- The NV-C15 Blueprint at a Glance
- Domain 1: Safety
- Domain 2: Roofing Substrates
- Domain 3: Steep Roofing
- Domain 4: Roofing Repairs
- Domain 5: Elastomeric Roofing
- Domain 6: Built-up Bituminous Roofing
- Domain 7: Sheet Metal and Flashing
- Domain 8: Siding
- Domain 9: Photovoltaic Systems
- What You Can Actually Bring Into the Room
- Scheduling Study Time by Domain Weight
- Registration and Fee Mechanics
- FAQs
- The NV-C15 blueprint has 60 scored questions across 9 domains, with 120 minutes to finish.
- Passing requires 45 correct answers (75%); PSI may slip in up to 10 unscored experimental items.
- Steep Roofing is the largest domain at 16 of 60 questions - build your study plan around it.
- Only the 2018 International Building Code is open-book; NRCA manuals and OSHA materials are study-only.
The NV-C15 Blueprint at a Glance
Before diving into content areas, it helps to understand the shape of the exam itself. The Nevada C-15 Roofing and Siding Contractor trade examination, administered by PSI on behalf of the Nevada State Contractors Board, consists of 60 scored multiple-choice questions delivered on computer. Candidates get 120 minutes to work through the exam, and PSI may quietly add between 1 and 10 unscored experimental questions within that same time window - meaning a test session can feel longer than 60 questions even though only 60 count toward your score.
To pass, you need 45 correct answers, which works out to 75%. There is no partial credit for domain-level performance; the pass/fail decision is based purely on your total correct count across all nine content areas. That single number is why understanding how the domains are weighted matters so much for how you allocate study time - a topic covered in more depth in our NV-C15 Passing Score guide.
Domain 1: Safety
Safety
This domain covers the jobsite hazards specific to roofing and siding work: fall protection systems, ladder and scaffold setup, hazard communication, and safe handling of hot materials and power tools used in steep and low-slope roofing. Questions here test whether you know not just the rule, but the practical application on a live roof.
- Fall protection anchor points and guardrail requirements on steep-slope work
- Safe staging and material handling for shingles, membrane rolls, and metal panels
- Hazard recognition around hot bitumen kettles and torch-applied systems
Domain 2: Roofing Substrates
Roofing Substrates
Substrate questions focus on what lies beneath the finished roof surface - decking materials, underlayment selection, ventilation planes, and compatibility between substrate and finish system. Expect scenario questions where the correct underlayment or fastening pattern depends on the deck type described.
- Wood, gypsum, and structural panel decking characteristics
- Underlayment selection for different climate and slope conditions
- Ventilation and moisture management above the substrate
Domain 3: Steep Roofing
Steep Roofing - the largest domain
Steep Roofing is the single biggest content area on the NV-C15 exam, contributing 16 of the 60 scored questions. It covers shingle, tile, and shake installation, flashing details at valleys and penetrations, exposure and nailing patterns, and manufacturer installation tolerances. Because of its outsized share of the blueprint, weak knowledge here has a disproportionate effect on your overall score.
- Proper shingle exposure, offset, and nailing zone placement
- Valley, hip, and ridge detailing on steep-slope assemblies
- Tile and shake fastening methods and wind-uplift considerations
Key Takeaway
Since Steep Roofing represents roughly 27% of the scored questions, spend more study hours here than on any other single domain - it is the highest-leverage area on the entire NV-C15 blueprint.
Domain 4: Roofing Repairs
Roofing Repairs
This domain tests diagnostic thinking as much as installation knowledge: identifying leak sources, evaluating whether a repair or full replacement is warranted, and executing patch repairs across different roofing systems without voiding warranties or violating code.
- Leak tracing and moisture intrusion diagnosis
- Patch and section-replacement techniques across membrane and shingle systems
- Matching repair materials to existing roof assemblies
Domain 5: Elastomeric Roofing
Elastomeric Roofing
Elastomeric systems - single-ply membranes and rubberized coatings - bring their own installation logic: seam welding, adhesive versus mechanically-attached systems, and substrate preparation. Expect questions distinguishing installation steps between different elastomeric membrane types.
- Seam bonding and welding technique for single-ply membranes
- Adhered versus mechanically fastened attachment methods
- Coating application thickness and cure requirements
Domain 6: Built-up Bituminous Roofing
Built-up Bituminous Roofing
Traditional built-up roofing (BUR) questions cover layering of felt plies, hot and cold application methods, and surfacing options like gravel or cap sheets. Candidates need to know sequencing - which ply goes down first and why overlap matters for waterproofing performance.
- Ply layering, overlap, and bonding sequence
- Hot-applied versus cold-applied bitumen systems
- Surfacing and cap sheet selection for durability
Domain 7: Sheet Metal and Flashing
Sheet Metal and Flashing
Flashing is where most real-world leaks originate, so this domain probes detail-level knowledge: step flashing, counterflashing, drip edge, and metal panel expansion joints. Questions often present a specific roof-wall or roof-penetration intersection and ask which flashing detail is correct.
- Step, counter, and continuous flashing applications
- Metal panel seaming and expansion allowance
- Flashing at chimneys, skylights, and vent penetrations
Domain 8: Siding
Siding
The siding portion tests installation of common exterior cladding types - fiber cement, vinyl, wood, and metal siding - along with moisture barrier integration and fastening schedules that keep siding performing under Nevada's temperature swings.
- Moisture barrier and weather-resistive barrier integration behind siding
- Fastening patterns and expansion gaps for different siding materials
- Trim, corner, and transition detailing
Domain 9: Photovoltaic Systems
Photovoltaic Systems
As solar installation increasingly overlaps with roofing trades, this domain covers roof-mounted PV racking, penetration sealing around mounts, and coordination between roofing assembly and solar attachment points so warranties and waterproofing aren't compromised.
- Roof attachment and racking penetration sealing methods
- Load and structural considerations for roof-mounted PV arrays
- Coordinating roofing warranty terms with solar installation
What You Can Actually Bring Into the Room
One detail that trips up candidates who studied generically for "contractor exams" is the reference policy. On the NV-C15 exam, the only open-book reference permitted during testing is the listed 2018 International Building Code. NRCA manuals, OSHA references, and other study materials are useful for learning the material but cannot be brought in as references during the actual test.
Because the code book is your only in-exam resource, knowing exactly where relevant sections live before test day is far more valuable than trying to memorize every code citation. This is one reason a structured review, like the one outlined in our NV-C15 Study Guide, treats code navigation as its own skill rather than an afterthought.
Scheduling Study Time by Domain Weight
Generic study advice tells you to review everything equally. That doesn't work well here, because the domains are not equally weighted. With Steep Roofing alone worth 16 of 60 questions, it deserves a proportionally larger block of your preparation time than domains like Elastomeric Roofing or Photovoltaic Systems, which - while still tested - cover narrower slices of the blueprint.
Foundation domains
- Safety and Roofing Substrates - build baseline vocabulary and code awareness
Highest-weight domain
- Steep Roofing deep dive - installation details, flashing, fastening patterns
Systems and repairs
- Roofing Repairs, Elastomeric Roofing, and Built-up Bituminous Roofing
Detail and finishing domains
- Sheet Metal and Flashing, Siding, and Photovoltaic Systems, then full practice runs
For a broader look at how difficult candidates typically find this pacing, see How Hard Is the NV-C15 Exam?, and for a data-informed view of outcomes, check NV-C15 Pass Rate: What the Data Shows.
Registration and Fee Mechanics
Domain knowledge only matters once you're actually eligible to sit for the exam. Nevada requires Board approval before you can schedule with PSI, and the trade qualifier generally needs four years of relevant journey-level, foreman, supervisory, or contractor experience within the preceding fifteen years - with approved education able to substitute for up to three of those years. Full detail on eligibility lives in our NV-C15 Requirements guide.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Single exam portion fee | $95 |
| Trade exam + Contractor Management Survey (CMS) together | $140 |
| Application fee | $300 |
| Initial license / biennial renewal | $600 (plus applicable Residential Recovery Fund charges) |
| Time to complete required exams after application | Within 6 months |
| Retake wait time | 2 weeks |
| Failure limit | 3 failures void the application |
For the full cost picture across licensing stages, see NV-C15 Certification Cost: Complete Pricing Breakdown, and for scheduling windows around the March 25, 2026 PSI bulletin, review NV-C15 Exam Dates: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.
Once you're prepared across all nine domains, running full-length timed simulations on our practice test platform is the most direct way to confirm you can hit 45 correct answers within the 120-minute window before committing to a scheduled date.
FAQs
There are nine content areas: Safety, Roofing Substrates, Steep Roofing, Roofing Repairs, Elastomeric Roofing, Built-up Bituminous Roofing, Sheet Metal and Flashing, Siding, and Photovoltaic Systems.
Steep Roofing is the largest domain, contributing 16 of the 60 scored questions on the exam.
No. Handwritten notes and loose papers are prohibited both before and during testing. You may pre-highlight, underline, and tab the 2018 International Building Code, which is the only open-book reference allowed.
Yes, all 60 questions across the nine domains are scored. PSI may add 1 to 10 additional unscored experimental questions within the same 120-minute time limit, but those do not affect your result.
You need 45 correct answers out of 60 total, which is 75%, calculated across all nine domains combined rather than per domain. See our passing score breakdown for more detail.
Understanding the nine domains individually is only half the job - matching your study hours to each domain's actual weight on the blueprint, especially the outsized Steep Roofing section, is what separates candidates who pass comfortably from those who scrape by. Once each domain box above feels familiar, timed practice on the full NV-C15 practice platform is the next logical step toward exam day.