last practice run yesterday, which honestly surprised me because I was barely scraping 70% two weeks ago. The electrical stuff finally clicked after I stopped trying to memorize everything and just focused on understanding the load calculations. Still a little shaky on plumbing codes but it's way better than it was.
I've got my exam booked for the 28th so I'm in that final push week. Nervous but way more confident than last time. Good luck to everyone still grinding through the modules, it does get easier.
Congrats on passing! The thing that changed everything for me was stopping myself from just circling the right answer and moving on. I started asking "okay, but why is option B wrong?" for every single question I missed, and that's honestly where the real learning happened. The electrical stuff especially — once I understood the reasoning behind code requirements instead of just memorizing them, the questions started making way more sense even when they were worded differently than what I'd studied.
It's a slower way to review, no question. But I'd rather spend an extra hour on twenty questions and actually understand them than blow through a hundred and retain nothing. The plumbing sections were the same way for me. Didn't matter how many times I read the answer — until I traced back why the other choices were off, it just wasn't sticking. If you're prepping for a second attempt, try it that way. It feels tedious at first but you'll notice pretty quickly that you're second-guessing yourself a lot less.