Florida Roofing Contractors General Trade Knowledge Exam Practice Exam
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Test your knowledge with 10 questions from our pool of 20 free questions.
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- 30 minute time limit
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Full Practice Exam
Complete exam simulation matching the real Pearson VUE test format.
- 80 questions (same as real exam)
- 300 minute time limit
- 9 topic areas covered
- 418 questions in pool
- Detailed explanations
Florida Roofing Contractors General Trade Knowledge — Practice Exam
What's on the exam
Questions per topic, out of 80This practice exam targets the Florida Roofing Contractors General Trade Knowledge licensing exam — 80 questions, 300 minutes, 70% to pass.
Two 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. It gives you a feel for the question style and the level of detail the exam demands. Start here.
Full practice exam (paid): 80 questions, 300-minute timer — same format as the real thing. Questions are pulled from a pool of 410+ items, so each attempt is unique. You won't see the same exam twice. Every question maps to the official topic areas provided by the exam developer. If you're serious about passing, this is where you prep.
The exam covers nine topic areas. Here's what each one actually demands.
Built-Up Roofs 12 items
This is a heavy section. Expect calculation questions. You need to know slope factors and how they affect coverage area, waste allowances, and material quantities for liquid-applied coatings and aggregates. The exam tests metal gravel stop placement and fastening — not just "install it," but specific overlap, adhesive type, and sequencing. Test cut requirements come up: when they're required, minimum size, and what you're looking for. Insulation questions cover mechanically fastened boards, multiple-layer installations, tapered board systems, and field-sloped fill. For steel decks, know flute span capabilities for insulation and how underlayment fastening requirements differ from nailable decks.
Shingles and Shakes 12 items
Expect bundle calculations, exposure requirements, and deck requirements for both wood shingles and shakes. Know the difference between the straight-up method and stair-step method — how you mark bond lines, how you handle obstructions. The exam tests underlayment application for each method. Wood shakes specifically: doubling at eaves, interlayment requirements, spacing between adjacent shingles, nailing patterns, and hip and ridge attachment. Gutter and trough requirements for shakes appear here too.
Architectural Metal Roofs 8 items
Dissimilar metals is a tested concept — galvanic corrosion, separation requirements, and compatible sealants. Know oil canning: what causes it and how panel profile and gauge choices address it. Flashing and counter-flashing details at penetrations, crickets, and saddle flashings are tested. Understand expansion and contraction — how panel length, attachment method, and thermal coefficient interact. Underlayment requirements and wind load considerations for metal panels are also fair game. For maintenance and repair, you need to assess roof condition and identify leak sources.
Single-Ply Systems 12 items
Another heavy section. Adhesive-applied systems: know adhesive properties, flash points, temperature limits, and how UV exposure affects adhesives over time. Heat-applied systems: equipment types, application temperatures, and overlap requirements. Mechanically fastened systems: fastening patterns, pullout requirements, and sealant at laps. Seaming is a major subtopic — splice tape types, solvent-welding, heat-welding temperatures, and quality checks. Insulation under single-ply follows similar rules to BUR but with specific compatibility concerns for certain membrane types.
Modified Roofing Systems 12 items
Know your modifier types cold: APP (atactic polypropylene) is torch-applied and has higher heat resistance; SBS (styrene-butadiene-styrene) is more flexible and can be torch-, hot-mopped, or cold-adhesive applied; SA (self-adhering) requires clean, primed surfaces. Asphalt properties for interply moppings are tested — ASTM D312 Type classifications matter here. Deck compatibility is specific: what you can do on steel versus concrete versus nailable decks. Flashing details — metal and reinforced membrane — appear on this section too.
Concrete and Clay Tile Roofs 8 items
Dead load calculations are the big one — tile weight per square and structural implications. Roof layout and bond lines require you to work from a field plan. Adhesive-set application has specific foam adhesive requirements. Under-tile drainage — birdstop, weep screeds, and drainage channels — is tested. Know flashing at valleys, penetrations, and vertical walls. Plastic cement application has specific thickness and coverage requirements. Underlayment top-lap requirements under tile are a recurring question type.
Membrane Waterproofing 4 items
Smaller section but specific. Positive-side versus negative-side (interior) waterproofing: know the definitions, when each is appropriate, and the design constraints. Hydrostatic pressure affects product selection for below-grade walls and floor slabs. Hot versus cold application methods for different membrane types. Drainage mats, geocomposites, and perimeter drain systems. Flood testing, flowing-water testing, and electronic leak detection (ELD) — know which method applies to which situation.
Drains and Gutters 4 items
Gutter sizing is a calculation — rainfall intensity, roof area, and flow rate. Know downspout and leader head sizing. Strapping and fastening intervals for gutters. Scupper overflow requirements and how to verify flow capacity. Expansion joints in gutters — lap, butt, and built-in configurations — and minimum gauge requirements by girth. This section is small but the math questions here are straightforward points to lock down.
Equipment and Safety 8 items
OSHA 29 CFR 1926 is the source. Ladder safety under §1926.1053(a)(4)(ii), scaffold requirements under §1926.451(c)(1), fall protection under §1926.502(f)(1)(ii). Kettle operation: safe asphalt temperatures, automatic controls, starting procedures, and fire safety per §1926.151(c)(1). Hoist load capacities and signals under §1926.552(c)(15). Heat welding equipment — torch and hot-air gun procedures, fire watch requirements. Read the exact regulation language; the exam tests specific numbers, not general principles.
Question 1 — Built-Up Roofs
A roof measures 65 ft × 40 ft with a 7:12 slope. A liquid coating is applied in 2 coats at 1.25 gallons per 100 sq ft. Waste is 8%. How many gallons are required?
- A. 85 gal
- B. 90 gal
- C. 95 gal
- D. 100 gal
Correct Answer: A — 85 gallons
Step 1: Apply the slope factor. A 7:12 slope has a slope factor of approximately 1.158 (from roof-slope factor tables in Roofing Construction & Estimating, Ch. 1, Figure 1-19). Flat area: 65 × 40 = 2,600 sq ft. Sloped area: 2,600 × 1.158 ≈ 3,011 sq ft.
Step 2: Two coats means you're coating 3,011 × 2 = 6,022 sq ft total.
Step 3: Material needed at 1.25 gal/100 sq ft: 6,022 ÷ 100 × 1.25 = 75.3 gallons.
Step 4: Add 8% waste: 75.3 × 1.08 ≈ 81.3 gallons. Round up to the next listed option: 85 gallons.
The trap here is forgetting to apply the slope factor before calculating material — a flat-roof calculation gives you 70 gallons, which isn't even an answer choice.
Question 2 — Shingles and Shakes
You calculated 128 bundles including waste. The supplier requires ordering in multiples of 5. How many bundles are ordered?
- A. 130
- B. 135
- C. 140
- D. 145
Correct Answer: A — 130 bundles
128 rounded up to the next multiple of 5 is 130. You cannot round down — that leaves you short on a job. The exam tests whether you know to always round up when ordering materials to multiples.
Question 3 — Single-Ply Systems
Which ASTM D312 asphalt type is generally appropriate for interply moppings in built-up membrane applications where the completed membrane slope is 1:12 or less?
- A. Type II
- B. Type III
- C. Type IV
- D. Type I
Correct Answer: B — Type III
Per the NRCA Roofing Manual: Membrane Roof Systems, Chapter 5, Page 192: ASTM D312 Type III asphalt is the standard recommendation for interply moppings on slopes of 1:12 or less. Type IV is reserved for steeper slopes, where its higher softening point prevents slippage. Type I and Type II have lower softening points and are not appropriate for interply use on most membrane applications. Know the Type III / Type IV split — the exam tests it directly.
Passing is 70% — 56 correct out of 80 questions.
Your first practice attempt is a diagnostic. Don't treat a low score as a verdict. It tells you which of the nine topic areas need work. A score in the 60s means you're close but not there — not that you're ready.
Use the topic-by-topic breakdown after each full practice attempt. If you're dropping points on Built-Up Roofs or Modified Systems — both 12-item sections — fixing those two areas alone can swing five or six questions. That's the difference between failing and passing.
Scoring above 80% consistently on the full practice exam is a reasonable target before sitting for the real test. Scoring at 70–75% on practice typically means one or two topic areas are still weak. Find them, go back to the source material, and retake.
The free exam is a starting point. Run a full 80-question attempt before you schedule your real exam date.
Slope factor omissions. Built-Up Roofs and Shingles questions give you flat dimensions and a slope. Candidates skip the slope factor and get a wrong material quantity. Every time you see a slope in a calculation question, apply the factor.
Wrong ASTM type. Modified Systems and Built-Up Roof questions test ASTM D312 type classifications. Mixing up Type III and Type IV is a common miss. Know which slope gets which type.
OSHA section specifics. Equipment and Safety questions cite exact regulation sections. "Ladders must extend above the landing" is not enough — you need the number from §1926.1053(a)(4)(ii). Read the regulation, not a summary.
Rounding direction on material orders. On bundle and quantity questions, always round up. Rounding down to the nearest clean number is wrong on any supply-ordering question.
Tile load math. Concrete and Clay Tile questions on dead loads require you to know tile weights per square. Candidates who skip the Loads subtopic lose easy points.
Seaming details on Single-Ply. The seam width, overlap, and temperature requirements differ by membrane type. Treating EPDM, TPO, and PVC as interchangeable costs points on the Determining Seaming Needs subtopic.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total questions | 80 |
| Time limit | 300 minutes (5 hours) |
| Passing score | 70% (56 correct) |
| Number of topic areas | 9 |
| Practice pool (full exam) | 418 questions |
| Free exam | 10 questions per attempt |