For plans examiners sitting the ICC R3 Residential Plans Examiner exam
ICC R3 course and practice exams
Open book, on the clock: review a house plan the way the R3 outline asks, 60 questions in 2 hours.
Practice “Rooms, means of egress and glazing” in the courseYou read the free sample for this module. The course has the full lesson and its practice questions, one at a time with the explanation after each answer.
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Answers come from this course's own plans and contents.
- 8 modules of lessons, each with a short check
- 3 timed exams at real length: 60 questions, 120 minutes
- 100 flashcards with spaced review
Lifetime access, including your retake
Not ready? Try the free 10-question check
Other options
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Everything in R3 course
Learn each R3 outline area, then prove it on timed practice exams.
- 8 lesson modules covering every task in ICC's R3 outline
- A week-by-week study plan built from your free check and exam date
- 300 original questions, each explained with the reference it uses
- 3 full-length timed exams (60 questions, 120 minutes), weighted like the real exam
- After each timed exam, see how each domain moved since your last one
- Domain scores after every drill show what to study next
- Exam-day checklist: what to bring, allowed references and the calculator rules
- Today's 10: ten a day, and every miss comes back until you get it right
- Listen to Today's 10 on the go
- Readiness by domain, from your own practice results
- Every question, reshuffled into new sets aimed at your weakest domain
- Flashcards for every domain, with spaced review
- Plumb, your AI study assistant
Best if: You want a structured path to the R3 exam.
What's covered
- Permits, plan review comments and the site plan (Exam outline topics R3.1.1, R3.1.2, R3.2.1, R3.2.2)
- Rooms, means of egress and glazing (Exam outline topics R3.3.1, R3.3.2, R3.3.4)
- Fire protection, the exterior envelope and energy (Exam outline topics R3.3.3, R3.3.5, R3.5.1)
- Design loads, footings, foundation walls and listed components (Exam outline topics R3.4.1 to R3.4.3, R3.4.6, R3.4.7)
- Structural elements and lateral bracing (Exam outline topics R3.4.4, R3.4.5)
- Mechanical, fuel gas and specialty structures (Exam outline topics R3.3.6, R3.6.1 to R3.6.5)
- Plumbing on the plans (Exam outline topics R3.7.1 to R3.7.4)
- Electrical on the plans (Exam outline topics R3.8.1 to R3.8.7)
In R3 course
- 300original questions
- 3timed exams at real length
- 8modules of lessons
- 100flashcards
See how Plumb answers
Finding things fast in an open-book exam
In an open-book exam, which habit saves the most time on each lookup?
You: I know the material, but I run out of time looking things up. What should I change?
Plumb: Learn where things live, not every word. Know the chapter order, start from the index with the plainest word for the topic, and tab the chapters you open most where the exam rules allow it.
Key point: Know where to look and you save minutes on every lookup.
An original example, not an exam question. AI can be wrong, so check it against your course.
What members get
With the course.
Today's 10 10 questions a day from your misses and your weakest domain, so what you got wrong comes back. Plus a missed set of up to 50.
A plan to your exam date Set your date and get a week-by-week plan you can add to your calendar in one tap.
Readiness by domain Your practice results against a 75% study target, and how they moved this week. A study target, not a pass prediction.
- Timed exams on the real clock. A live pace line, and Save and exit when you need a break. You pick up with the time you had left.
- Where your time went. After an open-book timed exam, your slowest questions become a practice set.
- An exam-day guide. What to bring, the references you may use and the calculator rules.
- 300 original questions, every one explained. Review every miss after each timed exam. Practice sets show you the ones you haven't seen first.
- Wrong answer key? We fix it within 2 business days and log it publicly.
- One payment. No subscription, nothing renews.
- Didn't pass? Every plan except the 7-day pass has lifetime access. Your retake prep is already paid for.
Practice drawn to the ICC R3 outline: every domain at its exam weight
- Administrative5%
- Site10%
- Architectural and Life Safety25%
- Structural25%
- Energy Efficiency5%
- Mechanical10%
- Plumbing10%
- Electrical10%
See the numbers
Each domain's weight on the ICC R3 outline, as our timed exams draw it, beside its share of the 300-question bank.
| Domain | Outline | Bank |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative | 5% | 5% |
| Site | 10% | 10% |
| Architectural and Life Safety | 25% | 25% |
| Structural | 25% | 25% |
| Energy Efficiency | 5% | 5% |
| Mechanical | 10% | 10% |
| Plumbing | 10% | 10% |
| Electrical | 10% | 10% |
Instant access. Everything in the plan you choose opens as soon as checkout completes.
See the teaching before you buyRead a complete lesson from the course, “Rooms, means of egress and glazing”, and try a short practice set with full explanations. Free, no signup.
Read the free lessonWhat the course covers
8 modules, mapped to the task numbers in International Code Council's published R3 content outline.
- Permits, plan review comments and the site plan (Exam outline topics R3.1.1, R3.1.2, R3.2.1, R3.2.2)Permits and complete construction documents · Writing plan review correspondence · Reading the site plan · Final grade and drainage away from the building
- Rooms, means of egress and glazing (Exam outline topics R3.3.1, R3.3.2, R3.3.4)Room sizes, ceiling heights, light and ventilation · Egress widths, openings, stairs, guards and rails · Safety glazing and foam plastic
- Fire protection, the exterior envelope and energy (Exam outline topics R3.3.3, R3.3.5, R3.5.1)Rated walls, draftstopping, smoke alarms and sprinklers · Veneer, siding, weather-resistant barriers and plaster · Energy provisions on the plans
- Design loads, footings, foundation walls and listed components (Exam outline topics R3.4.1 to R3.4.3, R3.4.6, R3.4.7)Checking the designer's loads · Footing depth, size and drains · Foundation walls, anchorage and dampproofing · Walls below the lowest floor in flood zones · Pre-manufactured elements and their listings
- Structural elements and lateral bracing (Exam outline topics R3.4.4, R3.4.5)Load path, spans and headers · Trusses, rafters, columns and piers · Bracing for wind and seismic loads
- Mechanical, fuel gas and specialty structures (Exam outline topics R3.3.6, R3.6.1 to R3.6.5)Equipment protection, support, access and clearance · Room volume and combustion air · Venting and vent terminations · Fuel gas pipe sizing · Fuel-burning equipment, pools, spas, fireplaces and accessory structures
- Plumbing on the plans (Exam outline topics R3.7.1 to R3.7.4)Required fixtures and their clearances · Pipe clearances, support and terminations · Protecting the potable water system · Sanitary disposal
- Electrical on the plans (Exam outline topics R3.8.1 to R3.8.7)Service size from the load calculation · Required circuits and disconnects · Grounding, electrodes and bonding · Outlets, switches, luminaires and receptacles with GFCI and AFCI protection · Panel location, working space, conductors and conduit
Questions
When do I get access?
Straight away. Checkout takes you to your course, and the receipt email has the same link.
How do I get back into my course?
Use the link in your receipt email. If you can't find it, enter your email on the course page and we resend it to the address on your order.
Is 300 questions enough?
Each one comes with a worked explanation and its reference. You also get 24 end-of-module checks. Today's 10 and your missed set bring your misses back on later days, so you work the bank instead of reading it once.
Can I get a refund?
Eligibility depends on your plan, when you request a refund and your paid use. See the refund terms for the conditions and exceptions.
What if I need a retest?
Keep studying in the same course. Your access has no end date, so your retake prep is already paid for, and your practice history, missed questions and readiness by domain are still there. The 7-day pass is the exception: it ends after 7 days.
How long do I keep access?
Lifetime access: your access has no end date. Updates are included, so if International Code Council moves this exam to a newer code edition while you have access, your course moves with it. The 7-day pass is the exception. 7-day pass: access ends 7 days after payment, to the minute. It does not renew and is not a subscription. A timed practice exam started before then can still be finished.
More questions (6)
If I buy the 7-day pass now, is its price taken off a bigger plan later?
No. Each plan is a separate purchase at its listed price, and the $29 paid for the 7-day pass is not credited toward another plan. With more than a week before your exam, a full plan is the better buy.
Are the questions copied from the exam?
No. Every question is original and written to International Code Council's published content outline. Exam content is confidential and we never use it. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by International Code Council.
How are the questions written?
In our own words, to ICC's current published outline. See how many questions cover each domain.
Can my employer pay?
Yes. Pay at checkout and we email a receipt you can expense, or download a reimbursement request to send your manager.
Is Plumb AI?
Yes. Plumb is an AI study assistant, not a person or an instructor. Check important details against your lessons and references.
Can you promise I will pass?
No, and nobody honest can. We promise everything listed in your plan, and a fix within 2 business days for any wrong answer key.
Employer paying?
Many employers fund ICC R3 prep. Generate a reimbursement request PDF to send to your manager. Buying for a crew? Request a quote