AZ-ROOF Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass

The Passing Score Number

If you're preparing for the Arizona Roofing Contractor Trade Exam (AZ-ROOF), also identified as CR-42 Roofing (Residential/Commercial), the number that matters most is 70%. That's the passing score set for this PSI-administered exam under the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (AZ ROC). With 50 total questions on the exam, 70% translates to a concrete target: you need to answer 35 questions correctly out of 50 to pass.

There's no partial credit for "close enough" and no curve. It's a straight percentage-based cutoff applied to your raw score. Missing 16 or more questions means a retake, additional fees, and another 120-minute appointment on your calendar. Understanding this threshold early - before you build a study plan - should shape how you allocate time across the six exam domains rather than studying everything evenly.

How the CR-42 Exam Is Scored

The CR-42 Roofing exam is a fixed-length, 50-question test administered through PSI's testing platform. Unlike adaptive exams that change question difficulty based on your responses, this is a static-length exam: every candidate answers the same total number of questions, and every correct answer counts equally toward your raw score.

PSI converts your raw score into a percentage and compares it against the 70% cutoff. There's no separate scaled score to interpret, and no domain-by-domain "must pass each section" requirement published for this exam - the 70% threshold applies to your overall performance across all 50 questions combined. That said, because one domain is weighted so heavily (more on that below), a weak showing in that section will drag your overall percentage down fast, even if you nail the smaller sections.

For a deeper look at how the exam's structure compares to other licensing tests and why some candidates find it more demanding than expected, see How Hard Is the AZ-ROOF Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.

Question Breakdown by Domain

PSI's exam outline, last revised June 8, 2023, organizes the CR-42 exam into six content areas. Knowing the exact question count per domain is the single most useful piece of information for building a study plan around the 70% passing target.

Notice how lopsided this is. Steep and Low Slope Roofing, including BUR and waterproofing, accounts for 20 of the 50 questions - a full 40% of the exam by itself. That single domain is worth more than the two smallest domains and the safety section combined. If you're deciding where to spend your limited study hours, this table should be your starting point, not an afterthought.

For a full walkthrough of what each of the six domains actually tests - not just the question counts but the specific knowledge areas within each - read AZ-ROOF Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 6 Content Areas.

What 70% Actually Requires

A 70% passing score sounds moderate on paper, but the domain weighting changes the practical math. Consider two scenarios:

• Scenario A: A candidate scores well on the four smaller domains (Estimating, Surface Prep, Safety, Repairs/Reroofing - together 25 questions) but struggles with Steep and Low Slope Roofing and Roofing Components. Even perfect scores on the smaller domains only guarantee 25 correct answers - short of the 35 needed.
• Scenario B: A candidate has strong command of Steep and Low Slope Roofing (20 questions) and Roofing Components (10 questions) - 30 of the 50 questions - and only moderate knowledge elsewhere. This candidate is far closer to passing than Scenario A, even with weaker performance on smaller sections.

This isn't a suggestion to ignore the smaller domains - Safety, for instance, touches OSHA-referenced material that also shows up conceptually elsewhere on the exam. But it does mean your study hours should be allocated proportionally to question count, not evenly split six ways.

Open-Book Rules That Affect Your Score

One factor that directly affects your ability to hit 70% is what you're allowed to bring into the testing room. The CR-42 exam is partly open book, meaning some reference materials are permitted at your seat while others are for study purposes only.

Approved in-room references include the listed OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926 materials and one edition of the IBC or IRC - 2009, 2012, 2015, or 2018. You can bring pre-existing annotations, highlighting, and permanent tabs in these approved references. What's prohibited: loose papers, temporary tabs, and any writing done during the testing session itself. A silent, nonprinting, nonprogrammable calculator is also permitted.

Here's the catch many candidates miss: Roofing Construction & Estimating and the listed NRCA manuals are study-only resources - they are not allowed in the exam room, even though they're excellent preparation material. Building familiarity with these texts before test day, then relying on your approved OSHA and code references during the exam, is the intended workflow.

A Domain-Weighted Study Timeline

Generic study techniques - spaced repetition, timed practice blocks, active recall - only matter if they're pointed at the right material. Below is a sample allocation that mirrors the actual question weighting of the CR-42 exam rather than splitting attention evenly across all six domains.

For a structured breakdown of exactly what to study each week with more detail on materials and pacing, see AZ-ROOF Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. And if you want a condensed version of must-know facts to review in the final days before your exam, the AZ-ROOF Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts is built for quick review rather than deep study.

Running full-length timed simulations on our practice test platform before test day is one of the most direct ways to confirm you're consistently clearing 35 out of 50 under real time constraints, not just in isolated topic review.

The Passing Score and the SRE

It's worth being clear about what the 70% passing score does and doesn't cover. The CR-42 Roofing trade exam and the Statutes and Rules Examination (SRE) are separate licensing components administered independently. The passing score discussed in this article applies specifically to the CR-42 trade exam - the SRE has its own separate testing requirement as part of the overall licensing process.

Both exams generally must be taken within two years before your license application, so timing matters on both fronts. Confusing the two, or assuming that passing one satisfies the other, is a mistake that can delay your license. If you're still mapping out the full licensing path - including the qualifying party's experience requirements - the AZ-ROOF Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify guide covers the four-year trade experience baseline and documentation provisions in detail.

Retakes, Renewal, and What's on the Line

Missing the 70% threshold means scheduling a retake, which costs additional time and testing fees. Beyond the exam itself, it's worth understanding the full financial picture of maintaining an Arizona roofing license once you've passed. The standard Specialty Dual renewal totals $650 per two-year cycle - $380 for renewal plus a $270 recovery-fund assessment. That's a recurring cost tied to keeping the license active, separate from the one-time cost of the exam itself.

For a complete breakdown of every fee involved in getting licensed and staying licensed, see AZ-ROOF Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown. And remember: the license belongs to the business, not the individual qualifying party, so business eligibility and background checks are part of the equation alongside your exam performance.

If you're weighing whether pursuing this license is worth the time and cost relative to your career goals, Is the AZ-ROOF Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and AZ-ROOF Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis look at that question from different angles.

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