Mississippi Residential Roofer

Mississippi Residential Roofer Exam: Complete Prep Guide (2026)

You've got the experience on the roof. Now you need the license to make it official. The Mississippi Residential Roofer exam is a 60-question, open-book test administered by PSI — and passing it is what stands between you and a state-issued residential roofing license. This guide covers exactly what's on the exam, what to bring, how to prep, and where to find the right study materials. No fluff — just what you need to know.

Exam Overview

Here are the basics:

• Questions: 60 scored questions
• Time limit: 120 minutes (2 hours)
• Passing score: 70% — that's 42 correct answers out of 60
• Format: Open book, multiple choice
• Delivered by: PSI at approved testing centers

Your score appears on screen the moment you finish, so you'll know right away how you did. The exam is open book, which sounds easier than it is. You're working against the clock, so knowing where to find the answer matters just as much as knowing the answer itself. Candidates who tab their references ahead of time consistently do better than those who flip pages cold.

Check the official exam bulletin for current scheduling and location details.

What Topics Are Covered on the Mississippi Residential Roofer Exam?

The exam is broken into five topic areas. Here's how the 60 questions are distributed:

1. Installation of Roof Coverings — 21 questions

The heaviest topic on the exam. Covers asphalt shingles, underlayment application, roof deck prep, flashing (valleys, crickets, penetrations), and installation methods for clay tile, concrete tile, slate, wood shake, and metal shingles. Minimum slope requirements appear frequently here.

2. Materials — 18 questions

Know your material standards cold: ASTM D3462 and D3018 for asphalt shingles, ASTM C1167 and C1492 for clay and concrete tiles, ASTM C406 for slate. Underlayment classifications — asphalt felt, synthetic, self-adhering polymer-modified bitumen — are also fair game, along with roof deck substrate types and minimum thickness requirements.

3. Rooftop Structures — 9 questions

This section covers roof deck types and inspection standards, plus accessories: equipment curbs, skylights, roof vents, snow guards, and photovoltaic supports. Flashing details for chimneys, dormers, and skylights — including minimum metal thickness and cricket/saddle requirements — show up here.

4. Roof Drainage — 6 questions

Primary drains, secondary overflow drains, scuppers, gutters, downspouts, valley types (open, closed-cut, woven), drip edge installation at eaves and rakes. Fewer questions, but the code specifics are precise — inlet elevation rules and sizing requirements are the kind of details that trip people up.

5. Safety — 6 questions

OSHA 29 CFR 1926 is your reference here. Fall protection for both low-slope and steep roofs, personal fall arrest system components, guardrail specs, warning line systems, safety monitoring systems, and ladder safety requirements.

Study time allocation: Installation and Materials together account for 39 of your 60 questions. That's 65% of the exam. Start there.

Sample Questions

Here's a look at the type of questions you'll face. Work through these before you check the references — then try our free practice exam to see how you score.

Question 1 — Roof Drainage (Medium)
When overflow scuppers are used instead of secondary emergency overflow drains on a residential roof, how does the required scupper size compare to the roof drain size?

• A) Three times the size of the roof drains
• B) Twice the size of the roof drains
• C) Four times the size of the roof drains
• D) Same size as the roof drains

Question 2 — Installation of Roof Coverings (Medium)
When installing a new clay or concrete tile roof assembly using a single layer of mechanically attached underlayment, what is the minimum roof slope required by the IBC and IRC?

• A) 3:12
• B) 6:12
• C) 4:12
• D) 2½:12

Question 3 — Rooftop Structures (Easy)
A unit skylight is being installed on a residential roof that has a pitch of 2:12. What is the minimum height the mounting curb must extend above the plane of the roof?

• A) 2 inches
• B) 6 inches
• C) 3 inches
• D) 4 inches

Question 4 — Materials (Medium)
Building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) products installed as the roof covering must be tested, listed, and labeled for fire classification in accordance with which standard?

• A) UL 2703
• B) UL 7103
• C) ASTM E108
• D) UL 790

Question 5 — Safety (Medium)
What is the minimum tensile strength required for dee-rings and snaphooks used in a personal fall arrest system?

• A) 10,000 pounds (44.4 kN)
• B) 3,000 pounds (13.3 kN)
• C) 5,000 pounds (22.2 kN)
• D) 3,600 pounds (16 kN)

Don't guess at these — know them. Take the free practice exam to test yourself and see where your gaps are.

What Types of Questions to Expect

Our full MS roofing exam prep question bank includes 370 practice questions across all five topic areas. Here's what each section looks like:

• Materials (106 practice questions): Identifying ASTM standards by material type, distinguishing underlayment classifications, recognizing minimum deck thickness requirements, and matching tile or slate grades to their specs.
• Installation of Roof Coverings (130 practice questions): Minimum slope calculations, fastener patterns, underlayment overlap requirements, flashing dimensions for valleys and penetrations, and installation sequencing for multiple covering types.
• Roof Drainage (42 practice questions): Sizing calculations for drains and scuppers, inlet elevation rules for overflow drains, valley flashing configurations, and drip edge placement at eaves versus rakes.
• Rooftop Structures (62 practice questions): Curb height requirements, flashing details for skylights and chimneys, minimum metal thickness specs, and deck inspection criteria before installation.
• Safety (30 practice questions): OSHA fall protection thresholds, arrest system component ratings, guardrail load requirements, and ladder angle and duty ratings.

Start with the free 10-question version to get a feel for the format, then move to the full practice exam — which mirrors the real exam's question count, time limit, and topic breakdown — for a detailed score breakdown by topic.

Required Study Materials

This is an open-book exam, which means your references are also your test-day tools. You must bring your own copies — nothing is provided at the testing center.

Required references:

• IRC 2021 — International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings (2021). Chapter 9 covers roof assemblies. Tab the underlayment and fastening tables heavily.
• IBC 2021 — International Building Code 2021. Covers commercial-code provisions that also appear on this exam.
• NRCA Roofing Manual: Steep Slope Roof Systems — The 2026 edition is required. Tab it by system: asphalt, tile, metal shingle, slate, and wood shake.
• Roofing Construction and Estimating — Daniel Atcheson's 1995 reference. Dense with installation details and material specs.
• OSHA 29 CFR 1926 — The construction safety standard. Your entire Safety section comes from here.

Recommended prep tools:

• Redi-Tag Permanent Colored Tabs — 100 laser tabs in five colors. Color-code by topic area: one color for materials, another for drainage, and so on. Permanent adhesive means they won't shift or fall off before you sit down — which matters, because removable tabs must come off before the exam.
• Sharpie Highlighters — 12-count assorted pack. Highlight the code tables you'll actually need to find fast. Let the ink dry before you close the book.

Study Tips for the Mississippi Residential Roofer License Practice Test

Plan for three to six weeks. Use the Candidate Information Bulletin to guide your priorities. Materials and Installation of Roof Coverings are 39 of the 60 questions — start there and spend the most time there.

Tab everything before test day. The NRCA manual and IRC are thick books. Tab by system and by code section. Permanent tabs only — removable tabs get pulled before you enter the exam room.

Practice the math. A silent, non-programmable calculator is allowed. Slope calculations, square footage, and waste factors come up. Run those problems until they're automatic.

Build to 80% on practice exams. If you're hitting 80% or better in practice, the real 70% cut score feels manageable. Don't walk in aiming for barely 70%.

Use bookmarking during the exam. Answer what you know, flag the rest, and come back. You have two hours for 60 questions — that's two minutes per question. Don't let one hard question eat your clock.

Don't skip Safety. Six questions from OSHA 29 CFR 1926. It's a smaller section, but free points are free points if you prep it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the Mississippi Residential Roofer exam and how long do I have to complete it?
The exam has 60 scored questions and you have 2 hours to complete it. That's an average of 2 minutes per question — enough time if you move steadily and don't stall on difficult items.

What is the passing score?
You need a 70% — that's 42 correct answers out of 60. Your score displays on screen immediately after you finish.

What does it cost to register?
The registration fee is $120 per exam portion. That fee is non-refundable and non-transferable, whether it's your first attempt or a retake.

How do I register?
First, apply with the Mississippi Contractor Licensing Board at the state licensing website. The Board will notify PSI once you're approved. Then register online at the exam registration page or call PSI at (855) 557-0619.

What topics are on the exam?
Five areas: Materials (18 items), Installation of Roof Coverings (21 items), Roof Drainage (6 items), Rooftop Structures (9 items), and Safety (6 items).

Is the exam open book? What can I bring?
Yes, it's open book. Allowed references: IRC 2021, IBC 2021, NRCA Roofing Manual: Steep Slope Roof Systems (2026), Roofing Construction & Estimating by Atcheson (1995), and OSHA 29 CFR 1926. Bring your own copies — nothing is provided at the test center. Code questions are based on the specific editions listed; for non-code books, the Board allows earlier or later editions.

Can I write in my books during the exam?
No. You can highlight, underline, and tab your references before the exam, but writing in them during the test is prohibited. If you're caught, your references will be confiscated and the Board will be notified.

How long do I have to pass, and what if I fail?
You have 6 months from your eligibility date to pass. During that window, you can retest as many times as you need. If 6 months passes without a passing score, you must reapply with the Mississippi Contractor Licensing Board. Each sitting requires a new $120 registration fee, so prep thoroughly before you schedule.

What ID do I need to bring?
One valid, non-expired government-issued photo ID that also bears your signature — a state driver's license, state ID, U.S. passport, U.S. military ID, U.S. alien registration card, or Canadian government-issued ID. The name must match your application exactly.

Can I use a calculator?
Yes. A silent, battery-operated, non-programmable calculator with no paper tape printer and no alphabetic keyboard is allowed. Programmable calculators are not permitted.

Get Started

You know the trade. Now close the gap on the code knowledge. Start with our free practice exam — 10 questions, no account needed — to see where you stand. When you're ready to prep seriously, the full practice exam mirrors the real test: 60 questions, 120-minute timer, and a topic-by-topic score breakdown so you know exactly what to fix before test day.

Get your references tabbed, run the practice questions, and go pass it.