PGDB Certifying Plumber study plan
PGDB Certifying Plumber · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Sanitary plumbing and drainage systems
Map the scope of sanitary plumbing and drainage (fixtures, traps, soil and waste, venting, gradients) into a one-page concept map you can redraw from memory
Calculate fall, gradient and pipe sizing for at least six worked drainage scenarios without reference notes
Explain the function of each vent type (individual, circuit, stack, relief) and where each is required
List the common causes of trap seal loss and describe the design fix for each
Your checkpoint
A 20-item self-test on drainage design and venting, scored and with every wrong answer corrected in writing
Sanitary plumbing and drainage systems & Water supply and backflow prevention
Trace a full sanitary drainage layout from fixture to connection point, annotating sizing, gradient and venting decisions
Identify every backflow risk in a typical domestic and a typical commercial installation and select an appropriate device for each
Describe the operating principle and testing method for the main backflow prevention device types
Explain cross-connection control requirements for irrigation, boilers, hose taps and chemical dosing
Your checkpoint
A comparison table of at least five backflow prevention device types with application, limitation, test method and hazard level
Water supply and backflow prevention & Gasfitting installations and safety
Size and specify water supply pipework for a multi-fixture installation, including pressure and flow checks
Explain the safety chain for gas: combustion air, flueing, ventilation, gas pressure and leak testing
Describe the procedure for a gas installation pressure test and the acceptance criteria
Identify the signs of incomplete combustion and carbon monoxide risk, and state the required response
Your checkpoint
A written gas safety checklist of 15 items covering pre-commissioning, testing and handover
Gasfitting installations and safety & Roofing, rainwater and stormwater systems
Describe flue terminal clearances and ventilation requirements for common appliance categories
Explain roof drainage design: catchment area, rainfall intensity, gutter sizing and downpipe capacity
Outline the detailing requirements for roof penetrations, flashings and waterproofing junctions
Explain siphonic versus gravity rainwater systems and when each is appropriate
Your checkpoint
A worked stormwater calculation for a pitched roof, showing catchment area, design rainfall intensity, gutter and downpipe sizing with assumptions stated
Plumbing design, drawings and specifications & Compliance, standards and regulatory obligations
Read a set of plumbing drawings and produce a take-off of fixtures, pipe runs and fittings from them
Interpret plan, elevation, section and detail views and reconcile a discrepancy between them
Map each domain of the exam to the standards and regulatory instruments that govern it
Describe the compliance pathway for notifiable work, inspection and certification
Your checkpoint
A one-page regulatory matrix linking each of the nine exam domains to its governing standard or regulation and the responsible party
Health, safety and environmental practice on site & Business, contracts and customer management
Build a site-specific hazard and risk register for a representative plumbing job, with controls ranked by hierarchy
Describe safe procedures for confined space entry, working at height, hot work and excavation
Explain environmental controls for silt, trade waste, refrigerant and solvent handling
Draft the key terms of a residential plumbing contract and explain variation and defect liability handling
Outline a process for handling a customer complaint through to resolution
Your checkpoint
A two-page site safety and environmental plan plus a one-page contract summary with variation and defects clauses explained
Supervision, mentoring and quality assurance & Sanitary plumbing and drainage systems & Water supply and backflow prevention
Define the supervisor's role in quality assurance: inspection points, hold points and sign-off
Describe how to structure on-the-job mentoring and competency sign-off for an apprentice
Revisit the two heaviest domains and close every remaining knowledge gap identified in earlier self-tests
Explain the process for investigating and rectifying a non-conformance on site
Your checkpoint
A supervision pack: inspection and test plan template plus a mentoring and competency sign-off record, both completed for one sample job
Sanitary plumbing and drainage systems & Water supply and backflow prevention & Gasfitting installations and safety & Roofing, rainwater and stormwater systems & Plumbing design, drawings and specifications & Compliance, standards and regulatory obligations & Health, safety and environmental practice on site & Business, contracts and customer management & Supervision, mentoring and quality assurance
Sit two full-length timed practice exams under exam conditions and record scores by domain
Re-study only the three weakest domains, using the error log from all prior weeks
Rehearse the calculation types most likely to appear: drainage gradients, pipe sizing, stormwater capacity, pressure and gas testing
Confirm exam-day logistics, permitted materials and time allocation strategy
Your checkpoint
A final scorecard by domain with a written remediation note for each domain still below your target, plus a one-page exam-day plan
Milestones
Week 2: You can sketch a complete sanitary drainage and venting layout from memory and justify every sizing and gradient choice, and you can name the correct backflow device for five different hazard scenarios without notes
Week 4: You can complete a gas pressure test procedure and a stormwater sizing calculation, each unaided, scoring at least 80% on your own self-marked check
Week 6: You can produce a site risk register and a contract summary from a blank page in under 45 minutes, and you have closed every error logged in weeks 1 to 5
Week 8: Both timed practice exams completed with all nine domains scored, no domain below your target threshold, and a written remediation note for any that remain