Illinois Commercial and Industrial Roofing Contractor
Illinois
· Continental Testing Services
Verified, not estimated. Every figure below is drawn from the official exam structure we maintain — question counts, passing standard and topic weighting. Practice questions are grounded in the source law with statute citations. We omit any figure we can't verify rather than guess at it.
Total questions
80
Passing score
70%
Exam time
90 min
Administered by
Continental Testing Services
Format
Closed-book
Illinois State Portion
80 questions
Safety and Employee Protection15 Q · 19%
OSHA standards applicable to construction (29 CFR 1926, 1910, 1904)OSHA recordkeeping requirements (Forms 300, 300A, and 301)OSHA penalty types and amounts for violationsEmployee rights and anti-retaliation protections under the OSH ActEmergency action plan requirementsSafety Data Sheets (SDS) and Hazard Communication StandardOverhead power line and underground utility safetySubstance abuse policies and drug-free workplace programs
Roofing Preparation and Materials10 Q · 12%
Roof deck types and substrate requirements (steel, concrete, wood panels, wood planks)Underlayment materials and selection by roof system type (asphalt felt, synthetic, polymer-modified bitumen, self-adhering)Rigid board insulation types, R-values, and thermal resistance calculationsSteep-slope roofing materials (asphalt shingles, clay/concrete tile, slate, wood shakes/shingles, metal shingles)Low-slope membrane systems (built-up, polymer-modified bitumen, single-ply EPDM/thermoplastic, liquid-applied)Spray polyurethane foam (SPF) roofing systems and protective surfacingsMetal panel roof systems and metal material types/coatingsVapor retarders, air retarders, and condensation control in roof assemblies
Steep-Slope Roofing Systems15 Q · 19%
Asphalt shingle types, materials, and standards (organic, fiberglass, laminated, three-tab)Minimum slope requirements and application methods for each steep-slope system typeUnderlayment selection and installation for steep-slope systemsFlashing types and installation details (valley, step, counter, chimney, drip edge)Clay, concrete, and slate tile materials, profiles, and physical propertiesWood shake and wood shingle grades, species, and treatment optionsMetal shingle materials, coatings, and corrosion resistanceReroofing evaluation, re-cover versus tear-off criteria, and building code compliance (IBC/IRC)
Low-Slope Roofing Systems10 Q · 12%
Built-up roof membrane types, components, and application methodsSingle-ply membrane systems (EPDM, TPO, PVC) — attachment methods and material propertiesPolymer-modified bitumen membranes (APP and SBS) — installation methods and configurationsSpray polyurethane foam roof systems — application, protective surfacings, and substrate requirementsRigid board insulation types, R-values, multilayer installation, and cover boardsRoof deck types and requirements for low-slope membrane systemsAir and vapor retarders — purpose, placement, and condensation controlMembrane roof surfacings — aggregate, ballast, coatings, and solar reflectance properties
Rules, Regulations and Business Practices15 Q · 19%
Illinois Roofing Industry Licensing Act requirements (license types, application, qualifying party)Surety bond and liability insurance requirements for Illinois roofing contractorsLicense display, advertising, contracts, and building permit obligationsGrounds for disciplinary action, penalties, and enforcement proceduresLicense renewal, restoration, inactive status, and qualifying party successionBusiness entity structures and their liability, taxation, and management characteristicsContract management essentials (contract types, provisions, change orders, dispute resolution)Financial management, payroll, taxes, and employee management requirements
Non-Residential Roofing Systems15 Q · 19%
Built-up roof (BUR) membrane types and componentsSingle-ply membrane systems (EPDM, TPO, PVC) — attachment methods and configurationsPolymer-modified bitumen (APP and SBS) membrane systemsSpray polyurethane foam (SPF) roof systems — application, protective surfacings, and configurationsArchitectural and structural metal panel roof systems — types, profiles, seam types, and slope requirementsRigid board roof insulation types, thermal resistance (R-value), and multilayer installation requirementsRoof deck types and requirements for membrane and metal panel systemsAir and vapor retarders in low-slope roof assemblies
Key Distinctions
ArbitrationvsMediation
Arbitration uses a third-party arbitrator whose decision is legally binding on all parties, while mediation uses a facilitator to guide discussion but leaves the parties to set the terms themselves.
Collaborative law has no neutral third party — each side uses their own advocate (e.g., lawyer) to negotiate, whereas mediation uses a neutral mediator to facilitate the process.
Nascla Contractors Guide 14th, Chapter 7 — Collaborative Law
Lump-Sum ContractvsCost-Plus Contract
In a lump-sum contract the contractor assumes all cost risk for a fixed price, while in a cost-plus contract the owner reimburses actual costs plus a percentage or fixed-fee markup.
Addenda are changes made to contract documents before the contract is awarded, while modifications and change orders are written changes made after the contract has been signed and executed.
Nascla Contractors Guide 14th, Chapter 7 — Making Changes to the Contract
Design/BuildvsTurnkey
In design/build the owner contracts one firm to handle design through construction, while turnkey expands those responsibilities further to include obtaining financing and land.
The accrual method recognizes income when services occur and expenses when incurred regardless of cash flow, whereas the cash method records income and expenses only when money is actually received or paid.
CPM graphically shows the interdependent relationships between tasks so that delays in one task reveal impacts on others, while bar chart and calendar scheduling do not show these interdependencies.
Free float is the time an activity can be delayed without affecting the early start of the next activity, while total float is the leeway before the overall project completion date is delayed.
NASCLA Contractors Guide, Chapter 8 — Float Time section
Fiberglass shingles use a fiberglass base mat saturated with asphalt, while organic shingles use a cellulose-fiber base mat.
Roofing Construction and Estimating, Chapter 4—Asphalt Shingles
OSHA Construction Noise Action LevelvsOSHA General Industry Noise Action Level
Under 29 CFR 1926.52 the construction standard action level requiring controls or hearing protection is a TWA of 90 dBA, while the general industry action level is 85 dBA.
A repair is classified as disturbing no more ACRM than fits in one standard 60×60-inch waste bag; disturbing a larger quantity triggers classification as a removal with additional regulatory requirements.
A pre-specified per-day dollar amount assessed against a contractor for each day of unexcused delay beyond the contractual completion date; calculated as daily rate × late days.
Material Breach Nascla Contractors Guide 14th, Chapter 7 — Breach of Contract
A serious violation of a contract — such as an owner refusing to pay for completed work — that may void the contract and lead to litigation allowing the injured party to seek monetary damages.
Periodic payments during a project that protect the owner by holding the contractor to schedule and allow the contractor to cover labor and material costs as they occur.
Value Engineering NASCLA Contractors Guide, Chapter 8 — Value Engineering section
A project management approach aimed at understanding the owner's cost, quality, and time priorities to deliver the highest-value product, sometimes incentivized with contractor bonuses.
A material procurement strategy that times deliveries to arrive as materials are needed, keeping inventory costs low and reducing the risk of onsite theft or vandalism.
CSI MasterFormat NASCLA Contractors Guide, Pages 6-3 and 6-8
A Construction Specifications Institute classification system using numbers and job tasks grouped by major construction activities, recommended so that estimates and actual cost records use the same categories for easy comparison.
Heating-Degree Day (HDD65) NRCA Roofing Manual: Architectural Metal Flashing and Condensation and Air Leakage Control—2022, Chapter 1, Section 1.3—Climate Conditions
A climate metric calculated as the difference between 65°F and the outdoor mean temperature for a given day, used to quantify heating energy demand per the NRCA Roofing Manual.
Cooling-Degree Day (CDD50) NRCA Roofing Manual: Architectural Metal Flashing and Condensation and Air Leakage Control—2022, Chapter 1, Section 1.3—Climate Conditions
A climate metric calculated as the difference between the outdoor mean temperature and a base of 50°F for a given day, used to quantify cooling energy demand per the NRCA Roofing Manual.
A unit measuring vapor transmission equal to 1 grain of water vapor per square foot per hour per inch of mercury pressure difference; a rating of 0.1 perm or less indicates an effective vapor barrier.
A type of sidewall flashing that runs continuously under the roof covering along a wall, generally used with S-tile, pan-and-cover, and most interlocking tile roof systems.
An insurance coverage trigger under which the CNA/NRCA CGL policy's optional asbestos-exclusion exception applies from the time the claim-causing event occurred, rather than from the time the claim is filed.
A schedule activity that has zero float time, meaning any delay to it will directly delay the overall project completion date.
Positive vs. Negative Roof Measurement Methods Roofing Construction and Estimating, Chapter 1, Pages 7-8
The positive method divides an irregular roof into rectangles and sums their areas; the negative method extends roof lines to one large rectangle and subtracts non-roof areas — both yield identical results.