North Carolina Residential Contractor Exam: free practice test
For builders of homes and residential units under the North Carolina Residential Code. NC amends the national residential code in ways that are tested often, especially stairs.
About the NC Residential exam
For builders of homes and residential units under the North Carolina Residential Code. NC amends the national residential code in ways that are tested often, especially stairs.
What's on the exam
Each branch is a topic in the official outline. Members see every key fact on the full mind map. Read the free study guide →
How to pass the NC Residential exam
- North Carolina's stair rules differ from the national IRC. Expect a question on them.
- Tab the Residential Code chapters for foundations (R4), floors (R5), walls (R6) and roofs (R8, R9).
- You need 63 correct out of 90 on the trade section.
Save your results and get your Readiness Score
Create a free account after the test: your score by topic, a mistakes bank, the first study-notes topic, flashcards and the Construction Math Formula Sheet.
What's in the full NC Residential prep
Full question bank
600+ exam-style questions written to each official outline. Every answer explained, with the rule it comes from.
Timed exam simulator
Real question counts and time limits, so test day feels like practice day.
Exam Readiness Score
One 0 to 100 number that tells you when you're ready to book. Reach 80 and you're covered by our Pass Guarantee.
Flashcards + spaced repetition
530+ cards that come back right before you'd forget them. Five minutes a day keeps every number fresh.
Key study notes
Each topic boiled down to the 5 to 7 facts that get tested, with the statute or code section.
Mind maps
See the whole exam on one screen: every topic and the facts under it.
Sample questions with answers
These are the questions in the free test above, with answers. Try the test first. You'll learn more by getting some wrong.
1. Under the North Carolina Residential Code, the maximum stair riser height is:
2. Under the North Carolina Residential Code, the minimum stair tread depth is:
3. Minimum headroom over residential stairways is:
4. Smoke alarms in a new dwelling are required:
5. The general rule for ventilating an enclosed attic requires a net free vent area of at least:
6. A vented crawl space requires net ventilation openings of at least 1 square foot for each:
7. A door between an attached garage and the dwelling may be solid wood, solid or honeycomb-core steel at least 1-3/8 inches thick, or:
8. Where habitable rooms are above an attached garage, the garage ceiling must be covered with at least:
9. Exterior footings must extend at least how far below undisturbed ground, or below the frost line where it is deeper?
10. Asphalt shingles may be installed on roof slopes as low as:
11. The maximum sill height for a bedroom emergency escape window, measured from the floor, is:
12. The minimum thickness of a concrete floor slab on ground in a dwelling is:
13. How many 4 × 8 sheets of drywall are needed to cover one side of a wall 32 ft long and 8 ft high (no openings, no waste)?
14. Studs in a typical load-bearing exterior wall of a one-story house are most commonly spaced at:
15. The NC Residential classification allows the licensee to build:
Get the full NC Residential prep
Single Exam
- Full NC Residential bank (50 questions)
- Timed exam simulations
- Study notes, flashcards & mind maps
- Spaced repetition + mistakes bank
- Readiness Score & detailed reports
- Video lessons as they release
- 5 bonuses: formula sheet, tabbing guide, study planner and more
- Pass Guarantee: complete the prep, pass or 100% back
All-Access Yearly
- All 12 exams, including state Business & Law
- Full question banks + timed simulations
- Study notes, flashcards & mind maps
- Spaced repetition + mistakes bank
- Readiness Score & detailed reports
- Video lessons as they release
- New exams added during your access
- 5 bonuses: formula sheet, tabbing guide, study planner and more
- Pass Guarantee: complete the prep, pass or 100% back
All-Access Monthly
- All 12 exams, including state Business & Law
- Full question banks + timed simulations
- Study notes, flashcards & mind maps
- Spaced repetition + mistakes bank
- Readiness Score & detailed reports
- Video lessons as they release
- New exams added during your access
- 5 bonuses: formula sheet, tabbing guide, study planner and more
- Pass Guarantee: complete the prep, pass or 100% back
All-Access renews automatically until you cancel. Cancel any time from your account; you keep access until the end of the period you've paid for.
Just need one tool?
Unlock a single module for NC Residential: 6 months, one-time payment. All three separately cost $127; Single Exam gets you all of them for $97.
Every practice question for one exam, with explanations, your mistakes bank and reports.
- Every question (50), every answer explained
- Mistakes bank + detailed reports
Full-length timed simulations with real question counts and time limits.
- Full-length timed simulations
- Real question counts and time limits
Every study-notes topic, every flashcard with spaced repetition, and the full mind map.
- Every study-notes topic
- All flashcards + spaced repetition
- The full interactive mind map
Licensing guide
How to get a general contractor license in North Carolina (2026): In North Carolina you need a general contractor license from the NC Licensing Board for General Contractors (NCLBGC) for any project that costs $40,000 or more. To get one, you pick a limitation (limited, intermediate or unlimited) and a classification, prove the matching working capital or net worth, apply online, and have a qualifier pass the PSI exam with a score of at least 70. Licenses renew every year, and building, residential and unclassified licenses need 8 hours of continuing education each year.
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Exam details are summarized from the official candidate information available in October 2026. Boards change formats and fees, so confirm with NC Licensing Board for General Contractors (NCLBGC) before you book. ContractorConquer is not affiliated with any licensing board or testing company.