ICC F46 Framing Contractor Exam (2015 IBC/IRC) Practice Exam
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- 50 questions (same as real exam)
- 150 minute time limit
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- 248 questions in pool
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ICC F46 Framing Contractor (2015 IBC/IRC) Practice Exam Guide
What's on the exam
Questions per topic, out of 50This practice exam is laid out like the official content outline for the ICC F46 Framing Contractor (2015 IBC/IRC) exam: General Requirements, Code Definitions and Terms, Foundations, Floor Framing and Floor Load Design, Wall Framing, Load Bearing, General Framing, Roof Framing and Roof Load Design.
Two ways to practice: the free practice exam gives you 10 questions per attempt, as often as you want. The full practice exam gives you 50 questions on a 150 minutes clock, with a new draw from our question bank every time.
General Requirements, Code Definitions and Terms 13 items
Our study plan for this topic: Scope and applicability of IRC vs. IBC (dwelling types, story limits, accessory structures); Key code definitions for structural and framing terms (dead load, live load, braced wall line, diaphragm, light-frame construction); Building official authority, duties, and permit administration; Climatic and geographic design criteria (wind speed, seismic design category, snow load, flood hazard area); Minimum live and dead load requirements for floors, roofs, and structural members; Structural design methods and load combinations (ASD, LRFD, strength design); Risk category classification and its effect on design requirements; Alternative materials, engineered design, and referenced standards applicability.
Foundations, Floor Framing and Floor Load Design 11 items
Our study plan for this topic: Footing size, depth, and frost protection requirements (IRC/IBC); Foundation wall types and prescriptive design (concrete and masonry); Foundation anchorage and sill plate attachment; Floor joist span tables, species, grades, and spacing; Girder and header spans for floor framing; Floor sheathing (lumber and wood structural panel) allowable spans and installation; Joist notching, boring, and hole limitations; Soil classification and presumptive load-bearing values.
Wall Framing, Load Bearing, General Framing 16 items
Our study plan for this topic: Stud size, height, and spacing requirements for bearing and nonbearing walls; Header and girder spans for exterior and interior bearing walls; Top plate and bottom plate requirements, including double top plate splicing; Drilling and notching limitations for studs and top plates; Wall bracing methods, braced wall panel construction, and required bracing lengths; Fastening schedules for wall framing connections; Cripple wall framing and bracing requirements; Cold-formed steel wall framing member sizes, fastening, and web hole limitations.
Roof Framing and Roof Load Design 10 items
Our study plan for this topic: Rafter span tables and slope requirements (IBC/IRC conventional light-frame); Ceiling joist span tables and attic live load conditions; Roof framing member connections and nailing requirements (ridge, hip, valley, collar tie, rafter ties); Wood truss design requirements, truss design drawings, and truss member restraint/bracing; Roof sheathing materials, allowable spans, and installation (lumber and wood structural panels); Roof load types and combinations (dead, live, snow, wind, rain/ponding) per IBC Chapter 16; Rafter and truss uplift connection forces and wind tie-down requirements; Minimum slope requirements and framing details for ridge board, hip, valley, and purlin bracing.
Sample 1 — Wall Framing, Load Bearing, General Framing
Question: A plumber must bore studs in an exterior bearing wall. Where the studs are doubled and not more than two successive doubled studs are bored, the bored hole may not exceed what percentage of the stud width?
- A. 60 percent
- B. 40 percent
- C. 55 percent
- D. 50 percent
Correct Answer: A
IRC 2015 Section R602.6, Item 2, limits bored holes to 60 percent of the stud width. Studs in exterior walls or bearing partitions bored over 40 percent and up to 60 percent must be doubled, with not more than two successive doubled studs bored; the hole edge must be at least 5/8 inch from the stud edge.
Reference: IRC 2015 Section R602.6
Sample 2 — General Requirements, Code Definitions and Terms
Question: You are framing a truss-built attic in a dwelling and must determine whether the space qualifies as an uninhabitable attic WITH storage for live load purposes. One qualifying condition is that two or more adjacent trusses have web configurations capable of accommodating an assumed rectangle within the plane of the trusses. What is the minimum size of that assumed rectangle?
- A. 42 inches high by 24 inches wide
- B. 42 inches high by 30 inches wide
- C. 30 inches high by 24 inches wide
- D. 36 inches high by 24 inches wide
Correct Answer: A
Per IBC 2015 Table 1607.1, footnote j, uninhabitable attics with storage are those where the maximum clear height between the joists and rafters is 42 inches or greater, OR where there are two or more adjacent trusses with web configurations capable of accommodating an assumed rectangle 42 inches in height by 24 inches in width, or greater, within the plane of the trusses. (Footnote i uses the same rectangle to define attics WITHOUT storage when it cannot be accommodated.)
Reference: IBC 2015 Chapter 16 Structural Design, Table 1607.1, footnote j
Sample 3 — Foundations, Floor Framing and Floor Load Design
Question: Foundation walls that retain earth and enclose interior spaces below grade must be dampproofed from the finished grade down to the higher of the top of the footing or a point how far below the top of the basement floor?
- A. 12 inches
- B. 4 inches
- C. 6 inches
- D. 8 inches
Correct Answer: C
IRC 2015 Section R406.1 requires dampproofing from the higher of (a) the top of the footing or (b) 6 inches below the top of the basement floor, up to the finished grade.
Reference: IRC 2015 Section R406.1
Your first attempt is an inspection, not a final grade. The results page breaks your score down by outline topic, so you can see which areas need work. Compare it with the real exam's passing score, a minimum score of 70, and keep practicing until you pass consistently.
- Answer what you know first and bookmark the rest. Our practice exams let you bookmark and come back.
- Work your bookmarks on the second pass.
- Keep your pace. The real exam works out to about 3 minutes per question.
- After each attempt, look up each missed question's reference in your book and read the section.
| Questions | 50 questions |
| Time limit | 150 minutes |
| Passing score | a minimum score of 70 |
| Books in the exam room | Open book |
| Exam fee | $120 |
- Results for examinations taken electronically are available immediately after the examination is completed.
- You must wait 10 days before retaking a failed exam.
Source: National Contractor/Trades Examination Information Bulletin, PUBLISHED June 30, 2026. Check the bulletin before test day: fees and rules can change.