A guide to the NASCLA Commercial General Building Contractor License

The National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies (NASCLA) has a high standard to which contractors in the 17 state boards in which it is recognized comply. An addition to the NASCLA Commercial General Building Contractor License is also the building inspector license. 

The Commercial Building Contractor exam is an open book exam and has 115 questions of which 81 (70%) must be answered correctly in the 330 minutes allocated to complete the exam.  

Pre-test requirements:

Prior to taking the NASCLA exam, applicants need to receive pre-approval from the organisation. 

An online application and $25.00 fee must be filed with NASCLA through the NASCLA National Examination Database (NED) website at https://ned.nascla.org

Approved candidates information will be forwarded to the testing provider who will then make contact with the candidate. Applicants whose request has been denied will be notified . 

Pre-approval is not required if the candidate has previously applied for a license in an administering state.

Subjects:

The exam tests on the following subjects.

  • General requirements
  • Site construction 
  • Concrete
  • Masonry
  • Metals
  • Wood
  • Thermal & Moisture protection 
  • Doors, windows and glazing 
  • Finishes
  • Mechanical and Plumbing systems 
  • Electrical systems 
  • Procurement and Contracting requirements

Exam preparation:

NC Contractors License online exam prep should include:

  • Math & Plans Lessons – Learn math concepts and how to solve calculations on test day.
  • Highlighting Guides – Introduce the critical information in your book(s). This will familiarize you with each book’s content and its layout.
  • Quizzes – These practice quizzes are based on each individual book/reference. They reinforce key concepts.
  • Test Simulation / Practice Exam – Comprehensive exams randomly generated from a database of questions. Test simulations are restricted by time, and hints are disabled. Test simulations are as close to the real exam as you can get.
  • Guide to Tabbing – This section includes tabbing books and other test taking strategies to keep calm and focused during the exam.

NASCLA exam states:

The following states administer and accept the NASCLA exam for the corresponding licenses:

  • Alabama – General Contractor
  • Arizona – B-1 Commercial General Contractor and B-2 General Small Commercial Contractor
    *Must be taken in the last 2 years
  • Arkansas – Commercial Building Contractor
  • Georgia – General Contractor
  • Mississippi – Building Construction License
  • South Carolina – Unlimited Building Contractor
  • Tennessee – Residential / Commercial / Industrial Contractor
  • Virgin Islands – General Contractor License

The following states accept the exam for some licenses but do not Administer the exam:

  • Florida – General Contractor
    *Accepting the Accredited Examination in lieu of the Florida Trade Examination. A Florida Business/Finance portion and Florida Building Code portion are still required.
  • Louisiana – Residential Building Contractor and Commercial Building Construction
  • Nevada – General Building Contractor
  • New Mexico – Accepted in lieu of the GB-98 Exam
  • North Carolina – Commercial Building Construction Residential Building Contractor
  • Oregon – Contractor
    *Accepted in lieu of the 16 hour pre-licensure training requirement
  • South Carolina – Residential Building Contractor
    *Has passed the NASCLA National Contractors Exam within the past 3 years
  • Utah – General Building Contractor
    *Utah no longer requires trade exams, but will accept the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors to satisfy the 2 year experience requirements for general contractors.
  • Virginia – Commercial Building Contractor
  • West Virginia – General Building Contractor

For more information on the course for the contractor’s license visit www.rockertcert.com