Water Regs UK says the paragraph 17 to 23 safety device rules in England, Wales and Scotland are met by devices that satisfy:

The Electricity at Work Regulations

Free Water Regulations Practice Test 2026

200 questions on the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 for the City & Guilds 3345 and BPEC tests: fluid categories, backflow devices, notification and the Schedule 2 rules. Tuned for mobile. No account needed.

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The Water Regulations exam at a glance

The Water Regulations certificate shows a plumber knows the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 in England and Wales, and the matching Scottish Byelaws 2014 and Northern Ireland 2009 Regulations: what must be notified to the water company, the five fluid categories, which backflow device or air gap suits each, and the Schedule 2 rules for pipework, cisterns, hot water, WCs and taps. Awarding bodies such as City & Guilds and BPEC run it as an open-book multiple-choice test after a short course, and it is the usual evidence for joining an approved contractors' scheme.

Tigertest has 200 Water Regulations practice questions with explanations, free to start with no account required.

Who runs it: Awarding bodies: City & Guilds (3345), BPEC, LCL Awards
Law: Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 (England and Wales)
City & Guilds 3345: 50 multiple-choice questions in 105 minutes, open book
BPEC: 52 multiple-choice questions in 104 minutes, open book
Pass mark: BPEC 42 of 52 (80%); City & Guilds does not publish one
Leads to: Approved contractors' schemes such as WIAPS, APHC, CIPHE and SNIPEF

Updated November 2026 by the Tigertest team. Practice questions follow the City & Guilds 3345 handbook (v1.8), BPEC's Water Regulations qualification page and SI 1999/1148, checked November 2026. Exam rules change, so confirm current details with legislation.gov.uk: The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999.

How It Works

Train, Then Test

Four training sets, from The Regulations & Fluid Categories to Backflow Prevention. Master a topic, then take a test. Questions you miss come back until you have mastered them.

Practice Tests

Four 50-question practice tests across every topic, with an 80% pass line like BPEC's and an explanation of the right answer on every question.

Built on the Water Regulations Topics You Are Tested On

No awarding body publishes how many questions come from each topic, so the practice tests follow the City & Guilds 3345 test specification topics and put the most weight on backflow prevention and system design, where most marks are lost. Every question is original and written from the 1999 Regulations and Schedule 2.

The Regulations & Notification12%

Water Fittings & Materials14%

System Design, Testing & Flushing16%

Fluid Categories & Cross Connection12%

Backflow Prevention20%

Cold Water Services8%

Hot Water Services8%

WCs, Taps, Appliances & Outside Use10%

For Course Tutors

Running a Water Regulations course? Set Tigertest as practice between sessions at tigertest.io/teach and see which topics your group misses most before the assessment. It is free for you and your learners.

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How to Pass the Water Regulations Test

1. Know the five fluid categories cold

Most backflow questions start from the fluid category: drinking water is 1, aesthetic changes 2, slight hazard 3, significant hazard 4 and serious hazard 5. Learn an example of each, then the devices allowed for each category.

2. Learn what must be notified

Know which jobs need the water company's consent before work starts, how much notice is needed, and which jobs an approved contractor can do without notifying.

3. Use the open book, but do not rely on it

The test is open book, but there is not time to look up every answer. Tab the fluid category tables and the backflow device schedule, and know the common figures (test pressures, temperatures, WC flush volumes) without looking.

4. Fix your misses, then retest

Tigertest tracks your accuracy by topic. Aim for 90 percent on every practice test before the real one, so you have room above the 80 percent line.

Water Regulations Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Water Regulations test open book?

Yes. City & Guilds lets candidates take the Water Regulations Guide into the 3345 test, and BPEC allows its training manual and course notes. You still need to know where things are, because there is not time to look up every answer.

What pass mark do I need?

BPEC's Water Regulations and Byelaws test needs 42 of 52 (80%), with a second attempt on the missed questions if you score 37 to 41. City & Guilds does not publish its mark. Tigertest uses 80% as the line.

Does this cover Scotland and Northern Ireland?

The questions follow the 1999 Regulations for England and Wales. Scotland's Byelaws 2014 and Northern Ireland's 2009 Regulations are almost the same; where they differ, such as the 20°C cold water limit and notifying Scottish Water or NI Water, the question says so.

Does passing make me an approved plumber?

No. The certificate is the evidence most approved contractors' schemes ask for, but you join a scheme (WIAPS, APHC, CIPHE or SNIPEF) separately. Approved contractors can skip notifying some jobs and issue compliance certificates.

Is the new backflow specification included?

Defra published a new Specification on the Prevention of Backflow on 6 May 2026, which takes effect on 6 May 2027. The device types and fluid categories asked here are the same in both; the new Type AUK4 air gap for WC suites is left out until it is in force.

I teach a Water Regulations course. Can my students use Tigertest?

Yes, for free. Make a class at tigertest.io/teach, post one link, and students join with just their name. You see who practised, their test scores and the topics your class misses most.

Water Regulations sample questions and answers

6 of the 200 practice questions, one from each topic, with the answer explained.

1. For backflow purposes, "downstream" means:
- A.Lower down the building
- B.The direction of normal flow
- C.Back towards the water main
- D.Below ground level
Answer: B. Downstream is the way water normally flows, towards the outlet. Backflow protection must suit the highest fluid category downstream of it.
2. Which standard does Water Regs UK guidance give for suggested storage capacities?
- A.BS EN 806-4
- B.BS 1710
- C.BS EN 1717
- D.BS EN 806-2
Answer: D. The guidance to paragraph 16 points to BS EN 806-2 for suggested storage capacity. BS EN 806-4 is cited for flushing and disinfection.
3. Under paragraph 12, the test pressure for a water system is set from:
- A.Its maximum design pressure
- B.The mains static pressure
- C.The pump duty pressure
- D.A fixed 10 bar
Answer: A. Paragraph 12(1) sets the test pressure at not less than 1.5 times the maximum pressure the installation or relevant part is designed to be subjected to in operation.
4. Under the definitions, a stopvalve is any valve for shutting off flow in a pipe that is not a:
- A.Quarter-turn valve
- B.Valve on a supply pipe
- C.Servicing valve
- D.Gate valve
Answer: C. A stopvalve is a valve, other than a servicing valve, used for shutting off the flow of water in a pipe. A servicing valve isolates a fitting for maintenance.
5. In a house, primary heating water with a chemical inhibitor added is which category?
- A.Category 4
- B.Category 1
- C.Category 3
- D.Category 2
Answer: C. Inhibitors are chemical additives of low toxicity, like the ethylene glycol and copper sulphate examples Schedule 1 gives for category 3.
6. Water Regs UK says the paragraph 17 to 23 safety device rules in England, Wales and Scotland are met by devices that satisfy:
- A.The Building Regulations
- B.The Gas Safety Regulations
- C.The Electricity at Work Regulations
- D.Local planning rules
Answer: A. Guidance notes that in England, Wales and Scotland the unvented safety requirements are met by safety devices satisfying the relevant Building Regulations.

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