NASCLA exam outline: 12 areas and question counts

Your study hours should follow the points. The NASCLA Commercial General Building exam outline tells you where the points are, and it fits on one table. This guide turns that table into a plan. Try the weights out with the NASCLA practice test.

The twelve subject areas

PSI's Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 7 Jul 2026) gives the number of scored questions in each area. The share column is our arithmetic, rounded.

On top of the 115, you answer 10 unscored pretest questions. You cannot tell them apart from the rest, and their time is already in the 330 minutes.

What the bulletin does and does not tell you

The bulletin gives the area names and counts, and nothing below them: there is no task list or topic list inside each area. It says the questions were prepared from the 24 listed references, and that the exam may also include questions based on trade knowledge or general industry practice. For code questions, only the listed code editions count. So treat the area names as headings and the reference list as the map of what sits under them.

Which references line up with which areas

NASCLA does not publish this mapping. It is our reading of the book titles, offered as a place to start, not a statement of what any book covers on the exam.

• Procurement and Contracting Requirements, General Requirements: NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management; Construction Project Management; Construction Jobsite Management; 29 CFR 1926 (OSHA construction standards); Green Building Fundamentals.
• Site Construction: Pipe and Excavation Contracting; the EPA stormwater pollution prevention plan guide; 29 CFR 1926.
• Concrete: ACI 318; The Contractor's Guide to Quality Concrete Construction; CRSI Placing Reinforcing Bars; PTI Level 1 Field Fundamentals; PCI Erectors' Manual.
• Masonry: Modern Masonry.
• Metals: SJI Technical Digest No. 9 on steel joists and joist girders; SDI Manual of Construction with Steel Deck.
• Wood: BCSI on wood trusses; Carpentry and Building Construction.
• Thermal and Moisture Protection: Roofing Construction and Estimating; ANSI/EIMA 99-A-2017 on EIFS.
• Finishes: Gypsum Construction Handbook.
• Mechanical and Plumbing, Electrical: Mechanical and Electrical Systems for Construction Managers.
• Across many areas: International Building Code, ICC A117.1 on accessibility, Principles and Practices of Commercial Construction.

The full list with editions is in the reference books guide.

What the counts mean for your plan

• Almost half the exam is two areas. Procurement and Contracting Requirements and General Requirements are 56 of 115 questions. Start there.
• Site Construction is the third block at 15 questions, more than twice any single trade area below it.
• The small areas still add up. The nine areas with 3 to 6 questions each total 44 questions, which is more than a third of the exam. Do not skip them; aim to find answers in their books fast.
• It is open book. Knowing where to look is part of the score. Practice with your own tabbed books, not from memory alone.

The NASCLA study guide turns this into a weekly plan.

Six areas have their own guides: General Requirements, Procurement and Contracting, Site Construction, Concrete, Metals and Mechanical and Plumbing Systems. For the takeoff arithmetic in the smaller trade areas, try the free concrete yardage, CMU block, roofing squares, board feet and drywall sheet calculators. For Site Construction earthwork there is a cut and fill calculator, and for drawings a plan-reading drill.

Take the free 10-question check and see your score by subject area in minutes. It needs no signup and explains every answer.

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.

FAQ

What subject areas are on the NASCLA exam?

Twelve: General Requirements, Site Construction, Concrete, Masonry, Metals, Wood, Thermal and Moisture Protection, Doors, Windows, and Glazing, Finishes, Mechanical and Plumbing Systems, Electrical Systems, and Procurement and Contracting Requirements.

What is the largest subject area on the NASCLA exam?

Procurement and Contracting Requirements: 31 of the 115 scored questions, about 27%. General Requirements is next at 25.

How should I split my NASCLA study time?

By the counts. The two business areas are 56 of the 115 scored questions, almost half, so they get almost half your hours.

Sources

Show the list

• PSI Candidate Information Bulletin 1458, content outline and reference list, updated 7 Jul 2026. Retrieved 5 Nov 2026.
• NASCLA Commercial Exam, NASCLA. Retrieved 5 Nov 2026.