- IL-ROOF is the Illinois Residential, Commercial and Industrial Roofing Examination (profession 105/test 03) for the unlimited license.
- 130 multiple-choice questions in 150 minutes; a score of 70 or higher passes.
- Steep-Slope Roofing Systems carries 35 questions - the single largest domain on the exam.
- CTS exam fee is $248; the separate IDFPR business-license application adds $125.
What Is IL-ROOF Certification?
"IL-ROOF" is shorthand this site uses for the Illinois roofing contractor licensing exam administered under the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). The specific exam candidates sit for when pursuing the unlimited license is the Illinois Residential, Commercial and Industrial Roofing Examination, listed by the testing vendor as profession 105/test 03. Passing this single exam is the direct route to the unlimited license, covering residential, commercial, and industrial roofing work in one credential. A narrower commercial/industrial-only upgrade exists, but it requires that you already hold residential qualification first - so most candidates aiming for full scope go straight for the unlimited exam rather than testing twice.
If you're still unclear on the terminology, our companion pieces on what IL-ROOF actually is and what the term means in the Illinois licensing context are good starting points before you dive into study planning.
Who Administers the Exam
Two organizations matter here, and mixing them up causes real confusion for applicants:
- IDFPR - the state agency that issues the actual roofing contractor license, sets the legal requirements, and collects the business-license application fee.
- Continental Testing Services (CTS) - the vendor that writes, schedules, and scores the examination itself, and collects the exam fee.
This split means your exam registration and your license application are two separate transactions with two separate fees, submitted to two different organizations. Understanding this distinction is foundational to everything else on this page, and it's covered in more depth in our IL-ROOF requirements guide.
Exam Format & Passing Score
The exam itself is a straightforward multiple-choice format, but the volume and time pressure are real:
- 130 questions, all multiple choice
- 150 minutes to complete the exam
- 70 or higher to pass
- Bring two No. 2 pencils
- A non-programmable, non-printing solar- or battery-powered calculator is permitted for estimating and measurement questions
That works out to roughly 69 seconds per question on average, though roofing estimating and code-application items tend to take longer than pure recall questions. If you want a precise breakdown of exactly what "70 or higher" means in raw question terms, see our dedicated IL-ROOF passing score article. For a broader assessment of how tough the exam actually feels in practice, our exam difficulty guide walks through where most candidates lose points.
Key Takeaway
With 130 questions and a 70-point passing threshold, you can miss roughly 39 questions and still pass - but weak preparation in the largest domain, Steep-Slope Roofing Systems, will eat into that margin fast.
The Six Exam Domains
CTS publishes a fixed item allocation across six content areas. These aren't roughly equal - one domain carries more than double the weight of the smallest ones, so your study time should reflect that imbalance rather than being spread evenly.
| Domain | Question Count | Share of Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Steep-Slope Roofing Systems | 35 | Largest domain |
| Safety & Employee Protection | 25 | Second largest |
| Roofing Preparation & Materials | 20 | Tied third |
| Rules, Regulations & Business Practices | 20 | Tied third |
| Low-Slope Roofing Systems | 15 | Tied smallest |
| Non-Residential Roofing Systems | 15 | Tied smallest |
Steep-Slope Roofing Systems (35 questions)
This is the exam's center of gravity. Expect deep coverage of shingle, tile, slate, and wood-shake installation practices, underlayment selection, flashing details, and ventilation on pitched roofs.
- Master fastening patterns and exposure requirements before touching lower-weight domains
Safety & Employee Protection (25 questions)
Fall protection, ladder safety, scaffold requirements, and general jobsite hazard awareness dominate this section - material that overlaps heavily with the NRCA safety references in the CTS study guide.
- Know OSHA-aligned fall-protection triggers cold, not just conceptually
Roofing Preparation & Materials / Rules, Regulations & Business Practices (20 each)
Preparation & Materials covers substrate inspection, tear-off, and material selection. Rules, Regulations & Business Practices pulls from Illinois law and NASCLA business content - contracts, licensing rules, and liability basics.
- Treat these as "read the actual statute" domains, not just intuition
Low-Slope & Non-Residential Roofing Systems (15 each)
Lower weight, but not skippable - membrane systems, drainage, and commercial/industrial-specific installation details show up here and connect directly to the commercial/industrial scope of the unlimited license.
- Don't over-invest time here relative to Steep-Slope, but don't ignore it either
For a section-by-section walkthrough of what to study inside each domain, our full exam domains guide goes deeper than the summary above.
Registration, Fees & Deadlines
Registration mechanics are exact and worth memorizing before you plan your study window:
- CTS exam fee: $248
- IDFPR business-license application fee: $125 (separate submission, filed after passing)
- Testing locations: Hillside and Springfield
- Example administration: November 4, 2026 exam date, with an October 7, 2026 registration deadline
Missing a registration deadline pushes you to the next scheduled sitting, so build in buffer time. Our exam dates and scheduling guide tracks upcoming administrations and deadlines in detail, and the certification cost breakdown itemizes every fee you'll encounter from registration through renewal.
What Happens After You Pass
Passing the CTS exam is a milestone, not the finish line. The exam score alone does not issue a business license. After you pass, you still need to submit IDFPR's separate license application along with:
- Business entity documentation
- Proof of required insurance coverage
- Proof of the required surety bond
This two-step structure - pass the exam, then apply for the license - trips up candidates who assume a passing score is self-executing. It isn't. Budget time after your test date to assemble entity and insurance paperwork before you're actually licensed to operate.
Bond, Insurance & Qualifying Party Rules
Unlimited licensure carries specific financial-responsibility requirements that go beyond the exam itself:
- A $25,000 continuous surety bond - this is the bond's face amount, not its annual premium
- At least $250,000 in property-damage coverage per occurrence
- At least $500,000 in personal-injury/bodily-harm coverage per occurrence
- Applicable employment coverage where required
There's also a designated responsible qualifying party requirement: this individual must take the examination on behalf of the business and must be authorized to supervise installation work and participate in day-to-day operations. A business can't simply hire a passer and treat licensure as a formality - the qualifying party's actual role in the company matters to IDFPR.
Key Takeaway
The $25,000 bond figure refers to the bond's face value that protects consumers and the state - not what you'll pay in premium. Confirm actual premium costs with a bonding agent separately.
A Domain-Focused Prep Timeline
Generic study techniques only help if they're pointed at the right material. Given that Steep-Slope Roofing Systems and Safety & Employee Protection together account for 60 of the 130 questions, your calendar should weight those domains heavily and leave the lighter domains for shorter, later review sessions.
Steep-Slope Roofing Systems
- Work through shingle, tile, slate, and shake installation details using the NRCA-referenced material in the CTS study guide
Safety & Employee Protection
- Drill fall-protection thresholds, ladder and scaffold rules, and jobsite hazard scenarios
Preparation & Materials + Rules/Regulations/Business
- Pair substrate/material selection review with Illinois law, NASCLA business content, and contract basics
Low-Slope & Non-Residential + Full Review
- Cover membrane and commercial systems, then run a full 130-question timed pass under the 150-minute limit
For the complete study resource list - including the May 2021 CTS-linked study guide and its NRCA, waterproofing, estimating, and NASCLA references - see our IL-ROOF study guide. If you want a condensed, exam-day-ready reference, the IL-ROOF cheat sheet distills the highest-yield facts into one page.
Renewal & License Maintenance
Illinois roofing licenses run on a fixed odd-year cycle rather than an anniversary date:
- Licenses expire December 31 of odd-numbered years - the next expiration is December 31, 2027
- Renewal costs $62.50 per year, or $125 for the normal two-year cycle
- Renewal requires continued compliance with insurance, bonding, and designated-qualifying-party rules - not just a fee payment
Because renewal is tied to ongoing bond and insurance compliance, letting either lapse can jeopardize your license status even if you pay the renewal fee on time.
Who Pursues IL-ROOF Licensure
Unlimited roofing licensure is typically pursued by owners and operators who need to legally bid and contract residential, commercial, and industrial roofing work under one license rather than juggling separate scopes. It's relevant to established crew leads stepping into ownership, roofing companies formalizing their qualifying party, and tradespeople expanding from residential-only work into commercial and industrial contracts. If you're weighing whether the licensure investment fits your career path, our ROI analysis and earnings guide lay out the practical tradeoffs, and our roofing jobs overview covers where licensed contractors typically find work in Illinois.
Whichever path brought you here, running full-length timed practice sets on our practice test platform before exam day is one of the most direct ways to see how your Steep-Slope and Safety knowledge holds up against real question pacing. Combine that with the training resources that map to each domain, and revisit the main practice site periodically as your exam date approaches to track improvement across all six domains.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Illinois Residential, Commercial and Industrial Roofing Examination, administered by Continental Testing Services under profession 105/test 03. This is the direct route to the unlimited license.
130 multiple-choice questions with a 150-minute time limit. A score of 70 or higher is required to pass.
No. Passing is only one requirement. You must separately submit IDFPR's business-license application along with entity, insurance, and $25,000 surety bond documentation to actually receive your license.
Bring two No. 2 pencils. A non-programmable, non-printing solar- or battery-powered calculator is permitted for estimating calculations.
The CTS exam fee is $248 and the separate IDFPR business-license application is $125. Licenses expire December 31 of odd-numbered years, with renewal at $62.50 per year or $125 for a two-year cycle.