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How to pass the NASCLA commercial general building contractor exam

One open-book trade exam that 20 state agencies accept in some form. Here’s how to get approved, what’s on it, which books to bring, and how to send your passing score to a state, checked against NASCLA’s and PSI’s own documents.

At a glance

The exams

Question count, time and passing score are from PSI’s candidate information bulletin for the NASCLA exam (updated 7/7/2026). 81 out of 115 is about 70%. Questions are on computer, one at a time, and you can go back and change answers until time runs out. The 115 scored questions are split into 12 subject areas. See the content outline below.

Before you apply

• To sit for the exam: no prerequisites. NASCLA says anyone can apply. You do need NASCLA’s approval before PSI will let you schedule.
• Where you live doesn’t matter: you can test at any PSI location that offers the exam, and you don’t need to live in the state where you want a license.
• One year, three tries: your approval is good for 1 year from the approval date, with up to 3 attempts in that year. If you don’t pass, you re-apply with your same NASCLA candidate ID once your first year of eligibility has expired.
• The state’s rules still apply: passing NASCLA only covers the trade exam (or, in a few states, a different requirement). Experience, financial statements, insurance, bonds and the state business & law exam are set by each state.
• Some states set time limits: Arizona and North Carolina want the exam passed within the past 2 years, both South Carolina agencies within the past 3 years, and West Virginia won’t take scores from before September 1, 2013. Check your state before you apply.
• Valid ID on test day: one current, government-issued photo ID with your name and signature. Temporary IDs aren’t accepted.

Step by step

1. Confirm your state takes itCheck NASCLA’s participating agency list and the note on each agency’s page, then confirm with the state board which license class it covers and what else you’ll need. Do this before you pay anything.
2. Apply at ned.nascla.orgFill out the new candidate application and pay the $65 fee (application fees are final). NASCLA says applications are usually processed within 7 business days.
3. Watch for PSI’s emailOnce you’re approved, PSI emails your candidate ID (it starts with NASCC) and scheduling instructions.
4. Pay and schedule with PSISchedule online at test-takers.psiexams.com/nascla or call (855) 746-8177. The exam fee is $130 and is good for one year from payment. To keep your fee, cancel at least 2 days before your test date.
5. Buy and tab the reference booksGet the books on the current PSI reference list. Highlight, underline and add permanent tabs. No handwritten notes and no loose or attached papers.
6. Pass, then send your transcriptCreate one account at ned.nascla.org. NASCLA links your result (it says to allow about 5 to 6 business days), then you buy a $45 transcript for each state agency you apply to. The agency gets it electronically. Then finish that state’s license application.

The reference books

Content outline (115 scored questions): Procurement and Contracting Requirements 31; General Requirements 25; Site Construction 15; Concrete 6; Metals 6; Mechanical and Plumbing Systems 6; Wood 5; Thermal and Moisture Protection 5; Finishes 5; Masonry 4; Doors, Windows and Glazing 4; Electrical Systems 3.

Where the points are: Procurement and Contracting plus General Requirements make up 56 of the 115 scored questions, almost half the exam. Site Construction is next at 15.

PSI publishes the reference list in the candidate bulletin. It has about two dozen books and standards, including the 2021 or 2024 International Building Code, ICC A117.1-2017, ACI 318 (2014 or 2019), OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926, the NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management (Basic 14th ed.), Construction Project Management, Construction Jobsite Management, and Principles and Practices of Commercial Construction (11th ed.). The exam can also include questions based on trade knowledge and general industry practice.

Watch the editions: code questions are based only on the code editions listed. For the other books you can use earlier or later editions, but it’s at your own risk. Answer conflicts from a different edition aren’t grounds for appeal.

What you can bring: the listed references, highlighted, underlined and tabbed with permanent tabs only. They must not be written in and can’t hold extra papers, loose or attached. Post-it notes have to come out before the exam starts. The books are not available at the test center, so bring your own. A diagram/blueprint packet is handed out at the test center.

A 6-week study plan

On test day

• Arrive 30 minutes early with one current government-issued photo ID that shows your name and signature. If you’re late, you may not be let in and you lose your fee.
• Bring every book on the list, with permanent tabs only. Pull any Post-it notes and loose papers before you go.
• Calculators must be silent, battery-operated, non-programmable, non-printing and without an alphabet keyboard.
• Leave the jacket in the car. Outerwear like open sweaters, vests, jackets and coats isn’t allowed in the testing room, and phones and smart watches go in storage.
• The on-screen tutorial (up to 15 minutes) doesn’t count against your time. After that you have 330 minutes for 125 questions, about 2.6 minutes each.
• Answer what you know first, then go back and look up the rest. You can change answers until time runs out. Use the blueprint packet handed out at the center for the plan-reading questions.

Quick answers