Rhode Island Journeyman Plumber Practice Exam

If a master plumber employs 3 master plumbers and 6 journeymen, how many apprentices is he allowed to have?

1. 1.5 apprentices

2. 2 apprentices

3. 2.2 apprentices

4. 3 apprentices

The correct answer is: 2.2 apprentices

The regulations governing the number of apprentices a master plumber can hire often depend on the number of licensed workers they employ. Typically, the ratio in many jurisdictions is based on the number of master plumbers and journeymen on the job site. In this scenario, the master plumber employs 3 master plumbers and 6 journeymen, which totals 9 licensed professionals. Generally, for every two licensed plumbers, one apprentice can be employed. Therefore, with 9 licensed workers, the calculation would be as follows: - For the first 2 licensed workers, 1 apprentice is allowed. - For the next 2 licensed workers (making 4 total), another apprentice can be added. - For the next 2 licensed workers (totaling 6), yet another apprentice is permitted. - Finally, for the remaining 3 licensed workers (lingering between 7 and 9), another partial apprentice is typically permissible, leading to the half-count. As a result, when combining the full allowances with the fractional allowance, the total becomes 4.5. However, since regulations may dictate a cap on whole apprentices, rounding down typically comes into play. This results in a total allowance of about 2.2 apprentices, which aligns with