C-15 Flooring and Floor Covering exam questions, with answers
10 practice questions for the CSLB Flooring and Floor Covering trade exam, each with the answer, a plain explanation and the source it rests on.
These are not real exam questions. CSLB does not release its test questions or answer keys, and nobody else has them. We write our own questions from the C-15 outline and the codes, standards and references CSLB lists for the exam. Each answer names its source so you can check it.
The C-15 exam has 8 sections. The questions below are grouped by section, with the share of the exam each one carries. Read the question, pick an answer, then open “Show the answer”. The other questions of the free test, scored section by section, are in the free 25-question C-15 test.
Planning and Estimating · 21% of the exam
Evaluating plans and specifications; evaluating material characteristics; performing job-related calculations; evaluating job site readiness.
1. A bid follows CRI's Model Specification for Commercial Carpet. The vendor must submit reports for electrostatic propensity, the flooring radiant panel test, smoke density and the pill test. Who must perform these tests?
- Any lab the local fire marshal accepts
- A NVLAP-approved testing laboratory
- The installer, as field tests on the jobsite
- The carpet mill's own quality-control lab
Show the answer
Answer: B. CRI's model specification asks the vendor for reports documenting the results of these tests by a NVLAP-approved laboratory. Mill quality-control data, field tests by the installer or a lab picked by local preference do not meet that wording.
Source: CRI Model Specification for Commercial Carpet (2018), Part 4 - Suggested Submittals, By Vendor A
2. You are choosing carpet for a hotel lobby and its dining room. Which end-use rating do CRI's Typical End Use Descriptions give for areas like these?
- Severe
- Extreme
- Moderate
- Heavy
Show the answer
Answer: A. CRI rates rigorous foot traffic such as public areas, lobbies and dining facilities as Severe. Moderate covers limited-use areas such as private offices, Heavy covers areas such as conference rooms and open offices, and Extreme is for transportation areas such as airports.
Source: CRI Model Specification for Commercial Carpet (2018), Typical End Use Descriptions
Subfloor Evaluation, Preparation, and Material Acclimation · 20% of the exam
Removing existing flooring; evaluating and preparing the subfloor; testing the subfloor for moisture; installing underlayments; material acclimation; moisture mitigation.
3. A 14 ft x 16 ft kitchen slab gets ARDEX FEATHER FINISH at 1/8 in thick before sheet vinyl. The data sheet lists coverage per 10-lb bag of 16.7 sq ft at 1/4 in, 33.3 sq ft at 1/8 in and 100-300 sq ft as a skim coat. How many bags do you order?
- 3 bags
- 6 bags
- 7 bags
- 14 bags
Show the answer
Answer: C. 14 x 16 = 224 sq ft, and at 1/8 in each bag covers 33.3 sq ft: 224 / 33.3 = 6.7, rounded up to 7 bags. Six bags rounds down and comes up short, 14 bags uses the 1/4-in rate, and 3 bags uses the skim-coat rate.
4. Carpet arrives from an unheated truck on a cold morning, and the installer wants to stretch it in right away. What does CRI's bulletin on wrinkles say?
- Let it acclimate first; cold, stiff carpet cannot be properly stretched
- Warm only the seams with the seaming iron, then stretch it right away
- Stretch it now, but add 1% extra stretch to make up for the cold
- Stretch it now; cold carpet is firmer and holds its stretch longer
Show the answer
Answer: A. CRI says carpet should be acclimated to the environment where it will be installed. Cold, stiff carpet cannot be properly stretched; it later becomes warm, relaxed and loose no matter how tightly it was stretched, which leads to wrinkles.
Carpet Installation · 12% of the exam
Installing tack strip, cushions and trim; cutting and laying out carpet; seaming and sealing carpet; installing carpet; installing and replacing moldings.
5. A week after you install new carpet, the owner calls about a single tuft sticking up above the rest of the pile. What does CRI tell owners to do?
- Pull it out by hand so it cannot snag later
- Glue it down flat with a drop of seam sealer
- Have the whole room restretched to pull it in
- Clip it off with scissors; do not pull it out
Show the answer
Answer: D. CRI calls this sprouting: if a single tuft extends beyond the carpet's surface, simply clip it off with scissors and do not pull it out. Pulling can remove more yarn and open a gap, and restretching or glue does not address a loose tuft end.
Source: CRI, Installation Tips (homes), After the Installation - Sprouting
Resilient and Rubber Flooring Installation · 12% of the exam
Cutting and laying out sheet goods; using adhesives; rolling and sealing sheet goods; installing resilient trim and transitions.
6. A small damaged spot in nonpatterned commercial sheet flooring must be cut out and replaced. What repair piece does Armstrong's F-5061 Repairs chapter call for?
- A circle made with a hole cutter, edges beveled
- A triangle or diamond, edges cut straight down
- A square lined up with the walls, edges back-cut
- A long rectangle along the sheet, edges undercut
Show the answer
Answer: B. For nonpatterned commercial sheet and linoleum, Armstrong says to cut a triangle- or diamond-shaped repair piece, which will be less noticeable, with all edges cut vertically. The piece is then scored around with a square so the opening comes out slightly smaller for a tight fit.
Source: Armstrong F-5061 Ch. 10, B-6 Nonpatterned Commercial Sheet Flooring and Linoleum
Laminate Flooring Installation · 8% of the exam
Cutting and laying out laminates; installing laminate, trim and transitions.
7. A Pergo MAX laminate accent wall is 14 ft long and 9 ft high, with no openings. Pergo says to order the wall's square footage plus an extra 10% for incorrect cuts. How much flooring do you order?
- 126.0 sq ft
- 132.3 sq ft
- 138.6 sq ft
- 151.2 sq ft
Show the answer
Answer: C. 14 x 9 = 126 sq ft, plus 10%: 126 x 1.10 = 138.6 sq ft. 126.0 has no allowance for cuts, 132.3 adds only 5%, and 151.2 adds 20%. The wall is also within Pergo's 40-ft length and 10-ft height limits.
Source: Pergo MAX Install Instructions, Accent Wall: ordering and size limits
Wood Flooring Installation · 10% of the exam
Performing moisture tests; cutting and laying out wood; installing wood flooring and trim; filling and sanding wood; finishing wood.
8. A pail of DuraSeal Trowelable Wood Filler froze in your truck overnight. What do DuraSeal's directions say?
- Throw it out, since a water-based filler is ruined once it freezes
- Thin it with 1 pint of mineral spirits per gallon and stir it smooth
- Thaw it at room temperature for at least 8 hours before use
- Warm it with a heat gun for about 10 minutes, then use it at once
Show the answer
Answer: C. DuraSeal says to keep the filler from freezing, and if freezing occurs, to thaw it at room temperature for a minimum of 8 hours before using. It is a water-based product that cleans up with water, so mineral spirits are not its thinner, and the directions do not call for discarding it.
Concrete Treatment and Synthetic Application · 4% of the exam
Controlling and containing dust; applying synthetic finishes; mechanically preparing concrete surfaces.
9. A 1,350 sq ft slab gets a Sikafloor-511 prime coat. The data sheet lists 160-266 sq ft per gallon for the prime coat (6-10 mils) and 105-135 sq ft per gallon for the wear coat. Planning at the low end of the prime coat range, how many whole gallons of mixed material do you need?
- 6 gallons
- 8 gallons
- 9 gallons
- 13 gallons
Show the answer
Answer: C. Planning at 160 sq ft per gallon: 1,350 / 160 = 8.4, rounded up to 9 gallons. Six gallons uses the 266 sq ft rate, 8 gallons rounds down and runs short, and 13 gallons uses the wear-coat rate instead of the prime-coat rate.
Source: Sikafloor-511 PDS, Application Information: Coverage, Sikafloor-511 Product Data Sheet (June 2023)
Safety · 13% of the exam
Personal safety procedures; job safety procedures; operating tools and equipment safely; safe handling and disposal of products.
10. While rolling on Minwax Super Fast-Drying Polyurethane for Floors, your finisher gets a splash in one eye. What does the label's first aid section say to do?
- Flush with water for 15 minutes; see a doctor only if vision blurs
- Rinse with water for 1 minute and go back to work if the sting stops
- Wipe it with a clean rag and mineral spirits, then rinse for 5 minutes
- Flush with plenty of water for 15 minutes and get medical attention
Show the answer
Answer: D. The label says that in case of eye contact you flush thoroughly with large amounts of water for 15 minutes and get medical attention. Waiting for symptoms, a short rinse or putting solvent near the eye do not follow it.
Source: Minwax Super Fast-Drying Polyurethane for Floors, label FIRST AID
Where to go from here
How the license works, from experience to fees: how to get a C-15 license. Everything about the course: the C-15 exam page.
Questions from our free C-15 test, written from CSLB License Examination Study Guide, Flooring and Floor Covering (C-15), form 13E-15 (03-2026), for examinations scheduled on or after January 1, 2026. CSLB notes that the percentages are approximate. Reviewed 14 October 2026. Study guidance only; we are not affiliated with CSLB or PSI.