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Alabama Masonry Contractor Licensing Exam — Practice Test

What This Practice Exam Covers

The Alabama Masonry Contractor exam is 60 questions, 180 minutes, with a 70% passing score (42 correct). Questions pull from eight topic areas: Estimating and Plan Reading, Unit Masonry, Mortar and Grout, Accessories, Stone, Tools, Restoration and Cleaning, and Safety.

Two practice options are available here.

Free practice exam: 10 questions per attempt, drawn from a limited pool. You can retake it as many times as you want. Use it to get a feel for question style and format before committing to full prep.

Full practice exam (paid): 60 questions, 180-minute timer — same structure as the real thing. Questions are pulled from a pool of 363+ items, so each attempt is different. No duplicate exams. Topics match what the official test provider has specified. This is the tool to use when you're serious about passing.

Start with the free exam. If you're scoring below 80% there, the full exam will show you exactly where the gaps are.

What You'll Be Tested On

Unit Masonry — 19 questions (32% of the exam)

This is the heaviest topic. Nearly a third of your score comes from here. Expect questions on brick, CMU, and clay tile classifications. Know mortar joint types and how they're built — bed joints, head joints, collar joints. Understand the difference between solid, hollow, cavity, composite, and veneer wall systems and when each is used.

Reinforced versus unreinforced masonry matters here. Know the three design methods: allowable stress, strength, and empirical. Know the components that go into a complete wall — ties, flashing, weep holes, lintels, sills, expansion joints, and control joints. Per IRC Section R606.4.1, solid masonry walls in one-story dwellings must be at least 6 inches thick when wall height doesn't exceed 9 feet. That kind of specific threshold is exactly what the exam tests.

Bond patterns (running, stack, Flemish, English) show up too. Know them by name and appearance.

Mortar and Grout — 16 questions (27% of the exam)

Second heaviest topic. Know Types M, S, N, O, and K by name and application — not just the letters, but which type goes where (below grade, above grade, interior, veneer). Understand mortar proportions by volume per ASTM C270, and know what each ingredient does: Portland cement, hydrated lime, masonry cement, sand, water.

Grout is separate from mortar. Know grout types, materials, and proportions per ASTM C476. Fine grout versus coarse grout — know the difference.

Plastic mortar properties (workability, water retentivity) and hardened mortar properties (compressive strength, bond strength, durability) are both tested. Know retempering rules and time limits. Mortar that has stiffened can be retempered once within the first 2½ hours — after that, discard it.

Accessories — 7 questions (12% of the exam)

Know the three main wall tie types: rectangular, Z-tie, corrugated. Know where each is used and how they're installed. Joint reinforcement comes in ladder and truss configurations — know the difference and placement requirements.

Corrosion protection requirements for metal accessories are tested. Hot-dipped galvanized versus mill galvanized versus stainless — know what's required in different exposure conditions.

Movement joints matter here too. Contraction joints go in CMU walls; expansion joints go in brick walls. Know why they're different and what materials fill them.

Estimating and Plan Reading — 4 questions

You need to read floor plans, elevations, sections, and detail drawings. Know the alphabet of lines (object lines, hidden lines, section lines, etc.) and standard masonry symbols. Practice converting scaled dimensions — if a drawing is 1/4" = 1'-0" and a wall measures 3 inches on paper, that's 12 feet actual.

Brick quantity estimating uses area and volume calculations. Know how to calculate wall area, subtract openings, and apply a unit count per square foot. Waste factors are part of this.

Safety — 4 questions

OSHA Subpart L covers scaffolding — know load capacities and guardrail requirements. Subpart M covers fall protection. Subpart X covers ladders and stairways. Subpart Z covers silica — a real hazard in masonry work. Know what controls are required for silica dust exposure.

Tools — 4 questions

Know trowel patterns: Philadelphia, London, Wide London. Know special-purpose trowels — margin, pointing, tuck pointer, gauging, duck bill — and what each one does. Jointers finish mortar joints; joint rakers remove mortar. Know levels: mason's level, electronic level, rotary laser level.

Restoration and Cleaning — 4 questions

Cleaning new brick uses diluted muriatic acid — different concentrations for light versus dark brick. Know the pre-wet and post-rinse sequence. Abrasive blasting is allowed in some cases but can damage softer brick. Concrete block has restrictions — acid can leave residue. Non-acid methods (pressurized water) are the safer fallback.

Stone — 2 questions

Know the three formation types: igneous (granite), sedimentary (limestone, sandstone), metamorphic (marble, slate). Indiana limestone has specific grades and colors. Stone surface finishes include gang sawed, shot sawed, honed, and polished — know what each looks like.

Worked Sample Questions

Question 1 — Unit Masonry

True or False: The minimum thickness of masonry bearing walls for one-story dwellings shall be not less than 6 inches when wall height does not exceed 9 feet, and masonry walls must be laterally supported at intervals specified for the type of construction.

Correct answer: TRUE

Per IRC Sections R606.4.1 and R606.6.4 (PDF Pages 274–275), both statements are accurate. Six inches is the minimum for one-story bearing walls up to 9 feet tall. Lateral support intervals are set by Table R606.6.4 based on construction type. This kind of compound true/false statement is common — read both clauses before answering.

Question 2 — Mortar and Grout

True or False: Stabilized adobe units are tested for absorption by placing a 4-inch cube on a constantly water-saturated porous surface for seven days, and the cube shall not absorb more than 2½ percent moisture by weight.

Correct answer: TRUE

Per IBC 2021, Section 2109.2.2.2, the test procedure is exactly as stated: a 4-inch cube dried to constant weight, placed on a saturated porous surface for seven days, with a maximum 2½ percent moisture absorption by weight. At least five specimens must be tested. The specific number — 2½ percent — is what the exam question is testing. Don't round it to 3.

Question 3 — Accessories

True or False: When applying gypsum plaster over metal lath on an interior wall, the plaster must be applied in not less than three coats.

Correct answer: TRUE

Per IRC Section R702.2.1 (PDF Page 349), three coats are required over metal lath. Only two coats are required over other permitted bases. The exam will flip this — expect a version that says "two coats over metal lath" and calls it true. It isn't.

How to Read Your Score

Passing is 70% — 42 out of 60 questions correct. On the practice exam, treat your first score as a diagnostic. It tells you where you are, not where you'll finish.

If you score above 85% on a first attempt, you're in solid shape. Review the topics you missed and take another attempt to confirm.

If you score between 70% and 84%, you're close but not there. One bad day on exam day could put you under the line. Focus on Unit Masonry and Mortar and Grout — together they're nearly 60% of the exam. Tighten those up and your overall score follows.

If you score below 70%, don't treat that as failure — treat it as data. Pull up the topic breakdown and find the two or three areas costing you the most points. In this exam, that's almost always Unit Masonry or Mortar and Grout. Fix those first.

Scoring right at 70% on practice usually means more work is needed. Aim for at least 78–80% on practice before sitting the real exam.

Where Candidates Lose Points

Unit Masonry — Confusing wall system types. Cavity wall versus composite wall versus veneer wall — candidates mix up the definitions. Know each one cold.

Mortar and Grout — Getting mortar types wrong under pressure. Type S and Type N are both common; the difference is compressive strength and application. Candidates also miss retempering rules — the 2½-hour window matters.

Estimating — Unit conversion errors. If you misread a scale or forget to subtract door and window openings from wall area, your brick count is wrong. Work these calculations step by step. Don't skip steps to save time.

Accessories — Mixing up joint reinforcement types. Ladder and truss configurations look similar on paper but have different applications. Corrosion protection requirements also trip people up — know what galvanization level is required and when stainless is specified instead.

Stone — Only 2 questions, but both are knowledge-based. Candidates skip studying stone because it's a small section. Missing both of those questions when you could have answered them with 20 minutes of review is a bad trade.

Time management — 180 minutes for 60 questions is 3 minutes per question. That's enough time, but candidates slow down on code-based calculation questions and run short at the end. Practice under timed conditions.

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