Form CBP-1 · Rev. 26CodeBookPrep

M1 · area 04 · subtopic 0402

Duct and Plenum Use and Application

4 percent of the M1 Residential Mechanical Inspector exam. At 60 questions, that is roughly 2 to 3 questions, each with about 120 seconds of budget including the lookup.

Exam
M1
Area
Duct Systems
Weight
4%
Questions
~2 to 3

What this subtopic covers

Correct use and application of ducts and plenums with the installed mechanical system; sizing of supply and return air ducts.

Paraphrased from the certification content outline published by the International Code Council for the M1 exam. This page cites no code sections and reproduces no code text: your code book carries the requirements, and the skill this site trains is finding them fast.

Outline caveat

ICC labels this outline as applicable for exams built prior to July 1, 2015. Confirm the current outline with ICC before testing.

How to drill it

  • Find the chapter of the International Residential Code that carries this subject and read it once for structure, not retention: what lives here, what gets sent elsewhere, which tables exist.
  • Write your own plain-language phrases for what this subtopic covers, then note the code's terms beside them. Mismatches between the two columns are exactly where exam questions cost you time.
  • Run timed lookups: pick a requirement named in the descriptor above, start a stopwatch, find the governing text in your book, stop. Log the seconds. Past two minutes is a miss even when the answer is right.
  • Weight your reps to the number above. Roughly 2 to 3 questions means this subtopic deserves repeated timed reps inside its area session.
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The rest of area 04: Duct Systems (8%)

SubtopicWeight
0401Duct Construction and Installation4%
Drill the translation layer freeFull M1 breakdown

The kit that goes on the table

2024 IRC2024 IRCThe book itself2021 IRC2021 IRCIf you register on 20212024 Fast-Tabs2024 Fast-TabsPlace them yourselfConstruction Master ProConstruction Master ProFeet-inch math, no errors

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The 120-second study sheet

One page: every topic weight on all four residential exams, the plain-language to code-language glossary, and the two-week study sequence. Free, straight to your inbox.

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