Arkansas Roofing/Roof Decks - Residential Exam: A Practical Study Guide
The Arkansas Roofing/Roof Decks - Residential exam tests the rules and the reference books behind the work. This guide lays out the job: the key facts from the official bulletin, what the exam covers, the books you need, sample questions with answers, and how to get ready. PSI gives the exam.
The Arkansas Roofing/Roof Decks - Residential Exam at a Glance
Here's the rundown from the official bulletin:
| Questions | 30 questions |
| Time limit | 75 minutes |
| Passing score | 21 correct answers out of 30 scored questions |
| Books in the exam room | Open book |
On exam day
- Candidates must bring their own references to the examination center, may not bring any additional papers with them, and may bring Internet-downloaded references only if they are bound (spiral bound or hole-punched in a binder); later editions of references may be used except for Code books, where only the listed edition applies.
- References may be highlighted, underlined, annotated and indexed before the exam but not written in during the session, and only permanent tabs are allowed.
- An online calculator is provided and candidates may not bring their own calculator.
References you may bring
- Code of Federal Regulations - 29 CFR Part 1926 (OSHA) (with latest available amendments)
- Code of Federal Regulations - 29 CFR Part 1926 Selections by PSI (with latest available amendments)
- International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings (2015)
- Roofing Construction and Estimating (1995)
- NRCA Roofing Manual: Steep Slope Roof Systems (2017, 2021, or 2025 (after October 1, 2025, only the 2025 edition may be used))
- Carpentry and Building Construction (2016)
Source: Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board – Roofing/Roof Decks – Residential, 10/17/2220. Check the bulletin before test day: fees and rules can change.
What the Arkansas Roofing/Roof Decks - Residential Exam Covers
The official content outline breaks the exam into 5 topics:
| Topic | Questions | Share of the exam |
|---|---|---|
| Estimating and Plan Reading | 5 | 17% |
| Surface Preparation and Planning | 4 | 13% |
| Steep Slope Roofing, including BUR, Waterproofing | 14 | 47% |
| Roofing Components | 4 | 13% |
| OSHA Safety | 3 | 10% |
How to Get Ready for the Arkansas Roofing/Roof Decks - Residential Exam
Treat your reference books like your tools. On an open-book exam you don't need every rule memorized. You need to know which book holds it and where to find it.
Buy the books the bulletin lists, in the editions it names. An older or newer edition can put the answer on a different page, or change it.
Learn your way around each book before you study anything else. The table of contents and the index are your layout.
Highlight what you look up most. The exam facts above list the bulletin's rules on tabs and markings, so follow them exactly.
Do the big jobs first. Steep Slope Roofing, including BUR, Waterproofing and Estimating and Plan Reading make up 63% of the exam.
Put in the reps with timed practice exams. The clock trains you to find answers at the pace the real exam needs: about 2 minutes 30 seconds per question.
Measure twice. When you miss a practice question, find the section in your book, read it and mark it. Keep at it until you pass practice exams consistently.
The Books for the Arkansas Roofing/Roof Decks - Residential Exam
The bulletin lists six reference materials allowed in the examination center, including the OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926 regulations, the 2015 International Residential Code, Roofing Construction and Estimating, the NRCA Roofing Manual: Steep Slope Roof Systems, and Carpentry and Building Construction.
Where to get them:
- IRC 2015
- OSHA 29 CFR 1926
- Roofing Construction and Estimating
- NRCA Roofing Manual: Steep Slope Roof Systems
- Carpentry and Building Construction
Working the Exam on Test Day
Work the exam in two passes. On the first pass, answer everything you know and bookmark the rest. Every exam lets you come back to bookmarked questions. On the second pass, go back to your bookmarks and take them one at a time.
Don't get hung up on one question. You have 75 minutes for 30 questions, which is about 2 minutes 30 seconds per question. Before you finish, make sure nothing is left blank.
Study Tips
On an open-book exam, the winners aren't the smartest people in the room — they're the fastest at finding answers. Buy the required book, practice with it open, and tab and highlight each section the first time a question sends you there. Learn the index and table of contents until you can land on any topic in seconds. That speed is what separates a pass from a fail.
Know your way around each book's index and table of contents. Open-book exams reward speed: you need to find specific items quickly.
On an open-book exam, work through every question once: answer the ones you know and skip the ones you don't. Then go back to the ones you flagged. You can bookmark questions for later review, just like on our exams — and don't sink too much time into any single question. The clock is still running.
Give yourself at least three to six weeks. Use your exam's candidate bulletin as your roadmap for what's tested, and spend your time on finding-it-fast skills over rote memorization. In practice, aim for three clean passes at 80% or higher — setting your practice bar above the real cut score gives you a comfortable margin on test day.
Practicing against a ticking clock is the best way to beat exam-clock anxiety. Use these timed tests to build your pacing, so you learn to move steadily and never burn too long on a single question. By test day, the format feels routine.
Sample Arkansas Roofing/Roof Decks - Residential Questions
These come from our practice question bank, each with its answer and the reference behind it.
Sample 1 — Roofing Components
Question: You are flashing an equipment curb on a metal shingle roof. Cricket flashing is recommended on the upslope side of the curb when the curb width is more than which dimension?
- A. 18 inches
- B. 24 inches
- C. 12 inches
- D. 36 inches
Correct Answer: B
NRCA recommends cricket flashing on the upslope side of equipment curbs more than 24 inches wide to promote adequate drainage of runoff water around the curb; narrower curbs may use flat backer flashing, which does not redirect runoff.
Reference: NRCA Roofing Manual: Steep-slope Roof Systems (2025), Metal Shingle Roof Systems, Chapter 5—Roof Accessories, Section 5.1
Sample 2 — OSHA Safety
Question: Employees required to handle or use flammable liquids, gases, or ______ materials shall be instructed in the safe handling and use of these materials.
- A. Corrosive
- B. Explosive
- C. Toxic
- D. Radioactive
Correct Answer: C
According to OSHA 1926 CFR 29, §1926.21(b)(5) (Page 30), employees required to handle or use flammable liquids, gases, or toxic materials shall be instructed in the safe handling and use of these materials and made aware of the specific requirements contained in subparts D, F, and other applicable subparts.
Reference: OSHA 1926 CFR 29, §1926.21(b)(5), Page 30
Sample 3 — Steep Slope Roofing, including BUR, Waterproofing
Question: You are installing a residential asphalt shingle roof and need to apply the starter course. What is the minimum offset between the end joint of the starter course and the end joint of the first shingle course?
- A. 5 inches
- B. 4 inches
- C. 6 inches
- D. 3 inches
Correct Answer: A
The end joint of a shingle starter course and the end joint of the first shingle course should be offset a minimum of 5 inches, according to NRCA recommendations for asphalt shingle roof system design and installation.
Reference: NRCA Roofing Manual: Steep-slope Roof Systems (2025), Section 4.2—Asphalt Shingle Roof System Design and Installation (Starter Courses)
Sample 4 — Estimating and Plan Reading
Question: A common rafter has a plan run of 14 feet on a roof with a slope of 8 in 12. Using the roof-slope factor of 1.202, what is the actual rafter length?
- A. 14.83 linear feet
- B. 15.47 linear feet
- C. 17.15 linear feet
- D. 16.83 linear feet
Correct Answer: D
Actual rafter length = Run × Roof-Slope Factor = 14 × 1.202 = 16.828, which rounds to 16.83 linear feet. Column 2 of the conversion factor table provides the roof-slope factor for common rafters.
Reference: Roofing Construction & Estimating, Page 1-8 (Chapter 1)
Why Practice Online Instead of With a PDF
A PDF is like reading about a job instead of doing it. Our practice exams are timed and on a screen, so you practice finding answers with the clock running. Each attempt draws a new set of questions from our bank, and your results break your score down by topic so you know where to put in more work.
Get Started
Take the free Arkansas Roofing/Roof Decks - Residential practice exam to see where you stand, then put your time into the topics that need it. For the official rules, read the exam bulletin, and see the licensing board's website.