How the plan builder works
The ICC B1 outline gives each of its seven content areas a weight. The builder uses those weights as each area's share of your study time, then works inside the window from your start date to the day before the exam:
- Weights: Code administration 4%; Building planning 8%; Footings and foundations 16%; Floor construction 14%; Wall construction and coverings 27%; Roof and ceiling construction 14%; Public safety and special construction 17%. They total 100%, so no rescaling is needed.
- Weeks = days from start date to exam date ÷ 7, rounded up. A short last week still counts as a week.
- If you say you are new to construction and the plan is 4 or more weeks, week 1 is an orientation week: get your IRC edition, learn its layout and tab it from the outline. Everyone else starts on the areas at once.
- With 3 or more weeks, the last week is a final review across all seven areas.
- An area you tick as weak counts 1.5 times its weight, and all seven are then rescaled to total 100%.
- The study weeks between go to the areas one at a time, largest share first (outline order on ties). Each area gets share × study weeks, rounded by the largest-remainder method: everyone gets the whole-number part, then spare weeks go to the largest fractions. Every area gets at least one week.
- With fewer study weeks than areas, neighbouring areas share a week, grouped so the weeks carry about equal weight.
- Within an area's weeks, its topics are spread in order. The first week of an area includes a tab session, and every study week includes a timed lookup session.
- Each study week splits the hours you entered by background: new to construction is 55% learning, 25% practice and 20% review; trades is 50, 30 and 20; inspector-adjacent is 40, 40 and 20. The review week is practice and review only. A short week is scaled to its days.
- The free 10-question check opens week 1 and week (weeks ÷ 2, rounded down) + 1.
The plan runs up to 52 weeks. The multiplier and the hour mixes are our own planning choices, not ICC guidance. Topic labels are our own short paraphrases of what each area covers. We cite IRC sections by number only and never reproduce code text, so study from your own copy of the IRC.
Worked example 1: 10 weeks at 6 hours a week
A candidate who works in the trades starts on Monday 2 November 2026 and sits the B1 on 11 January 2027, studying 6 hours a week and ticking no weak areas. These dates are an example only.
- Days: 70, so 10 weeks. Trades means no orientation week. Week 10 is the final review, leaving 9 study weeks.
- Exact week counts: 9 × 0.27 = 2.43 (wall construction), 9 × 0.17 = 1.53 (public safety), 9 × 0.16 = 1.44 (footings), 9 × 0.14 = 1.26 (floors and roofs), 9 × 0.08 = 0.72 (planning) and 9 × 0.04 = 0.36 (administration). Whole parts give 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0 and 0, which is 6 weeks.
- The three spare weeks go to the largest fractions: 0.72 (planning), 0.53 (public safety) and 0.44 (footings). That leaves administration at zero, so it takes one week back from footings, the area furthest above its exact count.
- Final counts: wall construction 2, public safety 2, footings 1, floors 1, roofs 1, planning 1, administration 1. Weeks 1 and 2 are wall construction, 3 and 4 public safety, 5 footings, 6 floors, 7 roofs, 8 planning and 9 administration.
- The five wall topics over two weeks: topics 1 to 3 in week 1, topics 4 and 5 in week 2. Weeks 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 each open with a tab session.
- Every study week is 6 hours: 3 hours learning, 1 hour 50 minutes of practice and timed lookups, and 1 hour 10 minutes reviewing misses. The review week is 3 hours 35 minutes of practice and 2 hours 25 minutes of review.
- Share actually given: wall construction (2 + 0.27) ÷ 10 = 22.7%, public safety 21.7%, and the 14% and 16% areas about 11.4% to 11.6%. Planning and administration end up near 10.8% and 10.4%, well above their 8% and 4% weights, because each needs a whole week.
- The free check opens week 1 and week 10 ÷ 2 + 1 = week 6.
Worked example 2: 8 weeks, new to construction, roofs flagged weak
A candidate new to construction starts on 2 November 2026 and sits the exam on 28 December 2026, with 8 hours a week and roof and ceiling construction ticked as weak.
- Days: 56, so 8 weeks. Week 1 is orientation and week 8 is review, leaving 6 study weeks for 7 areas.
- Roof weight becomes 14 × 1.5 = 21, so the weights total 107. Shares: wall 25.2%, roof 19.6%, public safety 15.9%, footings 15.0%, floors 13.1%, planning 7.5% and administration 3.7%.
- Six weeks cannot give seven areas a week each, so the two lightest share one. Weeks 2 to 6 are wall construction, roof and ceiling, public safety, footings and floors. Week 7 pairs planning with administration, 11.2% of the weight together, the closest fit to an even split. Because roofs are flagged, they come second instead of fifth.
- Week 1 is 8 hours of learning the book. Each study week is 8 hours: 4 hours 25 minutes learning, 2 hours of practice and timed lookups, and 1 hour 35 minutes reviewing. The review week is 4 hours 50 minutes of practice and 3 hours 10 minutes of review.
- The free check opens week 1 and week 8 ÷ 2 + 1 = week 5.
Using the plan and the checks
The free 10-question check shows which areas are weakest. Take it at the start, put extra time into those areas in their weeks, and compare at the midpoint. The outline weights tell you where the points are, and your own scores tell you where you lose them. For a study order with IRC chapter pointers, read the ICC B1 study guide; for the weights themselves, see the B1 exam outline; to set up your book, see IRC tabs for the B1, and for question practice, the ICC B1 practice test. Short on time or new to the trade? The 30-day plan for people in the trades and the 90-day plan for people new to construction show how those schedules play out.
What the planner does not do
It does not say how long anyone should study, and it does not predict a result. The hours are yours; the plan only splits them. Equal weight on the page does not mean equal difficulty for you, so adjust after each check. ICC's current outline and candidate information control what the exam covers, and ICC can change either.
ICC B1 study plan questions
How many weeks should I study for the ICC B1?
That depends on your exam date, the hours you can give each week and how much of the IRC you already work with, so the builder starts from your dates and your hours instead of a fixed number. Enter both, add your background, and it spreads your own time across the seven outline areas, then ends with a review week.
Which B1 area should I study first?
The builder starts with wall construction and coverings, because the outline gives it the largest weight at 27%. If you already know an area is weak, tick it and it moves up and gets more weeks. Your free check score is the better guide, so take it in week one and let it reorder your time.
The B1 is open-book, so why do I need a plan?
Because the clock is the hard part. A tabbed book only pays off if you can find a section quickly, so every study week in the plan includes a timed lookup session, and a tab session when a new area starts. The free 10-question check shows which areas cost you the most time.