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Exam facts and requirements
57 resourcesWhat is on the exam, who can sit it, what it costs and how to keep it.
- NASCLA exam outline: 12 areas and question countsThe NASCLA Commercial General Building outline in plain English: twelve subject areas, how many of the 115 scored questions each carries, and how to study.
- How hard is the NASCLA exam? What it testsHow hard the NASCLA Commercial General Building exam is, from what PSI publishes: 115 scored questions in 330 minutes, open book, and where practice pays off.
- NASCLA reference books: the 24 titles and tabbingThe 24 references PSI lists for the open-book NASCLA Commercial General Building exam, with editions, the highlighting and tabbing rules, and a tabbing plan.
- Which states accept the NASCLA exam?The 20 state agencies in 18 states and territories that NASCLA lists as accepting its commercial exam (read 5 Nov 2026), and what each state still requires.
- NASCLA exam cost, scheduling and retakesWhat PSI's bulletin says about the NASCLA commercial exam: NASCLA approval first, the $130 fee, scheduling, results in NED and the three-attempt limit.
- Bid Bond for general contractors: seats and invoicesPlan NASCLA Commercial General Building exam prep for estimators and project managers: how the exam is built, the one-year window and what the free check shows.
- Bid bond vs performance bond vs payment bondA bid bond backs the bid, a performance bond backs finishing the work, and a payment bond backs paying subs and suppliers. Who each protects, with numbers.
- What is a bid bond? How it works, with numbersA bid bond promises the owner the low bidder will sign the contract and provide its bonds. How the penal sum works, what a claim pays, and a worked example.
- Retainage explained: how it is held and paidRetainage is the share of each progress payment an owner holds back until the job is done. How to work it on a pay application, and what it does to cash flow.
- Markup vs margin for contractors, with a tableMarkup is profit as a share of cost; margin is the same profit as a share of price. The two formulas, a conversion table and a worked bid that shows the gap.
- Change orders in construction: how to price oneA change order is a signed agreement changing a contract's scope, price or time. Change directives, notice, pricing with markup, and a worked example.
- Lien waivers: conditional vs unconditionalLien waivers trade lien rights for payment. Conditional vs unconditional, progress vs final, what each type does, and why your state's law decides the details.
- Pay-if-paid vs pay-when-paid clauses explainedPay-when-paid sets when a sub is paid; pay-if-paid makes the owner's payment a condition. Who carries the risk, how courts read them, and a worked example.
- Liability vs builder's risk vs workers' compGeneral liability covers harm to others, builder's risk the work being built, workers' comp your own employees. One fire, three claims, with numbers.
- CPM scheduling and float: total vs free floatThe critical path method finds the longest chain of activities. Forward and backward passes, total float vs free float, and a worked six-activity schedule.
- Lump sum vs cost-plus vs GMP contracts comparedLump sum puts cost risk on the contractor, cost-plus puts it on the owner, and a GMP caps the owner's cost. One job priced three ways, with the arithmetic.
- Submittals vs RFIs in construction, explainedA submittal shows how you will meet the documents; an RFI asks the designer to clarify them. Types, review actions, logs, and a worked lead-time schedule.
- Contractor job costing and overhead, worked outJob costing tracks each job's labor, material, equipment and sub costs against budget; overhead is spread over jobs at a rate. Rates, burden and a worked job.
- Contractor financial ratios, worked exampleCurrent ratio, quick ratio, working capital, debt to equity, profit margins and days in receivables, worked from one invented contractor's statements.
- Business entity choices for contractors comparedSole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, C corporation or S corporation: owner liability, tax treatment, and what bonding and licensing change, with an example.
- Applying for the NASCLA exam and NED transcriptsThe NASCLA commercial exam in order: apply to NASCLA in NED, book with PSI, then send your result to states as a NED transcript, with what the bulletin says.
- NASCLA exam vs a state trade exam: which to takeWhat the NASCLA commercial exam replaces and what it does not, how it compares with taking one state's own trade exam, and questions to ask before you choose.
- How to tab and highlight your NASCLA booksThe PSI rules for tabbing and highlighting books for the open-book NASCLA commercial exam, and a step-by-step plan to tab 24 references so lookups take seconds.
- How to pace 125 NASCLA questions in 330 minutesA pacing plan for the NASCLA commercial exam: 115 scored and 10 pretest questions in 330 minutes, with checkpoints, a two-pass method and a 30-minute reserve.
- What calculator to bring to the NASCLA examPSI's calculator rules for the NASCLA commercial exam in plain words, what kind of calculator fits them, and the keystrokes to practice before test day.
- The NASCLA diagram and blueprint packetWhat PSI's bulletin says about the diagram and blueprint packet handed out at the NASCLA commercial exam, what it leaves out, and how to prep for plan reading.
- NASCLA OSHA topics: the 29 CFR 1926 rules to knowThe OSHA construction rules most worth knowing for the NASCLA commercial exam, by section, with each value checked against the current eCFR. In our own words.
- Liquidated damages in construction, worked outLiquidated damages are a daily amount agreed in the contract for finishing late. What makes them enforceable, how extensions change them, and a worked example.
- Substantial completion and punch lists explainedSubstantial completion is when the owner can use the work; the punch list is what is left. What changes on that date, how a punch list runs, and the money.
- Bonding capacity and surety prequalificationBonding capacity is how much bonded work a surety will back, per job and in total. What underwriters look at, how a program is sized, and a worked check.
- The Miller Act and state Little Miller ActsThe Miller Act requires performance and payment bonds on federal construction. Who can claim on the payment bond, the 90-day notice, the suit limit, state laws.
- Davis-Bacon prevailing wage for contractorsDavis-Bacon sets minimum wages and fringes by trade on federal construction. Wage determinations, weekly pay, certified payroll and a worked overtime case.
- Bid shopping and bid peddling in constructionBid shopping is using one sub's price to push others lower; bid peddling is a sub undercutting after bids close. Why both hurt, and fair buyout instead.
- Differing site conditions: Type I and Type IIA differing site condition is a physical condition unlike what the contract shows or what is normal. Type I vs Type II, notice, and a priced example.
- Notice to proceed and contract time, worked outThe notice to proceed starts the contract clock. Calendar vs working days, how to count to the completion date, how extensions move it, and a worked date count.
- Schedule of values and pay applications explainedA schedule of values splits the contract sum into lines that progress billing is measured against. How to build one, bill from it, and why front-loading fails.
- Certificate of insurance and additional insuredA certificate of insurance shows coverage but does not change the policy; additional insured status needs an endorsement. What to check on a sub's certificate.
- OSHA 300 log and injury records for contractorsWho keeps the OSHA 300 log, what is recordable, the 7-day, 8-hour and 24-hour clocks, the 300A posting and 5-year retention, per 29 CFR 1904.
- SWPPP for builders: permits, BMPs and closeoutA SWPPP is the site plan a construction stormwater permit requires. Who needs one, erosion vs sediment control, inspections and closeout, from the EPA guide.
- The NASCLA exam in AlabamaThe NASCLA commercial exam in Alabama: what NASCLA's list shows for the Home Builders Licensure Board and the General Contractors board, read 7 Nov 2026.
- The NASCLA exam in ArizonaHow the NASCLA commercial exam fits in Arizona: what NASCLA's list shows for the Registrar of Contractors (B-1 and B-2), read 7 Nov 2026, and what to confirm.
- The NASCLA exam in ArkansasThe NASCLA commercial exam in Arkansas: what NASCLA's list shows for the Contractors Licensing Board, read 7 Nov 2026, and what to confirm with the board.
- The NASCLA exam in CaliforniaThe NASCLA commercial exam in California: CSLB's trade exam waiver for out-of-state contractors licensed at least five years, read on CSLB's site 7 Nov 2026.
- The NASCLA exam in FloridaHow the NASCLA commercial exam fits in Florida: what NASCLA's list shows for the Construction Industry Licensing Board, read 7 Nov 2026, and what to confirm.
- The NASCLA exam in GeorgiaThe NASCLA commercial exam in Georgia: the general contractor checklists that list a NASCLA transcript, read on the Secretary of State's site 7 Nov 2026.
- The NASCLA exam in LouisianaThe NASCLA commercial exam in Louisiana: LSLBC exam credit for Building Construction and the Business and Law course, read on LSLBC's site 7 Nov 2026.
- The NASCLA exam in MississippiThe NASCLA commercial exam in Mississippi: MSBOC accepts it instead of the Building Construction exam, plus the Law and Business Management exam, 7 Nov 2026.
- The NASCLA exam in NevadaThe NASCLA commercial exam in Nevada: the Contractors Board waives its trade exam for a general building classification, read on the board's site 7 Nov 2026.
- The NASCLA exam in New MexicoThe NASCLA commercial exam in New Mexico: what NASCLA's list shows for the Construction Industries Division (GB98), read 7 Nov 2026, and what to confirm.
- The NASCLA exam in North CarolinaThe NASCLA commercial exam in North Carolina: what NASCLA's list shows for the Licensing Board for General Contractors, read 7 Nov 2026, and what to confirm.
- The NASCLA exam in OregonThe NASCLA commercial exam in Oregon: the CCB lets NASCLA passers skip the 16-hour pre-license training but not the Oregon exam, read on CCB's site 7 Nov 2026.
- The NASCLA exam in South CarolinaThe NASCLA commercial exam in South Carolina: the Residential Builders Commission exam waiver and NASCLA's listing for the Contractors' Licensing Board.
- The NASCLA exam in TennesseeThe NASCLA commercial exam in Tennessee: what the contractors board's exam page says, the Business and Law exam, and what to confirm, read 7 Nov 2026.
- The NASCLA exam in UtahHow the NASCLA commercial exam fits in Utah: DOPL counts a NASCLA pass toward the general contractor experience requirement, read on DOPL's site 7 Nov 2026.
- The NASCLA exam in the U.S. Virgin IslandsHow the NASCLA commercial exam fits in the U.S. Virgin Islands: what NASCLA's list shows for the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs, read 7 Nov 2026.
- The NASCLA exam in VirginiaThe NASCLA commercial exam in Virginia: the Board for Contractors' form treats it as equivalent for Commercial Building, experience still required, 7 Nov 2026.
- The NASCLA exam in West VirginiaThe NASCLA commercial exam in West Virginia: the Contractor Licensing Board lists NASCLA scores among other accepted exams, read on its site 7 Nov 2026.
Study guides
8 resourcesWork through one topic at a time, with the method and worked examples.
- NASCLA study guide: an eight-week plan by areaAn eight-week NASCLA Commercial General Building study plan built from the twelve subject areas and their question counts, with tabbing and timed practice.
- NASCLA General Requirements: how to study itHow to study General Requirements on the NASCLA commercial exam: jobsite safety, CPM scheduling, submittals, closeout and code lookups, with a float example.
- NASCLA Procurement and Contracting guideHow to study Procurement and Contracting Requirements, the largest NASCLA commercial exam area: bids, markup, bonds, contracts, retainage, payroll and ratios.
- NASCLA Site Construction: how to study itHow to study Site Construction on the NASCLA commercial exam: OSHA excavation rules, soil types and slopes, earthwork quantities, pipe grades and SWPPPs.
- NASCLA Concrete: six questions across five booksHow to study Concrete on the NASCLA commercial exam: which of five listed books to open, water-cement ratio, placing and curing, rebar and yardage math.
- NASCLA Mechanical and Plumbing Systems guideHow to study Mechanical and Plumbing Systems on the NASCLA commercial exam: HVAC tons and Btu, pressure and drain slope math, fire sprinklers and coordination.
- NASCLA Metals: steel, joists, deck and Subpart RHow to study Metals on the NASCLA commercial exam: structural steel shapes, joist bridging and loading, steel deck, OSHA steel erection rules and weight math.
- NASCLA study options: books, classes, coursesWays to prepare for the NASCLA Commercial General Building exam side by side: the listed books, classes and seminars, NASCLA and PSI materials, online courses.
Practice tests and drills
4 resourcesCheck yourself on questions, symbols and code look-ups, then see what to fix.
- Free NASCLA practice test with explained answersTry three original NASCLA Commercial General Building practice questions with worked answers, then read your score by subject area and take the free check.
- NASCLA plan-reading drill: three practice sheetsRead three original practice sheets and answer 30 questions on scale, takeoff, schedules, wall layers and cut and fill.
- NASCLA plan-reading drill 2: three more sheetsThree more practice sheets, foundation, roof framing and ceiling plans, with 30 questions on takeoff, schedules and conflicts.
- NASCLA plan-reading drill 3: section, site, powerA building section, a site utility plan and a power and sprinkler plan, with 30 questions on takeoff, inverts and conflicts.
Tools and calculators
16 resourcesRun the math your exam asks for and get the answer in seconds.
- NASCLA study plan builder: week-by-week scheduleA week-by-week NASCLA Commercial plan weighted by the twelve subject-area question counts, from your weeks and hours.
- Free NASCLA flashcards: 40 cards, no signupFlip original cards across the twelve NASCLA subject areas, with formulas and where-to-look cards, and track what you know.
- NASCLA reference finder: which book to openRead a job situation and pick which of the 24 listed references to open first, with the reason each time.
- Markup and margin calculator for contractor bidsDirect cost and overhead to a bid price, with the profit shown as both a markup and a margin.
- Concrete yardage calculator for slabs and footingsSlab and footing sizes to cubic yards, plus your waste allowance, divided by 27 step by step.
- CMU block calculator: blocks for a wallWall area less openings to a block count from the nominal face, plus waste and a course check.
- Roofing squares calculator with pitch factorPlan area and pitch to roof surface, squares, waste and bundles, with the pitch factor shown.
- Retainage calculator for progress billingWork completed and stored materials to retainage held, retainage released and the payment due.
- Board feet calculator for lumber takeoffsA lumber list by nominal size to board feet per line, the total with waste, MBF and the cost.
- Cut and fill calculator: average end area methodStations and end areas to cut, fill and net volume in cubic yards by the average end area method.
- CPM float calculator: critical path, total and free floatActivities, durations and predecessors to early and late dates, total and free float and the critical path.
- Break-even calculator for contractorsFixed overhead and gross margin or markup to break-even revenue, target revenue and margin of safety.
- Drywall sheet calculator for walls and ceilingsWall and ceiling area less openings, plus waste, to whole sheets of gypsum board for your sheet size.
- Overhead rate calculator for contractorsAnnual overhead over direct cost or labor to an overhead rate, the markup that recovers it and a job bid.
- Over and under billing calculator (WIP)Contract value, estimated cost, cost to date and billings to percent complete, earned revenue and over or under billing.
- Bonding capacity estimator for contractorsWorking capital, net worth and your own surety rule of thumb to rough single job and aggregate figures.