ICC F13 Residential Building Contractor (C) (2015 IRC) Exam: A Practical Study Guide
The ICC F13 Residential Building Contractor (C) (2015 IRC) 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. Pearson VUE gives the exam.
The ICC F13 Residential Building Contractor (C) (2015 IRC) Exam at a Glance
Here's the rundown from the official bulletin:
| Questions | 80 questions |
| Time limit | 4 hours |
| Passing score | a minimum score of 70 |
| Books in the exam room | Open book |
| Exam fee | $120 |
On exam day
- The exam consists of multiple-choice questions in four-option format with one scored correct answer.
References you may bring
- International Residential Code® (2015)
Scheduling, changes and retakes
- Exams are scheduled through PearsonVUE at www.pearsonvue.com/ICC, where candidates can create an account, schedule an exam, locate a test center, purchase vouchers and request accommodations.
- Results for examinations taken electronically are available immediately after the examination is completed.
- You must wait 10 days before retaking a failed exam.
- After passing, contact the jurisdiction in which you wish to be licensed for any other requirements, because ICC is not a licensing agency.
Source: National Contractor/Trades Examination Information Bulletin, PUBLISHED June 30, 2026. Check the bulletin before test day: fees and rules can change.
What the ICC F13 Residential Building Contractor (C) (2015 IRC) Exam Covers
The official content outline breaks the exam into 4 topics:
| Topic | Questions | Share of the exam |
|---|---|---|
| Permits and General Regulations | 17 | 21% |
| Building Safety and Life Planning | 13 | 16% |
| Structural Systems | 40 | 50% |
| Building Envelope | 10 | 13% |
Building Safety and Life Planning: Fire & Smoke Alarms & Fire Protection Sys; Occupancy Needs & Interior Environment; Exiting & Means of Egress; Fire-Resistant Construction & Separation (exterior walls, townhouse/two-family dwelling separations, dwelling-garage separation); Fireblocking & Draftstopping Requirements; Guards & Window Fall Protection; Building Planning.
How to Get Ready for the ICC F13 Residential Building Contractor (C) (2015 IRC) 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. Check the bulletin's rules on tabs and markings before you add any.
Do the big jobs first. Structural Systems and Permits and General Regulations make up 71% 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 3 minutes 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 ICC F13 Residential Building Contractor (C) (2015 IRC) Exam
The listed reference for this exam is the 2015 International Residential Code®.
Where to get them:
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 4 hours for 80 questions, which is about 3 minutes per question. Before you finish, make sure nothing is left blank.
Study Tips
Don't be distracted by an answer that is merely factually true—focus on whether it actually answers the question. Always return to the question and verify that your chosen answer directly addresses what's being asked, not just that it's a true statement. Also, when two answers seem equally correct, read all choices carefully and select the one that best answers the question.
Read each answer choice in order. If it seems correct, mark it as your current best. Each subsequent choice must beat your current best to replace it. Keep going until you've reviewed all choices, then verify your final selection actually answers the question.
Don't choose a word simply because it looks familiar. On difficult questions, you may not recognize several words in the answer choices—but that doesn't mean they're invented. Test writers only use real words. If you recognize the words in only one answer choice, focus on that choice and evaluate it carefully. If it's correct, great. If not, eliminate it. Every answer choice you eliminate improves your odds, even if you end up guessing among the remaining options.
Reading the material cover to cover usually isn't enough to pass. This is a multiple-choice exam, and multiple choice rewards practice — the more questions you work through under real conditions, the more the terminology and question style become second nature.
Sample ICC F13 Residential Building Contractor (C) (2015 IRC) Questions
These come from our practice question bank, each with its answer and the reference behind it.
Sample 1 — Building Envelope
Question: An open valley on an asphalt shingle roof is to be lined with two plies of mineral-surfaced roll roofing. What are the required widths of the bottom and top layers?
- A. Bottom 24 inches, top 36 inches
- B. Bottom 18 inches, top 24 inches
- C. Bottom 18 inches, top 36 inches
- D. Bottom 12 inches, top 24 inches
Correct Answer: C
IRC 2015 Section R905.2.8.2, Item 2, permits open valley lining of two plies of mineral-surfaced roll roofing complying with ASTM D 3909 or ASTM D 6380 Class M: the bottom layer shall be 18 inches and the top layer not less than 36 inches wide.
Reference: IRC 2015 Section R905.2.8.2
Sample 2 — Structural Systems
Question: Short foundation cripple walls are framed between the top of the foundation and the floor framing above. Cripple walls must be continuously sheathed on one side with wood structural panels fastened to both the top and bottom plates, or be constructed of solid blocking, when the stud height is less than:
- A. 14 inches
- B. 18 inches
- C. 24 inches
- D. 12 inches
Correct Answer: A
Per IRC 2015 Section R602.9, cripple walls with a stud height less than 14 inches shall be continuously sheathed on one side with wood structural panels fastened to both the top and bottom plates in accordance with Table R602.3(1), or the cripple walls shall be constructed of solid blocking.
Reference: IRC 2015 Section R602.9
Sample 3 — Permits and General Regulations
Question: A masonry unit is classified as "solid" when its net cross-sectional area in every plane parallel to the loadbearing surface is at least what percentage of its gross cross-sectional area measured in the same plane?
- A. 85 percent
- B. 90 percent
- C. 60 percent
- D. 75 percent
Correct Answer: D
IRC 2015, Section R202 (MASONRY UNIT — Solid) defines a solid masonry unit as one with a net cross-sectional area in every plane parallel to the loadbearing surface that is 75 percent or more of its cross-sectional area measured in the same plane. A hollow unit is less than 75 percent.
Reference: IRC 2015 Section R202 (definition of "Masonry unit — Solid")
Sample 4 — Building Safety and Life Planning
Question: A second-floor bedroom window serves as the required emergency escape and rescue opening. What is the minimum net clear opening area for that window?
- A. 5.7 square feet
- B. 5.0 square feet
- C. 6.5 square feet
- D. 7.0 square feet
Correct Answer: A
Per IRC Section R310.2.1, emergency escape and rescue openings shall have a net clear opening of not less than 5.7 square feet. The 5-square-foot figure is the exception permitted only for grade-floor or below-grade openings.
Reference: IRC 2015 Section R310.2.1
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 ICC F13 Residential Building Contractor (C) (2015 IRC) 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.