The restraint ring test is used to assess the restraint stresses development and cracking potential for early-age cement based construction materials. An analytical expression is presented to estimate the time-dependent residual stresses of the restraint mortar ring considering the synthetic effects of hydration heat, autogenous shrinkage, drying shrinkage, creeping and restraint by the steel ring. The relative stiffness of the steel ring to the mortar ring is discussed. The tendency and age of cracking of the restrain mortar ring is predicted by introducing the cracking tendency factor. The present analytical method demonstrates significant agreement with the restraint ring test and numerical simulation by FEM.