- Exam Snapshot: Format, Fees, Timing
- The Ten Domains at a Glance
- 60/40 Split: Code Content vs. Statutes and Rules
- What DLI Supplies vs. What You Can't Bring
- From QC Pass to CR License: The Registration Path
- Fee and Renewal Math You Need Memorized
- Final-Week Review Priorities by Domain
- Quick-Reference Fact Table
- FAQs
- 110 questions, 330 minutes, 70% minimum passing score - no partial credit on any item.
- About 60% of questions cover the 2020 Minnesota Residential Code; the rest test statutes and rules.
- Application fee is $50 per attempt, nonrefundable - failed attempts require a 30-day wait plus a new fee.
- Passing the QC exam creates a qualifying-person registration, not a CR business license by itself.
Exam Snapshot: Format, Fees, Timing
Before you memorize a single code table, lock in the mechanics of the Minnesota Residential Remodeler License Exam (QC exam) as administered by the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI), Construction Codes and Licensing Division. This is a paper-based, in-person exam - there's no remote proctoring option, and DLI is both the governing body and the testing provider.
- Question count: 110 multiple-choice questions
- Time limit: 330 minutes
- Passing score: 70% minimum
- Application fee: $50 per attempt, nonrefundable
- Answer format: five options per question; some items require multiple selections or ask you to identify the incorrect statement
Every question carries equal weight and there is no partial credit, even on multi-select items. That means a question demanding two correct selections is scored all-or-nothing - get one of the two wrong and you get zero points for that item. For a full breakdown of how the score threshold works in practice, see the MN-REMOD Passing Score 2026 guide, and if you're still deciding how much runway to give yourself before test day, check MN-REMOD Exam Dates 2026 for scheduling logistics.
The Ten Domains at a Glance
DLI organizes technical content into ten official domains. Business statutes and rules are tested separately but woven throughout the same 110-question pool. Treat this list as your master checklist - every study session should map back to one of these ten buckets.
Domain 1: Plans and Specifications
Reading and interpreting construction documents, symbols, and specification callouts as they'd appear on a remodel job.
- Scale, dimensioning, and plan-reading conventions
Domain 2: Energy Code (Envelope Criteria)
Envelope performance requirements under the energy code - insulation values, air sealing, and fenestration criteria relevant to remodel scopes.
- Ties directly into the continuing-education energy-code hour required for renewal
Domain 3: Building Planning/Life Safety
Egress, fire separation, and general life-safety planning provisions from the 2020 Minnesota Residential Code.
- Common source of "identify the incorrect statement" question styles
Domain 4: Sitework
Grading, drainage, and site-prep considerations that affect foundation and structural decisions on remodel projects.
Domain 5: Concrete & Masonry Footings and Foundations
Footing sizing, foundation wall requirements, and masonry provisions candidates must apply to real-world remodel scenarios.
Domain 6: Carpentry
Framing methods, fasteners, and structural carpentry rules under the residential code.
Domain 7: Roofing
Roof assemblies, coverings, and code minimums - frequently paired with exterior finish questions.
Domain 8: Exterior Finishes
Siding, cladding, and weather-resistive barrier requirements for existing-structure remodel work.
Domain 9: Foam Plastic Insulation
A narrow but code-specific domain covering foam plastic insulation requirements, including thermal barrier provisions.
Domain 10: Interior Finishes
Interior wall, ceiling, and finish material provisions, often the final stretch of code-heavy content on the exam.
For a deeper walkthrough of each domain with study priorities, the MN-REMOD Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 10 Content Areas breaks these down further than a cheat sheet can.
60/40 Split: Code Content vs. Statutes and Rules
DLI describes roughly 60% of exam questions as residential-code content pulled from the ten domains above, with the remaining share addressing industry statutes and rules - licensing law, business obligations, and regulatory provisions that govern how a remodeler operates in Minnesota. Candidates who over-focus on code and skip statute review routinely leave points on the table in that other chunk of the exam.
Key Takeaway
Split your review roughly in proportion to the exam itself: heavier time on the ten technical domains, but don't skip the statutes-and-rules material - it's not a footnote, it's close to two out of every five questions.
What DLI Supplies vs. What You Can't Bring
Because this is an in-person, code-book-open exam, knowing exactly what's allowed in the room matters as much as knowing the content itself.
| Provided by DLI | Not Allowed |
|---|---|
| 2020 Minnesota Residential Code | Personal copies of the code book |
| DLI Reference Manual for Residential Building Contractor and Remodeler License Exam | Handwritten or printed notes |
| Standard desktop calculator | Personal calculators or electronic devices |
The examination guide governing these rules is dated June 2020 - if you find older or third-party study material that references a different edition, treat it with caution. Because you'll be navigating the code book and reference manual live during the exam, familiarity with their structure matters more than memorizing every clause verbatim. This is exactly the kind of nuance covered in the MN-REMOD Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt, which walks through how to practice open-book navigation under time pressure.
From QC Pass to CR License: The Registration Path
A passing score on the QC exam does not hand you a business license. It creates a qualifying-person (QC) registration. To actually operate as a licensed residential remodeler business (CR), you separately need:
- An eligible qualifying person with an ownership, officer, or managing-employee relationship to the business
- Liability insurance in place
- Workers' compensation compliance
No prerequisite education or work experience is required just to sit the exam itself - anyone can register and test. But the business license layered on top of your passing score has its own requirements, detailed in MN-REMOD Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Once you're registered as a qualifying person, that registration runs on its own two-year cycle measured from your exam passing date - separate from the business license's own renewal calendar. It renews automatically after you complete 14 approved continuing-education hours, which must include at least one energy-code hour and one business-management hour. Given that Domain 2 (Energy Code) is already a tested domain, treat those CE hours as reinforcement, not a new subject.
Key Takeaway
Remember the scope limit: a CR license authorizes work on existing residential structures. It does not authorize building new homes or detached garages - that's the qualifying builder exam's territory, not QC's.
Fee and Renewal Math You Need Memorized
Fee questions trip up candidates who studied only code content and ignored the business-side numbers. Here's the full fee picture in one place:
- Exam application fee: $50 per attempt, nonrefundable
- Failed attempt: 30-day mandatory wait, then a new application and a new $50 fee
- Initial business license fee: $180 flat
- Contractor Recovery Fund assessment (tiered by gross annual receipts):
- Below $1 million: $320
- $1 million-$5 million: $420
- Above $5 million: $520
- Business license renewal (every two years, by March 31), same receipts tiers: $505, $605, or $705
Notice the renewal totals aren't arbitrary - they reflect the same tiered recovery-fund structure layered onto a base renewal fee. For a line-by-line breakdown of every dollar figure tied to licensure, see MN-REMOD Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
Final-Week Review Priorities by Domain
If you're in the last stretch before test day, don't spread review evenly across all ten domains. Weight your remaining hours toward the domains that carry the most code density and the ones most commonly flagged as weak spots by candidates working through practice test sessions.
Code-Heavy Domains
- Concrete & Masonry Footings and Foundations
- Carpentry
- Roofing
Envelope and Assembly Domains
- Energy Code (Envelope Criteria)
- Exterior Finishes
- Foam Plastic Insulation
Planning, Sitework, Interior, and Statutes
- Plans and Specifications
- Building Planning/Life Safety
- Sitework and Interior Finishes
- Statutes and rules refresh
Generic study techniques like spaced repetition or timed drills work fine here, but only if you're applying them to these specific domain groupings rather than treating "study for the exam" as one undifferentiated task. If you're still calibrating how much total prep time you need, How Hard Is the MN-REMOD Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 and MN-REMOD Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows both help set realistic expectations before you build a timeline.
Quick-Reference Fact Table
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Governing body / testing provider | Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry |
| Question count | 110 multiple-choice questions |
| Time limit | 330 minutes |
| Passing score | 70% |
| Application fee | $50 per attempt, nonrefundable |
| Code content share | ~60% of questions |
| Number of domains | 10 |
| Retake wait period | 30 days |
| QC registration renewal | Every 2 years, 14 CE hours (1 energy code, 1 business management) |
Keep this table handy alongside a full run of practice questions so you can pressure-test recall of exact numbers, not just general concepts. If you want to understand what this credential actually opens up on the job market once you've passed, MN-REMOD Jobs and MN-REMOD Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis cover that ground, and Is the MN-REMOD Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 weighs the licensing costs against the payoff.
FAQs
No. This page is a fact-recall companion, not a substitute for working through the 2020 Minnesota Residential Code and the DLI Reference Manual in depth, since the exam is open-book and tests your ability to navigate those materials quickly.
There are ten official domains, from Plans and Specifications through Interior Finishes. DLI does not publish an exact per-domain weighting, but overall it notes that roughly 60% of questions are residential-code content with the remainder covering statutes and rules.
You must wait 30 days before reapplying, then submit a new examination application along with a new $50 nonrefundable fee. There's no rolling over a previous application.
No. Passing creates a QC (qualifying person) registration. To operate as a licensed CR business, you separately need an eligible qualifying-person relationship to the business, liability insurance, and workers' compensation compliance, plus payment of the applicable business license and Contractor Recovery Fund fees.
No. DLI supplies the 2020 Minnesota Residential Code, the DLI Reference Manual, and a standard desktop calculator. Personal reference books, notes, and electronic devices are prohibited.