NM-JP Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows

Why There's No Official NM-JP Pass Rate

If you searched for this article hoping to find a percentage - "X% of candidates pass the New Mexico Journeyman Plumber exam" - you should know upfront: the New Mexico Construction Industries Division (CID) and its testing vendor, PSI Services LLC, do not publish a public pass-rate statistic for the NM-JP written or practical exams. This is common for state licensing boards that treat exam analytics as internal quality-control data rather than marketing material.

That absence of a headline number is actually useful information in itself. It means the smartest way to gauge your odds isn't chasing a rumored percentage floating around a forum - it's understanding the two data points CID and PSI do publish: the passing thresholds for each component. Those numbers tell you exactly what "passing" requires, which is more actionable than any aggregate statistic could be.

The Real Data Point: 53 of 70

The NM-JP written examination consists of 70 scored base questions delivered by computer, with a time allowance of 185 minutes. PSI may also insert up to ten additional unscored experimental questions, with extra time added to accommodate them - so the total question count on your screen may exceed 70, but only 70 count toward your score.

The published passing threshold is 75%, which CID specifies concretely as 53 of 70 points. That's a precise, unambiguous target: miss more than 17 questions and you don't pass, regardless of which domains those misses came from. There is no partial credit for domain-by-domain performance - it's a single composite score across all nine content areas.

For the full breakdown of how that threshold is calculated and what it means for guessing strategy on unscored questions, see NM-JP Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.

Practical Exam Scoring: 75 of 100

The written exam is only half of the certification requirement. A separate practical examination carries its own 100-point scale, its own 120-minute window, and its own passing line: 75 points. This is a hands-on, task-based evaluation, not another multiple-choice format.

Documented practical tasks include:

• Copper and PEX piping assembly
• Tub and washer-box installation
• Fitting and tool identification
• Island vent assembly
• Drainage minimum-rise setup

Because the practical is scored on physical execution against a rubric, "pass rate" pressure here comes less from trick questions and more from precision under a time limit. A candidate who is comfortable with slip-joint and threaded connections in a classroom setting can still lose points on a rushed island vent layout if they haven't drilled that specific task under 120-minute time pressure.

Two Components, Limited Attempts

Because the written and practical exams are scored and administered separately, a candidate can pass one and fail the other. CID's retake rule allows no more than two attempts at the same examination within a 30-day period. That's a meaningful constraint: it prevents rapid-fire retesting but also means a failed attempt costs real calendar time, not just a fee.

Each component has its own fee structure - $68.88 for the written exam and $68.88 for the practical, or $137.76 if purchased as a combination - separate from the $75 per-classification application/certificate fee. A first-time applicant paying for the application plus both first exam attempts is looking at $212.76 total. Any retake beyond that first attempt adds another exam fee on top.

For the complete fee schedule, including how combination pricing compares to paying for each exam separately, see NM-JP Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.

Domain Weighting and Where Points Are Won or Lost

The 70 scored written questions are distributed across nine domains, with allocations set by CID's testing vendor. Drainage Waste and Vents is the largest domain on the exam, meaning it carries the most opportunity to bank - or lose - points. The full nine-domain structure is:

1. Drainage Waste and Vents
2. Water Supply Systems
3. Backflow Prevention
4. Storm Drainage Systems
5. Plumbing Fixtures, Including Water Heaters, Including Accessibility
6. General Knowledge and General Regulations
7. Interceptors and Traps
8. Isometric Analysis
9. Septic and Sewer

For a section-by-section walkthrough of what each of the nine domains actually tests, see NM-JP Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 9 Content Areas.

Common Gaps That Push Candidates Below 53

Without a published pass rate, the most reliable way to understand risk is to look at where structural gaps typically show up for journeyman-level candidates:

• Code edition confusion: New Mexico's 2024 plumbing/mechanical codes took effect August 1, 2026, with a permit transition running through January 1, 2027. PSI's public bulletin (dated April 13, 2023) references 2021 UPC/UMC material. Candidates should confirm PSI's currently assigned exam references directly rather than assuming the exam automatically shifted editions the moment new codes took effect statewide.
• Reference-material mix-ups: The written mathematics textbook and liquid-waste regulations are source-only study materials - they are not permitted inside the exam room. Candidates who prepare using the wrong reference set can walk in with tabs and highlights that don't match what's actually allowed on test day.
• Backflow Prevention and Interceptors and Traps: These are smaller domains but frequently under-studied because candidates spend disproportionate time on DWV. Skipping them entirely is a common way to lose the handful of points that separate a 52 from a 53.
• Practical time management: 120 minutes across multiple hands-on tasks leaves little room for redoing work. Candidates who haven't timed a full run-through of copper/PEX assembly plus fixture and tool identification often run out of clock before running out of skill.

What a Failed Attempt Actually Costs

Failing either component isn't just a scheduling inconvenience - it's a direct financial cost. Each retake requires paying the applicable exam fee again ($68.88 per component), and you're capped at two attempts within any 30-day window. Combined with the $75 per-classification application fee already paid upfront, a candidate who fails the written exam once and the practical exam once before eventually passing both has spent noticeably more than the baseline $212.76 first-attempt total.

This is one of the clearest arguments for front-loading preparation rather than treating the first attempt as a "diagnostic run." A single missed attempt on either component adds real dollars and real weeks to your path toward certification.

To weigh the full cost picture against expected earnings once certified, see Is the NM-JP Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and NM-JP Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis.

Timeline Pressure: Six Months and One Year

Two deadlines matter more than most candidates realize:

• Six-month completion window: Candidates must complete all certification requirements within six months after CID receives their application. Failing to pass both the written and practical exams inside that window means restarting the application process.
• One-year score validity: A passing score on either component is valid for one year, subject to active application approval - but importantly, this validity period does not extend the six-month application deadline. In other words, passing the written exam early doesn't buy you extra time if your application clock runs out first.

This timeline interaction is easy to overlook when you're focused purely on studying content. Candidates juggling the two-year/4,000-hour experience prerequisite, notarized affidavits, and CID approval alongside exam prep should map their application date against both deadlines before scheduling either exam. Full prerequisite details, including the August 1, 2026 rule change on experience recency and accredited-training credit, are covered in NM-JP Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.

Building a Schedule Around the Domains

Rather than a generic weekly template, the most effective NM-JP prep schedules are built around domain size and overlap. Since Drainage Waste and Vents is the largest domain and shares conceptual ground with Isometric Analysis, pairing them early gives you compounding review value. Smaller domains like Backflow Prevention and Storm Drainage Systems can be scheduled in shorter, focused blocks later, since they require less total question-volume mastery but still carry real points toward your 53/70 target.

For a more detailed methodology and first-attempt strategy, see NM-JP Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. You can also run scored practice sessions against the 53/70 benchmark using the question sets at NM-JP Exam Prep before locking in your exam date.

Frequently Asked Questions