Real Texas General Pump Installer Practice
Exam – Full Course 2025 Edition (TDLR–Approved
Format | 400 Questions with Answers & Detailed Rationales)
Overview
This comprehensive Texas General Pump Installer Practice Exam is designed to fully prepare
candidates for the TDLR General Pump Installer Licensing Exam. It includes 300 expertly
written multiple-choice questions, modeled after the latest Texas Department of Licensing &
Regulation (TDLR) guidelines and Texas Well Driller and Pump Installer Rules (16 TAC
Chapter 76).
Each question includes:
Four options (A–D) for realistic test practice.
Correct answer in bold.
Detailed rationale explaining the reasoning, principles, and field standards.
This full-length practice course evaluates knowledge across core domains required for pump
installation licensing in Texas:
Exam Sections Covered
1. Water Well Construction & Pump Installation Standards
o Casing, grouting, sealing, and sanitary protection.
o Texas well completion and abandonment regulations.
2. Hydraulics and Pump Performance
o Static and dynamic head, drawdown, and total dynamic head (TDH).
o Pump efficiency, horsepower calculations, and flow testing.
3. Electrical Systems for Pumps
o Motor wiring, control boxes, pressure switches, and overload protection.
o Ohm’s law, amperage draw, and troubleshooting submersible motors.
4. System Components & Troubleshooting
o Pressure tanks, check valves, foot valves, and flow control.
o Diagnosing cavitation, air leaks, short cycling, and dry-run conditions.
5. Safety & Professional Practice
o OSHA electrical and confined space safety.
,1. Which type of pump is most commonly used for high-volume, low-pressure
applications?
A) Jet pump
B) Positive displacement pump
C) Centrifugal pump
D) Submersible pump
Rationale: Centrifugal pumps move large volumes efficiently at moderate pressure
using centrifugal force.
2. What principle makes a centrifugal pump operate?
A) Reciprocation
B) Venturi effect
C) Centrifugal force
D) Positive displacement
Rationale: Water is flung outward by a spinning impeller, converting velocity into
pressure.
3. A submersible pump is typically used for:
A) Shallow well (< 50 ft)
B) High-head low-flow surface system
C) Deep well (several hundred feet)
D) Low-volume decorative fountain
Rationale: Submersible pumps are built to work underwater in deep wells where
suction pumps cannot lift water effectively.
4. The pump curve of a given pump shows which relationship?
A) Flow vs time
B) Head vs efficiency
C) Flow vs head
D) Head vs motor size
,Rationale: Pump curves graph discharge flow against developed head to select
proper size and duty point.
5. If discharge pressure increases on a centrifugal pump, what happens to
flow?
A) Flow increases
B) Flow stays the same
C) Flow decreases
D) Pump shuts off
Rationale: Higher head opposes the impeller’s discharge energy, reducing rate of
flow.
6. Which factor least affects centrifugal-pump performance?
A) Impeller diameter
B) Motor speed
C) Fluid viscosity
D) Color of the fluid
Rationale: Color has no hydraulic effect; the other parameters directly influence
flow and head.
7. A jet pump draws water using the:
A) Impeller suction
B) Venturi effect
C) Diaphragm action
D) Piston displacement
Rationale: Jet pumps recirculate part of discharge through a venturi nozzle,
creating low pressure that lifts water.
8. Positive-displacement pumps are best for:
, A) High flow / low pressure
B) Low flow / high pressure
C) Variable flow / low pressure
D) Decorative fountains
Rationale: They deliver a fixed volume per stroke, suitable for viscous or high-
pressure applications.
9. Under 16 TAC 76, a licensed pump installer must:
A) Plug abandoned wells when required
B) Approve building permits
C) Issue plumbing certificates
D) Design public systems
Rationale: Texas rules assign well-closure responsibility to licensed drillers and
installers for safety.
10. When reporting for the PSI exam, you must present:
A) Valid government-issued photo ID
B) Installer license card only
C) Copy of exam schedule email only
D) No ID needed
Rationale: PSI verifies identity before testing per TDLR policy.
11. To prevent a well pump from dry-running, use:
A) Pressure gauge
B) Check valve
C) Float switch or dry-run sensor
D) Flow meter
Rationale: Level or flow sensors shut the motor off when water drops below safe
levels.
Exam – Full Course 2025 Edition (TDLR–Approved
Format | 400 Questions with Answers & Detailed Rationales)
Overview
This comprehensive Texas General Pump Installer Practice Exam is designed to fully prepare
candidates for the TDLR General Pump Installer Licensing Exam. It includes 300 expertly
written multiple-choice questions, modeled after the latest Texas Department of Licensing &
Regulation (TDLR) guidelines and Texas Well Driller and Pump Installer Rules (16 TAC
Chapter 76).
Each question includes:
Four options (A–D) for realistic test practice.
Correct answer in bold.
Detailed rationale explaining the reasoning, principles, and field standards.
This full-length practice course evaluates knowledge across core domains required for pump
installation licensing in Texas:
Exam Sections Covered
1. Water Well Construction & Pump Installation Standards
o Casing, grouting, sealing, and sanitary protection.
o Texas well completion and abandonment regulations.
2. Hydraulics and Pump Performance
o Static and dynamic head, drawdown, and total dynamic head (TDH).
o Pump efficiency, horsepower calculations, and flow testing.
3. Electrical Systems for Pumps
o Motor wiring, control boxes, pressure switches, and overload protection.
o Ohm’s law, amperage draw, and troubleshooting submersible motors.
4. System Components & Troubleshooting
o Pressure tanks, check valves, foot valves, and flow control.
o Diagnosing cavitation, air leaks, short cycling, and dry-run conditions.
5. Safety & Professional Practice
o OSHA electrical and confined space safety.
,1. Which type of pump is most commonly used for high-volume, low-pressure
applications?
A) Jet pump
B) Positive displacement pump
C) Centrifugal pump
D) Submersible pump
Rationale: Centrifugal pumps move large volumes efficiently at moderate pressure
using centrifugal force.
2. What principle makes a centrifugal pump operate?
A) Reciprocation
B) Venturi effect
C) Centrifugal force
D) Positive displacement
Rationale: Water is flung outward by a spinning impeller, converting velocity into
pressure.
3. A submersible pump is typically used for:
A) Shallow well (< 50 ft)
B) High-head low-flow surface system
C) Deep well (several hundred feet)
D) Low-volume decorative fountain
Rationale: Submersible pumps are built to work underwater in deep wells where
suction pumps cannot lift water effectively.
4. The pump curve of a given pump shows which relationship?
A) Flow vs time
B) Head vs efficiency
C) Flow vs head
D) Head vs motor size
,Rationale: Pump curves graph discharge flow against developed head to select
proper size and duty point.
5. If discharge pressure increases on a centrifugal pump, what happens to
flow?
A) Flow increases
B) Flow stays the same
C) Flow decreases
D) Pump shuts off
Rationale: Higher head opposes the impeller’s discharge energy, reducing rate of
flow.
6. Which factor least affects centrifugal-pump performance?
A) Impeller diameter
B) Motor speed
C) Fluid viscosity
D) Color of the fluid
Rationale: Color has no hydraulic effect; the other parameters directly influence
flow and head.
7. A jet pump draws water using the:
A) Impeller suction
B) Venturi effect
C) Diaphragm action
D) Piston displacement
Rationale: Jet pumps recirculate part of discharge through a venturi nozzle,
creating low pressure that lifts water.
8. Positive-displacement pumps are best for:
, A) High flow / low pressure
B) Low flow / high pressure
C) Variable flow / low pressure
D) Decorative fountains
Rationale: They deliver a fixed volume per stroke, suitable for viscous or high-
pressure applications.
9. Under 16 TAC 76, a licensed pump installer must:
A) Plug abandoned wells when required
B) Approve building permits
C) Issue plumbing certificates
D) Design public systems
Rationale: Texas rules assign well-closure responsibility to licensed drillers and
installers for safety.
10. When reporting for the PSI exam, you must present:
A) Valid government-issued photo ID
B) Installer license card only
C) Copy of exam schedule email only
D) No ID needed
Rationale: PSI verifies identity before testing per TDLR policy.
11. To prevent a well pump from dry-running, use:
A) Pressure gauge
B) Check valve
C) Float switch or dry-run sensor
D) Flow meter
Rationale: Level or flow sensors shut the motor off when water drops below safe
levels.
