How to tab and highlight your NASCLA books

The NASCLA Commercial General Building exam is open book, and the books are yours to prepare. Done well, tabs and highlights turn a two-minute hunt into a ten-second lookup. Done badly, or against the rules, they cost time or trouble at check-in. This page gives PSI's rules first, then a plan.

The rules, from the bulletin

PSI's Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 7 Jul 2026) says:

• You may highlight, underline and index your references.
• They must otherwise be unmarked: not written in.
• They may not contain additional papers, loose or attached.
• You may tab or index them with permanent tabs only. Temporary tabs such as Post-it notes are not allowed and must be removed before the exam begins.
• The references will not be available at the test center. You bring your own.

The bulletin does not say whether a handwritten label on a permanent tab counts as writing in the book. Preprinted tabs avoid the question. If you want to write on blank permanent tabs, ask PSI before test day.

Step 1: get the right editions

Match each book to the edition the bulletin lists. For code books, the exam uses only the listed editions. For the others you may use earlier or later editions at your own risk. The list is in the reference books guide. Electronic devices go in storage at the test center, so plan on printed copies.

Step 2: tab every index and table of contents

Before anything else, put one tab on the index and one on the table of contents of each book. Most lookups start at the index with the most specific word in the question. That is 48 tabs across 24 books, and they will earn more time than any others.

Step 3: one color per subject area

Pick a tab color for each group of subject areas and use it on every book in that group. When a question names a topic, you reach for a color before you read a spine. One way to group them, using the twelve areas from the exam outline:

Principles and Practices of Commercial Construction covers many areas; give it a neutral color and tab it by topic.

The free NASCLA tabbing guide (PDF) prints this color plan with suggested tab topics for each of the 24 books, so you can tick each book off as you tab it. No email.

Step 4: tab by the question, not by the chapter

Add a tab where you will need to land, not at every chapter. Good candidates are the places practice questions keep sending you: the OSHA subparts you use most, a set of formulas, a slope table, a bond or lien topic. Ten useful tabs in a book beat sixty you cannot read at speed.

The five-second test. If you cannot find a tab within five seconds of deciding you need it, it is not working. Move it, merge it or pull it while it is still early in your study.

Step 5: highlight one thing per page

Highlight the single number, term or rule you would look for, not whole paragraphs. A page that is all yellow hides the one line you need. Some people use one color for numbers and another for definitions. Underlining is allowed too.

Step 6: grow tabs from your misses

After each practice set, note every question where the lookup took longer than about two minutes. If you looked up the same topic twice, it earns a tab. If the index sent you to the wrong place, highlight the index term that would have worked.

The night before

• Pull every Post-it note and temporary flag.
• Check inside covers and on blank pages for anything written.
• Shake each book for loose papers.
• Pack the books in a box or crate you can carry in one trip.

Take the free 10-question check and see your score by subject area in minutes. It needs no signup and explains every answer, so you know which books to tab first.

The NASCLA Commercial course has a lesson for each of the 12 subject areas that shows which listed reference to open and how to apply it, original practice questions with every answer worked, and four timed practice exams of 115 questions on a 330-minute clock. Your scores come back by subject area, so you know where the next study hour goes. See the course.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by NASCLA or PSI. NASCLA and PSI are named only to identify the exam and its test vendor. Book titles are named only to identify them.

FAQ

Are tabs allowed in NASCLA exam books?

Yes, permanent tabs only. Temporary tabs such as Post-it notes must be removed before the exam begins.

Can I highlight my NASCLA books?

Yes. You may highlight, underline and index them, but not write in them or add loose or attached papers.

Is there a free NASCLA tabbing guide?

Yes. The free Bid Bond tabbing guide PDF gives a tab color and the topics to tab for all 24 listed references, with the book rules up front.

Sources

Show the list

• PSI Candidate Information Bulletin 1458, reference list and reference rules, updated 7 Jul 2026. Retrieved 5 Nov 2026.