For contractors sitting the NASCLA Commercial General Building exam
NASCLA Commercial course and practice exams
Learn which of your 24 books answers each kind of question, then prove it on full-length timed practice exams on the real 330-minute clock.
Practice “Concrete, reinforcing, post-tensioning and precast” in the courseThis module is in the course. 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.
- 12 modules of lessons, each with a short check
- 4 timed exams at real length: 115 questions, 330 minutes
- 152 flashcards with spaced review
Lifetime access, including your retake
Not paid to us Exam fee $130. Our prices above cover the prep, not the exam.
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Everything in NASCLA Commercial course
Learn all 12 subject areas and where to look in your books, then prove it on timed practice exams.
- 12 lesson modules covering every task in NASCLA's NASCLA Commercial outline
- A week-by-week study plan built from your free check and exam date
- 472 original questions, each explained with the reference it uses
- 4 full-length timed exams (115 questions, 330 minutes), weighted like the real exam
- PSI's exam is 125 questions in 330 minutes: the 115 scored questions plus 10 unscored pretest questions. Each practice exam holds 115 questions in the full 330 minutes; the pretest questions are not simulated.
- 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
- Seal, your AI study assistant
Best if: You want a clear path through the 12 subject areas and the open-book reference list.
What's covered
- General requirements and your reference map (Subject area SA.1)
- Site construction, excavation and stormwater (Subject area SA.2)
- Concrete, reinforcing, post-tensioning and precast (Subject area SA.3)
- Masonry units, mortar and estimating (Subject area SA.4)
- Structural steel, joists and steel deck (Subject area SA.5)
- Wood framing, lumber and trusses (Subject area SA.6)
- Roofing, insulation, EIFS and waterproofing (Subject area SA.7)
- Doors, hardware, windows and glazing (Subject area SA.8)
- Gypsum board, finishes and takeoffs (Subject area SA.9)
- HVAC, plumbing and fire protection systems (Subject area SA.10)
- Electrical systems and jobsite power (Subject area SA.11)
- Procurement, contracting and running the business (Subject area SA.12)
In NASCLA Commercial course
- 472original questions
- 4timed exams at real length
- 12modules of lessons
- 152flashcards
See how Seal answers
Markup vs margin
Estimated cost for a remodel is $60,000. The contractor prices every job for a 25% margin, figured on price. What is the bid?
You: I added 25% to the cost and got $75,000. Why is $80,000 the answer?
Seal: Margin is profit as a share of the selling price, not of the cost. Adding 25% to $60,000 gives $75,000, but then the $15,000 profit is only 20% of that price. For a 25% margin, divide the cost by 1 minus the margin: $60,000 / 0.75 = $80,000. Check it: $80,000 - $60,000 = $20,000, and $20,000 / $80,000 = 25%.
Key point: Price from a margin is cost divided by (1 - margin). Adding the margin percent to cost gives a markup, which leaves the margin short.
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.
- 472 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 NASCLA Commercial outline: every domain within 1 point of its exam weight
- General Requirements22%
- Site Construction13%
- Concrete5%
- Masonry3%
- Metals5%
- Wood4%
- Thermal and Moisture Protection4%
- Doors, Windows, and Glazing3%
- Finishes4%
- Mechanical and Plumbing Systems5%
- Electrical Systems3%
- Procurement and Contracting Requirements27%
See the numbers
Each domain's weight on the NASCLA Commercial outline, as our timed exams draw it, beside its share of the 472-question bank.
| Domain | Outline | Bank |
|---|---|---|
| General Requirements | 22% | 21% |
| Site Construction | 13% | 13% |
| Concrete | 5% | 5% |
| Masonry | 3% | 4% |
| Metals | 5% | 5% |
| Wood | 4% | 4% |
| Thermal and Moisture Protection | 4% | 4% |
| Doors, Windows, and Glazing | 3% | 4% |
| Finishes | 4% | 4% |
| Mechanical and Plumbing Systems | 5% | 5% |
| Electrical Systems | 3% | 3% |
| Procurement and Contracting Requirements | 27% | 28% |
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, “Markup versus margin: pricing a bid”, and try a short practice set with full explanations. Free, no signup.
Read the free lessonWhat the course covers
12 modules, mapped to the subject areas in the published NASCLA Commercial content outline.
- General requirements and your reference map (Subject area SA.1)How the open-book exam works · The reference map · A tabbing plan · Jobsite safety under 29 CFR 1926 · Scheduling and the critical path · Submittals, RFIs, records and closeout · Green building, accessibility and the building code
- Site construction, excavation and stormwater (Subject area SA.2)Excavation safety and soil types · Earthwork quantities · Utilities, pipe and site work · Stormwater and erosion control
- Concrete, reinforcing, post-tensioning and precast (Subject area SA.3)Concrete materials and the water-cement ratio · Placing, finishing and curing · Reinforcing, post-tensioning and precast
- Masonry units, mortar and estimating (Subject area SA.4)Units, mortar and grout · Estimating brick and block · Flashing, weeps, movement and cold weather
- Structural steel, joists and steel deck (Subject area SA.5)Structural steel framing and erection · Steel joists and joist girders · Steel deck
- Wood framing, lumber and trusses (Subject area SA.6)Lumber sizes and board feet · Framing, sheathing and fasteners · Trusses: handling, installing and bracing
- Roofing, insulation, EIFS and waterproofing (Subject area SA.7)Roofing systems and roof takeoffs · Insulation, air barriers and vapor control · EIFS, waterproofing and sealants
- Doors, hardware, windows and glazing (Subject area SA.8)Doors, frames and hardware · Fire-rated openings · Windows, glazing and storefronts
- Gypsum board, finishes and takeoffs (Subject area SA.9)Gypsum board systems · Joint finishing levels and quality · Takeoffs: board, paint, flooring and ceilings
- HVAC, plumbing and fire protection systems (Subject area SA.10)HVAC systems and loads · Plumbing supply and drainage · Fire protection and coordination
- Electrical systems and jobsite power (Subject area SA.11)Ohm's law and power · Services, distribution and branch circuits · Temporary power and jobsite electrical safety
- Procurement, contracting and running the business (Subject area SA.12)Bidding and estimating · Markup, margin and the bid price · Bonds and insurance · Contracts and project delivery · Changes, payment, retainage and liens · Business organization and financial statements · Break-even, ratios and depreciation · Payroll, tax and employment law
Questions
Do I need all 24 books?
The exam is open book, and none of the 24 listed references are provided at the test center, so any book you want open on exam day is one you bring. The course teaches which book answers which kind of question, and the free tabbing guide lists what to tab in each one, so your books speed you up instead of slowing you down.
How much time does the exam give me?
330 minutes for 125 questions, 10 of them unscored, so about two and a half minutes a question with your books open. The course trains that pace: full-length timed exams of 115 questions on the 330-minute clock, with Save and exit when you need a break. Set your exam date and the study plan spreads the 12 subject areas over the weeks you have.
Which states accept the NASCLA exam?
NASCLA lists 20 agencies in 18 states and territories: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia and West Virginia. In most of them a pass replaces the state trade exam, and each state still sets its own application and business and law exam. The free state guides cover each one.
What comes with the course besides questions?
12 modules of lessons that teach where to look in your books, full-length timed practice exams, flashcards with spaced review, a week-by-week study plan set to your exam date, an exam-day checklist, and Seal, your AI study buddy, to walk you through any question you miss. Try the free plan-reading drills and the free tabbing guide to see the standard first.
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.
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.
More questions (9)
Is 472 questions enough?
Each one comes with a worked explanation and its reference. You also get 36 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.
How long do I keep access?
Lifetime access: your access has no end date. Updates are included, so if NASCLA 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.
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 NASCLA's published content outline. Exam content is confidential and we never use it. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by NASCLA or PSI.
How are the questions written?
In our own words, to NASCLA'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 Seal AI?
Yes. Seal 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 NASCLA Commercial prep. Generate a reimbursement request PDF to send to your manager. Buying for a crew? Request a quote
Free practice
Drawn floor plan, wall section and site plan sheets to read and answer from. Practice for the blueprint packet handed out at the test center.
Jobsite situations, each matched to the listed reference that answers it. The habit that saves the most time on an open-book exam.
A tab color and the topics to tab for every listed reference, with the book rules up front. Print it and start tabbing.