Alaska Contractor (Residential Endorsement) Exam — All Questions
9 questions
How does Alaska primarily authorize a person to work as a general contractor?
- a.By passing a general commercial building trade exam like NASCLA
- b.By holding a certificate of registration under AS 08.18 (bond and insurance), with no general trade exam✓
- c.By registering only with the local city building department
- d.By obtaining a federal contractor license
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.Only when building high-rise commercial towers
- b.Only when working on state-owned buildings
- c.To construct or substantially alter a privately-owned residential structure of one to four units✓
- d.Never — the endorsement is optional
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.A change with a value greater than 25 percent of the value of the structure being altered✓
- b.Any change of any size, including minor repairs
- c.Only a change that adds a second story
- 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 one-hour online safety orientation
- b.A four-year engineering degree
- c.No coursework — passing the exam is enough
- d.A 16-hour Alaska Craftsman Home Program cold-climate course (or an equivalent postsecondary arctic-engineering course), completed within the prior two years✓
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.30 days
- b.12 months✓
- c.5 years
- 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 real estate license
- b.A commercial pilot certificate
- c.A certificate of registration as a general contractor✓
- d.A city business license only
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.Nothing else — only physical construction is restricted
- b.Only buying materials
- c.Only hiring employees
- 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.Arctic structural and thermal (cold-climate) construction techniques✓
- c.Maritime and shipping law
- d.Restaurant food safety
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)