October 7 Roofing Exam Deadline: Your Checklist and Four-Week Plan
Published October 6, 2026 · Official schedule checked October 6, 2026
- Exam: November 4, 2026, in Hillside or Springfield.
- Exam fee: CTS currently lists $248 for each exam version.
- Next listed opportunity after November: January 27, 2027, with a December 30, 2026 registration deadline.
If you want to take the November 4 Illinois roofing exam, deal with registration before another workday gets away from you. Continental Testing Services (CTS) lists October 7, 2026 as the registration deadline. Buying a study guide does not register you for the exam.
Our September overview covered the six-week runway. This is the last registration check and a shorter, four-week preparation plan for candidates starting now.
Before you close the registration tab
- Confirm the date and location on CTS. Check November 4 and your Hillside or Springfield selection against the current listing.
- Confirm your exam version. CTS lists Residential, combined Residential/Commercial/Industrial, and the separate Commercial/Industrial upgrade. CTS says you must pass Residential before taking the standalone upgrade. First-time unlimited candidates should not confuse that upgrade with the combined exam.
- Follow the correct application path. Read the instructions for first-time or returning candidates. If you are retaking, CTS says to wait for your Official Result Letter before reapplying.
- Review your application and payment status. Check your contact details, complete the required steps, and save any confirmation or receipt. CTS states that testing fees are nonrefundable.
- Resolve uncertainty with CTS today. An unfinished application or a saved draft is not proof of registration. The roofing page lists (708) 354-9911, extension 126, for questions.
Do not assume a midnight cutoff. The published schedule gives a deadline date, not a time of day. Submit promptly and ask CTS about any incomplete application or submission problem; do not rely on a third-party countdown or assume a late exception.
Four weeks: study the exam you actually selected
The official CTS Roofer Study Guide lists 80 questions in 90 minutes for Residential, 130 questions in 2½ hours for the combined exam, and 80 questions in 90 minutes for the Commercial/Industrial upgrade. Use those limits for practice—not a generic three-hour test.
The schedule below is a suggested routine, not an official requirement or a promise that four weeks will be enough for everyone. Set aside a realistic daily study block and use missed questions to decide where to spend extra time.
October 7–13: baseline, safety, and materials
Read the official content outline for your exam version. Try a short practice set without looking up answers, then keep an error log: topic, why you missed it, and the reference to review. Start with safety and employee protection plus roofing preparation and materials. In the Residential outline, safety accounts for 25 of 80 questions.
October 14–20: steep-slope and low-slope systems
Work through installation sequences, underlayments, flashing, drainage, and roof-system differences. Explain the correct answer in your own words instead of memorizing a letter. Include both steep-slope and low-slope topics; the Residential outline includes both.
October 21–27: rules and your remaining weak areas
Review rules, regulations, and business practices. Combined and upgrade candidates should also cover the non-residential roofing systems in their outline. Revisit your error log and repeat the topics you still cannot explain clearly.
October 28–November 3: timed practice and logistics
Run timed practice at your exam's pace, review errors, and avoid treating a familiar practice score as a guaranteed result. Check your CTS admission information for the assigned site, time, and instructions. The official study guide says to bring two sharpened No. 2 black-lead pencils and permits a non-programmable, non-printing, solar- or battery-powered pocket calculator. Follow your admission instructions for all other requirements.
If November is not workable: 2027 dates are now listed
As checked October 6, CTS has published these first three 2027 exam dates. They are not a confirmed full-year schedule:
- January 27, 2027: register by December 30, 2026.
- March 24, 2027: register by February 24, 2027.
- May 19, 2027: register by April 21, 2027.
All three currently list Hillside and Springfield. Notice that the January deadline falls in December—waiting until the new year would miss that listed deadline. Check our updated exam dates page and confirm availability and requirements with CTS before applying.
Choose a guide that fits your exam.
ILA offers Residential and Unlimited self-study PDF guides. Compare the coverage, choose the one that matches your path, and build a routine around the official CTS outline. Prep materials are separate from CTS registration and do not guarantee a passing score.
Compare Residential and Unlimited Guides →Official sources
- CTS Illinois 105 Roofing Contractors — dates, deadlines, locations, fees, application link, and retake instructions.
- CTS Roofer Study Guide — exam lengths, content outlines, and permitted items.
- IDFPR Roofing Contractor — official qualifying-party and licensing resources.
Sources checked October 6, 2026. Dates and requirements may change; the official agencies control registration and licensure. Illinois Licensing Academy is independent and is not affiliated with IDFPR or CTS.