NASCLA Commercial General Building Contractor Exam Practice Test
Sample practice questions
A few real questions from this free bank, with full explanations. Use the practice tool above for the whole set.
- 1. Procurement & Contracting Requirements
A candidate passes the NASCLA Accredited Commercial General Building Contractor examination. What does passing it accomplish toward licensure?
- a.It grants a contractor license automatically in every accepting state
- b.It replaces the need for any state license
- c.It satisfies the trade/technical portion in accepting states; each state's business and law licensing requirements still apply separately
- d.It satisfies both the trade and the business/law requirements in one exam
Answer: c
Explanation: The NASCLA Accredited exam covers the commercial building trade/technical knowledge and is accepted for that portion by roughly 18 jurisdictions. It does not license the candidate by itself: each state's separate business and law exam, financial, and application requirements still apply.
Source: NASCLA Accredited Program scope
- 2. Procurement & Contracting Requirements
A general contractor stops paying its subcontractors on a bonded public project. Which bond gives the unpaid subs a remedy?
- a.The performance bond
- b.The bid bond
- c.The payment bond
- d.The maintenance bond
Answer: c
Explanation: The payment bond guarantees that subcontractors and suppliers are paid, so it is the unpaid subs' remedy. The performance bond assures the owner the work is completed; the bid bond addresses a bidder backing out. Each of the three bonds protects a different party.
Source: Payment bond vs. performance bond (AIA A312)
- 3. Procurement & Contracting Requirements
An owner withholds 10% from each progress payment on a commercial project. What is the primary purpose of this retainage?
- a.To cover the building permit cost
- b.To give the owner leverage and security that the contractor will complete the work and correct deficiencies
- c.To pay the architect's design fee
- d.To fund the contractor's payroll taxes
Answer: b
Explanation: Retainage is a percentage withheld from each progress payment and released after completion. It protects the owner by giving the contractor a financial incentive to finish and to correct punch-list items before the withheld money is paid.
Source: Retainage on progress payments
- 4. General Requirements
Before fabricating and installing structural steel, the contractor sends detailed shop drawings to the architect/engineer for review. What is the purpose of this submittal process?
- a.To close out the project
- b.To request additional payment
- c.To confirm the contractor's proposed materials and fabrication conform to the design intent before the work is built
- d.To report a jobsite injury
Answer: c
Explanation: Submittals such as shop drawings, product data, and samples let the design team verify that what the contractor intends to furnish matches the design intent before it is fabricated or installed. Catching a conflict on paper is far cheaper than tearing out built work.
Source: Submittals / shop drawings
- 5. General Requirements
OSHA requires a 'competent person' for certain operations such as excavation and scaffolding. A competent person must be able to identify hazards AND:
- a.have at least ten years of experience
- b.hold a professional engineer license
- c.have the authority to take prompt corrective action to eliminate the hazards
- d.be a full-time safety officer
Answer: c
Explanation: Under 29 CFR 1926.32(f), a competent person can identify existing and predictable hazards and is authorized to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them. Both the ability to spot the hazard and the authority to stop or correct the work are required.
Source: 29 CFR 1926.32(f) (competent person)
- 6. Site Construction
In OSHA's soil classification for excavation safety, which soil type is the most stable and which is the least stable?
- a.Type C is most stable; stable rock is least stable
- b.Stable rock is most stable; Type C is least stable
- c.All soil types are equally stable
- d.Type A is least stable; Type C is most stable
Answer: b
Explanation: OSHA ranks excavation stability from stable rock (most stable) through Type A, Type B, to Type C (least stable). The flatter sloping and stronger protective systems are required as soils get less stable, so correctly classifying the soil drives the protective design.
Source: 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P (soil classification)
- 7. Concrete
How many cubic yards of concrete are needed for a slab 20 ft by 30 ft placed 6 inches thick (before any waste factor)?
- a.11.1 cy
- b.3.7 cy
- c.22.2 cy
- d.100 cy
Answer: a
Explanation: Convert thickness to feet (6 / 12 = 0.5 ft), then volume = (20 x 30 x 0.5) / 27 = 300 / 27 = 11.1 cubic yards. There are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard, so dividing by 27 converts cubic feet to cubic yards.
Source: Concrete volume: (L x W x thickness) / 27
- 8. Metals
Structural steel members on a commercial frame are most commonly connected in the field by which two methods?
- a.High-strength bolting and welding
- b.Mortar and grout
- c.Rivets and duct tape
- d.Wood screws and construction adhesive
Answer: a
Explanation: Modern structural steel is joined chiefly by high-strength bolting and welding. Field bolting is fast and inspectable; welding provides continuous connections. Riveting, once common, is now largely obsolete for new commercial steel.
Source: Structural steel connections (AISC)
- 9. Thermal & Moisture Protection
At the intersection of a roof and a vertical wall or penetration, what component is installed to prevent water intrusion?
- a.A control joint
- b.A vapor retarder only
- c.Flashing
- d.A weep screed
Answer: c
Explanation: Flashing is the sheet material installed at roof-to-wall junctions, penetrations, and other transitions to direct water away and prevent leaks. It is one of the most failure-prone areas of the building envelope, so correct flashing detailing is critical to thermal and moisture protection.
Source: Roofing / flashing (thermal and moisture protection)
- 10. Masonry
Among the common ASTM C270 mortar types, which is the highest-strength mortar, typically used where greater compressive and lateral strength is required (such as below grade)?
- a.Type N
- b.Type M
- c.Type K
- d.Type O
Answer: b
Explanation: Of the standard mortar types (M, S, N, O), Type M has the highest compressive strength and is used where high strength is needed, such as below-grade or load-bearing foundation masonry. Type N is a common general-purpose mortar; Type O is a low-strength interior mortar.
Source: Masonry mortar types (ASTM C270)