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Mississippi Residential Roofer Licensing Exam — Practice Test Guide

What This Practice Exam Covers

The Mississippi Residential Roofer licensing exam contains 60 questions with a 120-minute time limit. You need a 70% (42/60) to pass. Questions are drawn from five topic areas covering materials, installation, roof drainage, rooftop structures, and safety.

This site offers two ways to prepare:

• Free practice exam: 10 questions per attempt, drawn from a limited pool. You can retake it as many times as you like to get comfortable with the question style and pacing — no purchase required.
• Full practice exam (paid): Mirrors the real exam exactly — 60 questions, 120-minute timer, same topic weighting. Questions are pulled from a pool of 360+ items, so every attempt gives you a different set. No two practice sessions are identical, making it a genuine study tool rather than a memorization exercise.

Start with the free exam to get oriented. If you're serious about passing on the first attempt, the full exam is where real preparation happens.

What You'll Be Tested On

Materials — 18 Items

This is the heaviest single topic on the exam. Expect questions on asphalt shingle composition and standards, including ASTM D3462 (fiberglass-mat shingles) and ASTM D3018 (organic-mat shingles), shingle components like the self-sealing strip and granule surfacing, and wind-resistance ratings under ASTM D3161 and ASTM D7158.

Underlayment questions test the three main categories — asphalt felt (ASTM D4869 Type I through IV), synthetic sheets (ASTM D8257), and self-adhering polymer-modified bitumen sheets — and require you to know how they differ in permeability, thickness, and application.

Roof deck substrates (plywood, OSB, wood planks) appear here, including minimum thickness requirements. Know that different deck types are permitted or required depending on the roof covering.

Clay and concrete tile questions reference ASTM C1167 (clay tile Types I and II) and ASTM C1492 (concrete tile). Physical properties tested include breaking strength, water absorption, and freeze-thaw resistance by weathering index.

Slate roofing questions draw on ASTM C406 grades (S1, S2, S3), characteristic dimensions, and the material properties that determine service life.

Wood shakes and shingles are tested on species, grades, and standards from CSSB (Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau) and CSA. Know the difference between sawn shingles and hand-split shakes.

Installation of Roof Coverings — 21 Items

The largest topic by item count. Asphalt shingle installation questions cover starter courses, offset patterns, fastener specifications (nail length, gauge, penetration), high-wind attachment methods, and hand-tabbing of laminated shingles.

Underlayment application is tested by roof covering type and slope — single-layer vs. double-layer mechanically attached, self-adhering application, and ice-barrier requirements. Per IRC, Section R905.1.2, ice barriers apply in climates subject to ice damming.

Valley installation — open, closed-cut, and woven — is tested on flashing material, lining width, and when each type is permitted. IRC Table R905.2.8.2 governs valley lining material selection.

Flashing questions cover step flashing, base and cap flashing (IRC, Section R905.2.8.1), cricket/saddle requirements behind wide chimneys, and minimum metal thickness.

Minimum slopes are frequently tested for each roof covering type: clay/concrete tile, slate, wood shakes, metal shingles, and asphalt shingles — each has a specific minimum slope under IBC 2021 (e.g., IBC 2021, Section 1507.3.1 for asphalt shingles).

Fire classification questions require knowing Class A, B, and C ratings under IBC 2021, Section 1505.1 through 1505.6, and which assemblies qualify under each class.

Roof Drainage — 6 Items

Fewer questions, but they reward precision. Topics include primary drain placement and sizing, secondary/emergency overflow drain inlet elevation rules (secondary drains must be set above the primary so they activate only when primary drains are blocked), and scupper sizing.

Drip edge installation at eaves and rakes, gutter materials and securement, and cricket and saddle requirements for wide chimneys all appear here. IBC 2021, Section 1503.5 governs secondary drainage requirements.

Rooftop Structures — 9 Items

Questions here focus on attic ventilation — net free area ratios, intake/exhaust balance, and requirements under IRC Section R806.1 and IRC, Section R806.2. Know the 1/150 and 1/300 ratios.

Equipment curb flashing details — apron, step flashing, cricket/backer, counterflashing, and minimum height requirements — appear alongside skylight and dormer flashing specifics.

Roof load calculations appear here: you may be asked to multiply a live load (psf) by a roof area to find total load, as in the worked sample below.

Rooftop accessory installation — equipment curbs, roof vents, snow guards, and photovoltaic supports — is tested on placement and flashing requirements.

Safety — 6 Items

OSHA's 29 CFR 1926 Subpart M and Subpart X govern these questions. Expect questions on:

• Fall protection triggers: 29 CFR 1926, §1926.501(b)(10) (low-slope roofs) and §1926.501(b)(11) (steep roofs)
• Personal fall arrest systems: components, free-fall limits, deceleration distance, inspection requirements under 29 CFR 1926, §1926.502(f)(1)(i)
• Warning line systems: placement distance from roof edges, per 29 CFR 1926, §1926.502(h)(1)
• Guardrail systems: height and load requirements under 29 CFR 1926, §1926.502(b)(3)
• Ladder safety: duty ratings and proper angle of inclination per 29 CFR 1926, §1926.1053(a)(1)(i) and §1926.1053(b)(1)
• Scaffold safety: capacity requirements under 29 CFR 1926, §1926.451(a)(1) and fall protection on scaffolds per §1926.451(g)(1)

Worked Sample Questions

Sample 1 — Installation of Roof Coverings

A roof tear-off involves 32 squares of asphalt shingles installed in 2 layers, each layer weighing 200 lbs per square. The dumpster has a capacity of 10,000 lbs. How many dumpsters are required?

• A. 1
• B. 2
• C. 3
• D. 4

Correct Answer: B — 2 dumpsters

Calculate total debris weight: 32 squares × 2 layers × 200 lbs/square = 12,800 lbs. One dumpster holds 10,000 lbs. 12,800 ÷ 10,000 = 1.28 — you cannot use a fraction of a dumpster, so round up to 2. This type of multi-step arithmetic question is common; the trap is forgetting to multiply by the number of layers.

Sample 2 — Materials

You are a residential roofing contractor installing asphalt shingles in a coastal area where the maximum basic wind speed is 168 mph. What is the minimum ASTM D7158 wind-resistance classification the shingles must carry?

• A. Class G
• B. Class F
• C. Class H
• D. Class D

Correct Answer: C — Class H

Per IBC 2021, Table 1504.2, asphalt shingles tested under ASTM D7158 must carry a Class H classification when the maximum basic wind speed reaches 168 mph. Class G is acceptable only up to 155 mph; Class D only up to 116 mph. Candidates who approximate wind thresholds rather than consulting the specific table boundaries consistently miss this question.

Sample 3 — Rooftop Structures

A roof area is 3,000 sq ft with a live load of 20 psf. What is the total live load?

• A. 50,000 lbs
• B. 65,000 lbs
• C. 55,000 lbs
• D. 60,000 lbs

Correct Answer: D — 60,000 lbs

Straightforward unit conversion: 20 psf × 3,000 sq ft = 60,000 lbs. On the actual exam these calculations appear simple, but candidates lose points by misreading the area or misapplying the load unit. Always confirm you are multiplying psf (pounds per square foot) by square feet — not squares of roofing.

How to Read Your Score

The passing score on the Mississippi Residential Roofer exam is 70%, which means 42 correct out of 60 questions.

Your first practice attempt is a diagnostic, not a verdict. A score of 55%–65% on your first run is common and simply identifies which of the five topic areas need the most attention. A score right at 70% on practice usually means you are not yet ready — the real exam pulls from a broader question pool and adds time pressure.

Use the topic-by-topic breakdown to prioritize. If Materials (18 items) is your weak area, that represents nearly a third of the exam — every point recovered there has outsized impact. If Safety (6 items) is shaky, a few hours of OSHA 1926 Subpart M review can recover those points quickly.

Aim for 80%+ on the full practice exam before scheduling your real test date. That buffer accounts for unfamiliar phrasing and the pressure of a timed, high-stakes session.

Where Candidates Lose Points

Unit errors in calculations. Load questions ask for total weight in pounds; shingle coverage questions use "squares" (100 sq ft). Mixing these up — especially under time pressure — is one of the most common score killers in the Rooftop Structures and Installation sections.

Wrong table, right topic. The exam distinguishes between ASTM D3161 and ASTM D7158 wind classifications, between ASTM C1167 Types I and II for clay tile, and between slate ASTM C406 grades S1, S2, S3. Knowing the general concept is not enough — you need the right standard and the right classification threshold.

Slope minimums by covering type. Many candidates know that tile requires a steeper slope than asphalt shingles, but the exam tests the specific minimum values. Confusing the minimum slopes for wood shakes, slate, concrete tile, and metal shingles is a consistent point-loss pattern in the Installation section.

OSHA trigger thresholds. Fall protection rules differ between low-slope and steep roofs, and candidates frequently swap the two. Know which 29 CFR 1926 section applies to each roof type.

Running out of time on Installation. With 21 items, Installation is the longest section. Candidates who linger on calculation questions sometimes rush the flashing and underlayment questions at the end — both of which require deliberate reading.

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