Alaska Contractor (Residential Endorsement) Exam — All Questions

How does Alaska primarily authorize a person to work as a general contractor?

• a.By holding a certificate of registration under AS 08.18 (bond and insurance), with no general trade exam✓
• b.By passing a general commercial building trade exam like NASCLA
• c.By obtaining a federal contractor license
• d.By registering only with the local city building department

Alaska regulates contractors through registration under AS 08.18, administered by the DCCED Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing. The base General Contractor registration is obtained by posting a bond and carrying insurance, not by passing a general trade exam. The one state exam in this system is the Residential Contractor Endorsement.AS 08.18 (Construction Contractors)

Under AS 08.18.025, when must a general contractor hold a Residential Contractor Endorsement?

• a.Never — the endorsement is optional
• b.To construct or substantially alter a privately-owned residential structure of one to four units✓
• c.Only when building high-rise commercial towers
• d.Only when working on state-owned buildings

AS 08.18.025 bars a general contractor from constructing or altering (or bidding on/advertising) a privately-owned residential structure of one to four units without a Residential Contractor Endorsement. The rule targets small residential buildings, where cold-climate building science protects homeowners.AS 08.18.025

For the residential endorsement rule, what counts as an 'alteration' of a structure?

• a.Any change of any size, including minor repairs
• b.Only a change that adds a second story
• c.A change with a value greater than 25 percent of the value of the structure being altered✓
• d.Only work that changes the building's use

AS 08.18.025 defines 'alteration' as changes valued at greater than 25 percent of the value of the structure being altered. Major remodels cross that line and require the endorsement; minor repairs below the threshold generally do not.AS 08.18.025 (definition of alteration)

Which course requirement must be met to obtain the Residential Contractor Endorsement?

• a.A four-year engineering degree
• b.A one-hour online safety orientation
• c.A 16-hour Alaska Craftsman Home Program cold-climate course (or an equivalent postsecondary arctic-engineering course), completed within the prior two years✓
• d.No coursework — passing the exam is enough

The applicant must, within the two years before applying, complete the Alaska Craftsman Home Program 16-hour cold-climate course or an equivalent, or a postsecondary course in arctic engineering. The 16-hour course is mandatory and cannot be waived based on experience.AS 08.18.025; DCCED residential endorsement requirements

After passing the residential endorsement examination, how long does a candidate have to apply for the endorsement?

• a.12 months✓
• b.5 years
• c.30 days
• d.There is no time limit

Under AS 08.18.025 the applicant must apply for the endorsement within 12 months after passing the examination. Waiting longer means the exam result can no longer support the application.AS 08.18.025 (application timing)

What must a person already hold before they can obtain a Residential Contractor Endorsement?

• a.A commercial pilot certificate
• b.A city business license only
• c.A real estate license
• d.A certificate of registration as a general contractor✓

The endorsement sits on top of the base registration: the applicant must first hold a certificate of registration as a general contractor under AS 08.18, then pass the exam and meet the course and application requirements to add the residential endorsement.AS 08.18.025 (prerequisite registration)

Which agency administers contractor registration and the residential endorsement in Alaska?

• a.The Department of Commerce, Community & Economic Development (DCCED), Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing✓
• b.The Alaska Department of Transportation
• c.The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• d.The Alaska Court System

Construction contractor registration and the Residential Contractor Endorsement are administered by DCCED's Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing (Construction Contractors Section), which enforces AS 08.18.DCCED — Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing

Besides actually building the home, what else does the residential endorsement rule restrict for a contractor who lacks it?

• a.Only hiring employees
• b.Only buying materials
• c.Nothing else — only physical construction is restricted
• d.Bidding on, advertising, or publicly representing that it may do covered residential work✓

AS 08.18.025 prohibits an unendorsed general contractor not only from building or altering covered one-to-four-unit residential structures but also from submitting bids for that work or advertising/publicly representing that it may perform it.AS 08.18.025 (residential endorsement scope)

The subject matter of the Residential Contractor Endorsement exam centers on:

• a.Commercial real estate finance
• b.Maritime and shipping law
• c.Restaurant food safety
• d.Arctic structural and thermal (cold-climate) construction techniques✓

The endorsement exam tests competence in arctic structural and thermal construction techniques and related cold-climate matters. That focus is the whole reason the endorsement exists — Alaska's climate makes cold-climate building science a real competence issue for homes.Residential Contractor Endorsement Examination (PSI)

What surety bond must a General Contractor file to register under AS 08.18?

• a.$100,000
• b.$25,000✓
• c.$10,000
• d.$5,000

AS 08.18.071 requires a General Contractor to file a $25,000 surety bond with the department. The bond gives customers, laborers, and suppliers a source of recovery if the contractor fails to perform or pay.AS 08.18.071 (bond)

An Alaska Handyman Contractor registration limits the registrant to projects valued at:

• a.$10,000 or less✓
• b.$1,000 or less
• c.$50,000 or less
• d.There is no project limit

A Handyman Contractor registration is limited to contract projects valued at $10,000 or less and requires a smaller $5,000 bond. Larger work requires the full General Contractor registration (and the residential endorsement for covered residential work).AS 08.18 (handyman registration)

What bond amount is required for a Handyman Contractor registration in Alaska?

• a.$25,000
• b.$5,000✓
• c.No bond is required for handymen
• d.$50,000

A Handyman Contractor posts a $5,000 surety bond — smaller than the $25,000 General Contractor bond — reflecting the handyman's $10,000-per-project ceiling. The same liability-insurance minimums still apply.AS 08.18 (handyman bond)

What is the minimum public-liability/property-damage insurance an Alaska contractor must carry?

• a.$5,000 property / $10,000 per person / $20,000 multiple persons
• b.$100,000 property / $300,000 per person / $500,000 multiple persons
• c.No insurance is required, only a bond
• d.$20,000 property damage / $50,000 injury or death to one person / $100,000 injury or death to more than one person✓

Alaska requires public-liability and property-damage insurance of at least $20,000 for property damage, $50,000 for injury (including death) to one person, and $100,000 for injury (including death) to more than one person. These are minimum floors that apply to both general contractors and handymen.AS 08.18 (public-liability and property-damage insurance)

A person takes on a $40,000 home remodel in Alaska while holding only a Handyman Contractor registration. This is:

• a.A federal offense investigated by the FBI
• b.Fully permitted — handymen have no project limit
• c.Permitted if the homeowner signs a waiver
• d.Unlicensed contracting — the job exceeds the $10,000 handyman ceiling and needs full GC registration✓

A handyman registration only covers projects of $10,000 or less. A $40,000 remodel exceeds that ceiling, so the work requires a full General Contractor registration — and, because it is residential alteration of a one-to-four-unit home over the 25% threshold, the Residential Contractor Endorsement as well. Working outside the handyman limit is unlicensed contracting under AS 08.18.AS 08.18 (registration required)

What is the primary purpose of the surety bond an Alaska contractor must file?

• a.To replace the need for liability insurance
• b.To fund the contractor's advertising
• c.To give injured customers, laborers, and material suppliers a source of recovery if the contractor fails to perform or pay✓
• d.To pay the contractor's income taxes

The registration bond is a consumer- and worker-protection device: it gives customers, laborers, and suppliers a way to recover if the contractor defaults. It does not replace the separately required public-liability and property-damage insurance.AS 08.18 (purpose of the bond)

A registered general contractor WITHOUT a residential endorsement advertises that it builds new single-family homes. Under AS 08.18.025 this is:

• a.Allowed only during winter months
• b.Prohibited — the endorsement rule also bars advertising or representing that it may do covered residential work✓
• c.Allowed if the ad names a subcontractor
• d.Allowed, because advertising is not construction

AS 08.18.025 reaches beyond physical work: an unendorsed contractor may not bid on, advertise, or publicly represent that it may construct or alter covered one-to-four-unit residential structures. Advertising the service without the endorsement violates the statute.AS 08.18.025 (bidding and advertising)

What are the format and passing standard of the Residential Contractor Endorsement exam?

• a.25 questions, 30 minutes, 60% to pass
• b.50 questions, 90 minutes, 75% to pass
• c.200 questions, 300 minutes, 80% to pass
• d.100 questions, 240 minutes, 70% (70 correct) to pass✓

Per the official PSI Candidate Information Bulletin, the exam has 100 questions, allows 240 minutes, and requires 70% (70 correct) to pass. It is an open-reference exam, so navigating the approved books quickly is part of preparing.Residential Contractor Endorsement Examination (PSI Candidate Information Bulletin)

Which best describes the reference policy for the residential endorsement exam?

• a.Fully closed-book — no materials of any kind
• b.Only a dictionary is allowed
• c.Open-reference — candidates may bring approved code books and references into the test center✓
• d.Candidates may use any personal notes and the internet

The exam is open-reference: approved code books and references (such as the IRC, American Wood Council standards, OSHA construction standards, and 'Northern Comfort') may be brought in, but they may not be written in, and unapproved materials are barred. A silent, non-programmable calculator is allowed.Residential Contractor Endorsement Examination (open-reference policy)

Which content area carries heavy weight on the endorsement exam because of Alaska's climate?

• a.Swimming-pool plumbing
• b.Thermal and moisture protection using advanced cold-climate techniques✓
• c.Highway asphalt paving
• d.Elevator maintenance

Thermal and moisture protection — especially advanced cold-climate techniques — is one of the most heavily weighted areas, reflecting the real Alaska risks of heat loss, condensation, and moisture damage in extreme cold. Sitework/foundations and carpentry/framing are also major areas.Residential Contractor Endorsement Examination — content outline (PSI)

Which reference is most directly tied to the exam's cold-climate content?

• a.A marine-vessel maintenance guide
• b.A national road-construction handbook
• c.'Northern Comfort: Advanced Cold Climate Home Building Techniques' (Alaska Craftsman Home Program)✓
• d.A homeowner's kitchen-appliance manual

'Northern Comfort: Advanced Cold Climate Home Building Techniques,' published by the Alaska Craftsman Home Program, is a core reference for the exam's arctic building-science content. Studying it alongside AS 08.18 targets both the cold-climate and licensing portions of the test.Residential Contractor Endorsement Examination — reference list (PSI)

In addition to arctic building science, the endorsement exam also tests:

• a.Only real estate appraisal
• b.Only Alaska tax law
• c.OSHA construction safety (29 CFR 1926) and Alaska residential-endorsement regulations✓
• d.Only marketing and sales

Beyond arctic structural and thermal content, the exam includes general code and life/fire safety, equipment and tools, OSHA construction safety (29 CFR 1926), and the Alaska regulations for the residential endorsement — so candidates must know safety and the licensing rules, not just building technique.Residential Contractor Endorsement Examination — content outline (OSHA)

Can the mandatory 16-hour cold-climate course be waived for a contractor with decades of experience?

• a.Yes — 10+ years of experience automatically waives it
• b.Yes — any licensed engineer is exempt
• c.No — the 16-hour course requirement cannot be waived based on experience✓
• d.Yes — the course is optional in every case

The 16-hour cold-climate course (Alaska Craftsman Home Program or equivalent, or an equivalent postsecondary arctic-engineering course) is a firm prerequisite completed within the two years before applying, and it cannot be waived based on experience. Experience does not substitute for the arctic building-science training.AS 08.18.025 (16-hour course prerequisite)