NRCA ProCertified Asphalt Shingle Installer study plan

List the six required fall-protection components for residential steep-slope work (guardrail, safety net, personal fall-arrest system, warning line, slide guard, and roofing bracket/safety monitor combinations) and state the trigger conditions for each

Calculate roof slope from rise and run for five sample roofs and decide which OSHA fall-protection threshold category each falls into

Demonstrate correct placement and spacing rules for roof jacks and slide guards on a 6:12 and a 9:12 example, in writing

Identify the three most common asphalt shingle fastening defects (high nailing, overdriving, underdriving) and describe the wind and seal consequences of each

Sequence the shingle application steps for a gable-roof field: starter course, first course offset, racking pattern, and ridge cap order

State the manufacturer-specified nail placement zone on a standard three-tab and a laminated shingle and explain why nailing above the exposure line fails inspection

Describe deck preparation acceptance criteria: sheathing thickness, span rating, fastener schedule, and gap tolerances for panel and board decks

Compare underlayment options (asphalt-saturated felt weights, synthetic membranes, ice-dam membrane) and match each to the slope and eave conditions where it is required

Compute material quantities: convert roof area to squares, add the correct waste factor for hip, gable, and complex roofs, and total nails at the specified count per shingle

Explain the difference between standard and high-wind nailing patterns and state when six nails replace four

Describe proper starter-course installation for both rake edges and eave edges and the consequences of omitting starter

Diagnose five written field scenarios describing shingle misalignment, exposed fasteners, and inadequate offset and prescribe the correction

Detail step flashing at a sidewall: layer order, shingle-to-wall intersection, and counterflashing attachment

Explain valley construction for open and closed (woven) valleys, including underlayment, valley metal, and clipping of shingle edges

Describe pipe-boot, skylight, and chimney flashing sequences in correct water-shedding order

State the code and manufacturer requirements for ice-dam protection at eaves, valleys, and penetrations in cold climates

Calculate net free ventilation area for a sample attic using the 1/150 and 1/300 rules and balance intake against exhaust

Describe ridge-vent, soffit-vent, and gable-vent installation and the common intake-blockage mistakes that defeat exhaust

Explain how unbalanced or missing ventilation produces condensation, deck rot, and shingle overheating, and how each appears during inspection

Detail drip-edge and rake-edge metal installation and its role in water management at the eave

Locate and summarize the shingle-related provisions in the IRC roofing chapter: slope limits, underlayment requirements, and fastening

Read a manufacturer installation instruction set and extract the five requirements most often cited in failed inspections

Compare manufacturer instructions against code where they differ and state the rule for which governs

Identify the documentation a contractor must retain (product data sheets, warranty terms, permit inspections) and why

Build an inspection checklist covering deck, underlayment, flashing, fastening, and ventilation that can be walked in order

Recognize and name eight shingle defects from written descriptions: curling, clawing, fishmouthing, blistering, granule loss, thermal cracking, slippage, and hail bruising

Distinguish installation-caused defects from manufacturing defects and weather damage, and state the evidence that separates them

Write a repair scope for three sample defect scenarios, including whether repair or replacement is warranted

Draft a homeowner-facing explanation of a needed repair that states the defect, the risk, and the recommended action without jargon

List the documentation to capture before, during, and after a job: photos, measurements, material labels, and signed change orders

Complete two timed practice sets weighted to Domains 3 and 4 and review every missed item to its source rule

Rehearse the fall-protection and fastening rules one final time, since they carry the highest point density per topic